The theme of death in the Harry Potter series provides researchers with a considerable amount of material to absorb, as this topic is of great importance to more clearly understand the message by JK Rowling. However, critics of the past predominantly focused on death as a form of sacrifice. This essay will carefully examine the terms "life" and "death", because in the books they are not presented in their literal meaning. What is meant by this is that the lines between life and death in the Harry Potter series seem blurred; “'dead' and 'alive' are not mutually exclusive antonyms in Rowling's books; there are subtle nuances to determining whether someone is “really” dead.'' Just because a person dies does not necessarily mean that this person is gone forever. Sometimes characters manage to find life in death, sometimes those who are theoretically alive can be considered dead people. To support this thesis, two groups of characters will be examined: the first – Voldemort (above all) and his subordinates – Death Eaters; secondly – ​​Harry Potter and his supporters. It needs to be said that this essay will not focus on one particular book; includes the entire series at once as the theme of death evolves from book to book. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay First, the image of Voldemort seems very significant regarding “life” and “death” in Harry Potter. He is quick to point out that he was already dead before, at least he can consider himself dead. In the first book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone JK Rowling refers to Voldemort only as a 'hooded figure', simply figure, without mentioning other body parts because apparently he didn't even have one at the time – he was disembodied. His complete resurrection became possible only with the help of dark magic. His accomplices held a gruesome ritual to help him regain his body and his power. Again, such an act, by its very nature, seems abnormal. Indeed, even in the wizarding world it is impossible to achieve this, since those who are dead must remain so, the wizarding world must obey this rule. After his rebirth, Voldemort still does not look human: 'Whiter than a skull, with large, bruised scarlet eyes and a nose as flat as a snake with slits for nostrils...' . He began to resemble a snake rather than a a man: this is what his evil actions have done to him. Shira Wolosky, who focused on the portrayal of Voldemort in the Harry Potter series, writes that “Voldemort's rebirths are actually macabre, incessant deaths; can argue that an individual is unable to simply change the course of human existence without any consequences. What adds further evidence to the belief that Voldemort is "dead" is his creation of the Horcruxes. He willingly split his soul into seven parts (and the eighth Horcrux was also accidentally created on the night of Harry's parents' murder. Examining mythology and religion one may come across Aristotle's definition of the soul: it is the first reality of a naturally organized body). He also advocated his existence separate from the physical body. The same can be found in Christianity: by soul we mean a distinct and immortal form, but nevertheless it is inextricably connected with the body. Therefore, the soul accounts for life itself. From this point of view, the essential difference between living and non-living beings is that living beings have a soul and non-living beings.living no. In light of all this, it can be said that Voldemort is a dead man regardless of his ability to move, speak and commit murder. Analysis of the Harry Potter side, however, illustrates that life does not end with one's death, although there are no clear cases of reversible deaths. Harry's world is the Wizard's world, so it's no surprise to readers that ghosts actually exist. But, as can be noted, only "positive heroes" have this ability to return in ghost form. Potters, Sirius and Lupine came to support Harry when he decided he was ready to die to defeat Voldemort. They were "less substantial than living bodies, but much more than ghosts." His closest relatives gave him what he needed most at that moment: moral support, and stayed with him “until the end”. Although this became possible only with the help of the Resurrection Stone, Sirius, Lupine, Lily and James looked very real. Unlike the girl that Cadmus (the original owner of the Resurrection Stone) brought back to life, they were not emotionless and callous. Furthermore, Harry's parents are the ones who helped him not die in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire during the final stage of the Triwizard tournament. These ghostly figures seemed to Harry much more solid than normal ghosts as they also had enough physical strength to give Harry some time to escape from Voldemort once their wands' connection was severed. So, if only for a second, they physically supported him to resist their common enemy. In general, Lily and James Potter appear several times in the Harry Potter series even though they have been dead since the beginning of the narrative. People return not only as ghosts but also in the form of "talking portraits". These portraits have the ability to give advice and communicate, especially this can be said about the portrait of Dumbledore, with whom Harry constantly talks. One of the critics of his work writes that the connection between the portrait and the person of whom it was painted seems "obscure". He even compares it to moving newspaper photographs, which have no soul. However, there is a different point of view that is more accurate. In one of the interviews, JKRowling pointed out that traditionally a headmaster or headmistress is painted while they are alive. Afterwards, the portraits are taken to a closed secret room and only the headmaster or headmistress visits it regularly and teaches him to act as himself, passing on all kinds of useful memories and knowledge. Therefore, not everyone is able to fully return in portrait form as they are mostly only painted after their death. Such portraits, of course, contain some main features, but only a powerful and distinguished person is granted the opportunity to partially remain alive in this way. This may explain why the reader sees no portrait of Voldemort or his followers. What is important to note regarding the topic of death is that all positive heroes die with dignity, as can be seen from their last words or actions. For example, Harry's father, without even a wand in his hand, was ready to protect his family at any cost. Realizing that Voldemort had entered the house, he shouted: 'Lily, take Harry and leave! It's him! Go! Run! I'll keep him at bay!' The deaths of both of Harry's parents are heroic, because they protect their loved ones. The opposite is the death of “antiheroes”. For example, the end of Bellatrix Lestrange is presented like this: "Molly's curse rose under Bellatrix's constrained arm and struck her directly in the chest, directly in the heart." Bellatrix's smug smile froze, her eyes seemed to pop out of their sockets: for a very short time she knew what it washappened, and then he fell, and the crowd watching roared, and Voldemord screamed.' She didn't fall, she collapsed like a house of cards, like an object, not like a person. Severus Snape's death is also presented in a different, less violent way, although at that moment readers do not know that he has been helping Dumbledore all this time. When the snake kills him, Snape's face loses "what little color it had left" (note: it is depicted similarly to Sirius Black's death), and then he "falls to the ground". The main thing is that he did not resist Voldemort for long, so already in this episode JKRowling gives readers a hint about the true nature of Severus Snape. Therefore, the contrast of deaths helps, firstly, to realize the cowardice of antiheroes and, secondly, to distinguish good characters from bad ones. In the death scenes Voldemort and the Death Eaters reveal the fact that they are too afraid to die. After being resurrected in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Voldemort states that his goal is to "conquer death" and live forever. He desires to possess the Deathly Hallows for the same reason: they give their possessor the ultimate power to be immortal. However, chasing immortality is futile as Voldemort and the Death Eaters forget the true meaning of life. If we think about it, what would Voldemort do if he had eternal life? He has no friends (only followers who are by his side not out of love, but out of fear) and no family; even the list of people he wants to kill would eventually end. Life is about accepting your mortality like Harry does. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Harry is ready to die on a good path, to save his loved ones. He tells Dumbledore's brother, "I will continue until I succeed, or I die." Don't think I don't know how this could end. I've known this for years. Throughout the story he was aware that he could die in the end and because of this he was able to live his life to the fullest, enjoying every moment of it. This is what differentiates Harry from Voldemort and what researchers believe helps him survive. In the end, Dumbledore calls him "the true master of Death, because the true master does not try to escape from Death." He accepts the fact that he has to die and understands that in the world of the living there are things much, much worse than death.' Therefore, the story of Harry Potter demonstrates that without recognizing the reality of death, one cannot truly understand the reality of life and, therefore, cannot truly live. It is more appropriate to conclude the essay with the analysis of the final scene of the last book, set nineteen years later. This epilogue is of great importance because the reader gets to know the characters' children. Harry and Ginny named the two of them after Harry's parents: Lily and James. And their second son's name is Albus Severus Potter. There is a popular belief that when a person names his son or daughter after someone else, this child is acquiring some characteristics and perhaps even the destiny of that individual. So, in some ways, it can be considered as the continuation of the lives of Harry's parents and Hogwarts headmasters. This also shows that all these people are still remembered, even Professor Snape who wasn't always very kind to Harry. The reader sees that Harry has forgiven him, because he tells his son that he was "named after two headmasters of Hogwarts." One of them was a Slytherin and was probably the bravest man I had ever met. And it is commonly known that as long as someone is remembered, he or she will remain alive, because memory is an extremely powerful tool (especially in the Harry Potter series since they have many characteristics related to memory, for example, the Thoughts). The same cannot be said in relation to Voldemort and the Death Eaters. There is no one to remember them after death.., 2010.