Actually...

[lunesque]

I've really been meaning to post on this for a while.

nonewwitticisms and I were talking about Harry Potter several weeks ago, when we got into a discussion on Bellatrix Lestrange, and he said that not only was she evil and he hated her, but that Bellatrix had to be insane in order to torture the Longbottoms and laugh about it, and that Azkaban just sent her even further.

I, on the other hand, firmly believe she was perfectly sane when she tortured the Longbottoms, that she didn't laugh about it because she was insane, but that she laughed about it because she enjoyed it so much. And that Azkaban made her as insane as we see her now.

So what about you all? Give me everything you've got on Bellatrix Lestrange. I'm dying to hear your thoughts. ^_^

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I'm also leaving this entry unlocked just in case I get lucky and more people than those from my flist answer. If anyone answers at all... ^^;; *hopes*

Comments

[sympathetic-ink.livejournal.com]

I think she was sane, actually. Because what... the Longbottom's were tortured in the first war, which was 15 years before the HP books were set... definitely sane.

And even though it makes my skin crawl, I think she laughed due to utter enjoyment... she was probably a bit psychopathic... like torture and things like that. But insane implies to me that she had no conscious decision in what she was doing, when I do think she was perfectly aware, just like she's aware when she's talking to Harry at the MoM building right at the end of book five.

[shrugs] Oh yes. I think she knew what was going on, and she enjoyed it.

And that's all way more coherent than a person should be at 8.30 in the morning. [goes to make tea now]

[lunesque.livejournal.com]

I think one of the reasons why I adore her so much, is because she is so wicked. (And then it occurs to me that. er. ) So, yeah. I find psychotics to be interesting, which was one of the points that brought Jon and I to that discussion. ^^

But it's rather obvious that Azkaban knocked Bellatrix off her kilter, and although I doubt it would happen, I'd like to see more of how she was pre-Azkaban, just so I can compare between then and now.

[nonewwitticisms.livejournal.com]

But insane implies to me that she had no conscious decision in what she was doing

No, I don't think it does mean that. I think it was a decision, sure, and I think she enjoyed it. Absolutely. But to say that she was perfectly sane when she did it implies nothing more than an extreme sadism. Nope nope. She's a frickin' nutjob. Maybe in her mind destroying a soul makes her more powerful. Maybe she thought the gods (or Voldemort, who's pretty much the same thing to her in this instance) would smile on her for doing their work.

No. Not just fucked up, genuinely insane.

[whothedan.livejournal.com]

I'll give you insane in the clinical sense--from a former psych major perspective, torturing people into madness and laughing about it isn't exactly normal. Sociopathic, sadistic, whatever it is, she's it. Question is, is she insane enough to, say, convince a jury and avoid a murder conviction? I'd say no--she seems to have been lucid enough back in the day, and she obviously knew that what she was doing was terribly, terribly wrong. Your "Killing him will give me his power THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!!!" theory is certianly viable, and would push her closer into the realm of crazy, but she's never actually *said* anything to support that theory--until she does, she's just a mad evil bitch.

...Here's a question: who would you want to see as her in the movie? For some reason I picture her as really hot. Did they describe her as hot in the book? I don't remember. But that's how I picture her. Kate Beckinsale, mayhaps?

[lunesque.livejournal.com]

I think JK gave her a sort of beauty ravished by Azkaban, the same way that Sirius' looks were demolished by Azkaban. But I've always thought her PB would be Angelina Jolie. I think Kate Beckinsale might be a touch too delicate in structure for me.

[carylic.livejournal.com]

I always just assumed Bella was sane before hand. I figured she was the token cold hearted bitch seeing as we don't really get to see much of the other 'evil chicks' ...

[ravenman-ka.livejournal.com]

Personally, I think she was sane and sadistic which is why she laughed and was so dang near methodical about what she did. But then again, that's just me.

[lunesque.livejournal.com]

I completely agree. Which is why, I guess, I was so startled that nonewwitticisms had made such a smudge of the distinction between Pre!Azkaban and Post!Azkaban Bellatrix.