A comparison between Stannis and Renley

[inonkp]

Kind of thought to show some of the opposites between Stannis and Renley in the third and second Books.

It seems they have many opposites between them: in looks, one is particularly handsome, a more than average dresser, with an almost constant smile and and long hair. He is quite colorful as wall, described as wearing a handsome green armor and having a 'rainbow guard'. By comparison, Stannis is never described in anything more than meager in his dressing, with short cut hair and a tight clenched jaw. and to contrast with Renley's colorfulness Stannis dwells in Dragonstone, a dark and dismal place. They both wear different crowns too, one with long antlers to it and the other with short falmes, and they both wield completely different swords, Renleys regular to Stannis's Valerian, perhaps the only garment in which Stannis bests Renley. In their sexual preferences Renley is a flamboyant homosexual and Stannis borders on asexuality.

What I find most interesting though is the difference in their personal guard. Stannis's best man is Davos, with his sense of justice and brutal honesty, quite complementing Stannis's personality, while Renley's best is Ser Loras, a young flamboyant fighter himself and quite surly Renley's lover. But on the womens side its faithful and brawny Brienne for Renley, with her uncompromising nature and innocence, while seemingly treacherous Melissandre , with magic powers and beautiful features. One wears a sword the other a piece of jewlery, One sorceress the other a fighter. It seems as though its Brienne who should be with Stannis and Mellisandre for Renley. In the end, its Mellisandre who kills Renley with her magic. I think this gives us a clear picture of Stannis as being a fraud, as if all of is righteousness had come down to him using a shadow to kill his brother. I think that this act paints Stannis's personality as fake, which is hard to swallow but all the same is still clear.

[General Goose]

I disagree with your assessment on Stannis. My (still early on in ASoS) view on the two brothers is that they are both stubborn to a fault. Stannis is more obviously so, not willing to compromise and having almost obsessive views of justice. But Stannis can show restraint in the pursuit of his goals, Renly (possibly more like Robert) cannot. Even when his interests were at stake, he operated with an "all or nothing" mindset. He failed to gain Ned's support with this strategy, and later on turned down a reasonable offer from Stannis. Renly has a desire to be the centre of attention, and so often abandons his principles. Stannis does not abandon his core principles, even when he does morally ambiguous things like killing his brother and Cortnay Penrose, he does them with the ultimate goal of pursuing justice and avoiding unnecessary battles and conflicts. Renly's all or nothing "it's all about me" attitude was his undoing.

As to the company they keep, I admit Brienne would have, shadow assassin aside, been a good fit for Stannis, but that was because they both value loyalty. I don't view Melisandre and Renly as in any way compatible, however, and that's mainly on Melisandre's end.

[Noxus]

You were making a comparison but in the end you go out and spit on Stannis' face? The character GRRM himself has the best sense of justice?

If Stannis didn't kill Renly with "dark Magics", Renly would of killed 2500+ (some would be spared) men just to kill Stannis, and most likely not giving any lands to the spared Lords and Knights (who bend the knee)?

The biggest difference in Stan and Renly is that Stannis does what is (90% of the time) "right", and what "must" be done. Renly, however, does what he does because he WANTS to do it, or is manipulated by Loras. And poster above, I completly agree with what you are saying.