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Essay / Harry Potter: Biblical Allusions in the Third Book of the Series
In 1999, JK Rowling published her third book in the Harry Potter series, which became a worldwide sensation. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the third book in a series of seven, and although it is not the middle book in the series, there is a certain turning point in the third novel and the series becomes darker and more serious. The themes of this novel are more serious than previous novels, with some of the most prominent being deception, time, good versus evil, and compassion/forgiveness. The characters grow up a bit and begin to face issues that older generations can relate to. The Prisoner of Azkaban contains many biblical allusions hidden in plain sight throughout its 435 pages. The events and characters of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban have many allusions to the biblical story of Jesus' betrayal and crucifixion on the cross. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"?Get the original essayWhat are the biblical allusions to the Harry Potter stories?In the third Harry Potter novel, Harry receives information that a prisoner escapee – Sirius Black – who is accused of killing James and Lily Potter hunts him down to kill him. At the end of the story, it is revealed to Harry that Sirius is his godfather and was also the first secret keeper of James and Lily's whereabouts. However, Sirius did not think he was suitable for this responsibility and the position was given to Peter Pettigrew. When James and Lily died, it was because Peter betrayed his best friends and told Voldemort where their secret location was so they could be killed. This story is a biblical allusion to the story of Jesus' betrayal. During the Last Supper, Jesus confided to his Apostles that he was going to be betrayed that very night by one of theirs. A few hours later, while Jesus and his apostles were praying on the Mount of Olives, Judas approached with soldiers, kissed Jesus and in turn delivered him to the high priest. Jesus was then condemned to death and killed on the cross. These two stories have many similarities that directly parallel them. Both Peter Pettigrew and Judas were tasked with protecting the secret of their friends' locations. However, they both deceived their friends and revealed the information for their own good. Peter betrayed James and Lily out of fear, Judas betrayed Jesus out of greed. At first, Peter fought Voldemort with the good guys, but as Voldemort began to become more powerful, Peter began to believe that good could not defeat evil and that it would be better to join the dark side for its own sake. life. Peter says, "The Dark Lord...he-he has weapons you can't imagine...he was taking control everywhere...what was there to be gained by denying him" (page 374)? He chose his friends' deaths over his own, which is the ultimate act of betrayal. Additionally, Judas betrayed Jesus because there was a monetary reward if he turned him over to the high priests. Matthew 25:16 says, “And said unto them, What wilt ye give me, and I will deliver it unto you? And they made a covenant with him for thirty pieces of silver. Judas revealed Jesus' secret location for just 30 coins, showing that the main reason for his betrayal was greed for money. This biblical allusion shows that Judas is the parallel of Peter Pettigrew and that Jesus is the parallel of James and Lily. Peter Pettigrew fully represents Judas; and although the reasons for their betrayal were different, in the long run they had very similar actions. After Judas..