Marvolo Gaunt Character Analysis in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Voldemort’s grandfather. Marvolo is the scion of the Gaunt family, which was once wealthy and prestigious but has now lost its status and developed a reputation for inbreeding and insanity. Despite the squalor in which he lives, Marvolo is fixated on his family pedigree and teaches his children, Morfin and Merope, to despise Muggles and think well of themselves because of their pureblood heritage. Although Voldemort never meets his grandfather, he inherits his feelings of uniqueness and entitlement and his belief in the superiority of pureblood wizards.

Marvolo Gaunt Character Timeline in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The timeline below shows where the character Marvolo Gaunt appears in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...and his son is entitled to “defend himself.” The older man, whom Ogden addresses as Mr. Gaunt , sends his son inside. When Ogden protests, saying that it’s Morfin he’s come to... (full context)

...entering the house, saying he’s here to investigate a “serious breach of Wizarding law.” Reluctantly, Mr. Gaunt allows Ogden to enter the grim and dirty cottage, where Morfin sits on a couch... (full context)

...performing magic in front of a Muggle last night. Merope suddenly drops a pot and Mr. Gaunt excoriates her, calling her a “useless sack of muck,” laughing further when she tries and... (full context)

Turning to the Ministry wizard, Mr. Gaunt dismisses the charges, saying that Morfin “taught a filthy Muggle a lesson.” Undeterred, Ogden produces... (full context)

...in the village that doesn’t belong to his family. Morfin starts to get up, but Mr. Gaunt warns him in Parseltongue to stay still. (full context)

...in Parseltongue, saying that the Muggle clearly has a girlfriend, and would never like her. Mr. Gaunt asks Morfin what he’s talking about, and the son says viciously that Merope is always... (full context)

Now completely unhinged, Mr. Gaunt throttles Merope, eliciting a yell from Harry. Ogden jinxes Gaunt, causing him to fall back;... (full context)

...Merope survived. Dumbledore responds that Ogden soon returns with reinforcements; both Morfin and his father, Marvolo, do stints in Azkaban for their history of Muggle attacks. Recognizing the name, Harry realizes... (full context)

When Marvolo returns from Azkaban, he expects his daughter to be waiting with dinner; perhaps because of... (full context)

...he turns to go, Harry notices that Dumbledore’s new black ring looks very similar to Marvolo Gaunt’s. When he points it out, Dumbledore admits that it’s the very same one and... (full context)

...characteristic will prove important later. Before leaving, Harry asks why Dumbledore is no longer wearing Marvolo’s ring, but the professor just waves him away. (full context)

...that Harry has already destroyed one Horcrux, the diary, while he has eliminated another – Marvolo’s ring, which he found hidden in the ruins of the Gaunt house. It was in... (full context)