Tyrion is a fan favorite no doubt, seeing him work his magic organizing the affairs of Kingslanding and “bringing that boy king to heel” was one of the most enjoyable parts of the show. Peter Dinklage's performance earns the character more respect that he deserves, because in the end Cersei was right about Tyrion. He always played the victim role when he was never a victim.
Tyrion Lannister, Hand of the King to Joffrey Baratheon
Tyrion and Tywin
Tyrion lived in luxury and decadence seemly all his life, and as stated in the later seasons, was even put in charge in a minor role in the management of Casterlyrock. Although this role had him managing the construction of the sewers, geographically the lowest position in the castle, it doesn’t actually mean it was a low position. Tyrion was still in a position that held administrative power, unlike his eldest brother who was a knight subordinate to others. (Tywin says to Jaime, "If serving is the sum of your ambition, go serve"). with his sister Cersei, being married off with no hopes of gaining power for herself at all. So in relation to his siblings, his position designing the sewers was still more responsibility than either Cersei or Jaime got. To this point, Tywin would also never put Tyrion in a position that would dishonor the House. Seeing as this is the very reason the Lannisters would go to war against the Starks in the first place. "He may be the lowest among us, but he is a Lannister" and later "You gave us no choice, the honor of the House was at stake". So although Tywin might express a negative or critical attitude towards Tyrion, he still regards him to be a Lannister.
Excluding the fact that Tyrion is not the eldest son, and that Cersei is also overlooked by Tywin. Tyrion is given more power than he deserves while complaining that he is treated unfairly. He is named Hand Of The King by Tywin, the second highest and arguable the highest position in the Seven Kingdoms due to the fact the King is a child. When he is no longer Hand Of The King, he is then named Master Of Coin, and with that given a seat on the small council along with being made Lord of Winterfell through his marriage to Sansa Stark. Even as Tywin rebukes his claim over Casterlyrock, which he has no claim to, seeing as Tywin always planned to remove Jaime from the Kingsguard through royal decree, Tywin still gives him equal or even greater power to that of the Lord Of Casterlyrock.
With all of this what does Tyrion do? He continues to hang out with "cutthroats and w_h__s (shae)" as Tywin points out. How could he with this behavior possibly think Tywin would name him Lord Of Casterlyrock? And even when given everything he could've asked for, through marriage with Sansa Stark, he takes a moral stance no one in the universe of Game Of Thrones would ever take. Arranged marriages, and age gaps would be irrelevant to a feudal society like GoT. As Tywin says "do you plan on mistreating her"? Putting into perspective that Sansa although forced into this marriage and would be forced to mother a child, she would still be better off. And we would see this as she was made a pawn of Petyr Baelish. Even so would doing this to Sansa be worst than killing his own father? (Tyrion's justification for the murder of Tywin relies on this history of the supposed mistreatment he suffered at the hands of Tywin. Not just on the outcome of the trial. As Tywin says "what happens to my legacy if I spare the murderer of my Grandson, the King?". Tywin was in a tight spot seeing as Tyrion's wife Sansa Stark fled, leading to the correct suspicion of her involvement in the murder of King Joffrey. Tywin planned on sending Tyrion to the Night's Watch. An action that could be undone through royal decree which we learned when Stannis Baratheon, the Rightful King of the Seven Kingdoms, offered Lordship of Winterfell to Jon Snow).
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Tyrion and Joffrey
Tyrion is regarded to be one of the smartest people in all of the Seven Kingdoms. However here you have Tyrion, knowing full well that Joffrey Baratheon is the Crown Prince and future Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. Taunting, belittling and even at times "bullying" the Prince. I by no means am saying that Joffrey did not deserve to be set straight, but from the very first episode (and I think this was a point made by the show that fans tend to overlook) Tyrion always picked fights with Joffrey and this would come back to haunt him. In season 2, Tyrion flexes his muscles as Hand of the King, only increasing the animosity between him and the now current King. This makes absolutely no sense! While others are rushing to flatter, seduce or cajole the boy King, Tyrion is making him into an all powerful enemy! Then later he is played as the downtrodden victim for the way he is treated by King Joffrey, the kid he spent all his time antagonizing.
Tyrion, Hand Of The Queen
One of the single worst moments of the show is Tyrion being named Hand Of the Queen, and him regarding it as a great accomplishment. To me this is fanservice that also says "Tyrion didn't need his family. No one ever believed in him, so he did it himself". But here you have it as though he wasn't Hand of the King, to the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. A much higher position than the Queen Of Meereen, an impoverished city which is dwarfed in comparison to Westeros. Even his Lordship over the North and role as Master of Coin dwarfs being Hand Of the Queen to Daenerys Targaryen. He basically killed his father, and went to the other end of the world to reinvent himself exactly but slightly worst off that he was before. This is not an error of his character, more so of the writers. In this case Tyrion regaining his position is an achievement, but for his story he is back in the same position while on the verge of tears being named a lesser role than he was prior.
Cersei and Tyrion
What Cersei says in the final season is absolutely correct. Tyrion plays the victim even while Cersei, with cunning rivaling Tywin, never got any recognition or position unlike ungrateful Tyrion. Cersei went from arranged marriage, to unloved wife, abused wife, to a victim of the Faith, to losing her three kids, and also Jaime. She was left completely alone. Cersei although being a bad person, and caught up in her own schemes, was cornered and did what she had to do for the ones she loved. Her children. As Cersei says, Tyrion destroyed what they had when he killed Tywin. Left them defenseless in the face of their enemies. He thought only of himself, and not of House Lannister. The same house he thought he was fit to be Lord over.
This is why as much fun as Tyrion was in Season 2. I do not like his character and think fans give him way too much respect.
Submitted November 25, 2021 at 09:15AM by Recent_Background215 https://ift.tt/32CNPDv
