Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

by

J. K. Rowling

Dolores Umbridge Character Analysis

One of the novel's antagonists. A short, squat witch who looks like a toad and often wears pink and fluffy cardigans, Umbridge is in league with Fudge and will do whatever she can to keep Fudge—and by extension, herself—in power. This includes introducing Educational Decrees that disempower other teachers and Dumbledore, as well as considering using Unforgivable Curses against students. Umbridge treats students as though they're small children and demands unwavering respect from them in an infantilizing way. Her high, simpering voice allows her to look as though she's harmless and welcoming, when in actuality, she is, according to McGonagall and other adults, one of the most dangerous individuals in the school. She makes it her mission to discredit Harry's story of Voldemort's return by telling him he's lying and criminalizing the act of believing him. Throughout the school year, she and Harry engage in a battle of wills as he speaks out about Voldemort's return and she punishes him physically (with her quill that writes by cutting into Harry's hand and uses his blood) and by banning him from playing Quidditch. Lupin notes that Umbridge hates and fears “half-breeds” like werewolves and is known for introducing legislation that makes it impossible for werewolves to get jobs. Because of this hatred, Umbridge takes aim against Hagrid, and she and several Aurors try to arrest him. Hermione, however, is able to use Umbridge’s hatred to her advantage when Umbridge catches Harry in her office, as Hermione leads Umbridge into the Forbidden Forest in pursuit of Dumbledore's "weapon" and straight into the herd of angry and easily offended centaurs. Though Umbridge isn't in league with Voldemort, she shows Harry that a person doesn't need to be a Death Eater to be evil—one only needs to be obsessed with power and willing to do anything to keep it.

Dolores Umbridge Quotes in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix quotes below are all either spoken by Dolores Umbridge or refer to Dolores Umbridge. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Purpose of Education Theme Icon
).
Chapter Twelve Quotes

"I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run at this school," she said, an unconvincing smile stretching her wide mouth, "but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed—not to mention," she gave a nasty little laugh, "extremely dangerous half-breeds."

Related Characters: Dolores Umbridge (speaker), Harry Potter, Professor Albus Dumbledore, Remus Lupin
Page Number: 243
Explanation and Analysis:

"Is it true that you shouted at Professor Umbridge?"

"Yes," said Harry.

"You called her a liar?"

"Yes."

"You told her He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back?"

"Yes."

Professor McGonagall sat down behind her desk, frowning at Harry. Then she said, "Have a biscuit, Potter."

Related Characters: Professor Minerva McGonagall (speaker), Harry Potter, Dolores Umbridge, Lord Voldemort
Page Number: 248
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Fourteen Quotes

"I know her by reputation and I'm sure she's no Death Eater—"

"She's foul enough to be one," said Harry darkly and Ron and Hermione nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Yes, but the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters," said Sirius with a wry smile. "I know she's a nasty piece of work, though—you should hear Remus talk about her."

"Does Lupin know her?" asked Harry quickly, remembering Umbridge's comments about dangerous half-breeds during her first lesson.

"No," said Sirius, "but she drafted a bit of anti-werewolf legislation two years ago that makes it almost impossible for him to get a job."

Related Characters: Harry Potter (speaker), Sirius Black (speaker), Dolores Umbridge, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Remus Lupin
Page Number: 302
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Fifteen Quotes

"'Hogwarts is a school, not an outpost of Cornelius Fudge's office,' said Madam Marchbanks. 'This is a further disgusting attempt to discredit Albus Dumbledore.' (For a full account of Madam Marchbanks' alleged links to subversive goblin groups, turn to page 17)."

Related Characters: Hermione Granger (speaker), Dolores Umbridge, Professor Albus Dumbledore, Cornelius Fudge
Page Number: 308
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Nineteen Quotes

He and the D.A. were resisting under her very nose, doing the very thing that she and the Ministry most feared, and whenever he was supposed to be reading Wilbert Slinkhard's book during her lessons he dwelled instead on satisfying memories of their most recent meetings, remembering how Neville had successfully disarmed Hermione, how Colin Creevy had mastered the Impediment Jinx after three meetings' hard effort, how Parvati Patil had produced such a good Reductor Curse that she had reduced the table carrying all the Sneakoscopes to dust.

Related Characters: Harry Potter, Dolores Umbridge, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Parvati Patil
Page Number: 397
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Thirty-Three Quotes

Still pointing her shaking wand at Magorian, she continued, "Law Fifteen B states clearly that ‘Any attack by a magical creature who is deemed to have near-human intelligence, and therefore considered responsible for its actions—'"

"'Near-human intelligence'?" repeated Magorian, as Bane and several others roared with rage and pawed the ground.

Related Characters: Dolores Umbridge (speaker), Magorian (speaker), Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Bane
Page Number: 754
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix LitChart as a printable PDF.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix PDF

Dolores Umbridge Quotes in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix quotes below are all either spoken by Dolores Umbridge or refer to Dolores Umbridge. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Purpose of Education Theme Icon
).
Chapter Twelve Quotes

"I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run at this school," she said, an unconvincing smile stretching her wide mouth, "but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed—not to mention," she gave a nasty little laugh, "extremely dangerous half-breeds."

Related Characters: Dolores Umbridge (speaker), Harry Potter, Professor Albus Dumbledore, Remus Lupin
Page Number: 243
Explanation and Analysis:

"Is it true that you shouted at Professor Umbridge?"

"Yes," said Harry.

"You called her a liar?"

"Yes."

"You told her He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back?"

"Yes."

Professor McGonagall sat down behind her desk, frowning at Harry. Then she said, "Have a biscuit, Potter."

Related Characters: Professor Minerva McGonagall (speaker), Harry Potter, Dolores Umbridge, Lord Voldemort
Page Number: 248
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Fourteen Quotes

"I know her by reputation and I'm sure she's no Death Eater—"

"She's foul enough to be one," said Harry darkly and Ron and Hermione nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Yes, but the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters," said Sirius with a wry smile. "I know she's a nasty piece of work, though—you should hear Remus talk about her."

"Does Lupin know her?" asked Harry quickly, remembering Umbridge's comments about dangerous half-breeds during her first lesson.

"No," said Sirius, "but she drafted a bit of anti-werewolf legislation two years ago that makes it almost impossible for him to get a job."

Related Characters: Harry Potter (speaker), Sirius Black (speaker), Dolores Umbridge, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Remus Lupin
Page Number: 302
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Fifteen Quotes

"'Hogwarts is a school, not an outpost of Cornelius Fudge's office,' said Madam Marchbanks. 'This is a further disgusting attempt to discredit Albus Dumbledore.' (For a full account of Madam Marchbanks' alleged links to subversive goblin groups, turn to page 17)."

Related Characters: Hermione Granger (speaker), Dolores Umbridge, Professor Albus Dumbledore, Cornelius Fudge
Page Number: 308
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Nineteen Quotes

He and the D.A. were resisting under her very nose, doing the very thing that she and the Ministry most feared, and whenever he was supposed to be reading Wilbert Slinkhard's book during her lessons he dwelled instead on satisfying memories of their most recent meetings, remembering how Neville had successfully disarmed Hermione, how Colin Creevy had mastered the Impediment Jinx after three meetings' hard effort, how Parvati Patil had produced such a good Reductor Curse that she had reduced the table carrying all the Sneakoscopes to dust.

Related Characters: Harry Potter, Dolores Umbridge, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Parvati Patil
Page Number: 397
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Thirty-Three Quotes

Still pointing her shaking wand at Magorian, she continued, "Law Fifteen B states clearly that ‘Any attack by a magical creature who is deemed to have near-human intelligence, and therefore considered responsible for its actions—'"

"'Near-human intelligence'?" repeated Magorian, as Bane and several others roared with rage and pawed the ground.

Related Characters: Dolores Umbridge (speaker), Magorian (speaker), Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Bane
Page Number: 754
Explanation and Analysis: