Character Summary - Catelyn Stark

Catelyn Stark was born a Tulley of Riverrun, the daughter of Lord Hoster. She was pledged to marry Brandon Stark, but he died and Eddard took her as wife instead. She was married to Eddard on the same day her sister Lysa married Lord Aryn. Catelyn Stark is a noble woman who was lucky to have found love in her marriage. Marriages are set up by fathers and guardians and it is a rare thing to have a happy marriage and a loving family. Catelyn found this in Ned Stark and in Winterfell. Catelyn Stark's whole existence has been dedicated to her family.

Catelyn was raised in the religion of the seven. The seven gods that have seven faces, and that within each you can see the others. These gods are: the mother, the father, the warrior, the smith, the crone, the maid and the stranger.  

Catelyn Stark was born a patient woman. Ever since she was a child her father would tell her to watch for him when he went away. Catelyn would stand on the walls of Riverrun and watch patiently. She is also a wonderful mother. She watches over them, but she does not hold onto them too long. She understands that even though Rickon is four it is time he learn how to be a man, because Winter is Coming. This is in contrast to Lysa Aryn who lets her son be a little boy forever. She and Ned raised their children so well that Robb became of wise King at the age of 15.

Her only failing as a mother is her attitude toward Jon Snow, Eddard's bastard son. She looks at him and see's only that Eddard broke his oath to her years ago. Jon is of the same age as Robb, and was born while Eddard was warring with Robert. He was born before Catelyn and Eddard fell in love, and she tries to forgive Eddard, but she never loves Jon Snow. She is the reminder to Jon that he is not hers, he is not a Stark, and he will never have a place in her family. She is the main reason Jon Snow always remembered he was a bastard, and he did not have a proper place in this world.

Catelyn Stark is strong, brave, and patient. Her only life is her family, and she often makes mistakes out of love for her family. She is the mother of the seven incarnate.

Kingship - King Robert Baratheon

A Song of Ice and Fire begins with the reign of King Robert Baratheon. The Baratheon sigil is a black crowned stag on a golden field and their words are "Ours is the Fury." King Robert raised a rebellion against the mad King Aerys and took the Iron Throne from the Targaryans. His rebellion was spurted by his anger at Prince Rhaegar Targaryan raping the Lady Lyanna Stark. Robert slaughter Prince Rhaegar and his family, swearing to end the Targaryan line. Only Viserys and Daenarys made it out of Westeros alive.

This begins King Robert's rule.  He started as a young man, fond of war and a brute on the battle field with his mighty war hammer. Over the summer years he becomes fat and altogether bored with ruling. He ignores his wife Cersei Lannister and sleeps with anyone he chooses. He has many, many bastard children. He does not like to do his duties as a King and so he passes them onto his council members. He left the crown thousands in debt.

Now the main question: was he a good King? He may have lead the kingdom in a peace for years, but his death brought about a war that ripped the land apart. That cannot be completely his own fault, but he did start the idea that someone other than a Targaryan could be a king. During his rule Robert proved a drunk paranoid fool. He often ignored his state, and so he effectively handed it to people like Petyr Baelish and Varys. He also was very strong willed and would not listen to council if it contrasted his own thoughts. The best example of this is when he heard that Daenarys was pregnant, and he was in a fury. He wanted her and all Targaryans dead. He sent assassins after her but Eddard Stark protested. So Robert relieved him of his duties as Hand of the King and told him to go back to Winterfell.

Robert treated the crown as a child would, he wore it when he felt like playing the King, but quickly turned to other toys. He was a great warrior, but he is no ruler. He chooses to listen to whoever agrees with him. He ignored his children so that Joffrey turned into a spoiled king after him. He left the kingdom with a deep infection in its heart so that it split to a million pieces. Robert Baratheon is a man of strength, but the strength of leadership was not in him.

Kingship

This series is full of Kings. The second book A Clash of Kings has six kings at one time, and each king leads in a different way. Their leadership ability is seen by how they react to certain situations. King of the North Robb will listen carefully to all council before making a decision. The boy king Joffrey orders things in spurts of rage or desire. King Robert ignored his state and preferred to whore, feast and hold tournaments.  Every king is different and these difference make enormous chasms between them and how they rule. The state of their realms and people often shows how poorly or well they are doing. For these sections I will discuss the points in a king's rule I find important to show the king's character and to show how the realm either suffered or prospered. The final question is always: was he a good king?

Oaths - Khal Drogo

Khal Drogo of the Dothraki is a man of his own design. He leads his Khalasar with strength. In the time of the books Khal Drogo makes three promises. The first is a promise to Viserys that he will give him a gold crown. The second is a promise to Daenerys to be her husband. The third is to their son Rhaego, that he will give him the Iron Throne.

The first promise is made at the start of Daenery's tale. Viserys believes in the idea of trading goods, but the Dothraki believe in gifts. Viserys trades Dany to Khal Drogo so his Khalasar will help him become king. To Khal Drogo, Viserys gives him Dany and Drogo promises him a golden crown. Viserys wants Drogo to fulfill his promise immediately, and he becomes very brash and arrogant to the Dothraki. Viserys finally threatens to kill Dany's unborn child if Drogo does not deliever on his promise. Khal Drogo is not a man to threaten. He melts down his golden belt and crowns Viserys with the molton gold. Khal Drogo fulfilled his promise but in an unconventional way.

The second promise is fulfilled throughout Khal Drogo's life in the books. He never strays from Daenerys. The third promise he makes to Daenerys and the child in her womb.  "'And to Rhaego son of Drogo, the stallion who will mount the world, to him I also pledge a gift. To him I will give this iron chair his mother's father sat in. I will give him Seven Kingdoms. I, Drogo, khal, will do this thing.'" (A Game of Thrones, 593). Drogo's promise is to Rhaego, but it is also to Daenerys. Dany holds Rhaego in her womb, a promise made to him is made to her. Dany longs to see the Targaryens reclaim the Iron Throne. Drogo's promise is to his son and to his wife, that a Targaryen will once again sit the Iron Throne.

This Promise is made just as Drogo's life is about to end. He dies before he can fulfill his promise, however his name sake comes into Dany's life to keep the promise he made her. Drogo's death, Rhaego's death, and the Maegi's death bring about the birth of Daenerys' dragons. Dany names the strongest among them Drogon after her Khal. Drogon is as strong and fierce as Drogo was in life. Drogon becomes the way that Drogo's promise is fulfilled. This shows the power of Drogo's promise. What Drogo has promised to give, Drogo will give, but in its own time and own way. Drogo's promise is being fulfilled in Drogon and his brothers. Daenerys' dragons are born to help her reclaim her kingdom, and to fulfill Drogo's promise. Once again Drogo's promise is fulfilled but in an unconventional way.

Oaths

The importance of an oath is a central theme in the books with all of its characters. It impacts all of the characters differently. Eddard Stark makes an oath and holds it or he would not be Eddard Stark. Jamie Lannister made an oath to protect King Aerys, but instead he killed his King. Khal Drogo makes a promise and keeps it, but in his own time and in his own way. Jon Snow made an oath to the men of the Night's Watch, but can his oath demand him to break it? All of the characters have different struggles with their vows, and it often comes back to their honor. Honor is a tricky thing. It can simply be defined as a man who keeps his word. However if his oath calls upon him to murder someone innocent, does the honor call to protect the innocent or protect their oath? Can a man of honor survive this war? I will return to this question and to this theme in posts with specific characters.

Character Summary: Eddard Stark

Eddard Stark is a Northman in a Southern world. He is the Lord of Winterfell, the stronghold of the North, and his house words are "Winter is Coming" with the grey direwolf on an ice field as their banner. The Starks have the blood of the First Men. He is the son of Lord Rickard Stark, and his elder brother Brandon died in Robert's Rebellion, his sister Lyanna died of illness in the mountains of Dorne, and his youngest brother Benjen is a man of the Night Watch. He is married to Catelyn Tully, and has five children by her: Robb, Sansa, Arya, Brandon, and Rickon. He has one bastard named Jon Snow, whose mother remains a mystery.

Eddard Stark was the second son, and was raised to follow and not to lead. He was never meant to be Lord of Winterfell, but it was a responsibility forced on him with his brother Brandon's death. He bore Lordship with great honor and he earned respect and love from those he lead. Eddard's leadership is not one of proud pursuits, but on of protection. He never commands anything he would be unwilling to do himself, which is shown in the very beginning when he beheads a deserter of the Night's Watch. As he states: "'...the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man's life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words.'" (Game of Thrones, 16). This also shows how much Eddard Stark values every life he encounters. He will not kill unless necessary. Eddard's way of leading is a stark contrast to that of King Robert's rule.

Eddard Stark believes in the old way of the First Men. He still worships the old gods of the trees. The Heart Tree, a great white tree with red leaves, upon which the children of the forest carved faces. These tree's watch the lives of men, and stand for centuries. The weirwood of Winterfell and the walls of Winterfell belong to the Starks. Winterfell is a Stark place. When Eddard goes South to King's Landing to serve as King Robert's Hand, he leaves the watchful eyes of the heart tree. The weirwoods in the South have all be cut down. Eddard Stark is isolated from his gods and he is isolated in his old ways when he goes South. This ultimately is his downfall.

Eddard Stark's character is simple: honor and family. It is these things that he cherishes above all else, but his end comes to a choice between the two.  

Sources

Martin, George R.R. A Game of Thrones. New York: Bantam Books, 1996. Print.

Martin, George R.R. A Clash of Kings. New York: Bantam Books, 1999. Print.

Martin, George R.R. A Storm of Swords. New York: Bantam Books, 2000. Print.

Martin, George R.R. A Feast for Crows. New York: Bantam Books, 2005. Print.

Martin, George R.R. A Dance with Dragons. New York: Bantam Books, 2011. Print.

Martin, George R. R. Elio Garcia, Linda Antonsson. The World of Ice & Fire. New York: Bantam Books, 2014. Print.

Game of Thrones: The Complete Series. Warner Home Video, 2011-present. Film.

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The Beginning

Hello All!

I've been making progress through A Song of Ice and Fire book series by George  R.R. Martin. As I read I find myself analyzing every little thing that occurs, and so I decided to start this blog where I can record my thoughts on the books. I am currently in the middle of the third one A Storm of Swords, but I will begin this blog with the first book.

ATTENTION! This blog can contain spoilers for both the books and the T.V. show A Game of Thrones. I've also been watching the show, but only after I read the books. I may include images from the show from time to time. This series is extremely well done and very accurate with the books so I highly recommend it as well.

Write on!