Dolores Umbridge (character)

Dolores Jane Umbridge is a fictional character from the Harry Potter series of novels by J.K. Rowling.

Description

Umbridge is a short, squat woman described as resembling a large toad. She often wears a black velvet bow in her hair that reminds Harry of a fly about to be caught. She has a high, girlish voice that Harry describes as sounding like poisoned honey. The name Dolores is derived from the Latin word dolor, or pain, and the name itself means 'Lady of Sorrows', possibly reflecting her sadistic nature and the misery caused by her actions. Dolores is a widely used name in Spain, related to the Virgen de los Dolores (a Catholic religious icon), as well as Spanish for "pains". The pronunciation of the name Umbridge closely resembles that of umbrage, a word meaning resentment or pique at an often imagined insult. Her surname may also originate from umbra, the darkest part of a shadow, denoting Umbridge's shady nature. "Umbra" is also the etymological root for "umbrage."

In the upcoming Order of the Phoenix film, Imelda Staunton will play Umbridge. [1]

Background and role in the series

Umbridge first appears in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. As Senior Undersecretary to Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, she is one of Harry Potter's interrogators in Courtroom Ten as part of the Wizengamot, a wizard's judicial committee, when he is tried on charges of breaking the ban on underage sorcery. It is later revealed that Umbridge herself had ordered dementors to attack Harry in an attempt to silence him. His using a Patronus Charm in order to protect himself and his cousin Dudley would have worked to her advantage in the trial had it not been for Arabella Figg's testimony, Albus Dumbledore's defence, and Amelia Bones's fairness.

Umbridge is subsequently installed at Hogwarts as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor by order of the Ministry of Magic. Her class consists only of defensive magical theory, due to Fudge's paranoid fear that Dumbledore intends to use his students as an army to bring down the Ministry. She is soon appointed the first (and only) ever "Hogwarts High Inquisitor", which gives her extraordinary powers over the students, teachers and curriculum.

Umbridge's time in Hogwarts is characterised by cruelty and abusive punishments against students; she stands out especially for forcing Harry and Lee Jordan to write lines using a quill that magically causes the words to be cut into the skin on the back of the writer's hand and uses his blood as ink. She also grants Argus Filch his wish for the permission to use corporal punishment on students, ordering him (though it never occurs) to whip Fred and George Weasley. Eventually, Umbridge even plans and attempts to use the Unforgivable Cruciatus Curse in order to extract information from Harry

She shows marked favour toward Slytherins: she wears green at the Slytherin vs Gryffindor Quidditch match, shows favouritism towards them (for example, allowing their team to reform immediately), and filling her Inquisitorial Squad principally with Slytherins. Many fans believe that she could have been a member of Slytherin House during her own childhood. Umbridge creates an Inquisitorial Squad (whose only identified members appear to be Slytherins) and rewards some students for reporting on others and sanctions them to act as enforcers of Umbridge's rules. By attempting to defame Harry Potter and censor word of the truth of Lord Voldemort's return, Umbridge and Fudge appear to offer aid and comfort to the enemy. After Dumbledore leaves Hogwarts, Umbridge is installed as Headmistress. However, the Head's office refuses to open for her, and her tenure as Headmistress is marked by rebellion on the part of most of the student body and faculty.

Umbridge shows speciesism against non-humans and part-humans ("half-breeds") and has drafted anti-werewolf legislation making it very difficult for individuals such as Remus Lupin to hold jobs in the Wizarding world. Her prejudice proves to be her undoing when Hermione tricks her into entering the Forbidden Forest and crossing paths with the centaurs. When Umbridge insults their race, the centaurs react violently and overcome her. Exactly what the centaurs do to Umbridge is unknown, but the following morning she is rescued, apparently uninjured but severely traumatised, thanks to the goodwill of Professor Dumbledore. Umbridge is shown to have a high preference for kitsch items, mainly lacy covers and doilies, vases full of dried flowers (each one residing on its own doily), and a collection of ornamental plates, each decorated with a technicolour kitten.

Ultimately, Dumbledore is reinstated as Hogwarts Headmaster, and Umbridge is removed. After her recovery in the hospital wing, she attempts to sneak out of Hogwarts but is met by Peeves, who chases her away from the castle grounds with Minerva McGonagall's walking stick and a sock full of chalk, while the staff and students look on.

In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Umbridge returns to work in the Ministry under new Minister Rufus Scrimgeour, but the nature of her position is not revealed. She is present at Dumbledore's funeral with an unconvincing expression of grief on her face. Due to her ordeal in the forest, Umbridge has developed a phobia of centaurs and upon seeing Firenze at the funeral she is frightened and quickly distances herself from him. According to J.K. Rowling Umbridge will return in the seventh book because "It's too much fun to torture her not to have another little bit more before I finish." [2]

Critical response

Although Umbridge acts in loyalty to Cornelius Fudge and the Ministry of Magic in carrying out her actions, she is nevertheless one of the most hated Harry Potter characters; J. K. Rowling herself has noted many times that Umbridge is "horrible".

Novelist Stephen King, writing as a book reviewer for the July 11, 2003 Entertainment Weekly, noted the success of any novel is due to a great villain, with Umbridge as the "greatest make-believe villain to come along since Hannibal Lecter...". [3]