Re: Bellatrix Lestrange: Character Analysis
 

I've always thought that Bellatrix was a fascinating character.

Re: Bellatrix Lestrange: Character Analysis
 

Bellatrix is so interesting because she is so evil. I always wondered why she trusted Voldemort so much and, as she did, how come she married rudolphs, who, lets be honest, did seem to tail off a bit. I think her upbringing has a lot to do with it, but I always thought she was one of the most interesting characters to study, aven if she is rather repulsive.

Re: Bellatrix Lestrange: Character Analysis
 

Bellatrix is pretty cool, she's probably my favourite evil character (but damn her, she went and killed my favourite character! Sirius, I mean...not Dobby, or Lupin, or Tonks -yeah, apparently it was her who killed LUpin and Tonks, I know!- that freak, or ***** in mrs.weasleys words, lol).

I'm still a little puzzled at why she went and married rodolphus, because if I was him I'd be feeling really jealous that she loved Voldemort more.

Maybe it was just that Bellatrix liked the last name "Lestrange" better than "Black"?

Re: Bellatrix Lestrange: Character Analysis
 

I think Bella married Rodolphus because she knew Voldemort would never marry, so she made a "pureblood" marraige to be proper. I don't think her heart was ever in her relationship. She didn't hate Rodolphus, but it wasn't like Lily and James, for instance.

Partly because of lack of backstory, Bella comes off as more "evil" to me than even Voldemort. We the reader at least know why Voldy became Voldy. It's not forgivable, but we know why. But we don't know why Bella became Bella. We only get "kid Bella Black" a couple times, and nothing about her household. We do know her sisters turned out different, so that in a way suggests she could have turned out different, too.

Re: Bellatrix Lestrange: Character Analysis
 

Bellatrix seemed to like doing what was expected of her. Marrying a pure blood was expected, and becoming a Death Eater would give her that same structure - having set expectations. She totally set her identity around Voldemort, and couldn't handle his absence and that lack of expectation after he was gone. I think that on some subconscious level, Bellatrix actually wanted to go to Azkaban, because then her very existence would always be fulfilling this expectation of Voldemort no matter if he did or didn't come back.

Re: Bellatrix Lestrange: Character Analysis
 

Agreed - I hadn't made the connection that Bella may have wanted to go to Azkaban on one level because it'd prove her devotion. Snape even sort of called her out on this in Spinner's End. I'm sure she didn't enjoy it, but she knew her devotion would be rewarded. She said so to Crouch prior to entering Azkaban, and she said so to Snape after leaving. I guess her way of dealing with Azkaban was her steadfast belief that Voldy would come back.

Re: Bellatrix Lestrange: Character Analysis
 

Bellatrix is already a bit mad when she's sent down to Azkaban....and prison, as we can see, does nothing for her sanity. I think she absorbed the worst of the Black family's prejudices, but at least some of that was helped along by her own nature- her sisters have very different reactions to the same dogma (Andromeda flouted it, Narcissa abandoned it when it threatened her son).

Re: Bellatrix Lestrange: Character Analysis
 

6. What do you think of her hatred of Tonks for marrying a werewolf?
i think she not know, and she didn´t have feelings about her niece a tonks for her, tonks was only a other halfblood to kill

Re: Bellatrix Lestrange: Character Analysis
 

But she was angrier about it because Tonks was her sister's daughter..

Re: Bellatrix Lestrange: Character Analysis
 

She did NOT like Voldemort cracking jokes at her family's expense in the opening chapter. She seemed almost desparate to remind him that she was his most deserving student, etc.

Re: Bellatrix Lestrange: Character Analysis
 

Does anyone think that maybe the relationship between Bellatrix/Voldemort was supposed to be a twisted mirror version of the relationship between Dumbledore/McGonagal?

Re: Bellatrix Lestrange: Character Analysis
 

That's a very interesting comparison... I could see it being that way. Bella and McGonagal are very much alike with how loyal they are to their respective leader. But was McGonagal ever in love with Dumbledore as Bella is with Voldemort?

Re: Bellatrix Lestrange: Character Analysis
 

I think MM --> DD is respect and admiration, but not adolation or obsession. Bella --> Voldy is obsession and adolation. If they were set up as a pair it's a very twisted pair...to be honest I hadn't ever thought about that til reading the original posted idea. I don't tend to favor it myself...MM never called herself "DD's most devoted servant" or anything like that.

Re: Bellatrix Lestrange: Character Analysis
 

Re: Bellatrix Lestrange: Character Analysis
 

It's as Dumbledore says- she likes to play with her food before she eats it. I'm guessing nearly fifteen years spent unable to do that in Azkaban didn't help the old mental balance any..

Re: Bellatrix Lestrange: Character Analysis
 

Re: Bellatrix Lestrange: Character Analysis
 

Well, I wouldn't know much about the rock star thing, since I've never done that, but I would have to say the main reason would be that they look "hot" or "handsome" or whatever. Anyways, adult Voldemort doesn't look good.

I would have to say that Bellatrix hates Muggleborns a lot and Voldemort is like an idol or symbol of the pure blood mania, so maybe that's why.

Re: Bellatrix Lestrange: Character Analysis
 

You're right, it is debatable. Azkaban has to be devastating to mental health. On the other hand, I can't forget that the black family is "toujours pur." Centuries of inbreeding can't have done her any good. All the circumstances of her life, including her odd infatuation with a red-eyed megalomaniac, created a truly horrifying character.

Re: Bellatrix Lestrange: Character Analysis
 

1. Bellatrix is often seen as the most fanatical of Voldemort's supporters. Why do you think it is that she has devoted her life and efforts so wholly to Voldemort? What influences in her family and life could have led to her becoming one of the most feared Death Eaters? Could she have any romantic feelings for Voldemort?
Knowing the family that she had grown up with, who, most likely, were all slytherins, might have had an impact on who she became. The reason why she devoted her entire life to follow Voldemort was because she probably wanted to prove herself. She wanted to show that, yes she is a woman (I don't think there are any other female death eaters, are there?), she can be strong. No I don't think she had feeling for Voldemort.

2. What do you suppose leads Bellatrix to distrust Snape so, as seen in the HBP chapter 'Spinner's End'? Does this cast any doubts upon her complete trust in Voldemort? Does it speak of any prior relationship with Snape?
She hated the fact that she was trusted as much as Snape was when it came to Voldemort.

3. What kind of relationship do you think that Bellatrix had with her cousin, Sirius, for her to so easily battle against, and ultimately have a hand in killing him?
Well for her to kill her own blood, she and Sirius obviously never got along. Or, if they did, they grew apart once she became a Death Eater.

5. Bellatrix seems to have a fondness for the Cruciatus curse. What do you think that this says about her personality and history?
She likes causing other pain, especially when it comes down to those who don't follow Voldemort. She also causes pain to people that are "blood traiters" or "muggleborn."

6. What do you think of her hatred of Tonks for marrying a werewolf?
Like someone said a couple posts before, she hated Tonks for being Andromeda's daughter.

7. Do you think Belltrix could have been redeemed?
I don't think so.

Re: Bellatrix Lestrange: Character Analysis
 

1. Bellatrix is often seen as the most fanatical of Voldemort's supporters. Why do you think it is that she has devoted her life and efforts so wholly to Voldemort? What influences in her family and life could have led to her becoming one of the most feared Death Eaters? Could she have any romantic feelings for Voldemort?
Maybe she just wanted to prove herself either because she's a woman (there is another female death eater by the way, Alecto Carrow) or she was obessed with pureblood supremacy. And she did come from the Black family.
Jo recently said in a interview that her true love was Voldemort, not Rodophus(sp?).

2. What do you suppose leads Bellatrix to distrust Snape so, as seen in the HBP chapter 'Spinner's End'? Does this cast any doubts upon her complete trust in Voldemort? Does it speak of any prior relationship with Snape?
She could have known about his friendship with Lily at school.
I think she very much trusted Voldemort but maybe on this one thing she doubted him or maybe she was jealous of the trust Voldemort had for Snape.

3. What kind of relationship do you think that Bellatrix had with her cousin, Sirius, for her to so easily battle against, and ultimately have a hand in killing him?
Bellatrix was most likely in Slytherin and we know that Sirius was in Gryffindor and later joined the order so thats probaly why she hated him.

4. Bellatrix is said to have been at school and joined forces with several other Death Eaters prior to Harry's parents being at Hogwarts. What factors do you see as contributing to the turning of Bellatrix and her peers to Voldemort, and how could they have gotten away with this in the middle of Hogwarts?
Voldemort was just starting to rise to power right before Harry's parents came to Hogwarts so Bellatrix could have been in her sixth or seventh year. Maybe he visited all the dark pureblood families and Bellatrix joined up that way.

5. Bellatrix seems to have a fondness for the Cruciatus curse. What do you think that this says about her personality and history?
She enjoyed causing pain, especially to muggleborns. Not only that but she came from a fanatical pureblood that hated anyone who wasn't like them.

6. What do you think of her hatred of Tonks for marrying a werewolf?
Like I said above she hated anyone who wasn't pureblood. And she could easily have hated Tonks for being Andromeda's daughter.

7. Do you think Belltrix could have been redeemed?
No, she was to obessed with pureblood supremacy...