Originally posted by: mistofshadows
Severus Snape is a very very complicated character.
He is a debate in itself and both sides would be somewhat right.
Which is why I will place myself somewhere in the middle.
Severus Snape was a cold hearted, opportunistic, manipulative, shrewd man who was also full of unfathomable courage to hold steadfast to a side that had lost hope.
Thing is he was someone with an unfair economic, social and cultural background that gave him second class treatment but instead of taking the struggles as a positive motivation to grow, he took the speedier and seedier path of one upping his bullies. In a way, he is a underdog that in his way to envision himself as a hero of his circumstances ended up falling into power-hungry spectrum of need from which he could never recover. His whole life...he ended up trying to right his wrongs, only and only for Lily.
He is not one of those who would bother with anything else. Lily was his conscience and the only anchor that balanced in the middle line; neither blind fully to Dumbledore, not loyal fully to Voldemort.
Instead, he is someone without closure, who became bitter instead of reconciling with his actions which made him the antagonistic figure fuelled by hatred.