History Characters / HarryPotterSeverusSnape

* InsufferableGenius: Improved his textbook while still a student; invented his own spells at the same time; one of only two wizards capable of [[spoiler:independent {{flight}}]]. At the same time he's a terrible teacher; not only does he bully his students but he has utter disdain for their not picking up simple concepts right away. zTruthInTelevision as sometimes experts can make really bad teachers. This makes it infuriating when he hypocritically accuses Hermione of being an "insufferable know-it-all".

** Book 3 features Snape at his most detestable. With very little of the DeadpanSnarker on display, sadistically torturing Neville openly in class, insulting another teacher publicly in front of his students, and in the end [[spoiler: gleefully looking forward to feeding a man to Dementors even when he was willing to come quietly and requested a fair hearing. When it's clear that he won't listen to reason, the trio resort to knocking him unconscious. After the climax, he gets in one last act of spite by outing Lupin as a werewolf (which he had already tried, more subtly, at least once earlier in the year)]].

* MoralMyopia: Snape is extensively self-centered and biased to his actions and the actions of those around him. He calmly defended his friend Mulciber's action as a "bit of fun" in a NoodleIncident that Lily claims was dark magic. However, he ''seethes'' with anger when on the receiving end of James Potter's "bit of fun".

*** Throughout the series, he constantly degrades and insults the intelligence of his students, blaming any failure to meet his standards on their inherent inadequacies, and not the fact that he never actually bothers to provide any real guidance or teaching beyond trial and error.

* YouShouldHaveDiedInstead: Never outright stated, but Rowling states that Snape's bullying towards [[spoiler:Neville]] is rooted on the fact that [[spoiler:Voldemort didn't go after him instead of Harry upon hearing the prophecy.]]

* UngratefulBastard: On one hand, he might seem like this for not feeling grateful to James Potter for saving his life from the werewolf. On the other hand, the incident doesn't stop the spite between James and himself and one can say that it just made him angrier being in James' debt, especially since the entire thing started with Severus trying to oust them.

* TheSociopath: Snape definitely shows a lot of low-functioning sociopathic tendencies such as manipulation, sadism, no social skills, near complete self-absorption, a disturbing lack of empathy and bullying of children who can't fight back. His MoralMyopia and constant [[{{Hypocrite}} Hypocripsy]] also count, and his love of Lily is self-serving and shows a lot of traits of EntitledToHaveYou.

** Really he should be locked up in Azkaban for his time as a Death Eater, but thanks to Dumbledore, [[KarmaHoudini he was able to walk free]] and get a steady job at Hogwarts, where he [[SadistTeacher bullies his students]] and [[Apathetic Teacher refuses to teach them properly]].