Why didn't Tywin marry Sansa?

[RoamingRonin]

Yo.

Why did Tywin obsess over powerful marriage alliances for his children, when he married his first cousin a Lannister from Lannisport?

Perhaps he was betrothed by his father.

I think (for meta reasons) GRRM wanted Tywin's children to be Lannisters through and through. It enforces their pride, Cersei and Jaime's especially.

[Trigger Warning]

Why would he when he has an unmarried son?

Not to mention if Tyrion is acting as lord protector in Winterfell he isn't pressing his claim on Casterly Rock.

Plus the great Tywin Lannister marrying the young heir of a vanquished foe to claim the North would likely be ridiculed. Where as him marrying his son to her is just a generic feudal political marriage.

[Ice and fire freak]

Why would it have been rape if Twin or for that fact Tyrion married her which is what took place,she wasn't to marry Jof anymore?

Of course we all learnt that in the end Tywin did use Whores.

[Bratchild]

I have to wonder if part of it could be,because he thought he'd be laughed at. Look at how Walder Frey is mocked because all of his wives are so young...and at least they've flowerered and are old enough to bear children.

[Minsc]

Why would it have been rape if Twin or for that fact Tyrion married her which is what took place,she wasn't to marry Jof anymore?

Because she would obviously not want to bed either of them.

Tywin probably saw it as a humiliation tactic against the North to marry their heir to the hated imp.

[Newstar]

Meta reason: Because Tywin would have had no bones about consummating the marriage; I know GRRM wouldn't have written a POV rape scene for Sansa--he'll tapdance around that line, but he'll never cross it--and I also doubt GRRM could have written around that.

Within-series reason: The marriage was not only a strategic move for House Lannister. It was also specifically designed to shut Tyrion up about how ill-served he'd been by his father--remember Tywin promising him a suitable wife when he was talking about rewarding Tyrion earlier in ASOS?--as well as give him a veneer of respectability (Tywin disapproved of Tyrion's whoring). Why marry Sansa himself, as that wouldn't solve the rewarding Tyrion/respectability issues he was aiming to resolve with Tyrion? Even if Tyrion refused, he'd consider Lancel or another of Tyrion's cousins before considering himself.

Also, Tywin hasn't remarried for all these years for a reason. I'm not convinced that the reason is that he's been pining for Joanna all these years, but if a man in his position--handsome, able-bodied, the patriarch of an extremely wealthy and powerful family, etc.--remains unmarried, it's because that's what he wants. He's not in Tyrion's situation where he'd have troubles securing a bride if he wanted one. Since he hasn't remarried despite being many years a widower, I doubt he'd be tempted into marriage for a purely strategic, political match, particularly when as I pointed out marrying Sansa himself wouldn't solve his Tyrion problem.

I suppose it's another example of Tywin's hypocrisy; he'll foist political marriages on his children, supposedly for the good of the family, but his own marriage was for love (as per GRRM), and he's unwilling to enter into any political marriages himself to further the prestige of the house.

[Ser Greg of House House]

Where does he get these Lannisters if he is infertile?

He whores his wife to Aerys, his king.

Not that I believe it, as I said it's just a crackpot theory. But it's funny.

[Ramsay Gimp]

As big of hypocrite as Tywin was, I bet the reason he didn't marry Sansa is because he already had plans to marry Shae.

lolwut? this is a joke right?

[Jon of the Dead]

Sansa was probably the best match Tyrion was ever gonna get in his life, since she was a hostage and wasn't allowed to say no. Tywin had tried to arrange a match for Tyrion since forever and everybody kept refusing him, so Tywin saw a chance in Sansa and went with it. He got the North and got Tyrion out of his sight in a single move.

And unlike Tyrion, if Tywin had wanted to marry again I bet he would have tons of offers. Lord of Casterly Rock and Hand of the King? Hell, for that kind of money even I'd marry him, and I'm a straight dude

[Bratchild]

Sansa was probably the best match Tyrion was ever gonna get in his life, since she was a hostage and wasn't allowed to say no. Tywin had tried to arrange a match for Tyrion since forever and everybody kept refusing him, so Tywin saw a chance in Sansa and went with it. He got the North and got Tyrion out of his sight in a single move.

And unlike Tyrion, if Tywin had wanted to marry again I bet he would have tons of offers. Lord of Casterly Rock and Hand of the King? Hell, for that kind of money even I'd marry him, and I'm a straight dude

Somehow or another I doubt Tywin's second bride would survive for long around Cersei.

[Trigger Warning]

Somehow or another I doubt Tywin's second bride would survive for long around Cersei.

I don't think she'd dare risk his wrath.

[Ice and fire freak]

Because she would obviously not want to bed either of them.

Tywin probably saw it as a humiliation tactic against the North to marry their heir to the hated imp.

Are we looking at it as rape from our perspective then as lots of these marriages were not amicable,say Cersie was made to marry again like Twin wanted would we be calling that rape?

Actually I thought it was one of Tyrions best acts in not bedding Sansa as he could see she was repulsed by him.

[IRON BANK]

Cersie would not have liked that, Tywin marries Sansa, before Joffrey dies.. then when Joffrey does die Tywin would be a major suspect. I like this idea could have ceared up alot of issues for the Lannisters.

[Trigger Warning]

Tywin would be a major suspect.

Very doubtful. Care to elaborate?

[Jon of the Dead]

Somehow or another I doubt Tywin's second bride would survive for long around Cersei.

That's true, but I think Tywin would make sure every available Lannister (including Cersei) was properly married before giving the big step himself, and Cersei would have probably ended in the Iron Islands or the Reach

[tndragon]

Tywin's a sleazeball, but even he doesn't want to be seen bedding the most notorious traitor in westeros's daughter. it's political calculus. plus, at this point knows the north doesn't even belong to the starks anymore.

[Mad Monkey]

Are we looking at it as rape from our perspective then as lots of these marriages were not amicable,say Cersie was made to marry again like Twin wanted would we be calling that rape?

Actually I thought it was one of Tyrions best acts in not bedding Sansa as he could see she was repulsed by him.

While political marriages are of course very common in this series, it's relatively rare for a woman to be forced into marriage by an enemy, and most people even in Westeros would consider that unorthodox at best. Sansa might have been willing to endure an unpleasant political marriage if it was arranged by her parents or even by Robb, but it would be hard for her to endure one that harms her family's interests and benefits her captor's. It's probably that element that would irritate people in the story the most.

[SeanF]

I think Tywin failed to remarry because he did not wish to create a rival branch of the Lannisters who might attempt to usurp Jaime's inheritance (he hoped to get Jaime out of the Kingsguard) or failing that, Cersei's inheritance and her childrens'.

[Ice Turtle]

I think that Tywin liked to humiliate his enemies,especially females (his father's mistress, Tysha,Yaya), he wasn't able to beat Robb at batter field but could marry his sister to someone he considers grotesque and still claim the North if Tyrion's child was normal or get rid of Tyrion if the Northerners killed him.

[Alty732]

Because in the end, Tywin was a coward. To have sex with Sansa, he must rape her(since Sansa would never consent). Tywin does not commit any of his crimes personally, and has to get someone else to do his dirty work. He's a gigantic chickenshit. That's why he still tries to act noble despite the fact that he is just a gigantic mass murderer. This is why he had Tyrion marry her. So now Tyrion would be the rapist and Tywin's "honor" is intact.

Woah, your Tywin hate I think over shadowed the facts here.

In the books it is stated he loves Joanna, and would never marry another. I feel like this is the main cause, he married for love once and can't push himself to marry again especially lovelessly. Also it rids tyrion of wanting casterly rock.