Category Famous Characters from World Literature

Albus Dumbledore is the headmaster of Hogwarts. Dumbledore is also the founder and leader of the Order of the Phoenix, an organisation dedicated to fighting the evil Lord Voldemort.

As a supremely talented wizard, Dumbledore displays extraordinary powers. He is the only wizard Lord Voldemort ever truly fears. This is despite his friendly nature; he often uses humour to make people feel comfortable in his presence. Dumbledore goes head-to-head with Voldemort, holds off an army of bewitched dead bodies called ‘inferi’, and knocks out several officials of the Ministry of Magic in a split second. Later he dies, but remains a looming presence even after his death.

Rowling gives a distinct picture of Dumbledore’s appearance. He is tall, lean and has a very long and crooked nose that looks as if it has been broken at least twice. His silver beard is so long that it can be tucked into his belt. His eyes are a soul-piercing shade of blue that usually twinkle with kindness and mischief. His fingers are long and skilful. Dumbledore wears half-moon spectacles and a colourful array of robes, ranging from purple to bright orange.

Dumbledore plays a significant role in Harry’s life. Dumbledore is like his godfather and constantly reminds Harry that love is the greatest magic of all. This great wizard himself had a great capacity for love and he believed in the good in everyone. He is also not hesitant to give a second chance to people.

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Hermione Jean Granger is one of the most loved characters in the Potter series. She first appears in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, as a new student on her way to Hogwarts. She becomes aware of her magical nature at the age of eleven and is accepted at Hogwarts.

Hermione possesses a brilliant academic mind and proves to be a gifted student in almost every subject that she studies. Harry and Ron save her in a difficult situation and she becomes best friends with them.

After that, she comes to their rescue in various situations; Hermione often uses her quick wit, smart recall, and encyclopaedic knowledge to help and save Harry and Ron.

However, Hermione is insecure and often fears failure. Rowling once stated that Hermione resembles herself. Emma Watson plays Hermione Granger in the Potter films.

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Lord Voldemort is so ominous that even his name is not uttered in Hogwarts. Instead, he is referred to as ‘You-Know Who’, or ‘He Who Must Not Be Named’. Voldemort is the archenemy of Harry Potter.

According to a prophecy, Harry Potter has ‘the power to vanquish the Dark Lord.’ Voldemort attempts to murder Harry, but kills his parents, Lily and James Potter instead.

Voldemort is the last descendant of the wizard Salazar Slytherin, one of the four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is obsessed with the purity of blood and he aims to get rid of the Muggles-people of non-magical origin like Hermione Granger. He is the leader of the Death Eaters, a group of evil wizards and witches dedicated to ridding the Wizarding World of Muggles and establishing Voldemort as its supreme ruler. Rowling describes Voldemort as ‘the evilest wizard for hundreds and hundreds of years’.

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Harry Potter needs no introduction. The popularity of this adorable young wizard was so widespread that J K Rowling, the creator went on to write seven novels featuring Harry and his friends, and their adventures.

Harry Potter first appears in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Harry is introduced as an orphan who is mistreated by his guardian aunt and uncle and their son. On his 11th birthday, Harry discovers that he is the son of the famous wizard-witch couple-James and Lily Potter. He also learns that his parents had not perished in a car accident, as his aunt and uncle had told him. They had been murdered by an evil wizard named Voldemort.

Harry is the only person to have ever survived an attack by Voldemort by somehow rebounding the latter’s killing curse. However, this leaves him with a lightning-bolt-shaped scar on his forehead.

Harry’s survival angers Voldemort particularly as the boy is already a celebrity in the world of wizardry. On his 11th birthday, Harry is invited to join the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is taken under the wing of the school’s headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.

At Hogwarts Harry become friends with classmates Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger and finds a rival in Draco Malfoy. The rest of the story is about the rivalry between Harry and Voldemort. Voldemort attempts to take Harry’s life beginning in the first book and continuing throughout the series. With the help of those who love him and believe in him, Harry is able to emerge victorious in the end.

Harry Potter has been considered as one of the greatest literary and film characters of all time.

The eccentric Willy Wonka, his chocolate factory and the Oompa-Loompas who works there are popular among kids. Willy Wonka was created by the famous author Roald Dahl for his novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 1964. Willy Wonka also appears in its sequel titled Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator that came out in 1972.

Willy Wonka hides five Golden Tickets in his chocolates. The children who find these tickets will be rewarded with a lifetime supply of chocolates and also a tour of his factory. Each child can take an adult of their choice as well. Though it looks like a simple lucky draw, Willy Wonka was actually selecting five kids to test their moral values. The children are totally unaware of this competition though.

As the tour of the factory progresses, four children get eliminated. A kid named Charlie Bucket is the only one left and he is declared as the winner. Here comes the real surprise. Wonka reveals that the real prize is the factory itself. He was actually in search of someone to take it over and look after the Oompa-Loompas who work there, once he retires.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was first published in the United States and became an immediate best seller. The story was originally inspired by Roald Dahl’s experience of chocolate companies during his schooldays. During his schooldays, chocolate companies would often send test packages to the schoolchildren in exchange for their opinions on the new products.

The film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was as famous as the book. Johnny Depp plays Willy Wonka in the film. In the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Gene Wilder plays the character of Willy Wonka. The Oompa-Loompas in the film are orange-skinned with green wigs and have a quirky hair style.

Remember the tall cat that looks like a human, with a red and white-striped hat and a red bow tie? This cat appears in The Cat in the Hat. This novel was written and illustrated by Theodor Geisel and was published in 1957 under the pen name Dr. Seuss.

The Cat shows up at the house of Sally and her brother on a rainy day when their mother is away. The Cat shows the children a few of his tricks in an attempt to entertain them, despite the repeated objections from the children’s fish.

In the process of entertaining the kids, he and his companions, Thing One and Thing Two, wreck the house. Things take a turn here. The children and the fish become more and more alarmed. In the end, the Cat produces a machine that he uses to clean everything up and disappears just before their mother comes home.

There is an interesting story behind the name of this novel. Geisel decided to create a story based on the first two rhyming words he found – cat and hat!

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