New Medium Article: Does Jaime Lannister Deserve a Redemption Arc?
Hello all! I just posted a new article on my Medium page. The link to the full article is below, as well as a sneak peek to it.
Link to Full Article: https://alysonserenastone.medium.com/...
What's It About?
Jaime Lannister is one of the most compelling and complex characters in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. Despite having some redeeming characteristics, does he deserve a redemption arc or is it best to leave him as a character we love to hate?
Sneak Peek:
Author’s Note: For the purpose of the article, I will only be focusing on the A Song of Ice and Fire book series. This article contains spoilers for the first five books of the A Song of Ice and Fire series.
George R.R. Martin is famous for writing compelling characters. Even with a large cast of characters, he gives his readers complex and dynamic characters. The deep culture and history of the world he has created adds to the experience. We see how the world has built and destroyed people, cultures, and nations. One action is capable of starting a war, changing who is on the Iron Throne, and creating new enemies. The way characters react to these situations fits what the world has made them. Jaime Lannister is one such character. In the age of redemption arcs, I cannot help but wonder if he is deserving of one.
Does every character deserve a redemption arc? Are all antagonists worthy of being redeemed? For a while now, it has been the trend to redeem all villains, especially those who have been given a backstory to explain their behaviour. While I am a fan of redemption arcs, I do enjoy stories where the villain is just a villain. The backstories also help because it allows us to see why they became whom they did. Jaime Lannister is no different. If you are familiar with George R.R. Martin’s writing, then you know that he writes backstories for most of his characters, which gives us a deeper understanding as to why they are what they are.
Jaime is a knight in House Lannister. He is the eldest son of Tywin and Joanna Lannister. He has a twin sister, Cersei, and younger brother, Tyrion. At the age of fifteen, he joins the Kingsguard and swore to protect the king at all costs. He is the youngest member and becomes a knight. He is very good at his job. He is a natural warrior. He even goes as far as saying that fighting is one of the few things that makes him feel alive. This does not mean that he is a mindless soldier and follows orders without a question.
The longer Jaime serves in the Kingsguard, the more he starts to realize that things are not what they seem. His entire life has been dedicated to protecting King Aerys II. However, the deeper he gets involved, the more he comes to realize how mad the king is. The Mad King is growing insane, burning people alive, and executing people on a whim. When Jaime starts to question this, he is reminded that he must serve and not judge. These events are so troublesome and disturbing to him that he will retreat inside his mind to escape what was happening. It works and he starts to encourage others to do so. However, there was no hiding what was happening. The final straw comes when King Aerys orders Lord Jon Arryn to send him the heads of Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon. The result is war. Jaime did not jump in right away. He does his duty and did what he was trained to do. He protects the king and does not judge.
By doing his duty, it allows him to have an insight as to what is going on. He is in the background. The king does not pay much attention to him. This gives Jamie his chance to see the truth and see how corrupted things are. Aerys sees Robert as a major threat to Targaryen rule. However, he is not about to surrender to this group of rebels. Instead, he decides that it would be best to let the city burn. His closest advisors are against this plan. The King’s Hand confronts King Aerys about it and could not convince the king that this was a terrible idea. The Hand resigns, which results in him being burned at the stake. The king also does not trust the new members of the Kingsguard and prefers to rely on those who have been in service for a while. Jaime sees this. He knows that the king is officially out of control and that something is going to have to be done about it.
There is another instance of Jaime being conflicted. One night he is charged with guarding the king while he visited his wife’s chambers. Instead of this being a normal bedding, Aerys rapes the queen. Jaime doesn’t know what to do. He wants to protect the queen. He points out to another member of the Kingsguard that they are sworn to protect the queen. However, Jaime’s brother reminds him that they have no such duty to protect her from the king. The fact that Jaime was concerned about the queen’s well-being hints that he does understand right from wrong and that he does truly want to do the right thing.
Another instance that hints that Jaime may be deserving of a redemption arc are the found in the main reason why he killed the Mad King. King Aerys, as we have already seen, is capable of executing those who went against him, willing to burn King’s Landing, and raping his wife. He is beyond reason. He would much rather destroy the city instead of seeing it fall. By letting the king do this, it would not only cost thousands of people their lives, but Jaime would also have to kill his father. Jaime knows that King Aerys is unstable and unfit to rule. He decides to take matters into his own hands. He knows that Aerys has wildfire, which is unpredictable. Jaime is also the only member of the Kingsguard still at King’s Landing. This is because Aerys has ordered the rest of them to go protect the prince, Rhaegar. This is not a random act. Aerys hopes to use Jaime against Tywin. Now, Aerys still thinks that Tywin is on his side and is surprised when he begins to sack the city.
Aerys starts to grow even more out of control. This is when he starts to deeply consider burning the city. This leaves Jaime in a very difficult position. He is not willing to let the city burn nor he is willing to kill his father. It becomes clear that Aerys has to go. However, killing him doesn’t cross his mind at first. Instead, Jaime turns to reason and attempts to talk Aerys out of it. He wants Aerys to see what he is asking Jaime to do. He wants him to pull out. However, Aerys is not about to listen. He attempts to flee and Jaime kills him. This may seem cruel. However, if you look at the core values of the Kingsguard, you will find that this does make sense. Jaime has chosen to uphold these values, which are honour, upholding their vows, and sacrifice. He is also required to protect the weak and innocent. He also believes that Aerys has broken his vow as a king. With Aerys ordering the burning of King’s Landing, he broke this vow and was unfit to rule. By knowing this, it can be said that Jaime by killing the king made a very moral choice. He saved lives and the country.
However, is this backstory enough to redeem Jaime? Does knowing this make him that much more of a likeable character? Does this make his actions later on forgivable?
In A Game of Thrones, we first meet Jaime when he comes to Winterfell with the rest of the Lannister family. Jaime is the beloved son of the Lannister family. He is talented and attractive. He carries himself like a king should, which is noted by Jon Snow. However, he is also full of dishonour. After all, he killed his king. This makes him untrustworthy.
We see how cruel he can be. After all, he is behind one of the most memorable sequences in A Song of Ice and Fire. Bran catches him having sex with Cersei. If Bran were to tell, this would cause Jaime, even more, dishonour and shame. Rather than trying to reason with the child, he flings Bran from the tower with the intent of killing him. You could argue that he did this to protect his sister’s honour. However, it still does not change the fact that he attempted to kill a child. Since Jaime is not yet a point-of-view character, we assume that he shows no remorse for this.
It can also be said that Jaime did show Ned a little bit of mercy. Ned Stark ends up being beheaded. However, Jaime did not order it. By not killing Bran’s father directly, it can be argued that he was showing a little remorse. This did not stop Jaime from murdering Ned’s friends. As you can see, from the picture we get of Jaime in the first book, he is not worthy of a redemption arc. Martin has given us this villain and person whom we are not supposed to cheer for.
However, there is still hope for his character. We see his devotion to his brother, Tyrion. Catelyn Stark captures Tyrion. When Jaime finds out, he breaks the Kingsguard’s oath of naturality. He gathers men loyal to him and leads an attack on Ned. The result is many people lost their lives. Robert orders Jaime and Ned to make peace. However, this is not an option for Jaime. He has already joined his father. Together, he and his father start building an army, ignoring all of those who question their motives. When Robert dies and Joffery ascends the throne, the Lannisters make their move. Jaime marches on the river lords takes, the Tully heir capture, and lays siege to Riverrun.
Back at home, he becomes the leader of the Kingsguard, meaning that he now has full command of the knights. Jaime is at the top of his game and believes that nothing can go wrong. However, this all changes when he and his army are ambushed by Robb Stark. Jaime knows that he has lost. This does not stop him from fighting and taking out as many of his foes as possible. He is taken captive, which is a huge blow to the Lannister cause. He is placed inside a comfortable tower and promises not to escape. The promise of not escaping keeps him alive.
In a Clash of Swords, Jaime is held captive at Riverrun. Tyrion appeals to Ceresi to bargain for Jaime’s release. He wants her to exchange Ayra and Sansa for Jaime. This, once again, hints at a brotherly connection between them. Tyrion sends a rescue party. It fails. Jaime is recaptured as soon as he regains his freedom. He has broken his promise of not trying to escape. This makes him even more untrustworthy. As a result, Edmure has him transferred to the dungeon where is starved and kept in chains.
In the meantime, Catelyn believes that her youngest sons are dead. She questions Jaime, who despite his conditions remains beautiful and has a sense of power about him. He is vile and cruel in his words, using what he knows to get a reaction out of Catelyn. He bargains with her as well, even though she reminds him that he is a captive. He still believes that he has the upper hand. Catelyn does agree to answer his questions as long as he truthfully answers hers. It is during this questioning that Jaime admits to throwing Bran off the tower and to being the father of Cersei’s children. He doesn’t show remorse and claims that if he wanted to kill Catelyn’s sons, he would have done so himself. This hints at Jaime’s sense of honour. If something requires him to get blood on his hands, he will do it himself, not someone else. He does believe though that his actions protected his sister and that this makes up for what he did. He also tells Catelyn that he is not in the business of killing children. What he did was for love, not malice. Still, whenever Catelyn mocks him for being the Kingslayer, he puts a wall up. Though his tone is light, we can tell that it bothers him.
Enjoy the rest of your day!
Serena
Link to Full Article: https://alysonserenastone.medium.com/...
What's It About?
Jaime Lannister is one of the most compelling and complex characters in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. Despite having some redeeming characteristics, does he deserve a redemption arc or is it best to leave him as a character we love to hate?
Sneak Peek:
Author’s Note: For the purpose of the article, I will only be focusing on the A Song of Ice and Fire book series. This article contains spoilers for the first five books of the A Song of Ice and Fire series.
George R.R. Martin is famous for writing compelling characters. Even with a large cast of characters, he gives his readers complex and dynamic characters. The deep culture and history of the world he has created adds to the experience. We see how the world has built and destroyed people, cultures, and nations. One action is capable of starting a war, changing who is on the Iron Throne, and creating new enemies. The way characters react to these situations fits what the world has made them. Jaime Lannister is one such character. In the age of redemption arcs, I cannot help but wonder if he is deserving of one.
Does every character deserve a redemption arc? Are all antagonists worthy of being redeemed? For a while now, it has been the trend to redeem all villains, especially those who have been given a backstory to explain their behaviour. While I am a fan of redemption arcs, I do enjoy stories where the villain is just a villain. The backstories also help because it allows us to see why they became whom they did. Jaime Lannister is no different. If you are familiar with George R.R. Martin’s writing, then you know that he writes backstories for most of his characters, which gives us a deeper understanding as to why they are what they are.
Jaime is a knight in House Lannister. He is the eldest son of Tywin and Joanna Lannister. He has a twin sister, Cersei, and younger brother, Tyrion. At the age of fifteen, he joins the Kingsguard and swore to protect the king at all costs. He is the youngest member and becomes a knight. He is very good at his job. He is a natural warrior. He even goes as far as saying that fighting is one of the few things that makes him feel alive. This does not mean that he is a mindless soldier and follows orders without a question.
The longer Jaime serves in the Kingsguard, the more he starts to realize that things are not what they seem. His entire life has been dedicated to protecting King Aerys II. However, the deeper he gets involved, the more he comes to realize how mad the king is. The Mad King is growing insane, burning people alive, and executing people on a whim. When Jaime starts to question this, he is reminded that he must serve and not judge. These events are so troublesome and disturbing to him that he will retreat inside his mind to escape what was happening. It works and he starts to encourage others to do so. However, there was no hiding what was happening. The final straw comes when King Aerys orders Lord Jon Arryn to send him the heads of Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon. The result is war. Jaime did not jump in right away. He does his duty and did what he was trained to do. He protects the king and does not judge.
By doing his duty, it allows him to have an insight as to what is going on. He is in the background. The king does not pay much attention to him. This gives Jamie his chance to see the truth and see how corrupted things are. Aerys sees Robert as a major threat to Targaryen rule. However, he is not about to surrender to this group of rebels. Instead, he decides that it would be best to let the city burn. His closest advisors are against this plan. The King’s Hand confronts King Aerys about it and could not convince the king that this was a terrible idea. The Hand resigns, which results in him being burned at the stake. The king also does not trust the new members of the Kingsguard and prefers to rely on those who have been in service for a while. Jaime sees this. He knows that the king is officially out of control and that something is going to have to be done about it.
There is another instance of Jaime being conflicted. One night he is charged with guarding the king while he visited his wife’s chambers. Instead of this being a normal bedding, Aerys rapes the queen. Jaime doesn’t know what to do. He wants to protect the queen. He points out to another member of the Kingsguard that they are sworn to protect the queen. However, Jaime’s brother reminds him that they have no such duty to protect her from the king. The fact that Jaime was concerned about the queen’s well-being hints that he does understand right from wrong and that he does truly want to do the right thing.
Another instance that hints that Jaime may be deserving of a redemption arc are the found in the main reason why he killed the Mad King. King Aerys, as we have already seen, is capable of executing those who went against him, willing to burn King’s Landing, and raping his wife. He is beyond reason. He would much rather destroy the city instead of seeing it fall. By letting the king do this, it would not only cost thousands of people their lives, but Jaime would also have to kill his father. Jaime knows that King Aerys is unstable and unfit to rule. He decides to take matters into his own hands. He knows that Aerys has wildfire, which is unpredictable. Jaime is also the only member of the Kingsguard still at King’s Landing. This is because Aerys has ordered the rest of them to go protect the prince, Rhaegar. This is not a random act. Aerys hopes to use Jaime against Tywin. Now, Aerys still thinks that Tywin is on his side and is surprised when he begins to sack the city.
Aerys starts to grow even more out of control. This is when he starts to deeply consider burning the city. This leaves Jaime in a very difficult position. He is not willing to let the city burn nor he is willing to kill his father. It becomes clear that Aerys has to go. However, killing him doesn’t cross his mind at first. Instead, Jaime turns to reason and attempts to talk Aerys out of it. He wants Aerys to see what he is asking Jaime to do. He wants him to pull out. However, Aerys is not about to listen. He attempts to flee and Jaime kills him. This may seem cruel. However, if you look at the core values of the Kingsguard, you will find that this does make sense. Jaime has chosen to uphold these values, which are honour, upholding their vows, and sacrifice. He is also required to protect the weak and innocent. He also believes that Aerys has broken his vow as a king. With Aerys ordering the burning of King’s Landing, he broke this vow and was unfit to rule. By knowing this, it can be said that Jaime by killing the king made a very moral choice. He saved lives and the country.
However, is this backstory enough to redeem Jaime? Does knowing this make him that much more of a likeable character? Does this make his actions later on forgivable?
In A Game of Thrones, we first meet Jaime when he comes to Winterfell with the rest of the Lannister family. Jaime is the beloved son of the Lannister family. He is talented and attractive. He carries himself like a king should, which is noted by Jon Snow. However, he is also full of dishonour. After all, he killed his king. This makes him untrustworthy.
We see how cruel he can be. After all, he is behind one of the most memorable sequences in A Song of Ice and Fire. Bran catches him having sex with Cersei. If Bran were to tell, this would cause Jaime, even more, dishonour and shame. Rather than trying to reason with the child, he flings Bran from the tower with the intent of killing him. You could argue that he did this to protect his sister’s honour. However, it still does not change the fact that he attempted to kill a child. Since Jaime is not yet a point-of-view character, we assume that he shows no remorse for this.
It can also be said that Jaime did show Ned a little bit of mercy. Ned Stark ends up being beheaded. However, Jaime did not order it. By not killing Bran’s father directly, it can be argued that he was showing a little remorse. This did not stop Jaime from murdering Ned’s friends. As you can see, from the picture we get of Jaime in the first book, he is not worthy of a redemption arc. Martin has given us this villain and person whom we are not supposed to cheer for.
However, there is still hope for his character. We see his devotion to his brother, Tyrion. Catelyn Stark captures Tyrion. When Jaime finds out, he breaks the Kingsguard’s oath of naturality. He gathers men loyal to him and leads an attack on Ned. The result is many people lost their lives. Robert orders Jaime and Ned to make peace. However, this is not an option for Jaime. He has already joined his father. Together, he and his father start building an army, ignoring all of those who question their motives. When Robert dies and Joffery ascends the throne, the Lannisters make their move. Jaime marches on the river lords takes, the Tully heir capture, and lays siege to Riverrun.
Back at home, he becomes the leader of the Kingsguard, meaning that he now has full command of the knights. Jaime is at the top of his game and believes that nothing can go wrong. However, this all changes when he and his army are ambushed by Robb Stark. Jaime knows that he has lost. This does not stop him from fighting and taking out as many of his foes as possible. He is taken captive, which is a huge blow to the Lannister cause. He is placed inside a comfortable tower and promises not to escape. The promise of not escaping keeps him alive.
In a Clash of Swords, Jaime is held captive at Riverrun. Tyrion appeals to Ceresi to bargain for Jaime’s release. He wants her to exchange Ayra and Sansa for Jaime. This, once again, hints at a brotherly connection between them. Tyrion sends a rescue party. It fails. Jaime is recaptured as soon as he regains his freedom. He has broken his promise of not trying to escape. This makes him even more untrustworthy. As a result, Edmure has him transferred to the dungeon where is starved and kept in chains.
In the meantime, Catelyn believes that her youngest sons are dead. She questions Jaime, who despite his conditions remains beautiful and has a sense of power about him. He is vile and cruel in his words, using what he knows to get a reaction out of Catelyn. He bargains with her as well, even though she reminds him that he is a captive. He still believes that he has the upper hand. Catelyn does agree to answer his questions as long as he truthfully answers hers. It is during this questioning that Jaime admits to throwing Bran off the tower and to being the father of Cersei’s children. He doesn’t show remorse and claims that if he wanted to kill Catelyn’s sons, he would have done so himself. This hints at Jaime’s sense of honour. If something requires him to get blood on his hands, he will do it himself, not someone else. He does believe though that his actions protected his sister and that this makes up for what he did. He also tells Catelyn that he is not in the business of killing children. What he did was for love, not malice. Still, whenever Catelyn mocks him for being the Kingslayer, he puts a wall up. Though his tone is light, we can tell that it bothers him.
Enjoy the rest of your day!
Serena
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