Sir Bronn Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 What do you think would happen if Ned didn't confess?Was this confession worth of his honor ,reputation and good name?He didn't have the guarantee considering Sansa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedShirt47 Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Probably he ends up at the Wall.Without the public spectacle Joffrey wouldn't feel the need to demonstrate his manhood by having someone chop off Ned's head. Varys had already arranged for Ned to go to the Wall with Yorren, I believe - I seem to remember there being a quote about him waiting for Ned before setting off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Cold Fingers Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 For the situation he was in, I think he did the right thing. Most people involved was convinced he would be spared and he was to take the black. But it was a critical point in the series for many characters. It defined who Joffrey is and type of king he would be, carved the path for Arya, and was the catalyst that provoked the war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zehde Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Everybody, except Joffrey, expected that his life would be spared and he would be sent to the wall - to his son and his brother.I guess, Ned was somehow even looking forward to this reunion, as much as I did, when I read the novel the first time.I also believe Ned was as surprised as I was, when Joffrey announced his head to be taken off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ummester Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 I think he confessed for the sake of Sansa and Arya, perhaps all of his children and Cat also. I think he thought he was doing the right thing at the time and he thought it was worth forsaking his honor for - the lies we tell for love. In hindsight it turned out pointless and he should have kept his honor - but he wasn't to know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
123456750 Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 It was a hard decision for Ned, and though I was a bit disappointed at first, later I realised that it wasn't a bad one (and the right one for a loving father). Ned had to choose between his honor and Sansa, and he chose his daughter's life over honor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikkel Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 In hindsight it turned out pointless and he should have kept his honor - but he wasn't to know. Worse than pointless I think, it gave the Lannister regime lots of unwarranted legitimacy. But I can understand why he did it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bittersteel Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 He did his best to try and protect his family, can't say fairer than that, although as a side note bringing your two daughters with you when your taking a job far away from protection that the previous occupant died in murderous circumstances is unbelievably stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A True Kaniggit Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 At the time, yes it was the right thing. When he made the confession he thought he was saving his daughter's life, his life, and preventing the war from escalating by having his son backdown. In hindsight, no. If he'd just held off a little while longer he probably would've been exchanged for Jaime instead of ending up short a head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faydra Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 In my view it was the right thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forelver Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 I think it was the right thing, he was taking any chance he could to save Sansa's life. This is one of the things I loved most about Ned, that he was willing to sacrifice his honor and reputation to save his child. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brynden Blackfish Jr. Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 I don't see how Ned's confession was a mistake. Nobody besides Joffrey expected or wanted Ned to be executed, and even Cersei wanted Ned to live. Despite her many faults, Cersei was at least smart enough to realize what the consequences of antagonizing the North by killing Ned would be, but she wanted to get him out of King's Landing, so she made arrangements for him to join the Night's Watch. Everyone besides Joffrey thought that Ned was going to join the Night's Watch, and Yoren was told after he was imprisoned to get ready to take him to the Wall, which is why Yoren was at the Great Sept of Baelor when Ned made his confession. I'm pretty sure Yoren expected to take Ned right after he made his confession, round up the rest of the recruits, and then head to the Wall. All of the pieces were in place for Ned to take the Black, but Joffrey just had to prove to the world how tough he was, so he made the dumbest decision of his entire life (and one of the dumbest in the history of Westeros due to the bloodshed it caused) and ordered Ned to be executed. With Ned at the Night's Watch, the Lannisters could have brokered a peace with the Starks, which would have given them more time to deal with their other enemies and brought about a less bloody end to the war, and Ned would have probably ended up as Lord Commander of the Night's Watch after Jeor Mormont's death. With that being said, I think Ned's confession was the right thing to do. He was simply trying to protect his children, not trying to save his own neck. His only fault was that he underestimated what Joffrey was capable of because of his young age, and how blind Cersei was to Joffrey's clear issues. He certainly wasn't the first person, nor the last, to make that mistake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sword of the Morgan Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 I think he made the wrong decision in a string of many, unfortunately. He should have known not to trust the new king and the queen regent by then, not necessarily regarding his own safety, but that of his daughters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qhorin Halfhand and Yoren Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Based on what he knew I think it was the right thing to do, to try to protect his children. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Universal Sword Donor Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Well knowing what I know now? Yes it was a mistake. They would not have killed Sansa had he not confessed and I doubt her treatment would have been any worse than what Joffrey did to her already. He is betrothed to her and they need her as leverage against Robb. If Ned doesn't confess, they kill him or jail him for treason. If he does confess, well they killed him anyway. Knowing what Ned knew, it was probably the right call. Then again, the needs of the Lannisters for leverage are still there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonSnow4President Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 If he doesn't confess, he's killed. Sansa is possibly killed, although she is a valuable hostage. Robb still invades, war is fought. And Cersei/Joffrey have the power, and merely dismiss the accusations as a lie from a power hungry attempted usurper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Song so Sweet Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 For me definitely no. A leader should look beyond his own family, to all his people, and if he didn't confess it would be Cersei who was the traitor. The confession strengthened Cersei's twisted regime, otherwise more people would unite. Or maybe he should tell them that he would confess but then at the Sept of Baelor he could say the truth and suffer a heroic death while saving the kingdom. Plus Ned shouldn't trust them with anything, they could be lying to him about everything, about his daughters and him going to the wall, why should he believe them? he should just do the right thing and maybe the consequences would even be better for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lost Melnibonean Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Yes, for everyone except Littlefinger... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel Green Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 With the information he had at the time, it was probably the best decision. Now, in hindsight, even without knowing what Joffrey will do, it was an error. Within a few weeks of his execution, the Starks will have routed the Lannisters in the field and captured Jaime, and Renly will have allied with House Tyrell and declared himself king. Lord Tywin would almost certainly have ordered Ned handed over in exchange for Jaime and a cessation of hostilities, allowing him to focus on the main war with the other Baratheons (Sansa is most likely left a hostage-bride in this scenario, so there's no happy ending for her, but Ned and the rest of House Stark and Tully would have been better off). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonCon's Red Beard Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 In hindsight it turned out pointless and he should have kept his honor - but he wasn't to know. Considering all the things that happened after that, I'm sure that many believed what he said about Joffrey, hence, his honour is kinda intact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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