The character Hermann, in The Queen of Spades, portrays many different attitudes throughout the story, but inevitably his actions play out to an ironic end. In the beginning Hermann seems like he is somewhat of a romantic and may want to get to know Lisaveta Ivanovna a little better. This gives the reader some feeling that he may be a good guy even though he goes about meeting Lisaveta in ways that she disapproves of in the very beginning. Later when Lisaveta finally gives him permission to meet her in her room he instead stays in the Countess' room and tells her, "You can ensure the happiness of my life and it will cost you nothing: I know that you can guess three cards in succession." (650) This is where the reader starts to learn that maybe Hermann isn't as good a guy as he first was presumed to be. He shows that he really doesn't care for her and wants to know the secret that the Countess knows because of his greed. To make matters worse he inadvertantly kills the Countess trying to learn her secret and shows no remorse for the old lady's death which the writeracknowledges: "Hermann looked at her in silence; his heart was also tormented; but neither the tears of the poor girl nor the astounding charm of her griefdisturbed his hardened soul." (652) It seems that because of his actions the reader starts to dislike Hermann more and more and realizes that the whole thing with Lisaveta was just to get to the Countess and her valuable secret.
             After the Countess' death and funeral Hermann received a visit from the ghost of the old lady who's death he had cause earlier. She tells him the secret he has wanted to know the entire time of the winning three cards: "three, seven, ace, in that order, will win for you." (654) Here it starts to seem like it will be looking up for Hermann especially when the Countess continues to tell him "I'll forgive you my geath ...