There might be some spoilers if you haven't seen the Harry Potter series.
What makes a hero? What makes a villain? Is it possible that heroes can look the part of a villain but intentionally be a hero? Heroes have been defined for years through different forms of media: comic books, television, movies, books. We view heroes as an icon of freedom and give us role models for how to live our lives. Though we all can picture a hero like Spiderman or Superman, what is the true definition of a hero?
Bernstein characterizes a hero with four qualities: elevated moral stature, superior ability, pursues his goals in the face of opposition and defense of reality conforming/life-affirming values. These values are Bernstein's definition of a hero.
My definition of a hero would be Severus Snape from the Harry Potter book and movie series. Severus Snape has been characterized throughout the Harry Potter series as a villain, until his intentions were released at the end of the series. Though his portrayal as a villain is significant, the understanding of Severus Snape as a hero might be implied. If we look at Bernstein's definition of a hero, Snape meets several, if not all, of these qualities.
Through the movies, Snape holds himself high and commands much respect from the students of Hogwarts. He might not have the same "elevated moral stature" that Bernsteins describes, but he does have moral stature in regards to the safety of Harry himself as seen at the end of the series. This sort of love and protection of Harry qualifies him as a hero. His superior ability comes in the form of being an excellent wizard. Since the entire series is based on wizards, his abilities make him superior to other wizards of his time. Thirdly, through the whole series, Snape has been seen as both a professor at Hogwarts and a Death Eater for the opposition, Voldemort. But his skills as a spy for Dumbledore make Snape pursue his goals, even while keeping himself undetected from the opposition of the series. Snape's ability to hold the last Bernstein quality might make some believe him to be a villain. He may not defend the people and hold life affirming values, but he definitely shows signs of wanting life to be continued further, even if that is not his original intent.
I believe Snape to be a hero in his own right. He does perform good deeds for the good of Harry and of Hogwarts itself. Through the series he proves himself to be a good person, and I think the intent is what makes him truly a hero.
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