So I was thinking about what kind of persons would represent the best of each house, to be among it`s greatest, and then I started thinking about how famous historical figures would have been sorted.

Note: Great here is not used here to mean something morally good.

Here`s some of mine:

Winston Churchill: impulsive, also daring and brave. Made a map new countries that would be created during a lunch break or something, on a whim. I think would be sorted in Gryffindor.

Hitler: Close contest between Gryffindor and Slytherin; highly ambitious and extremely cunning, and stopped at nothing to achieve his goals. But also displayed rashness and Gryffindorish qualities, in his youth, got bad grades in school because his father didn`t want to let him go in art school, and had frequent fights with his father.
Oh, and worked menial jobs like shoveling snow, doing cheap paintings and the like for years, because he swore he would never work a job in an office like his father.

Alexander the Great: Gryffindor, undoubtedly.

Socrates Aristotle, Ptolemy: Ravenclaw?

Cleopatra: fairly obvious, Slytherin

Trying to think of some notable figure that could be sorted in Hufflepuff, but I can`t.

List more, and provide a reason or two why you think they would be sorted that way.

And it would be appreciated if current political figures were left out of this discussion.

 

Nah, he's not a Gryffindor. The key traits that would lead to a political take over are ambition and cunning. You can display some traits from multiple houses, but the defining trait would be those that actually shape your life.

I actually think 90% of major politicians (past and present) are going to be Slytherin. I'd say the other 10% will mostly be Gryffindors. Political careers require substantial ambition, otherwise they tend to falter at early hurdles. The Gryffindors who make it are likely bravely pursuing ideological ideas outside of the mainstream, probably trying to make the world a better place regardless of whether it makes them popular or not.

The key features of Hufflepuff are hard work and loyalty. I don't see many of them getting particularly famous. They're the backbone of society, the business owners and workers who never expect to achieve anything spectacular. Some of them probably did at various points. I'd say an example might be Bill Gates.

 

Hitler would be a Hufflepuff. Alexander the Great a Slytherin. Same with Gandhi. Marie Curie a Ravenclaw, and Donald Trump would either not receive a letter or would be Gryffindor.

 

King George VI - QE II's dad would be a Hufflepuff

Lady Diana - Gryffindor

Queen Victoria - Slytherin

Prince Albert (Vicky's husband) - Ravenclaw

 

Whats your reasoning for any of those choices?

 

George VI didn't want the throne, wasn't prepared for the throne but did his best anyway. Got a stammer to boot that made him awkward with public events. But because of honor and duty, he took on the duty of being King after his brother, Edward VIII abdicated. He's a steady force in British public life, especially during WW2. I think his qualities are very much in line with Hufflepuff's.

Lady Di - She's all heart. Wanting to do what's good for everyone. Fighting for the oppressed and needy. She has a hero mentality, so she's definitely Gryffindor.

Queen Victoria - if you look at the current royal families of Europe, almost all of them are related to her. She has explicitly made it so that GBR can cast some influence thru the royal dynasties. It didn't pan out as she'd hoped tho. She was also very controlling of her royal household and quite proud of her role as Queen. Pride in her lineage and need to cast her influence on others is very Slytherin to me.

Prince Albert - Instituted a lot of changes during his time as consort by advising the Queen on what stance to take. I see him like the brain behind the throne so Ravenclaw comes to mind.

 

You could conceivably argue that almost every major political figure of modernity should be a "Slytherin". It's the problem with the traits being largely arbitrary.

 

Alternatively she was ambitious enough to marry the heir to the throne, despite being far from the usual sort of bride he would have gone for. And cunning enough to manipulate the public into seeing her as some sort of oppressed angel deserving of their support, affection, and protection, when she was far from it. Definitely a Slytherin.

 

She married at 19 and wasn't very accomplished academically. I don't know about being ambitious, as I can't see her thinking that way at the time of her marriage Maybe she was disillusioned when she became part of the Firm, hence the media manipulation after her divorce.

 

Hannibal (and almost any famous commander) would be Gryffindor.
I'd liken them to Harry; they have the cunning necessary to thrive at Slytherin but their main attribute is bravery and might.

 

Hannibal I would actually say was slytherin. I think it depends on how they campaign. Hannibal's entire military campaign had major political (cunning/ambition) undertones. Specifically, the whole trying to dismantle the whole italian allies system... his entire motivation for the invasion was essentially slytherin in nature.

Like not all politicians imo are slytherin and not all generals gryffindor. In fact I might go so far to say that the truly great politicians are probably trending gryffindor and the truly great generals slytherin.

Think about it. Your average general? Sure you want gryffindor traits. But the truly great ones? A lot of the great generals are all about political ambitions and 'cunning' for what they want for the world, etc. Breaking the mold and doing cunning new tactics, ways of fighting, etc. I mean take a look at Hannibal... or Napoleon. or Genghis Khan.

And take politicians. The *average* politician is slytherin like, sure. But the outstanding ones that change the fate of the world? They are usually visionaries with a 'cause' dedicated to helping people. The *great* ones are trying to remake reality to 'save' their people, etc. Very Gryffindorish. Think say, like the American civil rights movement. Malcolm X or MLK. Or say Lincoln in the Civil War.

Yeah more I think on it, I think you could make an argument that the 'greats' of these professions break the mold specifically because thats what makes them great. A politician with gryffindor traits... a general with slytherin ones... etc. Its why they are 'special'

I think we need to go beyond the surface stereotypes too.

Like someone up thread said Hitler would by gryffindor and I actually agree. The man was essentially blindly fanatical. And not very cunning (i mean he put his whole plan in his autobiogrpahy essentially). Sure he was EVIL but gryffindor doesnt mean good anymore then slytherin means bad. Hitler was all about (evil/horrible) causes, fanatacisim to that cause despite all reality, etc. And hell, he was even actually 'brave' as an individual in wwI

John Adams would be a Ravenclaw for the record.

Washington a Gryffindor

Jefferson the worst sort of slytherin

 

Trump =Gryffindor

Reagan=Gryffindor

Jimmy Carter= Hufflepuff

Obama Gryffindor

Bill Clinton: Hufflepuff

George W Bush= Slytherin

Bush Sr. =Ravenclaw maybe

Napoleon= Slytherin

Einstein= Ravenclaw

 

Yes you're right, I was focusing too much on the fighting against a bigger more established army.
I also was thinking of this quote (allegedly) said by Maharabal to Hannibal after the battle of Cannae:
"Assuredly, no one man has been blessed with all God's gifts. You, Hannibal, know how to gain a victory; you do not know how to use it"
Which doesn't invalidate your point in any way since marching on Rome was never his plan, just wanted to explain my thought process :v .

Hitler was an idiot in his later years and the power got to his head, if he delegated the war would have been harder to win.