Why did Tywin Lannister not remarry & get another heir?

[Nikki]

If Tyrion sickened him so much & Jamie couldn't succeed him because he took the white cloak, why didn't Tywin remarry? Seemed odd to me....

[Renée]

He didn't have a sister! ;-)

I think because nobody is worthy of a Lannister

[Gary]

It's a good question. He seems perfectly happy to use marriage as a political tool when it comes to his children. Why not himself? Too broken up about his first wife's death in childbirth?

[Michael]

Somewhere in the books (not quite sure anymore where) his brother Kevan, said that even though he didn't show Tywin was still broken up about the death of Joana. So that's probably why he didn't marry anymore.

Also being born out of a seccond wife, the child could never be heir before Tyrion, so that didn't matter either.

[Gary]

Tywin makes it pretty clear he doesn't consider Tyrion a viable heir, though. You'd think he'd at least get married to have the offspring since he seems to put so much importance on his legacy.

Of course, his remaining unmarried is, at essence, a plot device, but I'm just wondering about the validity of that plot device. It doesn't seem to add up with what else we know of his character. Rather, it seems like he'd marry for political reasons or to someone for the purpose of having offspring.

It would be interesting if he doesn't remarry because he thinks that Tyrion's genetic problems are his fault.... That is, if he had a second wife who gave birth to a dwarf, or even just a child with any sort of birth defect, then people would attribute it to Tywin's weak bloodline, and he'd be loathe to face either the political hit from such a thing, or the personal implications.

[infael]

I think it more like Tywin still carries a torch for Joanna.

[Gary]

infael wrote: "I think it more like Tywin still carries a torch for Joanna."

Maybe. He doesn't seem a very sentimental man. He treats most of his family badly, so why not marry and treat his new wife badly too?

[Gwendolyn]

In his own mind he doesn't treat his family badly. This family is the most important thing in all existence for him. He just does whatever he feels will be the best thing for the Lannisters and for each of them. He's pretty horrible at how he goes about it, but he does everything for his family.

He was still planning on Jamie giving him some heirs once he got the noble knight stuff out of his system. He was planning on Jamie getting married and around to it eventually. Also, he was in love with his first wife. I think that was in the first book.

[Mia]

I think it implied that a lot of his humanity was sapped out of him when his wife died (I sometimes wonder if the Lannisters would have been closer to the tight-knit Tyrells if she'd lived and been that binding factor), but I think also the main point is, he doesn't have to because he has his kids to do it for him. He doesn't need to hold a torch for Joanna, he's got Cersei to act as a brood mare, Tyrion to shuttle off when he has no other options, and Jaime to somehow get out of his duties as a white cloak. It's more about control than sacrifice for Tywinn, so the idea of using himself to piston a motive forward isn't part of the process.

[Joe]

Until fairly recently, Tywin probably considered Joffrey his true heir-in-waiting, and perhaps Tommen a viable future Lord of Casterly Rock. The old man probably figured to outlive Tyrion anyway, and if need be Kevan could keep the Rock warm until Tommen was of age.

[Yannis]

Ι was reading the thread ready to boast how you didn't understand who were supposed to succeed Tywin and then Joe nailed it in the last post.
I assume he was thinking to marry again if needed but when Tommen was born there was no need. There, he had a brother AND a grandson that could inherit Casterly Rock(since Joffrey would get the Iron throne and Renly had Storm's End if I'm not wrong,so Tommen had nothing else left but CR). Kevan also had a son, so there were plenty of options for lords of Lannister blood to become Lord Lannister even excluding the much hated dwarf who was the real heir.

[Wastrel]

Gary wrote: "infael wrote: "I think it more like Tywin still carries a torch for Joanna."

Maybe. He doesn't seem a very sentimental man. He treats most of his family badly, so why not marry and treat his new..."

I think the key is that Tywin ISN'T an emotionless, calculating, tyrannical robot. He's actually a very emotional, impulsive, insecure hypocrite.
He just PRETENDS to be an emotionless, calculating, tyrannical robot. He saw what happened to his father, and he became determined not to be like him, and even more determined not to be seen the way his father was seen. Hence the veneer of a sociopathic hardman. But in his interactions with his family we see that he's actually as confused and temperamental as anyone else. We also see glimpses of humanity through his brother.
I think Tywin is just in love with Joanna, and can't possibly imagine anyone else replacing her. He just doesn't dare admit to anyone that he feels like that, and refuses to pay attention to his family when they feel in similar ways about their own lives.

I think it's very significant that the last scene we're given of Tywin not only shows his humanity but also, more specifically, his rank hypocrisy (which in some ways may be his saving grace).

[Steve]

Joe and Yannis make very valid points. I'd like to add the fact that he lost his loving wife in childbirth, and he might not want to live that again, even if it was a reality of the time. He might get another dwarf.

Also, Tywin was ashamed of his father's mistress, and is very concerned about family reputation and honor. Maybe he figures that the line is secure the way it is.

[Mitali]

Why would Tywin need another heir? In his mind, Jaime was his heir. The white cloak was a minor inconvenience, to be gotten rid of in the near future. If Tywin had lived, he would probably have tried to emotionally blackmail Jaime into retiring from the Kingsuard and become the official heir to Casterly Rock, just as Tywin always intended him to be.

[Gary]

In reverse order:

Mitali: The standard for most royalty (which is what Tywin considers himself) is to have an heir and a spare. Tywin does not seem to consider Tyrion a spare, so he does need a backup for Jaime, even if he expects to be able to get Jaime out of the Kingsguard.

Steve: He could marry again, though. That could get him another heir (or more) AND secure an alliance, which seems to be pretty much how he views marriage.

Wastrel: I think when it boils down to you, you're right. He's a hypocrite. We see that in his... "confrontation" with Tyrion if I can say that in a non-spoiler way. The core of Tywin's attitude is that he is in charge and that means he doesn't have to do what he orders others to do.

Joe/Yannis: Yeah, the Tommen thing.... That's a perfectly good point. He likely does view that second grandson as the heir to Casterly Rock. I don't remember anyone actually saying that in the books (it's been a while, though, so my memory could easily be off) but it's a good explanation for the immediate needs of his family.

Still, more is better when it comes to family dynasties in most situations. Walter Frey, of course, might be a counter example for that principle, but a few more Lannisters would be a good thing for Tywin. That he doesn't pursue such a thing seems to be more a function of his personal character (hypocrisy) than his plans.

[Kirby]

Gary wrote: "It would be interesting if he doesn't remarry because he thinks that Tyrion's genetic problems are his fault.... That is, if he had a second wife who gave birth to a dwarf, or even just a child with any sort of birth defect, then people would attribute it to Tywin's weak bloodline, and he'd be loathe to face either the political hit from such a thing, or the personal implications. "

That's an interesting theory...I think I could see it being a combination of that, the fact that he already had grandsons, and perhaps b/c he still had feelings for Joana (view spoiler)[although he obviously didn't care about "desecrating" her memory by using prostitutes, did he? (hide spoiler)]