Ned
Ned Stark
Ned Stark is a character that everyone respects and is most everyone's favorite character. Why? Ned Stark is an honorable man amongst murderers, manipulators and masterminds. In a world where everyone seems to have their own agenda to gain control no matter the cost, Ned is careful and considerate of his actions. In the very first episode we are made aware of his personality when he is faced with a choice of letting a deserter face his death by an executioner in front of many townsfolk or enacting his own judgment himself. As audience, we see that Ned has honor and cares about how he is viewed by his peers. Is this attitude toward life really that honorable or is it foolish? I hope to answer that question through this blog post!
Like we talk about in class, I agree that Ned Stark has a very black and white view of his world. He believes that good people are good and bad people are bad. I don't think that he realises that the good people are most likely manipulating him until he gets comfortable enough and lets his guard down. Also I believe that he doesn't realize the people he may think are bad are actually just trying to survive in a wicked world. “There are characters such as Tyrion, Jon, and Arya, who we love and sympathize with, but who often use less than virtuous means to achieve their ends. And there are other characters, such as Jaime and Sandor Clegane, who in the beginning seem undeniably monstrous, but who, as the reader gets to know them, become more human and sympathetic, at times even heroic.”^1 Unfortunately i don't think that Ned ever realized this and is ultimately his downfall.
Ned has a very traditional perspective, in terms of gender as well. When he finds out about Cersei and her son, he thinks he has the upper hand because what power could she have, right? This is where he made a huge mistake. This seemingly powerless woman is actually a masterful manipulator and has played all her cards correctly and calls the bluff of Ned. Which in the end is the reason he did not make it out alive. While researching a came across a blog post from another blogger that read, “Ned was a big fish in a small pond in Winterfell, as lord there he dealt with simple matters and ruled over a land where his word was final. He then goes to King's Landing and sees how no one held honor as a priority. Vary's and Littlefinger's spies, Cercei's manipulative games, Pycelle sending information to Cersei. Ned was simply in over his head, I have no doubt, though, that when he went to the Queen his intentions were best for the children. Unfortunately, he played the Game of Thrones with seasoned veterans and his honor lost it for him.” ^2 This is honestly one of the best ways I can think of describing what happened to Ned. I think he was so overwhelmed that he never fully accepted that good people are in fact, bad people.
In my own opinion Ned is living in a fantasy world and he should have woken up from this dream he called a reality to see how cruel and evil the world truly is.
But if this truly honorable man was so honorable then how is he in the position that he is? Let's not forget that he participated in the overthrow of the previous king. Did he have a reason for this or is he just the world biggest hypocrite? Personally I believe that his decision to take the throne was within reason seeing how crazy the former king was and what he did to Ned Stark's blood. So I personally think that he was honoring his family's name by avenging the death of his blood. I found a text that also supports my claim in a blog post, “What Ned and Robert fought for were their lives as Jon Arryn was ordered their heads. Robert announced his claim around the battle of the Trident. But why? I suppose it was because of Aerys madness that caused tension before. Robert was blinded by revenge on Targaryens and he wanted them all gone.”^3
So to answer the question is Ned Stark honorable or foolish? In my personal opinion I believe that Ned was a very honorable man and wanted to be remembered as such. He was obviously very stubborn and set in his ways, which was ultimately his downfall, but he was one of the only characters who had any kind of moral compass and we are quick to call him foolish? I don't think so. I believe that he was placed in a situation that was very difficult and he had to face the consequences unfortunately but he will always be one of the most respected and honorable characters in the series.
I agree that Ned is an honorable man, despite all of the reasons people say he is foolish. Yes he probably shouldn't of told Cersei about how he knew everything about her incest relationship with Jaime, but he did. This wasn't because he was dumb, but more so because of his small scope on life in King's Landing. Things wouldn't have turned out this way if he was still in Winterfell. I think Ned just failed to realize that he isn't at home and people don't value honor like Ned is used to back in Winterfell.
ReplyDeleteI neither agree or disagree with your thoughts because I believe that Ned is actually both a damn idiot and a honorable hero all at the same time. Ned tried to do all of the right things and he will be remembered for that, but is honor worth losing your head? That's a hard pill to swallow. Being honorable and headless doesn't get your very far. Ned needed to wake up and realize that the world isn't as he thought. He need to make a change in himself to stop being an absolute moron and being thinking about his actions. Sometimes in this world you have to do some things that you aren't gonna be proud of, but if you stay alive then it will all be worth it. Ned being a fool messed up life for his family. His death started a war getting his wife, son and grandchild murdered in the process. Sansa is a fool as much as her father (wander where that came from). Arya is a bad ass killer who is anything, but what society says she is. Jon is cursed by "his fathers" poor decisions prior to his death and never telling Jon the truth. Ned wasn't as honorable as you thought especially after looking into the affects on his family.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to Ned, I feel like he wants the world to only be right and have no wrongs. That is not the case he is living in a world that when he steps out of Winterfell it is no longer honorable Ned. When Ned goes to King’s Landing, he known to start making foolish decisions. One would be trying to bring his children back to Winterfell knowing Sansa was trying to marry Joffrey, which means she would do anything to stay so she could marry him. They other one was telling people Joffrey was conceived by incest. Now let’s think about it, do you really think those were honorable decisions. You are dealing with a family that is powerful and will do anything to keep that their children were conceived through incest a secret. Why would Ned think that was a smart decision, he should have known Sansa was going to do something to put an end to that.
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