Jump to content

What is Ned Stark's most negative trait or feature, if any?


kidlatxo

Recommended Posts

First, I acknowledge the man is not perfect and some of you might find the answer to this question too obvious but I'm really wondering about this one after rereading AGoT.

Is too much honor a negative trait? Or is it too much disguised pride or disguised contempt.

Looking forward to your replies.

⚡️

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lack of common sense. I don't think it was his honor. If you want to warn Cersei make sure your children are away and can't be used as blackmail. Take care of your own children first before you worry about someone else's.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ned's biggest negative trait is his rigid sense of morality. Doing the right thing is noble but it almost never comes with applause, meanwhile the bad guys get ahead because they don't shackle themselves to the rules. Faced with Robert's death Ned should have simply fled back to Winterfell, his seat of power, and decided what to do from there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He is not dumb, LOL.



He's used to being the sole arbiter of how things go, so in the North, you get rewarded for honorable behavior, because he runs the North with no serious competition from anyone. So, when he's thrown into the nest of vipers in KL he underestimates the level of duplicity he is encountering...but even then, he has several back up plans...getting his daughters out of KL...getting word to Stannis...and engaging LF...it's only by the author's will that ALL of this fails and the king dies, too, and the king's last command is torn up in full view of the court and no one does anything. That's a lot of bad luck.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

But when you really get to analyze his 'scheme' it kinda makes a lot of sense and it would have worked really well too. He supposedly had LF and the gold cloaks plus he had the bad ass Northmen by his side as well, cersei only had selmy and the KG in that courtroom. He was under the assumption that LF was really on their side because of LF's excellent treachery and acting like he is really in love with Cat. The thing that really messed up his vibe was not being informed by Varys, which I think was leaning against the lannisters... I seriously believe that there's no way LF and the captain of the gold cloaks would've escaped Varys radar.

I still don't think too much honor is a bad thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep. Here you could also say he let's his prejudice get in the way, he has a sort of visceral dislike of Varys the eunuch....even though LF's actions were more suspicious and he tells him outright he isn't to be trusted, LOL, except his wife trusts him, so his wife trusts him and he is sort of skeeved by Varys...so he makes the final fatal mistake.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

What did he do to Theon that was so cowardly?

Took him as a ward/hostage, then failed to act fatherly towards him because he was afraid to have to execute him eventually. This resulted in Theon being even more conflicted then he first was when he arrived in Winterfell.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I suspect Ned's treatment of Theon was exactly in keeping with how high value hostage wards were normally treated. They weren't members of the family, so treating him like a son would be inappropriate, especially considering he is there to ensure his father's fealty to the realm. He was accorded all the proper treatment due his station, as appropriate.



Blaming Ned for Theon's weakness is a huge stretch, IMO

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He was simply naive to the situation that was rising around him, miles out of his comfort zone.



Not everyone can play the game of thrones and Ned especially couldn't and wouldn't due to his sense of honor, wrong place, wrong time for the poor fellow :frown5:


Link to comment
Share on other sites

Took him as a ward/hostage, then failed to act fatherly towards him because he was afraid to have to execute him eventually. This resulted in Theon being even more conflicted then he first was when he arrived in Winterfell.

I honestly don't think Ned was distant towards Theon on purpose, I think Ned is just a distant person by nature except with his kids. Even Catelyn has commented on how distant Ned is with her after their 15yrs of marriage. I think he did what was expected of him with Theon but you're right he could have tried better with him.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

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

×
×
  • Create New...