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Ron Weasley
Harry Potter character
Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley [a]
First appearanceHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997)
Last appearanceHarry Potter and the Cursed Child (2016)
Created byJ. K. Rowling
Portrayed byRupert Grint
In-universe information
Full nameRonald Bilius Weasley
Family
SpouseHermione Granger
ChildrenRose Granger-Weasley
Hugo Granger-Weasley
NationalityBritish
HouseGryffindor
Born1 March 1980

Ronald Bilius Weasley is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. He was introduced in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as a first-year student on his way to the wizarding school Hogwarts. During the school year, Ron befriends Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Being the only member of the trio who was raised in wizarding society, he provides insight into wizarding customs and traditions. Along with Harry and Hermione, he is a member of Gryffindor House at Hogwarts and is present for most of the action throughout the series. Ron is portrayed by Rupert Grint in all eight Harry Potter films. He was one of the first Harry Potter characters that Rowling created.[1][2]

Appearances

Novels

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Ron is introduced in the first novel in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997). He and his family encounter Harry Potter at King's Cross station and help him find the Hogwarts Express. Once aboard the train, Ron and Harry meet Hermione Granger, whom they initially dislike. At Hogwarts, all three students are assigned to Gryffindor House. After Ron and Harry save Hermione from a troll, they develop a friendship with her.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). Upon learning Hermione most likely had kissed Krum, Ron performs increasingly badly at Quidditch, and thrown off by jealousy of his former idol, becomes unkind to Hermione. His low self-esteem is not helped much by his younger sister Ginny who after Ron reacts badly to finding her kissing her boyfriend, throws in the fact that of those in the group, Ron is the only one who has never had his first kiss. To bolster Ron's confidence, Harry pretends to give him Felix Felicis, a potion which makes the drinker lucky; believing he has actually taken it, Ron performs admirably and Gryffindor wins the match. However, this leads to a major row between Ron and Hermione: Hermione accuses Harry of helping Ron cheat, while Ron berates Hermione for having no faith in his abilities.[3] At a post-game celebration, Ron kisses Lavender (though Ginny describes it as "eating her face"). Hermione, jealous and seeking retaliation, takes McLaggen as her date to new Potions professor Horace Slughorn's Christmas party, but he proves to be an egomaniac.[4] After Christmas, Hermione continues to ignore Ron, stopping only to give him disdainful looks and occasional snide remarks. By now, Ron is visibly discontent with his relationship with Lavender.[5]

On his birthday in March, Ron accidentally eats Amortentia-infused Chocolate Cauldrons (actually meant for Harry). After being cured by Slughorn, he then consumes poisoned mead (which Draco Malfoy actually intended for Dumbledore). Harry saves his life by forcing a bezoar, a poison antidote, into his mouth, and Ron is transferred to the hospital wing. A panic-stricken Hermione arrives, forgetting her past anger. While sitting by his bed, Hermione, Harry, Ginny and the twins hear Ron mutter Hermione's name in his delirium, although they do not hear what he is saying and ignore it. Conversely, Ron feigns sleep when Lavender visits him. Upon recovering, Ron and Hermione reconcile,[6][7][8] and a little while later, Ron and Lavender break up. Rowling in an interview said that she "really enjoyed writing the Ron/Lavender business, and the reason that was enjoyable was Ron up to this point has been quite immature compared to the other two, and he kind of needed to make himself worthy of Hermione....he had to grow up emotionally and now he's taken a big step up."[9]

Initially, Ron does not support Harry's belief that Draco Malfoy is a Death Eater, a follower of Voldemort, but is later convinced. Before leaving Hogwarts with Dumbledore to recover a Horcrux Harry arranges for Ron, Hermione, and Ginny—together with any of Dumbledore's Army they can summon—to keep a close watch on Malfoy and Snape. Harry also provides them with the remains of his vial of Felix Felicis, to aid them in the effort.[10] Despite the D.A.'s watch, Malfoy provides the Death Eaters entrance into Hogwarts, and a battle ensues. Thanks to Felix Felicis, Ron, Hermione and Ginny are unharmed by the Death Eater's hexes during the battle.[11] Snape kills Dumbledore during the battle when Malfoy proves that he is unable to.[12] During his funeral, Ron comforts a weeping Hermione. Ron and Hermione vow to help Harry find and destroy the Horcruxes and kill Voldemort, even if it means leaving Hogwarts.[13]

Attention is drawn several times to Ron's deepening relationships to Harry and Hermione, with unresolved romantic tension with Hermione being one of the main subplots of the novel (and indeed, the entire series). Furthermore, Harry and Ron's friendship has strengthened to the point where Harry can tell Ron that his Quidditch performance is endangering his membership on the team without either character taking it personally.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Ron agrees to go with Harry and Hermione on the quest to destroy all of Voldemort's Horcruxes. Worried that the Ministry, now taken over by Voldemort, will learn he is with Harry on a quest, Ron dresses the family ghoul up in pyjamas and spreads the story he is ill with "spattergroit", a type of highly contagious magical illness. Ron disguises himself as Reginald Cattermole as the trio attempts to find the locket Horcrux in the possession of Dolores Umbridge.

Harry decides he wants someone to wear the Horcrux at all times, fearing it might be lost or stolen. This has a much more profound effect on Ron than it seems to have on Hermione or Harry. Ron ends up lashing out in frustration at the lack of comforts and a concrete plan, eventually leaving his friends behind. Distressed over his absence, Harry and Hermione do not even mention his name during the time that he is gone. However, when they finally mention his name, Ron, who had immediately regretted his decision to leave but was captured by Snatchers and then could not return due to Hermione's anti-Death Eater enchantments, was led to Harry's location by unknown magic within the Deluminator he inherited from Dumbledore. Ron dramatically returns by saving Harry from drowning when Harry is attempting to recover Godric Gryffindor's sword from an icy pool. Harry, a sudden believer in the fate created by his return, immediately forgives Ron and insists it must be Ron who uses the sword to destroy Slytherin's locket. However, the portion of Voldemort's soul inside it plays on Ron's insecurities by revealing that Ron thinks he is "least loved by a mother who craved a daughter", then showing him a doppelgänger of Harry who tells him that Harry was happier without him and a doppelgänger of Hermione who does not return his affections and is involved instead with Harry. Ron summons his courage and overcomes the spell, destroying the locket, but is visibly shaken until Harry tells him that he regards Hermione as a sister and a friend, nothing more.

The trio are eventually captured by Snatchers, and Bellatrix Lestrange tortures Hermione with the Cruciatus Curse for information. This sends Ron into a panic, and he continually screams and fights with all his effort to save her, despite Harry's instruction that he calm down and think of a better plan. The trio and some other prisoners are rescued by Dobby, but the house-elf is killed by Bellatrix during the escape. Eventually, the trio returns to Hogwarts, hoping to find the last unknown Horcrux shown in Harry's vision. Having lost the Sword of Gryffindor to Griphook the goblin, Ron gets an idea to procure more Basilisk fangs and manages to speak enough Parseltongue to open the Chamber of Secrets, where Hermione destroys the Horcrux in Helga Hufflepuff's cup. He begins to worry about the fate of Hogwarts' elves. Upon hearing this, Hermione drops the basilisk fangs she was carrying and kisses him for the first time. He also takes part in the Battle of Hogwarts, witnessing the death of his brother Fred, and teams up with Neville to defeat Fenrir Greyback.

In the epilogue of Deathly Hallows, which is set nineteen years after Voldemort's death, Ron and Hermione have two children: Rose Granger-Weasley, whom they are sending off to her first year at Hogwarts, and a younger son named Hugo.[14] Though the epilogue does not explicitly say Ron and Hermione are married,[15] news articles and other sources treat it as a fact.[16][17][18] Ron has also passed his Muggle driving test, despite Hermione's apparent belief that he could not do so without Confunding the examiner. (Ron secretly reveals to Harry he actually did Confund the examiner.) He and Harry work for the Ministry of Magic as Aurors, and along with Hermione they have helped to revamp the Ministry; it is far different from the one that existed previously.[19] Before becoming an Auror, Ron joins George at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, which becomes a very lucrative business.[20]

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a play written by Jack Thorne from an original story by Thorne, J.K. Rowling and John Tiffany. The plot occurs nineteen years after the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. In the play, Ron and Hermione send their daughter Rose on the train to Hogwarts. Hermione is now the Minister for Magic, while Ron manages Weasley's Wizard Wheezes with his brother George. In the second act, Harry's son Albus Severus and Draco Malfoy's son Scorpius travel through time, and their actions change Ron and Hermione's relationship during their time at Hogwarts. Ron falls in love with Padma Patil at the Yule Ball, with the result that Ron and Hermione never marry. However, this alternate timeline is eventually erased, and the original timeline is restored.

In 2016, Paul Thornley portrayed Ron Weasley in the stage debut of the play at the Palace Theatre in London. For his performance, Thornley was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Play at the 2017 WhatsOnStage Awards. Thornley reprised the role in 2018 at the Lyric Theater on Broadway.[citation needed]

Portrayal in films

Rupert Grint portrays Ron Weasley in all eight Harry Potter films. He auditioned after seeing a segment on the children's news programme, Newsround, inviting children to apply for the role. Grint sent in a photo, a self-written script and a rap explaining his suitability for the part.[21] Rowling was supportive of the casting, calling Grint perfect for the role of Ron.[22] Grint's performance in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone earned him the Satellite Award for Outstanding New Talent and the Young Artist Award for Most Promising Young Newcomer.[23][24] In a 2020 article, Nathan Sharp of Screen Rant described him as the most "natural" child actor in the early films, and "excellent from minute one".[25]

Characterisation

Outward appearance

In the first novel, Ron is described as "tall, thin and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose."Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). As his first exercise with the actors who portray the central trio, Alfonso Cuarón, who directed the third film in the series, Prisoner of Azkaban, assigned them to write an autobiographical essay about their character, written in the first person, spanning birth to the discovery of the magical world, and including the character's emotional experience. Of Rupert Grint's essay, Cuarón recalls, "Rupert didn't deliver the essay. When I questioned why he didn't do it, he said, 'I'm Ron; Ron wouldn't do it.' So I said, 'Okay, you do understand your character.'"[26] Commenting on Ron's character development in the final book, Rowling explained that "Ron is the most immature of the three main characters, but in part seven he grows up. He was never strong footed, people see him mostly as Harry's friend; his mother had actually wanted a girl and in the last book he finally has to acknowledge his weaknesses. But it's exactly that which makes Ron a man."[27]

Ron proves his bravery and magical ability several times, such as by playing 'real wizard's chess' in the first book, entering into the Forbidden Forest with Harry during the second book despite his arachnophobia, producing a full-corporeal Patronus Charm in the fifth book and even, in the seventh book, getting basilisk fangs from the Chamber of Secrets by mimicking Parseltongue without understanding it.

Some of Ron's qualities serve as foils to Harry's. Whereas Harry is an orphan with more gold than he needs, Ron comes from a loving but poor family. Many of his possessions are hand-me-downs. Harry is famous but would prefer to avoid the spotlight; Ron, in comparison, is often perceived as a mere lackey and sometimes becomes jealous of the recognition Harry receives. Overshadowed by his many siblings and the fame and achievements of his friends, Ron's inferiority complex and need to prove himself are the main thrusts of his character arc. As the books progress, he matures from an insecure boy to a competent young man capable of strategy and leadership.[citation needed]

Magical abilities and skills

Ron is given his brother Charlie's old, chipped wand, which is made out of ash and has a unicorn hair sticking out of the end. He holds the wand together with Spellotape after nearly breaking it in half at the start of Chamber of Secrets, but it malfunctions dreadfully after this, backfiring spells, making strange noises, and emitting objects from the wrong end. Ron's new wand is fourteen inches, willow and unicorn hair, which he procures before the start of his third year at Hogwarts. Ron's talents are rarely shown, but he, like the other DA members, survives a violent encounter with adult Death Eaters in Order of the Phoenix, and it is implied that during the Death Eater assault in Half-Blood Prince he held his own quite well because he was being helped by Felix Felicis, the good luck potion. In Deathly Hallows, Ron loses his original wand, and takes Peter Pettigrew's wand for his own. Following this, Ron begins to demonstrate more aptitude and general knowledge, along with a sudden spurt in maturity after a terrible row with Harry. For a while, he effectively leads the trio in the hunt for the Horcruxes while Harry suffers a major depression.

Rowling has stated that Ron's Patronus Charm takes the form of a Jack Russell Terrier, "a really sentimental choice" as Rowling herself owns a Jack Russell.[28]

Family tree

The Weasley family as shown in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, from left to right: Fred or George, Ron, Charlie, Molly, Arthur, Ginny, Bill, Percy, and George or Fred.

Ron was born into the Weasley family on 1 March 1980,[29][30] the sixth of their seven children, and the youngest son. His middle name, Bilius, is the same as that of a deceased uncle. Ron grew up in the family home, The Burrow, near the village of Ottery St Catchpole in Devon. Ron has six siblings: his five older brothers, Bill, Charlie, Percy, twins Fred and George, and a younger sister, Ginny, each with their own distinct personality trait. Ron is often overshadowed by his siblings' accomplishments, but this is shown to be borne out of a lack of belief in himself, rather than a lack of actual talent or skill. Like his brothers, Percy and Bill he is made a Prefect. Like Fred, George and Ginny, he joins the Quidditch team and eventually grows to be an excellent Keeper.

The Weasley family is one of the few remaining pure blood wizarding families, though they were considered "blood traitors" for associating with non-pure-bloods. Moreover, they are far from rich, and are looked down upon by snobbish "old families" such as the Malfoys. All of the Weasleys have been sorted into Gryffindor House at Hogwarts. All of the Weasley children, except Bill and Percy who both were Head Boy, are known to have played on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, with Charlie being the captain of the team for at least one of his school years. Bill, Charlie, and Ron were also chosen as the prefect of their House. The Weasleys also all work for the Order of the Phoenix, and all are members except for Ron, Percy, and Ginny, who (as of the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) are not known to have officially been inducted into the Order. Arthur is distantly related to Sirius Black and is part of the famed Black family, though he and the rest of his immediate family have been considered "blood traitors" and are disowned. Other distant relatives include Draco Malfoy, Nymphadora Tonks, and Bellatrix Lestrange.

Reception

The character is highly popular. Ron was chosen by IGN as their third favourite Harry Potter character, who said that Ron's status as comic relief made him "instantly endearing" and that his frustration and flirtation with Hermione Granger was a "highlight".[31] His friendship with Harry is listed as among the best portrayed in literature and film[32] and his friends-to-lovers relationship with Hermione Granger is often referred to as a fan favorite and one of the best pairings in the series.[citation needed] However, many fans disapproved of the pairing, and Rowling herself has admitted in a 2014 interview that the relationship was "a form of wish fulfillment" and "that Hermione and Ron would probably need relationship counseling".[33]

Ron Weasley has made several appearances in parodies of Harry Potter and pop culture:

On his The Big Impression show, Alistair McGowan did a sketch called "Louis Potter and the Philosopher's Scone". It featured impressions of Anne Robinson as Ron.[34]

In 2003, Comic Relief performed a spoof story called Harry Potter and the Secret Chamberpot of Azerbaijan, in which Jennifer Saunders appeared as both Ron and J. K. Rowling.[35][36]

In Harry Podder: Dude Where's My Wand?, a play by Desert Star Theater in Utah, written by sisters Laura J., Amy K. and Anna M. Lewis, Ron appears as "Ron Sneasley".[37]

In the Harry Bladder sketches in All That, Ron appears as ReRon and is played by Bryan Hearne.

Ron also is a regular character in Potter Puppet Pals sketches by Neil Cicierega. In one of the episodes, "The Mysterious Ticking Noise", Ron, along with Snape, Harry, Hermione and Dumbledore, is killed by a bomb placed by Voldemort; the episode being the seventeenth most viewed video of all time as of 2008 and the winner for "Best Comedy" of the year 2007 at YouTube.[38]

In the 2008 American comedy film Yes Man, Carl (portrayed by Jim Carrey) attends a Harry Potter-themed party hosted by Norman (Rhys Darby), in which Norman disguises as Ron.

In A Very Potter Musical (2009), A Very Potter Sequel (2010) and A Very Potter Senior Year, parody musicals by StarKid Productions, Ron was portrayed by Joey Richter.

Notes

  1. ^ Promotional image for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

References

  1. ^ Fraser, Lindsay (2001). Conversations with J. K. Rowling. New York: Scholastic. p. 37. ISBN 978-0-439-31455-8.
  2. ^ "Harry Potter and Me" Christmas Special BBC. 28 December 2001 – via Accio Quote!.
  3. ^ Rowling, J. K. (2005). "Felix Felicis". Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Bloomsbury. ISBN 0747581088.
  4. ^ Rowling, J. K. (2005). "The Unbreakable Vow". Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Bloomsbury. ISBN 0747581088.
  5. ^ Rowling, J. K. (2005). "A Sluggish Memory". Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Bloomsbury. ISBN 0747581088.
  6. ^ Rowling, J. K. (2005). "Birthday Surprises". Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Bloomsbury. ISBN 0747581088.
  7. ^ Rowling, J. K. (2005). "Elf Tails". Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Bloomsbury. ISBN 0747581088.
  8. ^ Rowling, J. K. (2005). "Lord Voldemort's Request". Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Bloomsbury. ISBN 0747581088.
  9. ^ "The Leaky Cauldron and MN Interview Joanne Kathleen Rowling – Part 2". The Leaky Cauldron. 28 July 2007. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  10. ^ Rowling, J. K. (2005). "The Seer Overheard". Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Bloomsbury. ISBN 0747581088.
  11. ^ Rowling, J. K. (2005). "The Phoenix Lament". Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Bloomsbury. ISBN 0747581088.
  12. ^ Rowling, J. K. (2005). "The Lightning-Struck Tower". Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Bloomsbury. ISBN 0747581088.
  13. ^ Rowling, J. K. (2005). "The White Tomb". Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Bloomsbury. ISBN 0747581088.
  14. ^ Rowling, J. K. (2007). "Nineteen Years Later". Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Bloomsbury. ISBN 1551929767.
  15. ^ Rowling, J. K. (2007). "Nineteen Years Later". Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Bloomsbury. ISBN 1551929767.
  16. ^ Brown, Jen (26 July 2007). "Finished 'Potter'? Rowling tells what happens next". Today. Archived from the original on 31 December 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  17. ^ Toler, Lindsay (5 August 2007). "'Harry Potter' author ties up loose ends". The Arizona Republic. London. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 12 January 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  18. ^ "Ronald "Ron" Weasley". The Harry Potter Lexicon. March 1980. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  19. ^ "JK Rowling's Interview with Meredith Vieira", 26 July 2007 'Todayshow.com' Retrieved on 26 July 2007
  20. ^ "Online Chat Transcript". Bloomsbury Publishing. 31 July 2007. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 31 July 2007.
  21. ^ "Harry Potter: Rupert Grint attended Potter auditions after watching Newsround". Newsround. 17 July 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  22. ^ A Conversation Between J.K. Radcliffe and J.K. Rowling, YouTube, 22 Sept. 2013, 12:00, www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BdVHWz1DPU&t=4s.
  23. ^ "International Press Academy Satellite™ Awards". International Press Academy. Archived from the original on 10 May 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  24. ^ Rutherford, Cameron (14 January 2023). "The Herts school Rupert Grint attended before finding fame at Hogwarts". Herts Live. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  25. ^ Sharp, Nathan (27 November 2020). "Harry Potter: Every Performance from the Kid Actors, Ranked". Screen Rant. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  26. ^ McCabe, Bob. Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey. 2011. Harper Design. Page 102.
  27. ^ "Interview with J.K. Rowling for Release of Dutch Edition of "Deathly Hallows"". Retrieved 27 August 2008.
  28. ^ "The Leaky Cauldron and MN Interview Joanne Kathleen Rowling – Part 3". The Leaky Cauldron. 28 July 2007. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  29. ^ ""JKRowling.com Archives: Birthdays"". mugglenet.com. MuggleNet. Archived from the original on 23 February 2007.
  30. ^ Rowling, J. K. (2005). "Birthday Surprises". Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Bloomsbury. ISBN 0747581088.
  31. ^ Brian Linder; Phil Pirrello; Eric Goldman; Matt Fowler (14 July 2009). "Top 25 Harry Potter Characters". IGN. Archived from the original on 19 July 2009. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  32. ^ "33 of Film's Best Best Friends". 23 November 2011.
  33. ^ Coker, Cait (15 October 2018). "The Problematic Fan-Girl: Cassandra Clare's Gendered Revisions in the Mortal Instruments Series". Gender Warriors: Reading Contemporary Urban Fantasy. Brill. pp. 97–109. doi:10.1163/9789004394100_008. ISBN 9789004394100. S2CID 166697354.
  34. ^ "BBC One press release" (PDF). 2001. Retrieved 20 May 2007.
  35. ^ "Harry Potter and the Secret Chamberpot of Azerbaijan". tv.com. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2007.
  36. ^ "French and Saunders: Harry Potter and the Secret Chamberpot of Azerbaijan". .frenchandsaunders.com. Retrieved 8 July 2007.
  37. ^ "'Harry Podder' to open on stage". Deseret News. 5 June 2005. Archived from the original on 5 May 2016 – via HighBeam Research.
  38. ^ "PotterPuppetPals Top at YouTube Awards". the-leaky-cauldron.org. 22 March 2008.
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