Episode 1x06: Foreshadowing & Symbolism
Aug 5, 2016 9:06:37 GMT -5
moiaf, Envie, and 3 more like this
Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2016 9:06:37 GMT -5
As you can see, I’m not the regular who usually carries out these essays. I will do my best to live up to both of my predecessors, who have done a great job at summing up and analysing some terrific episodes. I can’t say my attempt will be as in-depth as theirs, so please bear with me as I attempt to break down the latest episode of our rewatch.
As I was writing this, a word and idea that kept coming up was control: who has it, who wants it, who thinks they have it. I’m sure there are many other themes present but to me this one seemed the most evident.
Winterfell
Once again Bran is met by the Three-Eyed Raven in his dreams. Resuming where they last left off, we see the raven flying through the crypts of Winterfell. The significance of this continued vision won’t be revealed until a later episode, so for now there’s not much meaning to it.
The real substance of the Winterfell scenes this episode is when Bran goes out riding with Robb and Theon, and for the third episode in a row we see doubts put into Theon’s mind as to what his role is. First it was Tyrion, then Ros, and now Robb treating him like an outsider in a place he has called home for half his life, stressing that he is not a Stark. A fish out of water. Well, a kraken.
He saw a chance to prove his worth by saving Bran’s life from the wildlings, however even that act is not enough for Robb, for the danger he put Bran in:
”You don’t have the right - ”
“To what, to save your brother’s life? It was the only thing to do so I did it.”
Robb’s perceived ungratefulness towards Theon is presumably another factor he considers when making that fateful decision next season. Maybe Robb should’ve been more thankful.
Speaking of outsiders, the wildlings play quite a significant role. We are here introduced to Osha, who, upon learning of Bran’s heritage, insists they return back to Mance Rayder for a reward. Clearly Uncle Benjen has quite the reputation amongst the wildlings. So much of a reputation that Osha is willing to throw caution to the wind and forget about her own struggle with a former lover-turned-wight (as she reveals in a future season) and return beyond the Wall.
Once again the viewers hear more about the mysterious White Walkers. The leader of this group of wildlings, Stiv, proves himself to be a bold and confident man through his actions towards the Starks, but even the mere mention of returning north is too much for him:
“Piss on Mance Rayder and piss on the North. We’re going as far south as south goes. There ain’t no White Walkers down in Dorne.”
It’s a shame his greed got the better of him. He may have even survived the impending White Walker invasion if he’d just stuck to his plan and not gotten distracted.
The Eyrie
Further down Westeros, there’s a more immediate threat for one character as Tyrion finds himself in the awkward situation of having to engage with Mord. In his first visit, Tyrion lies on the stone floor as Mord stands over, asserting his control. In the second, Tyrion is in a far more precarious position, teetering over the edge of his cell, completely at the mercy of Mord. The symbolism in these encounters is clear: Mord has the power and Tyrion must appeal to his ‘better nature’ to survive. He is used to dealing with (and will go on to deal with) opponents who are as shrewd and savvy as himself. Nothing like his latest foe. A simple man, Mord sees what he sees and responds accordingly:
“No gold! Fuck off!”
But of course, no matter how intelligent you may or may not be, everyone knows who the Lannisters are. And everyone knows “a Lannister always pays his debts.”
Tyrion continues his plan by revealing to Mord that he wishes to confess to his crimes. A trick he will use again in a future trial:
He takes his new opportunity in front of Lady Arryn to crack some jokes on topics ranging from goat shit to “milking his eel”. But the joke that was sure to knock everyone off their feet was tragically robbed of its punchline, and to this day we still do not know what happened with the jackass and the honeycomb. Damnit, Lysa.
Lysa rejects the use of Jaime Lannister as Tyrion’s champion, in an unfortunate twist of fate reminiscent of Tyrion being unable to find a champion for his second trial by combat. Luckily, his charisma and winning comedy routine was all the convincing he needed to do to win over a volunteer and lifelong friend in Bronn.
While Bronn must make do with what he has, Ser Vardis has the opportunity to fully equip himself with bulky armour and a large shield. His tactic is to overwhelm Bronn; to make it seem like he has the power. Unfortunately things don’t go to plan as his heavy armour slows him down and he loses control while his lightly-equipped opponent deftly evades his strikes. Despite seeming physically disadvantaged throughout, Bronn wins the trial by combat using his smarts and his patience to counter Ser Vardis’ more brutish approach.
His words to Lysa are an unfortunate reminder of what attribute is most likely to get you killed in the game of thrones:
“You don’t right with honour!”
“No. He did.”
His one-liner proves to be prophetic as we go on to see countless honourable men die as the cruel and ruthless prevail. Ned, Robb, Jon. I am reminded of Robert’s fury in the last episode:
“Honour? I've got Seven Kingdoms to rule! One King, Seven Kingdoms! Do you think honour keeps them in line? Do you think it's honour that's keeping the peace? It's fear! Fear and blood!”
Bronn’s line emphasises the point that it doesn’t matter how nice you are to people or how morally good you may be; you have to be pragmatic to survive in such a dangerous world, and sometimes honour is a necessary sacrifice.
King’s Landing
It’s certainly an eventful episode down in the capital - let’s start with Ned waking up. His first sight is Robert, with Cersei standing behind him. This visual is quite symbolic of Ned’s view of Robert: he was once a good man; Ned’s best friend, but years in the capital surrounded by the “yellow-haired shits” have almost turned him into a puppet; Cersei’s puppet. Ned witnessed this in episode 2 at the inn, where Cersei’s words influenced Robert’s actions. From his view, the Lannisters are in control in the capital.
However, unlike at the inn Robert remains strong this time and sides with his friend, refusing Cersei’s wish to punish him. Robert has restored the balance between the two loudest voices in his head, but in contrast to the grace and honour Ned showed when he did as his king commanded, Cersei chooses to chastise him:
“I should wear the armour, and you the gown.”
Ouch.
Robert’s decision to strike Cersei is one he will, and indeed does, regret. Little does he know that this lioness does not submit when slighted; she pounces back. That smack sealed Robert’s fate.
Lastly, another prophetic line this episode is delivered when Robert attempts to keep the peace between his vassal houses:
”I can’t rule the kingdoms if the Starks and the Lannisters are at each other’s throats.”
And nor will he.
This week’s waterdancing lesson is less so about the fighting and more about important life lessons.
The first lesson:
“You’re not here! You’re with your trouble! If you’re with your trouble when fighting happens … more trouble for you.”
Here the seeds are sewn for Arya’s path to detachment. She must let go of her personal feelings: her grief, her anger, her sorrow. When she lets them take over, she will lose. This idea of letting go of personal feelings and attachment sounds familiar, no?
Secondly:
“There is only one god, and his name is death. And there is only one thing we say to death:
Talking of one god? The familiarity continues! And from a Braavosi, no less. While I personally doubt Syrio is a Faceless Man himself, he is certainly familiar with their creed and philosophy. Though perhaps everyone in Braavos is?
Our next scene in the south takes place in the Kingswood, where we see the King and his small hunting party marching through the forest. Robert reminisces about the ‘good old days’ and emphasises what kind of man he is: he likes the ‘simpler’ life, in which the only backstabbing was someone literally driving a sword through your back on the battlefield. He is a warrior first and foremost, not a politician. Robert’s idea of being a ‘real man’ is similar to Bronn’s “fuck-and-fight” description of the Dornish in season 5:
”All they wanna do is fight and fuck, fuck and fight. There’s nothing like a good fight to get you in the mood for fucking, and there’s nothing like a fuck-mad Dornish girl to clear your head for the next fight.”
This kind of mentality certainly isn’t for everyone, and Renly has just about had enough. He’s already an ‘outsider’ in Westerosi culture through his secret relationship with Loras, so understandably Robert’s portrayal of only becoming a ‘real man’ once you’ve fucked eight girls across the continent obviously isn't something he agrees with, and he makes his discontent known:
“What days were those? The ones where half of Westeros fought the other half and millions died? Or before that, when the Mad King slaughtered woman and babies because the voices in his head told him they deserved it? Or way before that, when dragons burned whole cities to the ground? … I suppose it was all rather heroic. If you were drunk enough and had some poor Riverlands whore to shove your prick inside and ‘make the eight’.”
Robert’s heated argument with Renly is the third of such conflicts he has had in the last two episodes. First, it was when Ned wanted to show mercy to Daenerys against Robert’s wishes, then Cersei refusing to accept his forgiveness of Ned. And now, even Renly is opposed to his ideas. His best friend, his wife, and his brother are all critical of him; arguably the three people he should be closest to. Although he may not know it, one of the three is at that very moment getting her revenge through a certain squire. So Robert turns to the only ‘friend’ who hasn’t turned against him:
Not yet anyway.
Back in the city, Ned gives the season 1 promotional poster some canonicity and sits the Iron Throne. There’s some noticeable imagery here as Ned is on the throne, with Littlefinger and Pycelle by his side; each three representing ‘factions’ which hold a significant stake in the capital. Ned obviously is filling in for the king, Pycelle for the Lannisters and Littlefinger representing himself. All that’s missing is Varys and the key political factions in the capital would be present. Envie , you may want to sign Littlefinger up for an essay in the future because he’s clearly very eager to highlight the symbolism of those fish to everyone. His on-the-nose tactic is key to winning over Ned’s trust - if he’s cryptic and ambiguous all the time then he’s not going to achieve much with the ‘slow mind’ of a Stark, is he? It seems like Ned is listening to all of Baelish’s points, and unfortunately it looks like he's beginning to trust him.
Now when some viewers are critical of Ned Stark, they often cite his honour and mercifulness as his biggest weaknesses. Here though, that mercy is buried deep, as he shows his full fury denouncing the Mountain and calling for his death, and goes on to call for Tywin’s attendence as well. Unfortunately for Ned, he’s playing the game all wrong. In chess terms, he is focusing all his attacks on a single pawn, and fails to realise the true danger is the queen. As we will see in a future episode, he is directing his ferocity towards the wrong opponent.
Ned’s drastic action and lack of self-control reminds me of a quote from this very episode:
“If you’re with your trouble when fighting happens, more trouble for you.”
Now obviously there’s no physical fighting on Ned’s part, but Syrio’s words still ring true. Ned has let his personal feelings - his sympathy towards House Tully and resentment for House Lannister - take over, and they are influencing his actions. As we know, Tywin doesn’t take too kindly to these threats, so you could say Ned has caused more trouble for not only himself but also much of Westeros. Similarly, he lets Littlefinger continue to manipulate him because of Cat’s brotherly affection for him. Again, personal feelings are causing trouble for Ned. Further, Littlefinger’s actions, or more accurately, his inaction when Ned denounces Gregor shows he is getting exactly what he wants: to destabilise the realm; to create chaos in which he can prosper.
Finally, Littlefinger and Ned’s remarks at the end raise an interesting question:
“Gold wins wars, not soldiers.”
“Then how come Robert is king, and not Tywin Lannister?”
Robert fought the battles during his rebellion while Tywin sat waiting to make his move. In the following years, Robert became “half a kingdom in debt” to Tywin, and Robert finds himself surrounded by that family: his wife, his squire, a member of his Kingsguard. So the question remains, if you do the conquering, but leave the ruling to others, are you really the king? Back when the fourth and fifth seasons were airing, this was my question of Dany. She has conquered the cities of Slaver’s Bay flawlessly, but her ruling is less impressive. She surrounds herself with advisors to attempt to find balance in her rule, but ultimately she has to resort to conquering again in the sixth season to keep the slavers in line. So my point is; despite the conquering, would Dany actually attempt to rule the Seven Kingdoms mostly by herself or essentially let someone else take charge? Although now she has arguably the best Hand of the King in recent history by her side, so she should be in safe hands.
One final tidbit I have from King’s Landing comes from Sansa, in her scene with Arya and her father.
“When you’re old enough, I’ll make you a match with someone who’s worthy of you, someone who’s brave and gentle and strong - ”
“I don’t want someone brave and gentle and strong. I want him!”
Comedic value aside, Sansa delivers quite a prophetic line here, because for the foreseeable future she will get exactly what she wanted. Joffrey of future seasons isn’t brave; nor gentle; or strong. Quite the opposite actually.
Vaes Dothrak
The first scene across the sea is a short one; almost wordless. We see Dany with her dragon eggs. For much of the first season, I see them as her source of strength. When she is unhappy with her marriage to Drogo, she looks to them for strength; for courage, and that keeps her going. Here, she places her biggest egg (I assume Drogon’s) on the hot coals, obviously foreshadowing what she will later do. Another piece of continued foreshadowing is Dany’s ‘resistance’ to fire. Just as we saw in the first episode with the hot bath, she is able to touch these hot surfaces with ease, again obviously foreshadowing two particular events involving a lot of fire.
Our next scene features a moment of realisation for one character; a realisation that he is no longer in control. As Dany eats a horse heart, Viserys is doubtful of his sister’s abilities, ignorant of any change in her character and how strong she has become. It is in this scene, where she names her son and the entire tent cheers his name, that Viserys realises the power shift:
“They love her.”
Of course, he doesn’t just intend to sit by and let it happen. Knowing he can never use the Dothraki as his own army, he makes his move to steal the dragon eggs. I find this scene particularly insightful for Viserys. The jealousy he shows is also the most humanity he has shown thus far, and it’s acted wonderfully by Harry Lloyd. There is also strong imagery and symbolism here. By attempting to steal Dany’s dragon eggs, he tries to take away Dany’s source of strength as mentioned above. The eggs and their ‘use’ is also a great way of comparing the characters of Viserys and Dany. She uses them for strength and courage, and as we will go on to see, they are her children and she is their mother. Her maternal affection for the eggs perfectly contrasts to Viserys’ view. He sees them as tools; as a means to getting his army to take the throne he believes is his. It emphasises his selfish nature, and his line with Jorah highlights this further:
“Whatever is hers is also mine.”
“Once, perhaps.”
Jorah has already realised the shift in power, and he has chosen his side - though arguably he made that choice the moment he laid eyes on Dany in the first episode.
The second thing I noticed about Viserys, and which he comes to realise himself, is that he cannot just say something is owed to him and expect it handed over. He has to earn it.
“I’m the last hope of a dynasty, Mormont. The greatest dynasty this world has ever seen, on my shoulders since I was five years old and no one has ever given me what they gave to her in that tent. Never. Not a piece of it.”
Dany has earned her place among the Dothraki. She was unhappily married off to a fearsome Khal and has become a Khaleesi almost just as fearsome. In comparison to Dany, Viserys is “less than the shadow of a snake,” to coin a phrase from Jorah. Speaking of Jorah, we see that Viserys has not even earned his loyalty, unlike his sister.
“Does loyalty mean nothing to you?”
“It means everything to me.”
“And yet here you stand!”
“And yet here I stand.”
His house’s words ring true; I like to think Jorah has been waiting for a set-up to deliver that line all his life, and he at last found his opportunity. Additionally, this line reminds me of how amazing everyone called “Mormont” is; a trend that has continued into the sixth season with a particular new addition.
Moving on now to the most memorable scene of the episode and its namesake: the crowning of Viserys.
It begins with his drunken stride into the tent, and as we will again see next episode, if a king gets too drunk, they don’t have long left in the world. I think it’s clear though that Robert can hold his drink; he has years of experience with this sort of behaviour.
He shows further disrespect and arrogance towards the Dothraki, calling the event “the whore’s feast”. His contempt for the Dothraki is rewarded accorgindly as Khal Drogo offers him a seat in the tent:
“Khal Drogo says there is a place for you. Back there.”
“That is no place for a king.”
“You are no king.”
A very nice point from the books unfortunately excluded from the scene is the detail that the back of the tent is the place for cripples and beggars. How appropriate for “the Beggar King”. Again, the idea of “owing vs. earning” comes to mind. Viserys expects what is owed to him: power, control, an army and a throne. But he fails to realise he must earn what is his, and he is clearly not interested in earning the respect of the Dothraki with his drunken behaviour.
As he pleads for his life to his sister, he realises which person in the tent is in control. He assumes their shared blood and name is enough for him to be spared. But he has clearly forgotten the many times he abused Dany: how he used her as a bargaining chip for an army and beat her when she did not comply with his wishes. Now he can clearly see that she holds the power. And of course, there’s that line:
“He was no dragon. Fire cannot kill a dragon.”
Beautifully set-up from Dany’s earlier scene with the dragon egg, this line demonstrates the stark difference between the Targaryen siblings and how the control between them has reversed.
A few other points I noticed but couldn’t fit anywhere:
- Robert’s line to Ned “I never loved my brothers” is a claim repeated by Stannis in season two: “He wasn’t my beloved brother. I didn’t love him. He didn’t loved me.”
- The horse heart scene concludes with Jorah’s line “She truly is a queen today.” Jorah! She already told you earlier: “Not a queen. A Khaleesi.”
That’s all I’ve got for this essay. This was a big episode for many characters, especially Dany, and I’ve undoubtedly missed at least a dozen points, so as usual feel free to leave your own thoughts and opinions below.
I’d also like to encourage more people to step up and do some of these essays. It is genuinely a lot more fun than I expected it to be and I’m sure many people will feel the same. So thanks Envie for the opportunity and letting me have a go at this!
Symbolism and Foreshadowing of Episode 6 - “A Golden Crown”
As I was writing this, a word and idea that kept coming up was control: who has it, who wants it, who thinks they have it. I’m sure there are many other themes present but to me this one seemed the most evident.
Winterfell
Once again Bran is met by the Three-Eyed Raven in his dreams. Resuming where they last left off, we see the raven flying through the crypts of Winterfell. The significance of this continued vision won’t be revealed until a later episode, so for now there’s not much meaning to it.
The real substance of the Winterfell scenes this episode is when Bran goes out riding with Robb and Theon, and for the third episode in a row we see doubts put into Theon’s mind as to what his role is. First it was Tyrion, then Ros, and now Robb treating him like an outsider in a place he has called home for half his life, stressing that he is not a Stark. A fish out of water. Well, a kraken.
He saw a chance to prove his worth by saving Bran’s life from the wildlings, however even that act is not enough for Robb, for the danger he put Bran in:
”You don’t have the right - ”
“To what, to save your brother’s life? It was the only thing to do so I did it.”
Robb’s perceived ungratefulness towards Theon is presumably another factor he considers when making that fateful decision next season. Maybe Robb should’ve been more thankful.
Speaking of outsiders, the wildlings play quite a significant role. We are here introduced to Osha, who, upon learning of Bran’s heritage, insists they return back to Mance Rayder for a reward. Clearly Uncle Benjen has quite the reputation amongst the wildlings. So much of a reputation that Osha is willing to throw caution to the wind and forget about her own struggle with a former lover-turned-wight (as she reveals in a future season) and return beyond the Wall.
Once again the viewers hear more about the mysterious White Walkers. The leader of this group of wildlings, Stiv, proves himself to be a bold and confident man through his actions towards the Starks, but even the mere mention of returning north is too much for him:
“Piss on Mance Rayder and piss on the North. We’re going as far south as south goes. There ain’t no White Walkers down in Dorne.”
It’s a shame his greed got the better of him. He may have even survived the impending White Walker invasion if he’d just stuck to his plan and not gotten distracted.
The Eyrie
Further down Westeros, there’s a more immediate threat for one character as Tyrion finds himself in the awkward situation of having to engage with Mord. In his first visit, Tyrion lies on the stone floor as Mord stands over, asserting his control. In the second, Tyrion is in a far more precarious position, teetering over the edge of his cell, completely at the mercy of Mord. The symbolism in these encounters is clear: Mord has the power and Tyrion must appeal to his ‘better nature’ to survive. He is used to dealing with (and will go on to deal with) opponents who are as shrewd and savvy as himself. Nothing like his latest foe. A simple man, Mord sees what he sees and responds accordingly:
“No gold! Fuck off!”
But of course, no matter how intelligent you may or may not be, everyone knows who the Lannisters are. And everyone knows “a Lannister always pays his debts.”
Tyrion continues his plan by revealing to Mord that he wishes to confess to his crimes. A trick he will use again in a future trial:
He takes his new opportunity in front of Lady Arryn to crack some jokes on topics ranging from goat shit to “milking his eel”. But the joke that was sure to knock everyone off their feet was tragically robbed of its punchline, and to this day we still do not know what happened with the jackass and the honeycomb. Damnit, Lysa.
Lysa rejects the use of Jaime Lannister as Tyrion’s champion, in an unfortunate twist of fate reminiscent of Tyrion being unable to find a champion for his second trial by combat. Luckily, his charisma and winning comedy routine was all the convincing he needed to do to win over a volunteer and lifelong friend in Bronn.
While Bronn must make do with what he has, Ser Vardis has the opportunity to fully equip himself with bulky armour and a large shield. His tactic is to overwhelm Bronn; to make it seem like he has the power. Unfortunately things don’t go to plan as his heavy armour slows him down and he loses control while his lightly-equipped opponent deftly evades his strikes. Despite seeming physically disadvantaged throughout, Bronn wins the trial by combat using his smarts and his patience to counter Ser Vardis’ more brutish approach.
His words to Lysa are an unfortunate reminder of what attribute is most likely to get you killed in the game of thrones:
“You don’t right with honour!”
“No. He did.”
His one-liner proves to be prophetic as we go on to see countless honourable men die as the cruel and ruthless prevail. Ned, Robb, Jon. I am reminded of Robert’s fury in the last episode:
“Honour? I've got Seven Kingdoms to rule! One King, Seven Kingdoms! Do you think honour keeps them in line? Do you think it's honour that's keeping the peace? It's fear! Fear and blood!”
Bronn’s line emphasises the point that it doesn’t matter how nice you are to people or how morally good you may be; you have to be pragmatic to survive in such a dangerous world, and sometimes honour is a necessary sacrifice.
King’s Landing
It’s certainly an eventful episode down in the capital - let’s start with Ned waking up. His first sight is Robert, with Cersei standing behind him. This visual is quite symbolic of Ned’s view of Robert: he was once a good man; Ned’s best friend, but years in the capital surrounded by the “yellow-haired shits” have almost turned him into a puppet; Cersei’s puppet. Ned witnessed this in episode 2 at the inn, where Cersei’s words influenced Robert’s actions. From his view, the Lannisters are in control in the capital.
However, unlike at the inn Robert remains strong this time and sides with his friend, refusing Cersei’s wish to punish him. Robert has restored the balance between the two loudest voices in his head, but in contrast to the grace and honour Ned showed when he did as his king commanded, Cersei chooses to chastise him:
“I should wear the armour, and you the gown.”
Ouch.
Robert’s decision to strike Cersei is one he will, and indeed does, regret. Little does he know that this lioness does not submit when slighted; she pounces back. That smack sealed Robert’s fate.
Lastly, another prophetic line this episode is delivered when Robert attempts to keep the peace between his vassal houses:
”I can’t rule the kingdoms if the Starks and the Lannisters are at each other’s throats.”
And nor will he.
This week’s waterdancing lesson is less so about the fighting and more about important life lessons.
The first lesson:
“You’re not here! You’re with your trouble! If you’re with your trouble when fighting happens … more trouble for you.”
Here the seeds are sewn for Arya’s path to detachment. She must let go of her personal feelings: her grief, her anger, her sorrow. When she lets them take over, she will lose. This idea of letting go of personal feelings and attachment sounds familiar, no?
Secondly:
“There is only one god, and his name is death. And there is only one thing we say to death:
Talking of one god? The familiarity continues! And from a Braavosi, no less. While I personally doubt Syrio is a Faceless Man himself, he is certainly familiar with their creed and philosophy. Though perhaps everyone in Braavos is?
Our next scene in the south takes place in the Kingswood, where we see the King and his small hunting party marching through the forest. Robert reminisces about the ‘good old days’ and emphasises what kind of man he is: he likes the ‘simpler’ life, in which the only backstabbing was someone literally driving a sword through your back on the battlefield. He is a warrior first and foremost, not a politician. Robert’s idea of being a ‘real man’ is similar to Bronn’s “fuck-and-fight” description of the Dornish in season 5:
”All they wanna do is fight and fuck, fuck and fight. There’s nothing like a good fight to get you in the mood for fucking, and there’s nothing like a fuck-mad Dornish girl to clear your head for the next fight.”
This kind of mentality certainly isn’t for everyone, and Renly has just about had enough. He’s already an ‘outsider’ in Westerosi culture through his secret relationship with Loras, so understandably Robert’s portrayal of only becoming a ‘real man’ once you’ve fucked eight girls across the continent obviously isn't something he agrees with, and he makes his discontent known:
“What days were those? The ones where half of Westeros fought the other half and millions died? Or before that, when the Mad King slaughtered woman and babies because the voices in his head told him they deserved it? Or way before that, when dragons burned whole cities to the ground? … I suppose it was all rather heroic. If you were drunk enough and had some poor Riverlands whore to shove your prick inside and ‘make the eight’.”
Robert’s heated argument with Renly is the third of such conflicts he has had in the last two episodes. First, it was when Ned wanted to show mercy to Daenerys against Robert’s wishes, then Cersei refusing to accept his forgiveness of Ned. And now, even Renly is opposed to his ideas. His best friend, his wife, and his brother are all critical of him; arguably the three people he should be closest to. Although he may not know it, one of the three is at that very moment getting her revenge through a certain squire. So Robert turns to the only ‘friend’ who hasn’t turned against him:
Not yet anyway.
Back in the city, Ned gives the season 1 promotional poster some canonicity and sits the Iron Throne. There’s some noticeable imagery here as Ned is on the throne, with Littlefinger and Pycelle by his side; each three representing ‘factions’ which hold a significant stake in the capital. Ned obviously is filling in for the king, Pycelle for the Lannisters and Littlefinger representing himself. All that’s missing is Varys and the key political factions in the capital would be present. Envie , you may want to sign Littlefinger up for an essay in the future because he’s clearly very eager to highlight the symbolism of those fish to everyone. His on-the-nose tactic is key to winning over Ned’s trust - if he’s cryptic and ambiguous all the time then he’s not going to achieve much with the ‘slow mind’ of a Stark, is he? It seems like Ned is listening to all of Baelish’s points, and unfortunately it looks like he's beginning to trust him.
Now when some viewers are critical of Ned Stark, they often cite his honour and mercifulness as his biggest weaknesses. Here though, that mercy is buried deep, as he shows his full fury denouncing the Mountain and calling for his death, and goes on to call for Tywin’s attendence as well. Unfortunately for Ned, he’s playing the game all wrong. In chess terms, he is focusing all his attacks on a single pawn, and fails to realise the true danger is the queen. As we will see in a future episode, he is directing his ferocity towards the wrong opponent.
Ned’s drastic action and lack of self-control reminds me of a quote from this very episode:
“If you’re with your trouble when fighting happens, more trouble for you.”
Now obviously there’s no physical fighting on Ned’s part, but Syrio’s words still ring true. Ned has let his personal feelings - his sympathy towards House Tully and resentment for House Lannister - take over, and they are influencing his actions. As we know, Tywin doesn’t take too kindly to these threats, so you could say Ned has caused more trouble for not only himself but also much of Westeros. Similarly, he lets Littlefinger continue to manipulate him because of Cat’s brotherly affection for him. Again, personal feelings are causing trouble for Ned. Further, Littlefinger’s actions, or more accurately, his inaction when Ned denounces Gregor shows he is getting exactly what he wants: to destabilise the realm; to create chaos in which he can prosper.
Finally, Littlefinger and Ned’s remarks at the end raise an interesting question:
“Gold wins wars, not soldiers.”
“Then how come Robert is king, and not Tywin Lannister?”
Robert fought the battles during his rebellion while Tywin sat waiting to make his move. In the following years, Robert became “half a kingdom in debt” to Tywin, and Robert finds himself surrounded by that family: his wife, his squire, a member of his Kingsguard. So the question remains, if you do the conquering, but leave the ruling to others, are you really the king? Back when the fourth and fifth seasons were airing, this was my question of Dany. She has conquered the cities of Slaver’s Bay flawlessly, but her ruling is less impressive. She surrounds herself with advisors to attempt to find balance in her rule, but ultimately she has to resort to conquering again in the sixth season to keep the slavers in line. So my point is; despite the conquering, would Dany actually attempt to rule the Seven Kingdoms mostly by herself or essentially let someone else take charge? Although now she has arguably the best Hand of the King in recent history by her side, so she should be in safe hands.
One final tidbit I have from King’s Landing comes from Sansa, in her scene with Arya and her father.
“When you’re old enough, I’ll make you a match with someone who’s worthy of you, someone who’s brave and gentle and strong - ”
“I don’t want someone brave and gentle and strong. I want him!”
Comedic value aside, Sansa delivers quite a prophetic line here, because for the foreseeable future she will get exactly what she wanted. Joffrey of future seasons isn’t brave; nor gentle; or strong. Quite the opposite actually.
Vaes Dothrak
The first scene across the sea is a short one; almost wordless. We see Dany with her dragon eggs. For much of the first season, I see them as her source of strength. When she is unhappy with her marriage to Drogo, she looks to them for strength; for courage, and that keeps her going. Here, she places her biggest egg (I assume Drogon’s) on the hot coals, obviously foreshadowing what she will later do. Another piece of continued foreshadowing is Dany’s ‘resistance’ to fire. Just as we saw in the first episode with the hot bath, she is able to touch these hot surfaces with ease, again obviously foreshadowing two particular events involving a lot of fire.
Our next scene features a moment of realisation for one character; a realisation that he is no longer in control. As Dany eats a horse heart, Viserys is doubtful of his sister’s abilities, ignorant of any change in her character and how strong she has become. It is in this scene, where she names her son and the entire tent cheers his name, that Viserys realises the power shift:
“They love her.”
Of course, he doesn’t just intend to sit by and let it happen. Knowing he can never use the Dothraki as his own army, he makes his move to steal the dragon eggs. I find this scene particularly insightful for Viserys. The jealousy he shows is also the most humanity he has shown thus far, and it’s acted wonderfully by Harry Lloyd. There is also strong imagery and symbolism here. By attempting to steal Dany’s dragon eggs, he tries to take away Dany’s source of strength as mentioned above. The eggs and their ‘use’ is also a great way of comparing the characters of Viserys and Dany. She uses them for strength and courage, and as we will go on to see, they are her children and she is their mother. Her maternal affection for the eggs perfectly contrasts to Viserys’ view. He sees them as tools; as a means to getting his army to take the throne he believes is his. It emphasises his selfish nature, and his line with Jorah highlights this further:
“Whatever is hers is also mine.”
“Once, perhaps.”
Jorah has already realised the shift in power, and he has chosen his side - though arguably he made that choice the moment he laid eyes on Dany in the first episode.
The second thing I noticed about Viserys, and which he comes to realise himself, is that he cannot just say something is owed to him and expect it handed over. He has to earn it.
“I’m the last hope of a dynasty, Mormont. The greatest dynasty this world has ever seen, on my shoulders since I was five years old and no one has ever given me what they gave to her in that tent. Never. Not a piece of it.”
Dany has earned her place among the Dothraki. She was unhappily married off to a fearsome Khal and has become a Khaleesi almost just as fearsome. In comparison to Dany, Viserys is “less than the shadow of a snake,” to coin a phrase from Jorah. Speaking of Jorah, we see that Viserys has not even earned his loyalty, unlike his sister.
“Does loyalty mean nothing to you?”
“It means everything to me.”
“And yet here you stand!”
“And yet here I stand.”
His house’s words ring true; I like to think Jorah has been waiting for a set-up to deliver that line all his life, and he at last found his opportunity. Additionally, this line reminds me of how amazing everyone called “Mormont” is; a trend that has continued into the sixth season with a particular new addition.
Moving on now to the most memorable scene of the episode and its namesake: the crowning of Viserys.
It begins with his drunken stride into the tent, and as we will again see next episode, if a king gets too drunk, they don’t have long left in the world. I think it’s clear though that Robert can hold his drink; he has years of experience with this sort of behaviour.
He shows further disrespect and arrogance towards the Dothraki, calling the event “the whore’s feast”. His contempt for the Dothraki is rewarded accorgindly as Khal Drogo offers him a seat in the tent:
“Khal Drogo says there is a place for you. Back there.”
“That is no place for a king.”
“You are no king.”
A very nice point from the books unfortunately excluded from the scene is the detail that the back of the tent is the place for cripples and beggars. How appropriate for “the Beggar King”. Again, the idea of “owing vs. earning” comes to mind. Viserys expects what is owed to him: power, control, an army and a throne. But he fails to realise he must earn what is his, and he is clearly not interested in earning the respect of the Dothraki with his drunken behaviour.
As he pleads for his life to his sister, he realises which person in the tent is in control. He assumes their shared blood and name is enough for him to be spared. But he has clearly forgotten the many times he abused Dany: how he used her as a bargaining chip for an army and beat her when she did not comply with his wishes. Now he can clearly see that she holds the power. And of course, there’s that line:
“He was no dragon. Fire cannot kill a dragon.”
Beautifully set-up from Dany’s earlier scene with the dragon egg, this line demonstrates the stark difference between the Targaryen siblings and how the control between them has reversed.
A few other points I noticed but couldn’t fit anywhere:
- Robert’s line to Ned “I never loved my brothers” is a claim repeated by Stannis in season two: “He wasn’t my beloved brother. I didn’t love him. He didn’t loved me.”
- The horse heart scene concludes with Jorah’s line “She truly is a queen today.” Jorah! She already told you earlier: “Not a queen. A Khaleesi.”
That’s all I’ve got for this essay. This was a big episode for many characters, especially Dany, and I’ve undoubtedly missed at least a dozen points, so as usual feel free to leave your own thoughts and opinions below.
I’d also like to encourage more people to step up and do some of these essays. It is genuinely a lot more fun than I expected it to be and I’m sure many people will feel the same. So thanks Envie for the opportunity and letting me have a go at this!