Ned Stark: The most honorable man in Winterfell
Ned Stark should still be regarded as an honorable man despite his demise. His eventual downfall does not diminish all of the good he has done and his pure intentions. He remains honorable as he attempted to uphold the honors and traditions of the generations that had preceded him. Finding someone who has morals as pure as Ned's is hard to find as he believes there is no gray area around the law, but yet he still shows compassion and kindness towards others. His downfall was a shock to fans as it was a major twist to see Cersei come out on top as Ned seemed to be holding all of the cards. He had her up against the ropes as he threatened her and told her to leave and seemed to possess the respect of the people so it was a shock to see him get betrayed. Therefore, Ned is still honorable due to his moral obligations, sense of compassion, the way that he upheld his beliefs until the end and his ultimate demise should not be attributed to his ignorance but rather a series of unfortunate events.
Ned’s morals are unquestionably pure as he does what tradition says no matter what the negative consequences may be. An example of this would be when Ned was determined to tell everyone that Joffrey was not qualified to rule due to him being born due to incest. He was ready to do what was right despite everyone else telling him to just go along with him as king and use his power to influence his will into Joffrey. His unwillingness to change shows how his morals are unchanging despite the situation. This is very difficult to find and is a valuable trait to find as it makes him very reliable. He knew that his actions would have consequences but his decision was not swayed at all. In Cupp’s article about Ned’s honor, he goes into detail about how his honor dooms the region because he is too stubborn to just let Joffrey sit on the throne (Eddard Stark's Ethics of Honor). However, this is incorrect as he couldn’t have known that it was going to be this big of a push back from the Lannister’s. Had everything went to plan and had Litttlefinger not betray him then there would be no problems and Stannis would sit on the throne. LIttlefinger should not have been trusted but with the money that he was offered and the Stark name, he was expected to take their side. In Juleska’s article about Ned Stark she talks about how he is not a politician and does not behave like one (Ned Stark: Commander? Politician? Neither? Both?). Had he just dealt with Cersei straight away then the outcome would have been very different. Instead of acting like a politician should he acted as an honorable man and told Cersei that she should just leave immediately which she didn’t do and it gave her time to prepare for him to make his move.
Another reason Ned was honorable was due to his compassionate side which he still showed despite his strict interpretation of the traditions. There were many occasions that showed his compassionate side. One example of a time where he showed his compassionate side was when he went up to King Robert and took his daughters' side despite her being on the wrong side of the law. He still stands up for Arya after the incident by the lake despite her being wrong in the eyes of the elders. He stands up for her daughter and keeps her wolf alive despite direct orders from the king himself to do the opposite. Another sign of his compassionate side was shown by how the people in Winterfell admired and respected him. Nobody questioned that his honor as he was doing what the gods did but a normal person would not have gone as far as he did due to fear of the repercussion of his actions. Many people regarded Ned as a fool for doing this as he should have known the turmoil that was going to happen after he denounced Joffrey. However, this does not take away from his intentions which were to honor tradition. In Dangerous’ analysis of Ned Stark, she talks about the impact of his compassionate side on his children (Ned Stark). A good example of his impact on his children is Jon. Jon shows compassion, similar to his fathers', when he saves Ygrritte. His inability to kill a woman is a value that his father instilled in him as he can only think of Arya when he has to kill her.
Lastly, Ned maintained his dignity through his demise by showing an unwillingness to fold to anything that he did not believe in. Despite being imprisoned with no sense of time and being treated in inhumane conditions he maintained through his strong will. He could have repented and accepted Joffrey for a chance to possibly get out or get a lessened sentence but there was no chance of that happening due to his strict moral code. The only time when he cracked was when his daughter Sansa’s life was threatened. He was not concerned for his life but he pleaded guilty for treason and decided that only he would face the immediate consequences for his actions. Even at his eventual demise, he showed no fear or regret for his actions. When about to face the executioner, he continued to berate Joffrey and comment on his poor quality as a king as he was not the one to deliver the blow.
Many people question Ned Stark’s actions and call him foolish for just believing that everyone believed the same that he did and that things were going to go exactly as he planned them without a backup. However, this is highly illogical as he did prepare for this situation by paying off the guards and sending out letters telling everyone of his discovery. In Squires' post on “A Forum of Fire and Ice,” he goes into detail about the several small details that could have derailed Cersei’s entire plan (Eddard Stark did not die because he was naive and overly honorable). The one that stuck out the most was how lucky she was that Robert just happened to accidentally fall and die when he fell into the boars. This scenario completely revolved around him falling while drunk which seems a bit extreme considering he could have just not fallen while drinking and things would have turned out completely different. Also, Ned’s underestimation of Cersei can be directly attributed to the traditional beliefs of this time that women held no power and were just people that you could just walk over. He was not expecting such a drawn-out plan from her as this was unheard of at the time. Once he stepped foot into Kings landing the game completely changed as the people no shared his code of ethics which he should have realized. After watching the first few seasons a very obvious conclusion that can be drawn is that if you have a moral code then your time in Winterfell will be cut short. His ultimate downfall was not his due to his honor but instead his ignorance to the power that Cersei still possessed and Littlefinger’s betrayal.
Therefore, Ned Stark’s actions make him an honorable man despite his eventual fall. The fall was not his fault but rather a consequence of the changing times surrounding Kings landing. He could've done more to save himself in the end by better preparing for his confrontation with Joffrey but that does not diminish what he has done. His morals are unmoving and cannot be swayed by anything which shows admirable strength. Despite him being very black and white he still shows compassion and cares for others. He did not shy away and kept his honor until the very end as he did not flinch in the face of death. Lastly, the unlikely turn of events that led to his demise may have been preventable but it does not change the fact that he died an honorable man. His honorable ways may have cost him his life but it is better to die with honor than to live with no purpose or reason.
Ned’s morals are unquestionably pure as he does what tradition says no matter what the negative consequences may be. An example of this would be when Ned was determined to tell everyone that Joffrey was not qualified to rule due to him being born due to incest. He was ready to do what was right despite everyone else telling him to just go along with him as king and use his power to influence his will into Joffrey. His unwillingness to change shows how his morals are unchanging despite the situation. This is very difficult to find and is a valuable trait to find as it makes him very reliable. He knew that his actions would have consequences but his decision was not swayed at all. In Cupp’s article about Ned’s honor, he goes into detail about how his honor dooms the region because he is too stubborn to just let Joffrey sit on the throne (Eddard Stark's Ethics of Honor). However, this is incorrect as he couldn’t have known that it was going to be this big of a push back from the Lannister’s. Had everything went to plan and had Litttlefinger not betray him then there would be no problems and Stannis would sit on the throne. LIttlefinger should not have been trusted but with the money that he was offered and the Stark name, he was expected to take their side. In Juleska’s article about Ned Stark she talks about how he is not a politician and does not behave like one (Ned Stark: Commander? Politician? Neither? Both?). Had he just dealt with Cersei straight away then the outcome would have been very different. Instead of acting like a politician should he acted as an honorable man and told Cersei that she should just leave immediately which she didn’t do and it gave her time to prepare for him to make his move.
Another reason Ned was honorable was due to his compassionate side which he still showed despite his strict interpretation of the traditions. There were many occasions that showed his compassionate side. One example of a time where he showed his compassionate side was when he went up to King Robert and took his daughters' side despite her being on the wrong side of the law. He still stands up for Arya after the incident by the lake despite her being wrong in the eyes of the elders. He stands up for her daughter and keeps her wolf alive despite direct orders from the king himself to do the opposite. Another sign of his compassionate side was shown by how the people in Winterfell admired and respected him. Nobody questioned that his honor as he was doing what the gods did but a normal person would not have gone as far as he did due to fear of the repercussion of his actions. Many people regarded Ned as a fool for doing this as he should have known the turmoil that was going to happen after he denounced Joffrey. However, this does not take away from his intentions which were to honor tradition. In Dangerous’ analysis of Ned Stark, she talks about the impact of his compassionate side on his children (Ned Stark). A good example of his impact on his children is Jon. Jon shows compassion, similar to his fathers', when he saves Ygrritte. His inability to kill a woman is a value that his father instilled in him as he can only think of Arya when he has to kill her.
Lastly, Ned maintained his dignity through his demise by showing an unwillingness to fold to anything that he did not believe in. Despite being imprisoned with no sense of time and being treated in inhumane conditions he maintained through his strong will. He could have repented and accepted Joffrey for a chance to possibly get out or get a lessened sentence but there was no chance of that happening due to his strict moral code. The only time when he cracked was when his daughter Sansa’s life was threatened. He was not concerned for his life but he pleaded guilty for treason and decided that only he would face the immediate consequences for his actions. Even at his eventual demise, he showed no fear or regret for his actions. When about to face the executioner, he continued to berate Joffrey and comment on his poor quality as a king as he was not the one to deliver the blow.
Many people question Ned Stark’s actions and call him foolish for just believing that everyone believed the same that he did and that things were going to go exactly as he planned them without a backup. However, this is highly illogical as he did prepare for this situation by paying off the guards and sending out letters telling everyone of his discovery. In Squires' post on “A Forum of Fire and Ice,” he goes into detail about the several small details that could have derailed Cersei’s entire plan (Eddard Stark did not die because he was naive and overly honorable). The one that stuck out the most was how lucky she was that Robert just happened to accidentally fall and die when he fell into the boars. This scenario completely revolved around him falling while drunk which seems a bit extreme considering he could have just not fallen while drinking and things would have turned out completely different. Also, Ned’s underestimation of Cersei can be directly attributed to the traditional beliefs of this time that women held no power and were just people that you could just walk over. He was not expecting such a drawn-out plan from her as this was unheard of at the time. Once he stepped foot into Kings landing the game completely changed as the people no shared his code of ethics which he should have realized. After watching the first few seasons a very obvious conclusion that can be drawn is that if you have a moral code then your time in Winterfell will be cut short. His ultimate downfall was not his due to his honor but instead his ignorance to the power that Cersei still possessed and Littlefinger’s betrayal.
Therefore, Ned Stark’s actions make him an honorable man despite his eventual fall. The fall was not his fault but rather a consequence of the changing times surrounding Kings landing. He could've done more to save himself in the end by better preparing for his confrontation with Joffrey but that does not diminish what he has done. His morals are unmoving and cannot be swayed by anything which shows admirable strength. Despite him being very black and white he still shows compassion and cares for others. He did not shy away and kept his honor until the very end as he did not flinch in the face of death. Lastly, the unlikely turn of events that led to his demise may have been preventable but it does not change the fact that he died an honorable man. His honorable ways may have cost him his life but it is better to die with honor than to live with no purpose or reason.
Kaleb you make good points when talking about Ned being the most honorable man in Winterfell but was he really the most honorable? I think a better legacy for Ned Stark would be that he is more heroic and a man of sacrifice because he puts his family first, as many fathers would, even if it is sacrificing his honor. If I were to choose the most honorable person in Winterfell, I would choose Robert Stark because he showed acts of honor with one example being, cutting the head of one of his men of Winterfell because he betrayed him when killing the Lannister children. I know the episodes and books made the audience think of Ned being honorable but there are many examples of him not showing honor towards the Kings, such as the disobeying of King Joffrey and the changing of the will from King Robert. Ned Stark made decisions based on what he thought was right, even if that’s sacrificing his honor.
ReplyDeleteI really like your argument about how Ned Stark may be the most honorable man in Winterfell. I agree with you that Ned was honorable, and I also agree that his intentions were pure; although they may have caused issues later on, he still wanted to do what was best for the kingdom. I really liked your comment that “Cersei still came out on top even though Ned was holding all the cards.” This quote sums up the show well and also sums up the idea that Ned “didn’t play his cards right” and died as a consequence. I also like how you said it should not be attributed to his ignorance but rather a series of unfortunate events, however, I do not completely agree with that. I do think Ned was ignorant to the idea that the people in King’s Landing do not act the same way or have the same values as those in Winterfell. I also think he was too trusting of others who essentially stabbed him in the back. However, I do think it was an unfortunate event that Joffrey decided to have Ned executed after offering him an alternative; but again, this could also go back to Ned being too trusting. Aside from this, I think the rest of your argument about Ned being honorable is very strong.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that Ned Stark should still be regarded as an honorable man despite his death so early into the show. Ned Stark had the determination to set the records straight on who should be the legitimate heir to the throne, and he was not going to let someone convince him otherwise. However, I think that when Ned decides to reveal his plans to Littlefinger and Cersei, he should have expected to have some backlash coming his way. There are certain people in this show that do not have the same intentions as Ned and he told two of them his plans and it would lead to his death. I also agree that Ned’s compassionate side is another reason he should be seen as honorable. Ned would do anything for his family or the people he is close to, he would die to ensure the safety of his children and that is just another reason why he should be seen as honorable.
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