Crucible Courtship Quotes

Having love or a sense of belonging determines whether or not Harry’s, Richard’s, or V’s greatness manifests in a way that is conducive for society, or the greater good. For Harry, living with the Dursleys strips him of initially feeling loved or a sense of belonging; in fact the Dursleys’ photos and “the room held no sign at all that another boy [named Harry] lived in the house [as well],” (Rowling 18). Upon entering Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry learns that he deserves love and has a place where he belongs. At Hogwarts, Harry connects with his parents like he had never been able to at Privet Drive. At Christmas time, he receives his father’s cloak of invisibility. When he first wears it, he decides that “this time- the first time- he wanted to use it alone,” (Rowling 205). In this moment, Harry has a chance to feel close to the father he will never truly know or meet. Furthermore, he sees his parents

for the first time while looking through the Mirror of Erised. In that moment, “his hands pressed flat against the glass as though he was hoping to fall right through it and reach them. He had a powerful ache inside him, half joy, half terrible sadness,” (Rowling 209). Actually seeing his parents makes them more tangible and their love for him more real. When facing Voldemort at the end of his first year, his mother’s love protects him, which surprises the Dark Lord. As he overpowers Voldemort’s vessel, Professor Quirrell, it becomes clear that “His mother's love- felt by her very absence- allows him to remain a passive hero. Her love, embedded into his skin as a form of magical protection, has become a part of his biological make-up, positioning him as the destined hero,” (Mauk 8). Dumbledore points out that:
Your mother died to save you. If there’s one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn’t realize that love as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves its own marks. Not a scar, no visible sign... to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. (Rowling 299)
Love allows Harry to continue fighting against the evil Lord Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters. He becomes, this time on more of his own merit, the boy who lived; something that symbolizes hope for the wizarding world in Britain.
Richard receives more censure than love. In fact, any love he might have hoped to receive, he repels with his very nature. He perceives that his family and those close to him must hate him as he says “God punish me/ With hate in those where I expect most love,” (Shakespeare II. i. 35-36). However, his actions cause much of this hate. He arranges the murders of his brother Clarence, which in turn causes the death of his other brother Edward, and of his princely nephews. In addition to arranging murders, he also lies to everyone. Upon Clarence’s imprisonment, Richard tells Clarence that “‘Tis not the King that sends you to the Tower./ [it is] My Lady Grey his wife,” (Shakespeare I. i. 67-68) and that “Your imprisonment shall not last long,” (Shakespeare I. i. 117). Meanwhile, he told Edward “About a prophecy which says that “G”/ Of Edward’s heirs the murderer shall be,” (Shakespeare I. i. 39-40) and framed Clarence since his name is George. For much of the play, Richard believes that he is a master manipulator. However, he becomes disillusioned upon the abandonment of his “loyal” subjects and the visitation of all the individuals he killed: “There is no creature that loves me,/ And if I die no soul shall pity me,” (Shakespeare V. iii. 212-213).
After V’s experiences in Larkhill, he has no memory of his former life and, by extension, no memory of being loved or feeling a sense of belonging (V for Vendetta 00:59:01-00:59:22). Because of this lack of human connection, V becomes focused on bringing down the Nordic supremacy and neo-fascism that raves through the United Kingdom. On his way to enacting the first stage of his plan, he comes across Evey Hammond. V saves her from being raped and killed by Fingermen after curfew (V for Vendetta 00:04:15-00:06:46), and in return she saves him from police custody (V for Vendetta 00:24:23-00:24:59). Over the course of the film, the two develop a close bond. V, in his dying breaths, tells her “I fell in love with you Evey, like I no longer believed I could,” (V for Vendetta 01:58:46-1:58:52) and Evey reflects on how “[she] will never forget the man and what he meant to [her],” (V for Vendetta 02:04:21-02:04:25). Unfortunately, experiencing love came too late for V. By this point, he had his plans in order and knew he had to sacrifice himself for the greater good of his country. In essence, the strength and longevity of love makes all the difference. Upon arriving at Hogwarts, Harry receives love almost everywhere he goes, which allows him to feel a sense of belonging. Richard alienates himself, making him unlovable. V knew he would garter more love in remembrance than in life.
Another element that Harry, Richard, and V share is the presence of destiny. In Harry’s life, there are various instances of destiny at work. For instance, “the phoenix whose tail feather is in [Harry’s] wand, gave another feather- just one other[- to Voldemort],” (Rowling 85), which lays the foundation for a connection between them beyond Voldemort merely killing his parents. As Harry’s first year progresses, the connection develops and becomes stronger (Rowling 126, 263). In Harry’s fifth year, he learns that a prophecy caused Voldemort to seek out his family. The prophecy suggests that Harry and Voldemort can only destroy each other, which pans out during Harry’s seventh year. In Harry’s first year, “Bane [the centaur] thinks Firenze [the centaur] should have let Voldemort kill [Harry in the Forbidden Forest]... I suppose that’s written in the stars as well,” (Rowling 260). This comes to fruition when Harry sacrifices himself so that Voldemort will die.
For Richard, he creates a self-fulfilling prophecy and falls victim to one of old Queen Margaret’s curses.

Before the start of the play, Richard knows his plan of action: obtaining the crown through whatever means necessary. He has to kill off all of the male heirs that come before him, which includes Clarence, King Edward, and his princely nephews. In his pursuit, he tells King Edward that “[there is] a prophecy which says that “G”/ Of Edward’s heirs the murderer shall be,” (Shakespeare I. i. 39-40), which could pertain to Clarence or Richard. However, since Richard has clear intentions, the “G” stands for his title as Duke of Gloucester. Since Richard killed Queen Margaret’s son, Edward, she prays to God to “Cancel his bond of life, dear God I pray,/ That I may live and say ‘The dog is dead’,” (Shakespeare IV. iv. 79-80). The prophecy becomes reality once Richmond defeats Richard in battle and kills him (Shakespeare V. v. 1-2). These prophecies propel Richard down the path of no return; killing his kin and fighting a war he cannot hope to

win.
In V’s case, destiny reveals itself through the lack of coincidences. He tells Delia, one of his victims, that “There are no coincidences… Only the illusion of coincidences,” (V for Vendetta 00:55:29-00:55:35). All of the people he targets can trace their roots to Larkhill where V lost his identity and became some sort of mutant. Since taking on the new identity of V, he became more of a scientific mind and applies it to himself (V for Vendetta 01:30:21-01:30:30). By rationalizing his murders, he can later rationalize his own sacrifice, which makes his fate predetermined.
In conclusion, the physical markings of Harry, Richard, and V have significance, but they do not ultimately determine their choices and the kind of person they become. Others aspects such as their identity, their adversaries, their connection with others, and their destiny contribute to their true natures. Their environment impacts how they prove themselves. Ultimately, for Harry, Richard, and V achieving greatness, or rising above expectations, occurs in spite of their physical markings. If anything, their physical markings merely hint at which way their character could manifest.