Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
discussion
Who did you want dead the most? Umbridge or Voldemort

I'm going with VOLDEMORT!



That [sensored by consideration of poster] was worse than Voldemort in my opinion. Voldemort merely wanted Harry Potter dead, gone, poof. Umbridge relinquished the torture of others. Death was too kind, in her opinion.


In some ways, Umbridge mirrors Snape. Snape exudes evil, until book 7 where we learn... well... what we learn. But Umbridge drives the appearance of a senile benevolence, comparable to that of a grandparent, but actually turns out to be a succubi.
It is these complexities in the characters that makes me love the books so well.
I think of this popular C. S. Lewis quote every time I read or watch HPatOotP and come across Umbridge. It describes Umbridge's particular flavor of nefariousness quite well.
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."
-- C. S. Lewis
Wm. Scott wrote: "Where Voldemort was blatantly evil, Umbridge was malevolence masquerading as benevolence.
In some ways, Umbridge mirrors Snape. Snape exudes evil, until book 7 where we learn... well... what we le..."
I might be a bit drunk and stoned at the moment, but I'm going to to say: I think that was a very interesting post.
In some ways, Umbridge mirrors Snape. Snape exudes evil, until book 7 where we learn... well... what we le..."
I might be a bit drunk and stoned at the moment, but I'm going to to say: I think that was a very interesting post.




It's funny, in the Harry Potter fandom, there's so many different opinions and some people like this character but someone else doesn't, like there is in every fandom. But you will never meet a HP fan that doesn't hate Umbridge with a burning passion. It's something that the whole entire fandom agrees on and I think that's beautiful.

People who read my stuff always claim that it is best read in an altered state of consciousness. I have never done any kind of drug, and have honestly never been asked to. I asked a Toker friend of mine why he's never invited me to do drugs with, and his reply was, "In all honesty, you're the only person I know that doesn't need it." To this day, I am entirely sure what he meant by that.
At any rate, back to the topic at hand, I have often wondered about Umbridge, and Rowling's inclusion of her. Most of the time, people who write children's books always make the bad guy's physical appearance match their evil intentions.
With Umbridge, we know she has the face reminiscent of a toad, but other than that, she seems like your typical politician. She abides in that place where love and hate are barely discernible. A strange enigma. It is one thing to have ill-intentions. It is quite another to have ill-intentions, and yet convince your victim(s), you are acting out of kindness and concern for them. In the most serious cases, you believe your own lie, and believe that the wounds you inflict are ultimately for the benefit of those receiving them.
I daresay we all have Umbridges in our lives, and is why we so enjoy seeing her brought low in the HP series. It fulfills our need to see Karma brought into balance with the Umbridges in the real world.


Don't cast away the chaff while there are tons to intellectual wheat to be gleaned from Umbridge's character, nay, from ALL the characters, since they are all so different with such remarkable personalities all on their own.
The only character in the series I wanted to punch in the face was Bellatrix. She entails raw, primal, and even superficial evil. No thought. No motive. Just raw evil. She wanted to see people hurt. She needed no motive. She is the worst kind of antagonist. I don't even enjoy reading about those types of antagonists in literature. Give me someone with depth.
Maybe that is why I always enjoyed Sherlock Holmes. Professor Moriarty was an antagonist with depth and genius.


But Umbridge had one.. she had hair too..
Voldemort was such an innocent poor thing.. deprived of some essential privileges... ;)
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Let's let Umbridge die.. LOL
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But well, isn't there a way that we can "kill both the birds with one stone" in a go.???

Evil MUST be vanquished. Voldemort needed to be eliminated, without doubt.
It was sure that he's going to die or that somothing is going to happen to him anyway. So that's why I wanted Umbitch dead


The pink is horrible... but the paintings with the cats. The cats that watch people.

I hated her hypocritical ways, but mostly because she had such a faschist quality about her. She could easily have been in a high political position in the 3rd Reich.

I hated her hypocritical ways, but mostly because she had such a faschist quality about her. She could easily have been in a high political position in the 3rd Reich."
So true!


Sadly I think your hypothesis of Umbridge is on point. I am thankful she didn't have more power at her fingertips; because she abused what power she did have.


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