Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Biblical Themes

This essay delves into the theological and religious aspects of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," examining the various Biblical allusions present within the narrative. It highlights the connections between the characters and events in the novel and key Christian themes, such as betrayal, the conflict between good and evil, and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The essay explores how Rowling incorporates Christian imageries, including the Holy Trinity and death omens, to enrich the story's depth and meaning. It also discusses the darker themes and moral conflicts that mirror aspects of Christian faith, providing a comprehensive analysis of the religious undertones in the Harry Potter series. The essay references characters like Hagrid, Professor Snape, and Professor Dumbledore and their roles in representing these allusions. The paper concludes by emphasizing the significant impact of these Biblical references on the overall narrative and character fates.

Running head: THEOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES
Theology and Religious Studies
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1THEOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES
Introduction
The several important aspects of the book Harry Potter and the Prince of Azkaban will be
discussed in this paper. This book was written by the famous author and the creator of Harry
Potter, J.K. Rowling. The several factors from Bible have to be drawn out and the comparisons
have to be made in this context to understand the Biblical allusions.
Biblical allusions in the book
In this book, several Biblical allusions are made to point out the betrayal and trial of
Jesus Christ. Many incidents are discussed regarding the betrayal of the characters (Green,
Brown & Perrin, 2013). The Biblical characters have served many allusions and that have been
described in this section as well. All the darker sides have been discussed in this essay regarding
the betrayal in this book. All the themes are supposed to be darker than the previous books.
The important themes here are deceit, good vs. evil, the famous incidents of the betrayal
of Jesus and His crucifixion on the Holy Cross (Lie, 2017). The characters had grown up a little
from the previous novels. The incident turned out in the fashion that while Jesus and His apostles
were praying in the Mount of Olives, Judas arrived in the scene with his soldiers, kissed Jesus
and crucified him. After the crucifixion of Jesus, Judas was crucified later as well.
Comparison between the Biblical characters
There are many characters in this story that are associated with the Bible. The author
herself had admitted that the entire series had a deep connection with the Christianity. The
Christian imageries are a part and parcel of this series. The stag on the lake is one of the most
inspiring events that can relate to Christianity. All the characters who have practiced the
witchcraft will get their due punishments when it is time. Some characters are good yet some are

2THEOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES
bad. All of them are parts of Christianity. Those characters show loyalty, sacrifice and friendship
through their works. The book that is discussed in this paper is darker than the other books and
this is for the more grown-ups. The characters like Hagrid, Professor Snape and Professor
Dumbledore are the characters that can be remembered for craving an impact on the entire book.
Many twists and turns have been described in this book that surrounds the character of Harry
himself. The character of Ron is also a very strong character that represents the Biblical allusions
as well. Some derogatory racial slang has been used as well. These are the things that are
highlighted in the books.
The literary allusions have been included in this Harry Potter series. This is because the
characters are portrayed so intrinsically that they are the reflections of the Bible and the Christian
faith. There are some serious darker issues in Christianity that have been associated with the
stories in this series. The quest for Holy Grail has been depicted in this series through the search
for philosopher’s stone. The themes of compassion and forgiveness have been discussed in this
series as well. These are the reasons why Biblical allusions have been included in Harry Potter
series.
Other dark themes
In this story, Harry is shown as a boy of thirteen. In this story, the applications of
different things like the use of potions, curses, magic spells of dark magic and divination had
increased to a large extent. The moral of the story goes to the age old fact of the conflict between
good and evil. This story can be used for the godly purposes as well since it depicts the nature of
good and evil. The irony of the story lies in the fact that the prisoners are Azkaban are in jail for

3THEOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES
practicing witchcraft. The prisoners also used to apply this witchcraft to harm or kill the other
persons. The guards of the prison practice that as well (Douglas, 2013).
The Holy Trinity
Some other important things have been displayed in this story as well. The image of the
Holy Trinity of the Bible has been portrayed in this story by some incidents (Emery, 2012).
Harry had found some ways by which he could have produced a corporeal Patronus charm. This
could be strong enough that could remove more than 100 Dementors. These Biblical allusions
have been wonderfully presented in the story (Emery, 2012). Death Omens are also a vital part
for the display of the Biblical imageries in the story (Emery, 2012).
Conclusion
This paper can be concluded by saying that Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
have many elements of Biblical allusions in it. These allusions are of real implications in the fate
of Harry. The images of betrayal and mistrust are so wonderfully presented in the incidents that
resemble that incident. Apart from that, the story has depicted other Biblical allusions in a well
written manner.

4THEOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES
References
Douglas, M. (Ed.). (2013). Witchcraft confessions and accusations. Routledge.
Emery, G. (2012). The Trinity: an introduction to Catholic doctrine on the Triune God. The
Catholic University of America Press.
Green, J. B., Brown, J. K., & Perrin, N. (Eds.). (2013). Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels.
InterVarsity Press.
Lie, N. (2017). Introduction. In The Latin American (Counter-) Road Movie and Ambivalent
Modernity (pp. 1-30). Springer International Publishing.
Pitre, B. (2016). Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last
Supper. Image.
Wright, N. T. (2016). The day the revolution began: Reconsidering the meaning of Jesus's
crucifixion. HarperCollins.