Parallels between ASOIAF Characters and Historical Figures

[mankytoes]

WTF. How is Stannis even remotely like Oliver Cromwell? Or are you saying Richard III was a bit like Oliver Cromwell, which is also WTF.

Miserable fucker? I know Stannis doesn't let anyone have fun at feasts and that, which sounds similar to Puritans, though his reasons aren't religious. He obviously also fought a civil war against the crown, but it isn't much of a link.

[lareine]

No he's nothing like Hnery VII.

Stannis is very similar to James II, a successful soldier, but a poor leader. Follows his wife's religion, rather than his people's very unpopular, overthrown and defeated in battle despite having a superior blood claim to the throne, goes off to a obscure area of the realm to try and fight on after being defeated (Ireland/the north) where he rallies some support. Plus there is the bedpan theory and the shireen patchface theory which are both obviously absurd, but are widely stated because people want to believe it (as it gives them an excuse to deny an unpopular monarch the throne). James was also headstrong and known for poor desicion making.

Maybe not similar as far as events of his rule, but personality wise and even look wise, I can see some similarities between Henry VII and Stannis. Both were lean and sharp featured and both had stoic, somewhat cold personalities that did not endear them to most people causing them to be loved far less than their more charismatic predecessors (Robert in Stannis's case and Edward IV in Henry VII's.)

[ellisg]

When first reading A Game of Thrones I thought a lot of House Lancaster and York in the War of the Roses when reading about the initial rivalry between House Stark and Lannister. Also when playing Assassins Creed Brotherhood Cesare Borgia and his sister reminded me of Cersei and Jaime.

[lojzelote]

Brief points because I can't be bothered :P :

* both were branded the "traitor's daughter"

* had to survive in a ruthless court with no allies

* seen as the weak link from their siblings

* underestimated and manipulated by power hungry adults

* viewed as weak and passive because that's how they survived

* very cautious

* must be noted that they both used courtesy as their armour; Elizabeth sucked up to Mary badly

If Elizabeth was a fictional character she'd be Sansa and no one would like because she's so damn passive.

How's she like Elizabeth of York?

Reportedly she was nice and gentle, did not show much ambition, and kept greyhounds. :P Many things you say of EI could be certainly said of EoY, too, since she was bastardized after her father's death and had to live at Richard's court. Plus, some of her family were clearly killed on the orders of the people she had to bow down to.

I give you points for the things you've found, though. They're good.

Anyway, whether she's more like EI or EoY, at this point I doubt that Sansa will be a queen of anything, consort or regnant, so it's kind of moot for me, but yeah, if she begins to act in a badass manner (i.e., make successful important decisions of her own while leading people) like EI in later life, I will be only glad to read that.

[lareine]

I'd completely agree with the connection between Thomas Stanley and Walder Frey. They were traitors who were acknowledged as traitors time and time again.

I found a lot of Ned Stark - rather than Tyrion - in Richard York. He just wanted to do the right thing and help out his brother. When he was declared Protector until Edward V came of age, the Queen Regent staged a bit a coup like our darling Cersei and Richard never quite recovered from it. He was a northerner who had Yorkist loyalties and tended to scorn the Londoners who essentially helped bring about his downfall. Both were extremely loyal, especially to their wives and family. Maybe I'm too much of a Ricardian, but I bet Richard III was as likely a "traitor" as Ned Stark was. But people remember him as that.

Joffrey Baratheon is about as self-entitled as Margaret d'Anjou's son, Edouard, was.

I've always loved the comparisons between Renly/Loras and Achilles/Patroclus sweet and fitting. Especially when Loras and Patroclus don their late lovers' armor.

I agree with you that the Ricardian view of Richard III is very similar to that of Ned Stark in GOT. Edward IV gave Richard an incredible amount of power and responsibility in the North of England. At various times in his life, he was the Governor of the North, Lieutenant of the North and Commander-in Chief against the Scots and hereditary Warden of the West Marches and the North. Like Ned was responsible for defending the northern border against raids from the Wildings and other undesirables from across the wall, Richard had the authority to summon the Border Levies and issue Commissions of Array to repel Scottish Border raids into England.

Though I can definitely see the similarities between Walder Frey and Thomas Stanley, I also see a lot of parallels between the Stanley and Lannister families, particularly between Thomas Stanley and Tywin. Both men were possessed of a great deal of political acumen and cunning and became two of the most successful power-brokers of their times. Thomas Stanley was married to Henry VII's mother Margaret Beaufort, but during Edward IV and Richard III reigns, they acted like devout Yorkists with Stanley eventually being appointed Lord High Constable of England by Richard III. Tywin began his political career as the devoted and capable Hand of a Targaryen King. Stanley and his brother Sir William began the Battle of Bosworth ostensibly fighting on Richard III's, but slyly positioned their troops independent of both the royal forces and the rebel army, sitting out most of fighting until they could see which way the wind was blowing. That moment came when they saw Richard III and a contingent of his men personally charge Henry Tudor. Lord Stanley kept his powder dry, taking no direct part in the actual fighting, but seeing Richard III embroiled with Henry's troops, it was Sir William's decisive intervention that gave Henry Tudor the victory, his men killing the King he was supposed to have served. Similarly, Tywin Lannister sat out most of Robert's Rebellion until the decisive Battle of the Trident when the Crown Prince was killed and the Targaryen cause shattered before he decided which side to back, joining forces with those opposing the king he formerly served. It was Tywin's son Jamie who killed his former master King Aerys and Tywins men who killed the kings heirs. Thomas Stanley symbolically placed Richard III's fallen coronet on his stepsons head at the end of the battle, signifying his loyalty to Henry Tudor . Likewise, Tywin presents Robert with the dead Targaryen children at the foot of the Iron Throne as his symbols of loyalty to his new king. Both Tywin and Thomas Stanley end up as family members to the new king and his regime and gain a huge amount of power and wealth in the process; Tywin's daughter marries Robert and becomes queen and Thomas Stanley's stepson became King Henry VII.

Concern for what was best for the overall good of their kingdoms was never the Stanley's or the Lannister's main priority. Familial advancement and acquisition of power and prestige was, no matter what they had to do to achieve that. Neither family would hesitate to sacrifice individual family members to advance the interests of their house. During the War of the Roses and it's aftermath, the Stanleys would often place one family member in the Yorkist camp and another in the Lancasterian camp so that a Stanley was always on the winning side. Years after Bosworth, William Stanley was even found to have been backing the Yorkist pretender Perkin Warbeck despite the fact that Henry VII was his nephew by marriage and had richly rewarded him. Most ironic of all was the Stanley's family motto; sans changer, meaning "without changing" or "always loyal."

[mrunderhill]

ASOIAF is based on the War of the Roses so:

Robert - Edward IV

Aerys - Henry VI

Stannis and Tyrion - Richard III

Cersei - Margaret of Anjou/Elizabeth Woodville

Renly - Duke of Clarence

Littlefinger - Thomas Seymour

Lysa - Juana the Mad

Melisandre - Mary I/Rasputin

Tommen - Edward VI

Bran and Rickon - The Princes in the Tower

Dany or Aegon - Henry VII

Sansa - Elizabeth I

Some good comparisons, but then the Sansa and Elizabeth one does not really work. Either does Dany/Aegon against Henry VII. If anyone is Henry VII it is Stannis.

Elizabeth I was incredibly intelligent, close to her brother and well looked after by her stepmothers if neglected by her father.

Martin is inspired by many historical characters, but as he says he makes them 'his own'. Robert is an amalgamation of Edward IV and Herny VIII.

Tywin is pretty much just Edward I.