Cersei: Crazy or Cruel?

[dsug]

Show only btw (we all know book Cersei is crazy as fuck)

I'm starting to question if our beloved Queen Regnant is genuinely mad or just really, really mean. I definitely think she's come a little unhinged, but is she honesty losing it, or is she just so hateful that she's willing to do anything to get what she wants? Her comments while torturing Septa Unella are very interesting, where she admits she hurts people because she likes doing it. To me, that shows a conscience decision to harm people, rather than her not knowing any better. 

So, is the Mad Queen actually mad, or is she just a bully? 

[Future Null Infinity]

I think it's the madness of the iron throne, she didn't gave a damn about Tommen and immediately crowned herself queen of the 7 kingdoms

[Runaway Penguin]

Crazy and cruel. Though i don't think sehe is insane - she is just sociopathic and narcisstic.

[A spoon of knife and fork]

19 hours ago, dsug said:

Show only btw (we all know book Cersei is crazy as fuck)

I'm starting to question if our beloved Queen Regnant is genuinely mad or just really, really mean. I definitely think she's come a little unhinged, but is she honesty losing it, or is she just so hateful that she's willing to do anything to get what she wants? Her comments while torturing Septa Unella are very interesting, where she admits she hurts people because she likes doing it. To me, that shows a conscience decision to harm people, rather than her not knowing any better. 

So, is the Mad Queen actually mad, or is she just a bully? 

She has always been selfish, cruel and sadistic.  The difference now is that she has lost any reason to care whether anyone knows it.  She no longer gives a single fuck about what anyone else thinks of her.  She's done "playing games".  She's going to do whatever she wants.  

Actually it's really similar with the Mad King Aerys IMO.  At first he was just kind of a jerk.  Then he got increasingly paranoid. Then he just starting murdering people whenever he felt like it because he could.  There's not much difference between someone unleashing uncontrolled sadistic urges and madness, IMO.  

[AugustusTheGreat]

I dont think that she is power hungry. She has watched 2 of her kids get killed by enemies, and a 3rd one is going away from her as she has been embarrassed time and time again by people within her keep. I dont think that she expected Tommen to kill himself though.

I think that if Tywin saw what she did to protect the leverage of house Lannister, he would be impressed. 

[StoneColdJorahMormont]

Once her daughter was killed, she resigned herself to the fact Tommen was going to go.. no matter what she did ( never considered it was self fulfilling prophecy )and has just decided to do whatever the fcuk she wants and hurt whoever she dislikes which is everyone except Jamie... and even then from the show it feels it is love built on physical attraction... and since his return with the golden hand she has went off him too.

[Adam_Up_Bxtch]

I'd say both...

[Gaz0680]

Definitely both. Cersei is a cruel and vindictive bitch and while shes certainly not insane at the moment (she is in full control of her senses and knows exactly what she is doing), i think she is becoming somewhat unhinged, which could later lead to true madness.

As of right now though, Cersei has made the choice to do whatever she wants and just doesnt give a fuck who she hurts or what lives she destroys in the process. She is evil.

[The Arthur Smith]

Why not both?

[Grizzly A Mormont]

9 hours ago, House_Of_Fraser said:

Once her daughter was killed, she resigned herself to the fact Tommen was going to go.. no matter what she did ( never considered it was self fulfilling prophecy )and has just decided to do whatever the fcuk she wants and hurt whoever she dislikes which is everyone except Jamie... and even then from the show it feels it is love built on physical attraction... and since his return with the golden hand she has went off him too.

The connection and bond that twins have is only understood by themselves. All others can only contemplate.

It is not insanity that drives her. Vengeance, not Insatiny,  is the Only thing that  dives her now. Vengeance is for now she believes took Geoffrey and Myrcella. She believes that Tommen was already stolen by the High Sparrow, especially when 'Trial by Combat' was outlawed and that vengeance was fulfilled when she burned The Sept with wildfire.

 

Her only purpose now is to destroy Dorne, Tyrion and Sansa Stark.

 

[Lord Lannister]

11 hours ago, AugustusTheGreat said:

I dont think that she is power hungry. She has watched 2 of her kids get killed by enemies, and a 3rd one is going away from her as she has been embarrassed time and time again by people within her keep. I dont think that she expected Tommen to kill himself though.

I think that if Tywin saw what she did to protect the leverage of house Lannister, he would be impressed. 

If she cared about Tommen and not about power, she would've had him present in the small council meetings and wouldn't have tried to dominate it as she did in season 5. It was always about power, now she can just drop the pretenses.

[AugustusTheGreat]

1 minute ago, Lord Lannister said:

If she cared about Tommen and not about power, she would've had him present in the small council meetings and wouldn't have tried to dominate it as she did in season 5. It was always about power, now she can just drop the pretenses.

She was always about power in the way that she wants her family to always be on top, like her father. I dont think that she ever wanted the Iron Throne. 

[Lord Lannister]

Just now, AugustusTheGreat said:

She was always about power in the way that she wants her family to always be on top, like her father. I dont think that she ever wanted the Iron Throne. 

Then we disagree. She actively undermined Tyrion when he was trying to preserve their claim to the throne. She all but destroyed the alliance her father built with the Tyrells just because she was jealous of Margaery. She told Tywin she would destroy House Lannister rather than marry Loras. These are not the actions of a person who puts family over self.

[dsug]

7 minutes ago, Lord Lannister said:

If she cared about Tommen and not about power, she would've had him present in the small council meetings and wouldn't have tried to dominate it as she did in season 5. It was always about power, now she can just drop the pretenses.

Wow I couldn't have said it better. 

Cersei has been lying to herself, convincing herself that she does what she does for the the protection of her children. With them out of the way, I imagine she'll feel a sense of relief. She can finally shamelessly pursue power because she wants it, and finally drop the "I only want what's best for my kids" act. 

[AugustusTheGreat]

14 minutes ago, Lord Lannister said:

Then we disagree. She actively undermined Tyrion when he was trying to preserve their claim to the throne. She all but destroyed the alliance her father built with the Tyrells just because she was jealous of Margaery. She told Tywin she would destroy House Lannister rather than marry Loras. These are not the actions of a person who puts family over self.

I think that she believes that Tyrion is nothing but a drunken pest, which he kind of is in a way depending on what your point of view is. 

Margaery has a ton of ability to play the game of thrones, and she can and will manipulate Tommen. Cersei sensed that and knew that the Tyrells could potentially control the entire small council and eliminate the Lannisters from the crown (which they almost did). 

Now when I say family, I meant her kin mostly, as well as Jaime. She valued that above all else throughout the whole series. She looked a lot more traumatized than happy in the season 6 finale imo. 

[Masha]

TV Cersei was always kind of a bit unstable but not insane or crazy. She is tremendously insecure and resented anyone having power over her - whether her husband or her father and wants to have her position as independent and power thru controlling her children but not necessary as the one on the throne.

She started hated Margaery because she felt that Margaery was usurping her power base (as queen) and stealing her childrens love and attention. She hated Tyrion because she felt he killed her mother, because he was ugly, and wasn't afraid of her or respectful of her enough, and as "hand-of-the king" could have power to overwrite hers, I am not saying the prophecy because I am not sure if its there on TV series. She hated that Tyrion can outsmart her and outmanipulate her, that he overwrote her decisions and didn't care much about her opinions, that he stole and sold one of her children to their enemies (since anyone not family is the enemy), that he made her look silly.

In season 6, it wasn't that she was cruel or crazy, she initially just wanted to get revenge on HS and his Septa, then her support pillars were taken away from her one by one. First, Tommen turned away from her towards the Faith (and basically was stolen from her and betrayed her), then Jaime, her base, was sent away. Her plan to have the Mountain win her trial was ruined, and with the way it was set up there was no away she would win, at best she would be imprisoned and shamed again, at worst executed. Her last hope of using Tyrells was lost because Margaery seemingly dove headfist to Faith and taken Tommen with her, QoT left and refused to help her. For her the trial was matter of life and death, and she had no other other choice. If she could have done it with combat trial, she would have but with judgement trial she had no chance. So for her, it was she did what she had to do to survive. And Tyrells and Kevan dying were one a bonus and second collateral damage.

[Ashes Of Westeros]

I think Cersei is one the most complicated characters both in the books and in the show. Sometimes she's a wretched human being, sometimes she's narcissic and power-obsessed idiot. Yesterday I read her walk of atonement and I couldn't help feeling sorry for her.

In the s6 Cersei was presented as a Disney villain, which I didn't like. I don't think she's really mad, likely she felt she had nothing to lose.

[dsug]

On 8/16/2016 at 4:46 AM, Ashes Of Westeros said:

I think Cersei is one the most complicated characters both in the books and in the show. Sometimes she's a wretched human being, sometimes she's narcissic and power-obsessed idiot. Yesterday I read her walk of atonement and I couldn't help feeling sorry for her.

In the s6 Cersei was presented as a Disney villain, which I didn't like. I don't think she's really mad, likely she felt she had nothing to lose.

people keep saying this and im sorry but I don't get it. What fucking disney movies are you watching were a people torture and rape nuns, drive their own children to suicide, and use starving children as assassins lol? She's not maleficent, she doesn't have a secret heart of gold. She's not the Evil Queen, she's after much more than beauty. I'm sorry but I find this comparison rather weak.

I suppose her dress with the high collar was a bit obvious with the whole "SHE IS EVIL" symbolism, but her actions are far worse than any children's story bad guy. 

[Ashes Of Westeros]

16 minutes ago, dsug said:

people keep saying this and im sorry but I don't get it. What fucking disney movies are you watching were a people torture and rape nuns, drive their own children to suicide, and use starving children as assassins lol? She's not maleficent, she doesn't have a secret heart of gold. She's not the Evil Queen, she's after much more than beauty. I'm sorry but I find this comparison rather weak.

I suppose her dress with the high collar was a bit obvious with the whole "SHE IS EVIL" symbolism, but her actions are far worse than any children's story bad guy. 

Probably Disney wasn't the right word to describe, but I meant clicheed and simplified. Lena Heady portrayed a very complicated character, flawed and wretched. In s6 finale all compexity of Cersei's character was simplified to a charicature villain who did bad things just "because it feels good".

[Mandzipop]

Cersei is a narcissistic, alcoholic, sociopath, who in all likelihood is suffering from depression. That is not a healthy combination and is definitely not the sign of a mentally stable person. I would say the alcohol is making it worse. Although, I think her stint as prisoner of the Faith may have tipped her over the edge.

Previously she's had people to reign her in and keep her in check. The only person she has left is Jamie, and I'm not entirely convinced he will be there for her in season 7. The look on his face said it all.