Mother of Incest VS. Mother of Dragons

Mary Rhyne

Dr. Schoppe

Game of Thrones

17 September 2019

Mother of Incest VS. Mother of Dragons

            Two of the strongest female characters throughout the whole show, both so similar but also different in their own ways. Daenerys Targaryen is loved by so many even though some of her actions could be considered highly questionable. While Cersei Lannister is forever hated throughout her whole existence on the show. Yes, some of her actions were terrible but when we really think about it, Daenerys has made some risky decisions as well. Both were widowed within the first season, Robert Baratheon died by a boar while Khal Drogo died from a nasty cut getting infected. Their actions after the death of their husbands was where they started to really show their differences.  Something that is made clear in the beginning of the series is that power matters, it is the thing that is most desired, and many characters will do whatever they have to, so they get the iron throne. Cersei and Daenerys each hold power at some point, but they differ in the ways they get it and differ in the ways they keep it.

            When we are first introduced to Dany, my first thought was, I think I’m going to like this character. At the time she was with her brother Rhaegar, and the plan was that Dany would marry Khal Drogo so her brother could get Khal’s army to take on the seven kingdoms and take the iron throne. Dany was just a chess piece in her brothers plan. She did what he wanted, mainly because he threatened to release “the dragon” on her. After the second episode many viewers were wondering when she would finally stand up to her brother and take control. I mean she was the Khaleesi, she was supposed to have more power than her brother who had no title.

As if she hasn’t gone through enough, she is then raped on her wedding night by Khal, after this major event we all wondered when and if she would stand up for herself. Life turned around for her once she learned she was pregnant, her relationship with Khal evolved into something great and those that followed her began to look up to her.

With good there also comes bad, of course that bad was her brother, still trying to demean her and tear her down. He was throwing a bitch fit because he had not gotten his promised army yet, this is where we see a large change in Dany’s behavior towards her brothers’ antics. When she hit him with the gold chain after he pushed her, I got the sense that this baby in her has given her more motivation to live her own life and make decisions for the well-being of herself, Khal, and her unborn child.

            Many would say that after her brother was killed Dany would flourish from there, then we were hit with a large surprise……Khal Drogo’s death. With a husband in a vegetative state and a dead baby she did what she had to do, she saved Khal from his suffering and ended his life with a pillow. While honoring his death she burned the witch alive with him and proceeded to walk into the fire with the dragon eggs she received as a wedding gift. My initial thought on this scene was, oh my god what does she think she is doing!?!? She is going to burn with them and I’m going to be so mad that she died this early. I have never been so happy to be wrong in my life, this woman emerged from the ashes with three live dragons at her side. You can’t tell me that’s not one of the most badass things you’ve ever seen.

Retrieved From: https://aucklandtheology.wordpress.com/2016/12/16/a-throne-fit-for-a-messiah-daenerys-targaryen-as-a-contemporary-christ/

This scene was a rebirth of Dany, in that moment she changed and became who she is meant to be, a leader. There are many female characters that are trying to climb the latter of power and each character has their own way of doing it. In my opinion Dany reaches her level of power by being honest and stubborn.  Her faith in herself and those around her is unshakable, she inspires loyalty, cares for whomever decides to follow her, and learns from her mistakes. Amanda Spence suggests that from the very beginning Dany was viewed as a savior to the crumbling world around her. Which is true when you look at her behavior in the beginning compared to the other female characters.

            When we are first introduced to Cersei, my first impression was, this lady isn’t that bad. My opinion of her soon changed to I don’t like you and I wish you would die. Sadly, that hasn’t happened yet, and she just kept getting worse and worse throughout the series.  My change of heart towards her was first because of the fact she was sleeping with her twin in a tower, and her twin pushed Bran out of the window ledge. Like, could you be a bigger bitch, I think not. In addition to this act they both pretended like nothing happened and she proceeded to hire someone to kill him in his sleep. What kills me about this whole situation is the fact that Cersei has children, so she knows what it is like to care for someone that much, yet she has no problem with taking the life of someone else’s kid. The thing about her is that her behavior just gets worse, she forces someone to kill Sansa’s wolf, she offers herself to Ned and others (especially people in her family), and she makes Joffrey king. BIG MISTAKE.            

            As said by Cheryl Wischhover, “Her sexuality is a source of power for her, because it’s the only power she has at that time. While she has little sexual power over her husband, Robert Baratheon, she has a great effect on Lannister men: her brother Jaime, and her first cousin and true f***boy Lancel, whom she uses to help her kill Robert.” Unlike Dany, Cersei gets what she wants by spreading her legs. She even told Sansa “Tears aren’t a woman’s only weapon. The best one’s between your legs.” …. WOW. This girl just got her first period and now Cersei is telling her to give herself to anyone she wants something from. What a great role model.

            Where the two women really differ is in their relationship to their children. When Dany was pregnant, and Khal was sick she was told that she needed to sacrifice something living to give Khal life. She was not aware that this would mean she was sacrificing the life of her unborn baby. After she received news of her baby’s state after birth she was devastated, I would think that anyone would be crushed if they got the same news. Whereas Cersei was over here trying to end the life of her son because she has given up hope of winning the Battle of Blackwater Bay.  

Retrieved From: https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/06/the-14-best-cersei-lannister-quotes.html

Cersei Doubts those around her, while Dany believes strongly in those that support her. Madina Papadopoulos created a list of the best Cersei Lannister Quotes and the scene in the photo above was when Cersei says, “Everyone who isn’t us is an enemy.”, in this moment she is speaking to Joffrey about his allegiance to his in-laws (the Starks). When we think about her reasoning behind this it is no wonder that she had her children with her brother Jamie instead of her husband Robert. He is the only one she can trust.

In the end we see a big transformation in both Dany and Cersei but, while one was on the up rise the other was on the downfall. While Dany started off as a weak character, she quickly blossomed into a powerful woman that was determined to get the iron throne. Whereas Cersei started off holding a great deal of power that quickly diminished once her son received the throne and title of king. This threw a wrench into Cersei’s plan because she thought she would be able to be the puppet master of Joffrey’s decisions but soon came to find out that he had a mind of his own.

The ways that they have both come to power in the end may be questionable, but most viewers tend to enjoy Dany’s character more than Cersei’s because Dany can be seen as being relatable in many ways. While Cersei is seen as a stuck-up bitch who gets what she wants by sleeping with whomever. Dany wants to help those in need while Cersei looks down upon them and ignores their suffering. These are only a few examples of why people lean towards Dany, I know that all of these factors came into play when I think about which character, I like more and why.