Minerva McGonagall: Character Analysis

[Hes]

Welcome to the new thread on Minerva McGonagall. Pottermore has provided a lot of new information about the life of Professor/Headmistress McGonagall.

Previous threads: Post-DH and Pre-DH

1. Has the story of her past changed your view on McGonagall?

2. The Sorting Hat experienced a hatstall during Minerva's sorting. But ultimately chose Gryffindor over Ravenclaw. Which character traits would have been the tie-breaker in this hatstall?

3. She worked at the Ministry of Magic before teaching at Hogwarts. How has this experience influenced her future career and her attitude towards the MoM?

4. Were you surprised that McGonagall had such a turbulent love life? What do you think about McGonagall's two loves and what kind of impact have Dougal McGregor and Elphinstone Urquart had on her?

5. How would you describe the relationship/friendship between McGonagall and Dumbledore, during her student time and later on in life? Do you think McGonagall was hurt when Dumbledore didn't confide to her about Harry's quest?

6. Were you surprised to learn that McGonagall was such an accomplished Quidditch player? How do you think that translated in her attitude towards the Gryffindor quidditch team?

7. McGonagall and Hermione Granger both excell in their academic careers at Hogwarts. Both were a hatstall between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw at their sorting. Do you see more comparisons between the two?

[potter_gleek]

7. McGonagall and Hermione Granger both excell in their academic careers at Hogwarts. Both were a hatstall between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw at their sorting. Do you see more comparisons between the two?

When I think about it I can see plenty of similarities between the two. Obviously there is their high intellects and the fact both had ministerial careers after leaving Hogwarts. Both showed extreme loyalty to their friends throughout the series; Hermione to Harry and McGonagall to Dumbledore. Furthermore both have face prejudice for their muggle-parentage, although Hermione to a much larger extent. Finally I think both show an extreme thirst for knowledge and respect for intellect. In 'Beedle the Bard' JKR states that McGonagall only learnt how to be an animagus to further her knowledge of transfiguration and Hermione constantly exhibits similar qualities. There are many more I can think of, even much more subtle things such as how Hermione takes it upon herself to check others work and corrects others if they are wrong whilst one of McGonagall's hobbies, listed on Pottermore, is 'correcting articles in Transfiguration Today'.

[Luna_Goodlove]

Originally Posted by Hes

3. She worked at the Ministry of Magic before teaching at Hogwarts. How has this experience influenced her future career and her attitude towards the MoM?

McGonagall's distrust of the Ministry can certainly be explained by her previous career at the Ministry and how she left to become a professor at Hogwarts. There are many examples of her dislike of the Ministry, especially in The Order of the Phoenix. One example is McGonagall's outspoken criticism of Umbridge's policies. She argues for Trelawney--despite her dislike of her--when Umbridge fires her. During Umbridge's examinations she makes no effort to conceal her anger. And most importantly, during OWLs when Umbridge attempts to stun Hagrid, McGonagall goes out and helps him. Also, when Umbridge and other ministry officials are sent to detain Dumbledore, she vehemently opposes them and argues for his position.

However, her dislike of the Ministry may not be inherent but dependent on the regime who is running it. She dislikes Fudge and his regime because of their rejection of Voldemort's return. It's most likely that she trusted the Ministry once Kingsley had become the new Minister.

[merrymarge]

I wonder how Professor McGonagall felt about the Ministry with Voldemort in charge and Pius Thicknesse as the Puppet Minister?

the background of Professor McGonagall hasn't changed my opinion of her. She was strict, but tried to be fair.
I don't think she had a turbulent love life. if anything, her love life was disappointing to her, she couldn't the man of her dreams and had to settle for someone else. then her marriage only lasted three years. I am sure she was happy, but things might have been different had she married her true love.
I didn't see any "hat stall" with Hermione. in PS/SS, on page 120, the moment Hermione put the Sorting Hat on her head, the hat announced "Gryffindor", that wasn't even a minute. But I do see similarities between McGonagall and Hermione. They both have a love of reading and they believe in fairness.

[Meowserkitty]

7. McGonagall and Hermione Granger both excell in their academic careers at Hogwarts. Both were a hatstall between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw at their sorting. Do you see more comparisons between the two?

I do believe they were intended to be similar. In fact, I was just reading CoS and at one point Hermione is described as "having a glint in her eye that reminded Harry of Professor McGonagall", so there is even a physicality similarity. Like Hermione, I suspect McGonagall was a rule-abider..... that sometimes broke the rules. Both of them marry strong mind to strong heart.

[joebthegreat]

2. The Sorting Hat experienced a hatstall during Minerva's sorting. But ultimately chose Gryffindor over Ravenclaw. Which character traits would have been the tie-breaker in this hatstall?

The trait of not actually being smart enough.

Or maybe she was similar to Hermione, and just desperately wanted to get into the noble Gryffindor house after hearing all kinds of great stories?

Originally Posted by Luna_Goodlove

However, her dislike of the Ministry may not be inherent but dependent on the regime who is running it. She dislikes Fudge and his regime because of their rejection of Voldemort's return. It's most likely that she trusted the Ministry once Kingsley had become the new Minister.

That seems a bit too simple. I think it's very possible for her (as well as many others) to have a bad opinion of the whole system after what happened. While a few people might be able to rationalize that Kinglsey's Ministry isn't the same as Fudge's was, and McGonagall might even be one of them, she would still probably dislike the Ministry as a whole.

The head may change, but the body of people working at the Ministry remained the same throughout the series. The bureaucratic system would still have its same faults.

Originally Posted by merrymarge

I didn't see any "hat stall" with Hermione. in PS/SS, on page 120, the moment Hermione put the Sorting Hat on her head, the hat announced "Gryffindor", that wasn't even a minute.

Agreed. There was no "hatstall". It wasn't even a whole minute. The passage where it's nearly a minute was for Seamus Finnigan. Hermione gets sorted almost the instant the hat is placed on her head. You'd have to rewrite the first book to make it a "hatstall".

[Peakes]

Books! And cleverness! There are more important things - friendship and bravery - Hermione Granger

I think that sums up just why Hermione ended up in Gryffindor; she has the intellect and thirst for knowledge that would see her do well in Ravenclaw, but she values highly those other traits that you can't put to the test in an exam room.

I imagine the same to be true of Minerva; there is no doubt she is an intelligent and perceptive witch, but she is also a natural leader, and clearly possessed of no little amount of courage even in the face of almost certain defeat.

[snapes_witch]

Originally Posted by joebthegreat

That seems a bit too simple. I think it's very possible for her (as well as many others) to have a bad opinion of the whole system after what happened. While a few people might be able to rationalize that Kinglsey's Ministry isn't the same as Fudge's was, and McGonagall might even be one of them, she would still probably dislike the Ministry as a whole.

The head may change, but the body of people working at the Ministry remained the same throughout the series. The bureaucratic system would still have its same faults.

According to Pottermore Minerva worked at the Ministry for two years before returning to Hogwarts as a teacher so no doubt she was well-up on the shortcomings of the MoM.

Agreed. There was no "hatstall". It wasn't even a whole minute. The passage where it's nearly a minute was for Seamus Finnigan. Hermione gets sorted almost the instant the hat is placed on her head. You'd have to rewrite the first book to make it a "hatstall".

Didn't Hermione in a later book say that the Hat had considered Ravenclaw but decided on Gryffindor? Still hardly long enough for a hatstall, which I interpret as being a total deadlock.

[HedwigOwl]

Originally Posted by snapes_witch

Didn't Hermione in a later book say that the Hat had considered Ravenclaw but decided on Gryffindor? Still hardly long enough for a hatstall, which I interpret as being a total deadlock.

Yes, she did. OOTP, page 399, US hardcover edition (The Lion and the Serpent). Hermione said the sorting hat "seriously considered" putting her in Ravenclaw but settled on Gryffindor in the end.

Perhaps it was similar for McGonagall? She certainly seems smart enough, and has no problem answering the riddle to the Ravenclaw common room in DH.

[joebthegreat]

Originally Posted by HedwigOwl

Perhaps it was similar for McGonagall? She certainly seems smart enough, and has no problem answering the riddle to the Ravenclaw common room in DH.

I would be seriously worried if a real professor at Hogwarts couldn't answer the riddles to the Ravenclaw dorms.

[willfitz]

Originally Posted by joebthegreat

I would be seriously worried if a real professor at Hogwarts couldn't answer the riddles to the Ravenclaw dorms.

Honestly, I wouldn't. I could see Hagrid getting very frustrated by them. The books test not only your intelligence, but your ability to think in different ways and stretch your mind. Not every 'intelligent' or skillful wizard or witch has that capability, necessarily.

[snapes_witch]

Originally Posted by willfitz

Honestly, I wouldn't. I could see Hagrid getting very frustrated by them. The books test not only your intelligence, but your ability to think in different ways and stretch your mind. Not every 'intelligent' or skillful wizard or witch has that capability, necessarily.

Sometimes I forget that Hagrid is a professor! I would expect Snape to figure out their riddles--not sure about Sprout as I don't know enough about her.

[wolfbrother]

I would assume that most professors would be able to answer the riddles. I don't think it would be too hard given that students were supposed to be able to reason out the answers.

[MerryLore]

Originally Posted by wolfbrother

I would assume that most professors would be able to answer the riddles. I don't think it would be too hard given that students were supposed to be able to reason out the answers.

I'm not so sure. People can be wise in some ways but not so much in others. Figuring out Ravenclaw riddles requires a certain style of thinking. McGonagall would have that, esp. since she was a Ravenclaw/Gryffindor hatstall.

[willfitz]

Originally Posted by wolfbrother

I would assume that most professors would be able to answer the riddles. I don't think it would be too hard given that students were supposed to be able to reason out the answers.

Yeah, but only a quarter of the students are expected to be able to reason out those questions, and of course they are put in the house specifically for their ability to think in that way.

[Cream147]

1. Has the story of her past changed your view on McGonagall?
Dramatically so. She really didn't come across as the sort to have such a tragic backstory, but knowing what we now know about her you can see exactly why she reacted in the ways she did to certain situations - one that sticks out is the way she reacted when Harry said he was visiting Hermione in the Hospital Wing in Chamber of Secrets. He should have been in trouble, given he was breaking the walls walking unsupervised around the school, but in this sort of situation McGonagall felt a lot of empathy for him.

2. The Sorting Hat experienced a hatstall during Minerva's sorting. But ultimately chose Gryffindor over Ravenclaw. Which character traits would have been the tie-breaker in this hatstall?
Well clearly bravery. Given the backstory Pottermore gave her, it paints a picture where you can much more easily understand why she was in Gryffindor than Ravenclaw. Gryffindor's tend to work by their 'heart', if you will, rather than their brain, and it's fair to say you can see some of that in Minerva now.

3. She worked at the Ministry of Magic before teaching at Hogwarts. How has this experience influenced her future career and her attitude towards the MoM?
Ha, well given what she thinks of the Ministry, I'd rather suggest she wasn't too pleased by what she saw. She wasn't happy with the anti-muggle leanings there and undoubtedly that shaped her view to the Ministry for the rest of her life. Her application to Hogwarts seemed apparently on a whim, but Minerva is definitely the teaching type so whether on a whim or by logic, she found herself in the perfect career for her.

4. Were you surprised that McGonagall had such a turbulent love life? What do you think about McGonagall's two loves and what kind of impact have Dougal McGregor and Elphinstone Urquart had on her?
Yes, I was surprised at the time but with hindisight, you wonder why. I think her 'turbulent love life' gives us more of an indication of why she was a Gryffindor, and she clearly is a caring person besides. Clearly the lasting impact that these two people left on her is one of despair in the end. The only way that she is able to contain the pain is by keeping absorbed in her work, which is undoubtedly one of the reasons she is a fantastic teacher, and will make a fantastic headteacher.

5. How would you describe the relationship/friendship between McGonagall and Dumbledore, during her student time and later on in life? Do you think McGonagall was hurt when Dumbledore didn't confide to her about Harry's quest?
I think McGonagall knew Dumbledore too well to be too hurt about Dumbledore not confiding in her. well, perhaps she was hurt, in a way, but probably not surprised because she knows as well as anyone except perhaps Aberforth about how Dumbledore works. There were plenty of things that McGonagall knew Dumbledore was not confiding in her while he was alive. For example, the "iron-clad" reason he trusted Snape. She probably didn't expect any less than more secrecy from him. Sure, he confided about his past in her, but as ever he tells some things to some people, and others to others. I imagine she was smart enough to figure that out. Still, I think their relationship was close, and very friendly as well, from what glimpses of interaction we see between the pair. Clearly Dumbledore trusted her deeply as he often left the school with her in charge.

(absolutely no idea about their relationship when McGonagall was student, other than I'm sure McGonagall was star pupil. I wonder when McGonagall learn to become an animagus as well...)

6. Were you surprised to learn that McGonagall was such an accomplished Quidditch player? How do you think that translated in her attitude towards the Gryffindor quidditch team?
Not particularly. She spotted Harry as a good player very quickly, and while you don't need to be a good Quidditch player to be a good Quidditch player, it certainly helps. It undoubtedly fuelled her interest in the sport as you can see throughout the series that she has a massive interest in the Gryffindor Quidditch team. The only thing surprising is that she didn't turn up to Quidditch practices and offer advice herself, but perhaps that was because she believed in giving the respective Quidditch captains their opportunities to shine and work independently.

7. McGonagall and Hermione Granger both excell in their academic careers at Hogwarts. Both were a hatstall between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw at their sorting. Do you see more comparisons between the two?

Whether Hermione was a 'hat-stall' or not, we know that Hermione was considered being put in Gryffindor. Obviously they are both smart and brave, both have huge respect for muggles, both have a large disdain for the Ministry. They also both have activist streaks, notice Hermione's SPEW and McGonagall's treatment of Umbridge when she was at Hogwarts. Yes, there are definitely similarities between the two.

[MinervasCat]

This question has probably been asked before, but I didn't see it in a quick re-read of the previous thread and this one.

My question is: What do you think Minerva McGonagall's reaction was when she found out that Severus Snape was not only not the coward she thought, but was a brave man risking his life as a double agent for Dumbledore?

I think she would have still felt justified for her feelings at the time she called him "coward" because she didn't know any different. But, I also think she would have felt bad about it and about what he was going through all alone. I always thought they had a great mutual respect for each other and she would have been relieved to find out that her trust and friendship had not been wrongly placed. It was only after Snape's having to "go underground" that she grew to hate him. Once she found out it was all a cover I think she'd have had some real mixed emotions though.

[Cream147]

I think calling the relationship between McGonagall and Snape friendship from either side is a big overstatement of what their relationship actually was. I don't think you could rightly call Snape's relationship with any of the staff members other than perhaps Dumbledore, friendship. I'm also not sure whether Snape had any particular respect for McGonagall, though it would be hard to imagine that she did not at least have some for him, as she had some knowledge in the sort of work he was having to do for the Order.

At any rate, her reaction is going to be mixed as you said. She will feel guilt at the way she led the staff into victimising him in his last year of life - however, she could not have known any better so she won't suffer from immense guilt. She will be pleased that Snape did turn out to be good, not just to confirm her own personal respect of him, but to vindicate Dumbledore, her very good friend.

[arithmancer]

To me, it seems that Minerva's respect for Snape precedes her knowledge of his spy work. In CoS there is a scene (when Ginny is taken and the teachers learn of it) in which Snape takes the lead in dealing with Lockhart, and the other Heads of House follow his lead.

CoS But it was Lockhart, and he was beaming. "So sorry - dozed off - what have I missed?" He didn't seem to notice that the other teachers were looking at him with something remarkably like hatred. Snape stepped forward. "Just the man," he said. "The very man. A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Your moment has come at last."

Sprout and Flitwick and Minerva confirm Lockhart has indicated in the past that he would know exactly how to deal with the monster, and he leaves. Minerva acknowledges this was a good approach to the situation:

CoS "Right," said Professor McGonagall, whose nostrils were flared, "that's got him out from under our feet."

There are also scenes indicating some rivalry between these two characters over Quidditch, in which Minerva expresses to her students that she does not want Snape to win the Quidditch Cup back. I read her as someone who would enjoy competing with someone she considers a worthy opponent, so to me these suggest again that she has a good, collegial relationship with Snape.

I don't think they were close friends; they both had secrets they did not share with the other. It is my opinion that Snape valued this relationship such as it was, but this would belong in his thread. I might post there later, if I do I will add a link to this post.

[HedwigOwl]

Originally Posted by arithmancer

To me, it seems that Minerva's respect for Snape precedes her knowledge of his spy work. In CoS there is a scene (when Ginny is taken and the teachers learn of it) in which Snape takes the lead in dealing with Lockhart, and the other Heads of House follow his lead.



Sprout and Flitwick and Minerva confirm Lockhart has indicated in the past that he would know exactly how to deal with the monster, and he leaves. Minerva acknowledges this was a good approach to the situation:

I'm sure, though, that all the other teachers were equally annoyed at Lockhart's boastful yet unproven manner. I think McGonagall's reaction and statement merely expressed what all the teachers felt, including Snape. Although Snape likely did that to get back at Lockhart for the disrespectful way he was treated in the dueling club. I see it as more McGonagall's agreement with Snape's view, rather than respect for Snape.

I think that McGonagall's view of Snape is largely filtered by her respect and friendship with Dumbledre. Dumbledore trusted Snape, and I think that held great weight with McGonagall, so she gave Snape the benefit of the doubt in most cases.

Originally Posted by arithmancer

There are also scenes indicating some rivalry between these two characters over Quidditch, in which Minerva expresses to her students that she does not want Snape to win the Quidditch Cup back. I read her as someone who would enjoy competing with someone she considers a worthy opponent, so to me these suggest again that she has a good, collegial relationship with Snape.

I think that was more competitive nature on McGonagall's part, that she would prefer to have her house win no matter who the opponent was. Losing to Slytherin was likely more annoying because Snape would be the type to gloat, and I can see how that would irritate McGonagall, so beating Slytherin would mean she wouldn't have to put up with that. But I don't see that as a sign of a collegial relationship.