QUEEN of the NEIGHBORHOOD
cw: abuse, rape. asoiaf book spoilers
put this post behind the cut because it’s not fully thought out and obviously not everyone needs this on their dashes, but here are just some things i have been thinking wrt to cersei lannister and her narrative, which also tangentially relates to fandom’s responses to her.
I’m obsessed with the dichotomy that’s being drawn between Cersei and Margaery this season in terms of masculine and feminine power. Because despite the fact that Cersei’s been forced to act in the feminine sphere her whole life, she’s really much more comfortable being a blunt object than being a subtle manipulator. If you compare their scenes with Joffrey, it’s so brilliant the two ways they try to manipulate them.
Because in season 1, Cersei could patch up her son’s wounds and tell him “anybody who isn’t us is the enemy” because he was just a boy, her golden boy, her beautiful son, and he needed her.
But he’s the king now, and he doesn’t think he needs her any more, so the more she tells him that Margaery’s a whore out to steal from him, the more he hears “mommy is telling me what to do” and the less he listens to her. Meanwhile Margaery, in her backless dress (“harlot’s clothing”) simpers and smiles and tells him what a brave king he is. She builds him up to be her protector, and then she lets him see how dangerous she could be, but only a taste. She compliments him on being an instrument of death, and tells him she is much the same, but she lets him think she’s his instrument, and he doesn’t even know he’s hers.
Margaery Tyrell has him wrapped around her finger, and the best part is she’s gonna kill him anyway.
i have a lot of thoughts actually abt joffrey’s v conflicted feelings over having to watch cersei put up w/robert’s abuse 4 all those yrs and i think this ‘that’s what intelligent women do … what they’re told’ sentiment comes partly from a place of residual guilt over not having protected his mother from robert’s abuse and okay that’s a vile sentiment and joffrey’s scum but idk i feel for him bc i think it comes from this v childlike part of him that associates his mother’s defiance w/consequent violent punishment from the ~male powers that be~ so he’s absorbed this idea that women should be docile/obedient just to be safe and i think cersei can comprehend that and how her son is more comfortable w/margaery whose power is coded w/n this docile feminine role she inhabits but cersei can’t bring herself 2 operate in the same way bc she’s too embittered and her anger is too great and she can’t make herself complicit w/the system even if doing so would result in an ultimate overthrow of said system which is part and parcel of why she’s a flawed - but fascinating - political player of the game
“You little fool. Tears are not a woman’s only weapon. You’ve got another one between your legs, and you’d best learn to use it. You’ll find men use their swords freely enough. Both kinds of swords.”
Hated him? I worshipped him. Every girl in the Seven Kingdoms dreamed of him, but he was mine by oath. And when I finally saw him, on our wedding day, in the Sept of Baelor, lean and fierce and black-bearded, it was the happiest moment of my life. Then that night he crawled on top of me, stinking of wine, and did what he did - what little he could do - and whispered in my ear,
“Lyanna.”
Your sister was a corpse and I was a living girl, and he loved her more than me.
in a coat of gold, or a coat of red, a lion still has claws
and mine are long and sharp, my lord
as long and sharp as yours
