30 replies to this topic

[NoNameRivers]

I know that she's supposed to be bad, and when i saw her on the series, she was. Yet, when i read about her, what she feels seemed more pure to me. I mean, one reason why bran fell off the windows was so that cerseis children wouldnt get hurt (i know that she would have also died, but when she talks to ned in the godswood, she says shed do anything to protect them from getting hurt, including hurtig other ones, about which ned thinks cat might do something similar. Blah Blah)

Her love for her brother -however sick- seemed honest to me, too. She says they shared a womb, etc. she doesnt "flinch from the truth". So, this seems to be a relationship more of love than lust to me, as opposed to the series. I havent finished the book yet, but i ve watched entire season1 (which i wish i hadnt, it really spoiled the book, but i was bored in the summer )


This was all very unorganized, but i hope you got my point. Im really confused about this so i hope some of you are willing to discuss.

Edited by NoNameRivers, 20 September 2012 - 02:56 PM.

[BoarHunter]

It is true that in the series she is portrayed more as an evil mastermind with no feelings whatsoever. In the books you'll see that she is more human, though still quite wicked.

I'd recommend you to keep reading.

Spoiler

In AFfC her story will become more clear.

Edited by BoarHunter, 21 September 2012 - 01:00 AM.

[Hornblower]

I tend to like her mainly because she is true and honest to herself, and thats an important characteristic in a person. the (wo)man who lies to themself is a fool

[Sheyria]

I don't really know what to think of her, when I am about to like her she does something which makes me hate her. So it's complicated for now.

[rumple9]

Cersei is an odd character (and wonderfully complicated in the Martinesque way). She is the archetypal Lady Macbeth type character. I think she is simply brutally honest with herself and those around her. All she is concerned about is securing power for her children (firstly Joff and latterly Tommen) as any mother in her position would.

She is certainly a shrewd tactician and politicalist.

She realises she is in a difficult position as a woman - Jaime is heir to Casterly Rock but disowns it. She cannot inherit. Tyrion her abomination of a brother killed her mother at birth. She also truly loves Jaime. She has a difficulty with women and really wishes she was a man. In fact she says to Robert something along the lines of "maybe I should wear the crown, and you should wear the gown".

The more I think of it, the only really bad thing I recall her doing (other than incest) is poisioning Robert's wine for the boar accident after ned threatens to tell him about Jaime.

For example she could have had Ned killed but gave him a way out by taking the black. Also she was against Joff's decision to behead Ned. She's not all bad, just power hungry.

[The Lord's Kiss]

She actually can inherit Casterly Rock, she just comes after Tyrion.

Cersei is certainly an interesting character, and there's not very much good to be said about her other than that she values her children above all else.

I hope you finish reading the series so you can join us in the General section of the forums! We currently have a thread devoted to examining Cersei in an unbiased light, since most of them usually devolve into bashing and get locked by the mods.

[Nathan the Calm]

I recently talked with my younger brother about the fact that we mostly see pure evil and good persons in TV series and films. Just watched the first few episodes but in the books Cersei is more human and there were moments I felt pity about her. I do not think that I would have been able to do so in the series.

[LastOfTheGiants]

Keep on reading , some of the characters in the book are written a bit differently in the series and the further you read through the books the more you find out about characters and their motives

[Lion of Judah]

Cersei pure. Ha!

[Volantis]

Hornblower, on 28 September 2012 - 12:59 PM, said:

I tend to like her mainly because she is true and honest to herself, and thats an important characteristic in a person. the (wo)man who lies to themself is a fool

Excuse me but, are you sure you're talking about Cersei?

[Hornblower]

Volantis, on 02 November 2012 - 07:02 AM, said:

Excuse me but, are you sure you're talking about Cersei?

earm, yes i am, its how i read her, everyone reads characters differently.

[lionhead]

2/3rd the way though ASOS myself and seen the odd episode of the tv series but don't want to watch fully it until i read the books as not to cloud my mental picture of the characters with that of somebody elses vision of them. But the great thing of the writing in these books is there are very few black or while characters, everyone is right from their point of view, which is the case in real life with the exception of the odd true psycho which again is in the books.

[TheWildWolf]

She is more just being like any mother would, which is completely human... This is what gives her this sense in my mind. She still is twisted, and would sacrifice quite a bit to get he way.

[Gurthnar]

The issue about TV series is, that you don't get to see the POV. You only see how it all looks on the outside, but the books give insight to the characters' minds. Thus it is pretty clear, how TV series watcher can see Cersei as "bad" while books-readers will eventually get to see her in grey at most.

[Jordan Peters]

I think she is a Lannister through an through, and is motivated partly by "love" for her children, but most of all for her own lust after power.

[Cora Stark]

Sheyria, on 28 September 2012 - 03:43 PM, said:

I don't really know what to think of her, when I am about to like her she does something which makes me hate her. So it's complicated for now.

I know what you mean first I think she is a cold hearted she_devilish bitch next I think that she just needs love later im back to thinking that she needs her head on a spike so I don't know what to think.

[Tookie Clothespin]

Lion Of Judah, on 01 November 2012 - 10:49 PM, said:

Cersei pure. Ha!

ah shoot! i've run out of likes. if there's one thing pure about Cersei, it is most definitely her hair. it's pure blond. shiningly blond. the things that she later does however - not so. i find that the best way i can appreciate her character and even sympathize with her is to compartmentalize: Cersei with Jamie - fucked up but hot, Cersei with her kids - obsessively protective bordering on manic but, laudable for her single-mindedness, Cersei with Robert - just unfortunate. i guess what i like most about her is that she's unflinching. "honest to herself" though...i would find that a bit of a stretch. why don't we just say "internally conflicted"?

[Mayura]

I think, as it has been said, that Cersei is most of all power hugry. however, she does seem to truly hate Tyrion and some other folks as well.

What strikes me about Cersei, even reading her POV, is that she has some psychological disorder. She seems a bit too paranoid and delusional to be 100% normal. Also, I think she wants to play the Game of Thrones, but she isn't a player. She thinks she understand everything and holds the power, but in fact she is not intelligent enough to be a player. She is too often carried away by her emotions and she makes too many mistakes.

[Kate Poem]

She really - REALLY - is not pure. Not in any way!
For example - Lady's death, her hatred for Tyrion, her narcisstic behaviour...

[Pinkie Baelish]

Cersei is the worst. She's evil, but not in the cool way like Littlefinger or Roose. She's nowhere near as good as politics as her brother or father , she's cruel for the sake of being cruel, and she's a complete nutcase. It's hard to think of a single redeeming quality of hers, apart from her cheekbones. That being said, she's one hell of a fascinating read.