Cersei Lannister: Tragic Hero or Villain?
Yes, I know what you’re thinking. Cersei Lannister? The vain and conniving queen involved in an incestuous relationship with her twin brother, Jaime? From the beginning, readers and viewers alike have been encouraged to despise this tragically misunderstood character, starting with her unseemly love for her twin brother Jaime, to her ruthless and seemingly cold nature. However, Cersei is not quite as much a villain as she appears to be.
All her life, Cersei has loathed the constraints imposed upon her because of her gender. As a child, despite their similar appearance, Jaime was taught to fight and ride horses, while she was taught to sing and sew. She has never been able to obtain the same amount of power, freedom or respect as the men in her society simply because…show more content… This prophecy correctly predicted a number of things, including the amount of children she would give birth to as well as the death of her friend, Melara Hetherspoon, who had also been present at the time. It was also foresaw that Cersei would outlive all her children, and eventually die at the hands of the Valonqar (High Valyrian for little brother). Cersei has always assumed that the little brother described is Tyrion, the youngest of the three siblings, never considering that it could even be Jaime. Also foretold was that a younger and more beautiful queen would cast her down and take all that she held dear. Later, Cersei came to believe that Margaery Tyrell may be younger queen described in the prophecy. These foretellings are the source of her paranoia, as well as the reason for the cruelty she displays towards both Tyrion and Margaery. These facts should be taken into serious consideration when judging her character, as they are a driving force for many of her actions. After all, who can blame someone for wanting to determine their own