Why do so many people hate Melisandre?

[Stannis Eats No Peaches]

A religious fanatic who burns people alive. What's to like?

[Mithras]

Satan worshipping comparisons are NOT far off the mark because that is exactly what they seemed to be doing.

In Silmarillion, Sauron tricked the Numenoreans into the worship of Melkor. They are divided as the King’s Men who worshipped Melkor and the Faithful (those who still kept the Valar). The King’s Men burned people in altars as a sacrifice to Melkor to save them from death.

Mel preaches that death is the domain of the Great Other and they burn people to Rulore to save them. In the case of Stannis, the King’s Men (like Davos) are the faithful ones whereas the Queen’s Men (like Axell) are all evil.

Mel is all about appearance. People think that Lightbringer is magnificent because it seems so. However, a blind man with analytical thinking (Aemon) is able to see the deception at once. I think GRRM is subtly telling us to close our eyes and think.

I have a hypothesis that Mel foresaw the defeat at Blackwater but did nothing to stop it. She even helped the defeat so that Stannis would be completely dependent on her. Within a couple of weeks, I will post it.

[PrimeRhaegar]

well other than burning people and reading the vision wrong i like lady mel. I am not saying this because she is hot tooo :cool4:

[hollowcrown]

Satan worshipping comparisons are NOT far off the mark because that is exactly what they seemed to be doing.

In Silmarillion, Sauron tricked the Numenoreans into the worship of Melkor. They are divided as the King’s Men who worshipped Melkor and the Faithful (those who still kept the Valar). The King’s Men burned people in altars as a sacrifice to Melkor to save them from death.

Mel preaches that death is the domain of the Great Other and they burn people to Rulore to save them. In the case of Stannis, the King’s Men (like Davos) are the faithful ones whereas the Queen’s Men (like Axell) are all evil.

Mel is all about appearance. People think that Lightbringer is magnificent because it seems so. However, a blind man with analytical thinking (Aemon) is able to see the deception at once. I think GRRM is subtly telling us to close our eyes and think.

I have a hypothesis that Mel foresaw the defeat at Blackwater but did nothing to stop it. She even helped the defeat so that Stannis would be completely dependent on her. Within a couple of weeks, I will post it.

Good points.

However given that the Night's Watch and the Wildlings burn corpses to prevent them being turned into Wights, I do think Rh'llor is better force than The Great Other.

[Mithras]

However given that the Night's Watch and the Wildlings burn corpses to prevent them being turned into Wights, I do think Rh'llor is better force than The Great Other.

But the NW and the wildlings burn the CORPSES of the dead because they are 100% sure that they might be raised as wights. Mel burns people ALIVE to work out some spell. Besides, most of the people think that there are no deities in ASOIAF.

[Jarocal]

A religious fanatic who burns people alive. What's to like?

I can think of several attributes, Start with the red hair and work down :drool:

[hiemal]

I don't hate her, but I think she is either dangerously misguided or almost the complete opposite of what she represents herself to be.

[Stannis Eats No Peaches]

I can think of several attributes, Start with the red hair and work down :drool:

The possibility that her appearance is just a glamour and that she's much older than she appears and/or dead is a bit of a turn-off, IMHO.

[RoamingRonin]

She's supporting the wrong Azor Ahai. Everything she does for Stannis is because she thinks he's the Lord's Chosen, born amidst salt and smoke. If she was just backing him because of his claim, she'd be OK. But it's all because she thinks he fulfills some prophecy. And she's wrong.

[Jarocal]

The possibility that her appearance is just a glamour and that she's much older than she appears and/or dead is a bit of a turn-off, IMHO.

As long as he glamour was still working in the morning as I am busy thinking of some excuse to leave I'm good with that... :drunk:

[Northernmonkey]

She's supporting the wrong Azor Ahai. Everything she does for Stannis is because she thinks he's the Lord's Chosen, born amidst salt and smoke. If she was just backing him because of his claim, she'd be OK. But it's all because she thinks he fulfills some prophecy. And she's wrong.

But isn't that the same with the red priests and Dany? I don't think many people think Dany is Azor Ahai, but Moqorro and the red priests do. I think they're just as misguided as Mel.

[Stannis Eats No Peaches]

As long as he glamour was still working in the morning as I am busy thinking of some excuse to leave I'm good with that... :drunk:

;) Well whatever floats your boat, I guess.

[White Ravens]

She burns people alive and hides her real appearance behind glamours. That and she sucks at interpreting visions.

[Fire Eater]

Satan worshipping comparisons are NOT far off the mark because that is exactly what they seemed to be doing.

In Silmarillion, Sauron tricked the Numenoreans into the worship of Melkor. They are divided as the King’s Men who worshipped Melkor and the Faithful (those who still kept the Valar). The King’s Men burned people in altars as a sacrifice to Melkor to save them from death.

Mel preaches that death is the domain of the Great Other and they burn people to Rulore to save them. In the case of Stannis, the King’s Men (like Davos) are the faithful ones whereas the Queen’s Men (like Axell) are all evil.

Mel is all about appearance. People think that Lightbringer is magnificent because it seems so. However, a blind man with analytical thinking (Aemon) is able to see the deception at once. I think GRRM is subtly telling us to close our eyes and think.

I have a hypothesis that Mel foresaw the defeat at Blackwater but did nothing to stop it. She even helped the defeat so that Stannis would be completely dependent on her. Within a couple of weeks, I will post it.

To that I'll add Sauron convinced Ar-Pharazôn, the king who ruled from the island of Numenor to cut down the sacred white tree, Nimloth, at the instigation of Sauron and used to light the first flames in the fire of the new religion that worshiped Melkor, the Dark Lord. Mel convinces Stannis, a king who rules from the island of Dragonstone, to give the white weirwoods to the fire of the new god, R'hllor, the Lord of Light. Both faiths viewed death as evil.

I don't think Mel saw the defeat at the BoBW and let it happen intentionally, by killing she ended having the fulfillment of the prophecy of a man in Renly's green armor crushing Stannis's army against the walls of KL. She doesn't understand the first rule of prophecy: what is foreseen will occur, and any actions you take to prevent it may end up guaranteeing it happening.

[Mdoggy]

At first i was like

She is horrible i want her to die next

but after seeing her at the wall i have a better opinion.

She seems like the only character with no political motives. She doesnt care who sits on the bloddy throne. The only thing she is worried about is keeping the land safe from a bunch of zombies that are bent on killing Westeros.

I respect her because of that. Even though she burns ppl alive she is doing it for the right reasons

If she was burning ppl so Stannis could get the throne then i would be pissed and completly hate her

but she seems genuinly concerned with Jon and Westeros so i dont hate her. I dont like her but i dont dislike her.

[Defeatarion]

As long as he glamour was still working in the morning as I am busy thinking of some excuse to leave I'm good with that... :drunk:

Hahahaha so much win....or lose....idk :ack:

[Jarocal]

;) Well whatever floats your boat, I guess.

A boat well floated can be as important as a pair of shapely shells...

[Batbob45]

She was willing to burn a kid.

[VermithorSunni]

But isn't that the same with the red priests and Dany? I don't think many people think Dany is Azor Ahai, but Moqorro and the red priests do. I think they're just as misguided as Mel.

I don't know why, but I think the red priests are right about Dany. I also think it's interesting that the person who's being proclaimed as AA (Stannis) probably isn't. It seems more likely that someone who doesn't even know about the prophecy, like Dany or possibly Jon, will fulfill it. (If Jon Snow is dead, of course, he's out of the running.)

I find Melisandre very compelling, a very interesting character. I wonder what she would say if confronted with Aemon's observations about Lightbringer. I wonder what she will do when confronted with the opportunity to fight the "Great Other," particularly since she's at the Wall and likely to get that opportunity.

Burning the weirwoods really bugged me, especially since we had seen through Bran just how powerful the trees can be. I hope Melisandre comes to realize her error there. But, knowing GRRM, she probably won't.

[YeackNbake]

In my experience with a lot of my friends, its the show watchers that dislike her so much. And still I'm not sure why they hate her. I can understand disliking her but there is a lot of hate towards her instead.

In my eyes she is doing what she thinks she has to do in order to please her god. She is doing what she truly thinks is the right thing for her god and for the greater good of the world (defeating the others).