Oberyn's Motives

[Winter's Knight]

I often hear people bewailing the fact that Oberyn died so soon after he was introduced and mention this as yet another way the fates toy with Tyrion.

I disagree-I think Oberyn had made up his mind to die long before he stepped onto the arena. He offered to be Tyrion's champion after careful consideration and he did so both as a final "fuck you" to Tywin and to galvanise Dorne into an uprising.

Consider, if Gregor's confession is all he wanted, what a paltry prize that is to risk one's life for: it's like getting Payne to confess to Ned's murder-what impact would it have, what justice would it bring?

Then consider his weapon: a spear tipped with a slow acting poison. If he meant to win, why would he use a slow acting poison?

And if he had won, what would he have acheived? Gregor's life and nothing else-Tywin would have all his children living and his only lose would be an unmanageable heir who could in death be lionised and martyred.

Whereas, if he lost willingly, Tywin is forced to sentence his own son to death as both a kinslayer and a regicide. The Lannister family is disgraced and the royal family stained by the death of the boy king at his own wedding feast. He also provides a fresh cause to rally the Dornish as a united front behind Daenerys when she arrives.

And this I feel not only enhances his character but makes it more badass. He ensures that Tywin's son would die a kinslayer and a regicide.

He serves the Lannisters what they've been feeding Dorne for fifteen years: injustice.

He couldn't get Elia justice but he died-and died willingly-getting the closest thing he could find: vengeance.

[Kyotsyu]

I don't think he was willing to die, but he knew it might happened and either way was good enough for him. The problem was, during the fight, he let his emotions get the better of him and lost.

He had Gregor, he could have killed him. He lost because because he was obsessed with a confession that would change nothing.

[Bedwyck]

The poisoned spear was most likely used because he wanted to ensure Gregor's death even in the event that he failed to kill him at the trial (as happened). He wont actually have to beat Gregor to kill him. He'd just have to get one good spear thrust in and eventually the poison would do the work after the trial.

As for why he did not use a fast acting poison? Maybe he was worried people would notice he cheated if Gregor suddendly collapsed from a relatively minor wound taken from a Dornishman who has a prior reputation for poisoning spears. On the other hand if he uses a slow acting poison then the effects it has on Gregor are guaranteed to not be noticed by anyone at the time of the trial and if he manages to win and convincingly kill Gregor without the assistance of poison then nothing will be suspected and no autopsy will be performed and he will not be caught using poison at all. If he loses, but manages to penetrate Gregor with the poison and is discovered it wont matter anyway because he'll be dead and Gregor will have a long, drawn-out, painful death awaiting him.

If he wins then he can wreak further havoc on Tywin's regime. He may even gain Tyrion as a valuable ally to use against his father. Dorne's eventual uprising was coming with or without Oberyn's death. They already had plans to back Daenerys prior to this. I think Oberyn fully understood that he may die which is why he used the poisoned spear so that he could kill the Mountain even in death, but I do not believe he wanted to.

[CJ McLannister]

Trials by combat do not have to be to the death. Oberyn wanted Gregor to suffer, even in the unlikely event that he yields. He was willing to die, but that's not the same thing as planning to die.

[Hangover of the Morning]

Trials by combat do not have to be to the death. Oberyn wanted Gregor to suffer, even in the unlikely event that he yields. He was willing to die, but that's not the same thing as planning to die.

I agree. He is not a complete idiot and knew that when going against The Mountain there was a chance that he might be killed. He made precautions: the poisoned spear was there to make Gregor die a slow horrible death no matter what but probably also to slow him down during the fight and thus give Oberyn the upper hand.

He seemed like someone who enjoyed life and had plenty to live for (Elaria and his daughters to say the least).

[Dornish Vinegar]

I think it's possible that Oberyn was intending to die, but in my opinion it's not at all the most likely scenario. The idea that Oberyn was on a suicide mission I think hinges too much on his alleged intention of galvanizing the Dornish into an uprising--clearly Oberyn knows his brother and his style of rule well enough to know that Doran would never allow such a reactionary uprising to take place, especially without allies set in Westeros or a Targaryen near ready to land and ally with. Oberyn's death would get Doran neither of these things, so I don't see why Oberyn would go through with it.

As for dying to rally Dorne behind a fresh cause for when Daenerys did arrive, a confession from Gregor and incrimination of Tywin Lannister for the murder and rape of Elia and murder of her children (something that has been rumored and swept under the rug for years, never actually acknowledged) to the whole Seven Kingdoms would do just as well, if not better, and would allow him to live to lead armies with Daenerys and witness the wholesale destruction of everything Tywin built, and make clear to Tywin and everyone that it was because of an abominable injustice done to his sister.

I'm fine with the concept of Oberyn the Martyr, but so far I just haven't read/thought of anything that's made me believe it more than alternatives. It just makes more sense that he intended to live through it, imo.

[Dorian Martell]

Oberyn probably poisoned Tywin, and when Tywin eventually died a painful horrible death and the suspicion fell on him, he would have demanded a trial by combat and most likely faced Gregor with a similar result

[Mithras]

Oberyn probably poisoned Tywin, and when Tywin eventually died a painful horrible death and the suspicion fell on him, he would have demanded a trial by combat and most likely faced Gregor with a similar result

Agreed.

I don't think he intended to die at all. Assuming Gregor confessed, from legal perspective the deaths of Elia and her children would hardly be called murder because I don't think there are laws about the acts during a sack. Yeah, Tyrion promised "justice" to Dorne and Tywin gave them Amory Lorch, who was already dead. Dorne might not have liked it but they didnot have the power to complain either.

In any case, it would be a great folly to expect that Gregor would confess and blame Tywin and Dorne would make them answer for in a trial.

Last but not the least, Dorne didnot need a trial because they already knew the guilty ones. The only thing they needed was a chance to execute the guilty ones and Tyrion's offer for a council chair gave the opportunity to Doran.