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Essay on Jaime: The Man, The King, The God


MaesterHodor

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Jaime Lannister of Casterly Rock has been, and still is, one of the most controversial characters in the series due to his redemption arc and his questionable actions prior to it. While I confess that pushing a child off a balcony was not the smartest thing he could have done--regardless of whether he was trying to save his children and sister-lover's life or not--what he has done after losing his hand is undoubtfully good.

In this essay, I argue that Jaime is all of these three things: a man, a King and a God.

The Man

Jaime isn't perfect, just like his fellow human beings. Jaime is vulnerable to sex and the pleasure of killing just like any other. As he points out, he only feels truly alive whenever he is sleeping with Cersei or fighting a battle. These are two of the traits that make him a man with simple pleasures.

His sense of justice; that is, what he considers to be right and wrong, truly are what make him an interesting character. He considers his greatest act to have murdered Mad King Aerys, much to Ned Stark's chagrin. But thanks to this great act, he was able to save the lives of 500000 people--at least according to the TV series. He still has done things that cannot be considered good, however, such as pushing Bran off a balcony to his potential death. Jaime clearly is not perfect, and this shows the man in him.

The King

Jaime's true nature as a King has been foreshadowed throughout the series--perhaps one of the most noteworthy foreshadowings in the series, as Ned recalls it at the very start of the first book. Jaime, for no apparent reason at all, was sitting on Aerys's throne. Now, why else would GRRM make him do this? He must have a plan for his future greatness.

While Jaime may not be perfect, nor are other Kings. Kings, as Robert has shown, are just as vulnerable to manly pleasures, or perhaps even more so, as any other man. And Jaime is just as vulnerable to these pleasures as we are.

The God

Jaime may not be a complete man nor a complete King. But he is part God. Consider Jaime Lannister's appearance, as the ASOIAF wiki puts it:

Jaime has the quintessential Lannister look, with bright green eyes and golden hair. He is considered to be extremely handsome, his tall frame complemented with comely features and "a smile that cut like a knife.

His mere appearance is like that of a Greek God in our world. His simple presence in Westeros makes him stand out as a God among men.

Jaime, however, is not a God only in the Greek sense. He is also a God in the Westerosi, New Gods sense. As an incredibly talented swordsman, perhaps the most talented to ever live--Ser Barristan says that he was an even greater natural than Ser Arthur Dayne--he is no different than the Warrior himself, and perhaps his reincarnation in the world of ASOIAF.

Thank you for reading.

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Aerys = Loki, it all makes perfect sense, now. The madness, the pyromania, etc.

Jaime lost his hand just like the Norse god Tyr. Only it was Vargo Hoat instead of Fenrir.

I am 100% convinced that Jaime Lannister is a god, and will start a Church in his honor, and not only for tax purposes.

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Very good essay. The God part may be a little far fetched the I don`t think the King part is that far from reality.

Ser Jaime Lannister was twin to Queen Cersei; tall and golden, with flashing green eyes and a smile that cut like a knife. He wore crimson silk, high black boots, a black satin cloak. On the breast of his tunic, the lion of his House was embroidered in gold thread, roaring its defiance. They called him the Lion of Lannister to his face and whispered "Kingslayer" behind his back.

Jon found it hard to look away from him. This is what a king should look like, he thought to himself as the man passed.

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First, welcome to the forum.

Now, please take this as constructive criticism. While I think that there is something appealing in this essay, this needed to be more elaborate work... There are so many aspects of Jaime`s moral dilemmas that could have been researched, and when you compare him to Warrior, you need to explore other aspects of Jaime's story. For he is more than just a warrior. As for King part, I would like to add how Jon sees Jaime as much more like a King than Robert.

All in all, you are on the good path. Keep that way, research and reread a bit, and I think you`ll be able to create something great. For the beginning, this is great idea.

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First, welcome to the forum.

Now, please take this as constructive criticism. While I think that there is something appealing in this essay, this needed to be more elaborate work... There are so many aspects of Jaime`s moral dilemmas that could have been researched, and when you compare him to Warrior, you need to explore other aspects of Jaime's story. For he is more than just a warrior. As for King part, I would like to add how Jon sees Jaime as much more like a King than Robert.

All in all, you are on the good path. Keep that way, research and reread a bit, and I think you`ll be able to create something great. For the beginning, this is great idea.

This is so...encouraging and constructive.

:mellow:

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Except the Warrior is a lefty.

Jamie is becoming a lefty. I think it was in Jon's PoV where he mentioned stories that said that Quohorin Halfhand was a great warrior with his right, but after getting it mangled, over the years, he became better with his left than he ever was. Ilyn Payne may just help Jamie fulfil the prophecy of being The Warrior walking amongst men.

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I have to disagree with Jaime being a God or any reincarnation of one.

I think he's going to become a Hero, in the Greek sense. Not a self-sacrificing, protect-the-weak kind of hero(though he did kill his reputation to save thousands of lives), but someone who will earn legendary status for the next 8,000 years.

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