Jump to content

What is biggest case of Irony in ASOFAI?


Ser Snowflake

Recommended Posts

I was lurking on another thread where a poster was pointing out the irony of Theon commenting about Hodor that no one could say that he didn't know his name only to become a shell of a man who constantly have to remind himself of his new name.

Another case of irony that comes to mind is the story of how Ser Jorah became an exile. Because of his love for a woman, Ser Jorah broke his vows of knighthood and the laws of the kingdom by selling slaves only to get exiled by his new love interest who besides her dragons is most known for freeing slaves.

Isn't it ironic...don't you think? GRRM is excellent at using irony as a plot device, and I was curious of any other examples I may have overlooked in my four re-reads so far.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Catelyn Stark doing all she could to receive guest right for protection and watching how the RW turned out comes to mind.

Yeah that's a good one. Another one that comes to mind is the fact that during Robert's Rebellion three Starks died south of the neck.......that's the same amount of Starks who died in the South during the WOFK. Heck the only reason I believe Benjen, Bran, and Rickon will survive is that they are the only Starks remaining in the north.

Oh and welcome to the board.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Robert recruits Ned to be his hand specifically because he wants an honest man. He complains that half the people in KL "don't dare tell [him] the truth, and the other half can't find it." Of course, given how probable R+L=J is, Ned's guilty of keeping arguably the most consequential secret in the realm from Robert. Later, Ned finds the truth, and twice chooses not to tell Robert - first by betraying his discovery to Cersei first, and second by not telling Robert the truth as he was dying. The first decision (to tell Cersei) triggered the series of events that lead to Robert's death, so ultimately, Ned's shying away from his duty to tell Robert the painful truth killed Robert. Then there's the fact that Robert is the biggest liar/self-deceiver of them all, failing both to find and confront the truth of his "children's" parentage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another case of irony that comes to mind is the story of how Ser Jorah became an exile. Because of his love for a woman, Ser Jorah broke his vows of knighthood and the laws of the kingdom by selling slaves only to get exiled by his new love interest who besides her dragons is most known for freeing slaves.

And of course, Ser Jorah also became a slave momentarily. He's branded as well, so he can't hide his being a slave for a time.

At the top of my head: "Jaime Lannister sends his regards." I'll probably come up with more later, when my head clears a bit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ser Allister Thorne fought to the end trying to defend the Targaryen dynasty and was given the choice of death or the Wall. The his treatment of Jon Snow when he comes to the Wall is amusing seeing as Jon is likely the scion of the Targaryen house for whom he fought so hard and long for.

I always find that humorous

It did come about but if Jaime had taken the Hand of the King duty. A Hand without a hand,

Just an add on to the above comment on how Sam Tarly is the most cowardly person in these books and he is the only one to have killed the fiercest and most revered 'monster' in the series,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was going to say Tywin getting caught with Shae but a previous poster beat me to it. What a hypocrite.

Jamie crippling Bran, thinking it's better to die a clean death than to live as a cripple, than becoming somewhat a cripple himself.

Janos Slynt being instrumental in Ned's beheading, only to lose his head at the hands of Jon

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As to the shae thing, Tywin was not anti-whore, he was against the idea for Tyrion because he often fell in love with them and did things like bring them to court.

I disagree. Tyrion only fell in love with his first wife, who was not a whore. Tywin always had a problem with him being with prostitutes and acted like this was beneath the Lannisters. He also treated his father's mistress, in Cersei's words "a woman of this sort", in a despicable manner. Cersei believes Tywin had no use for whores and that he never touched a woman after his wife's death. He's acting like his moral standards are above everyone else's when they're clearly not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was lurking on another thread where a poster was pointing out the irony of Theon commenting about Hodor that no one could say that he didn't know his name only to become a shell of a man who constantly have to remind himself of his new name.

Another case of irony that comes to mind is the story of how Ser Jorah became an exile. Because of his love for a woman, Ser Jorah broke his vows of knighthood and the laws of the kingdom by selling slaves only to get exiled by his new love interest who besides her dragons is most known for freeing slaves.

Isn't it ironic...don't you think? GRRM is excellent at using irony as a plot device, and I was curious of any other examples I may have overlooked in my four re-reads so far.

The Theon one was me (well, also me - there were probably others).

And I agree that the Jorah one ironic-deluxe when he eventually becomes a slave.

Brienne, so in love with Renly that she pledges her life to guarding him, finally holds him when he's been killed.

Not sure if that's irony or just more likely because of the job description.

[/Fry]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All those mentioned so far are ironic but if I had to go for the Biggest case of irony in asoiaf it would be Rhaegar Targaryen knighting Gregor Clegane. Not only because, the epitomy of beauty, kindness, nobility and all that is good and just and fair in the world made a knight out of Gregor, a ruthless, rapist but also because Gregor was the one who killed hiscdren and raped and killed his wife during the Rebellion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...