Aegon V tragic king?

[LordQorgyle]

I find Aegon III, Viserys II and Daeron I more tragic

[Aemond's Eye]

I think almost anyone would be an emotional wreck after enduring Aegon III's experiences.

There is, unfortunately, a real life counterpart. Lady Janet Douglas inherited Glamis Castle, which was coveted by James V of Scotland. He had her arrested, tortured, and forced to confess to treason and witchcraft. He then forced her young son to watch her being burned alive.

Off-topic, but was there not still an element of the Stewart kings wishing to neutralise the power of the Douglas family in any shape possible around this time?

[Hangover of the Morning]

The description of Egg's reign in TWoIaF definitely suffered by the writings of a "biased historian". I guess Yandel didn't want to offend the lords by praising reforms and giving more privileges for the smalfolk.

I was expecting to read about some of the most glorious and prosperous time in 7K history but instead Aegon V was portrayed as slightly weak and at best an average ruler.

The Summerhall incident was a tragedy but I wouldn't see Egg's life as entirely tragic. As others have suggested Aegon III is a better candidate.

[C.T. Phipps]

Guest right is a thing in the ASOIAF universe, not real life. Well not here.

I mean its rude to kill your guests, but you're no cursed for eternity.

Aegon 3 more tragic then Aegon V.

To be fair, people who do these kind of ambushes actually have had serious crazy reprocussions historically.

Vlad the Impaler found out the hard way when he was ambushed because he'd done it so many times in the past, one felt guilty doing it to him.

Not to mention all the **** the Campbells got.

I do think people thinking Bittersteel shouldn't have been executed are crazy, though. He started a war because his sister liked his brother better then murdered thousands upon thousands just to continue spiting him.

It wasn't even against the King!

In the immortal words of my brother, "Don't start none if you don't want none."

[Aemond's Eye]

I find Aegon III, Viserys II and Daeron I more tragic

Daeron I? Pray tell why. The way he was killed was dishonourable, but understandable from a Dornish point of view. Other than that, I don't see much in the way of tragedy - live by the sword, die by the sword. It's possible he and Baelor grew up with a distant father going by what we know about Aegon III, but it doesn't seem they would be lacking in family ties with their uncle Viserys and his children, plus other aunts and uncles.

Viserys II doesn't strike me as tragic either, unless Aegon IV really did poison him. To try to manage the realm as best as possible during the reigns of his nephews - one a young warmonger, the other a religious 'fanatic' - only to be poisoned by your own son? That'd be pretty terrible. (Being kept as a 'guest' in the free cities for years might not have been fun either.) But by all accounts as Hand he was highly capable, and may possibly have made for a good King. I think the nature of his death determines how tragic his story really is.

[ambi76]

They were all idiots. Every single one of them (might come with the job). Egg at least was a nice idiot, so he has that going for him, I guess.

[Aemond's Eye]

They were all idiots. Every single one of them (might come with the job). Egg at least was a nice idiot, so he has that going for him, I guess.

As in every single king? If so, there's a few notable exceptions that clearly weren't idiots.

[The Red Widow of Coldmoat]

Viserys II doesn't strike me as tragic either, unless Aegon IV really did poison him. To try to manage the realm as best as possible during the reigns of his nephews - one a young warmonger, the other a religious 'fanatic' - only to be poisoned by your own son? That'd be pretty terrible. (Being kept as a 'guest' in the free cities for years might not have been fun either.) But by all accounts as Hand he was highly capable, and may possibly have made for a good King. I think the nature of his death determines how tragic his story really is.

Viserys II had to go through a lot of what Aegon III went through, what with them being siblings. They lost both their parents at a young age, as well as their three older brothers. While Viserys wasn't guilty about leaving himself to his death (whereas Aegon was guilty about leaving Viserys behind), he did have to deal with being held in Lys, as you say. Viserys was also left by his wife at a young age (and she died not that long thereafter). I'm sure that weighed on him too. Beyond all that, he had to witness what fuckups Aegon's kids became (and his own asshole son as well), whereas Aegon never really saw what his children were capable of.

Viserys wasn't there when his mother was eaten by a dragon, no, but he had to deal with a lot of the stuff that Aegon had to deal with and some other stuff too. Aegon and Viserys both had a pretty awful time.

[LionOfCasterlyRock]

I never found Aegon V a particularly tragic figure. Unfortunate yes. Especially because his ideas fell on deaf ears, and he could not persuade the Lords to accept his reforms.

But he had lived trough both good and bad moments, that's not tragic, that's just life.

[Aemond's Eye]

Viserys II had to go through a lot of what Aegon III went through, what with them being siblings. They lost both their parents at a young age, as well as their three older brothers. While Viserys wasn't guilty about leaving himself to his death (whereas Aegon was guilty about leaving Viserys behind), he did have to deal with being held in Lys, as you say. Viserys was also left by his wife at a young age (and she died not that long thereafter). I'm sure that weighed on him too. Beyond all that, he had to witness what fuckups Aegon's kids became (and his own asshole son as well), whereas Aegon never really saw what his children were capable of.

Viserys wasn't there when his mother was eaten by a dragon, no, but he had to deal with a lot of the stuff that Aegon had to deal with and some other stuff too. Aegon and Viserys both had a pretty awful time.

Part of why Aegon III seems such a tragic figure is because of how obviously emotionally scarred the Dance of the Dragons left him. Which isn't surprising considering he lost his father, his three half brothers, thought Viserys had died and then witnessed his mother being eaten by a dragon, before being locked in a dungeon himself. Viserys went through it all too but from what we read about him it doesn't seem to have left him as cold as it did Aegon. Maybe just because he was younger, but I think it's the fact that Aegon's side 'won' and yet he he seemed to find little happiness that makes him so tragic.

Viserys definitely had a rough time of it though. He just comes across as someone who went through it all and came out the other end still strong - or stronger than Aegon III did. One thing I liked in TWOIAF is reading that the return of Viserys seemed to lift Aegon's spirits for a while. After reading The Princess and The Queen I felt terrible for Aegon (as well as Rhaena and Baella, as well as Helaena and her children) so the thought of the reunion of the brothers giving him some happiness was nice.

I realise we'll never get a full blown novel of the DTOFD now, but I still hope we get some mini-series or movie or something in the future. The way the novellas were published - the historical account - doesn't make the characters any less 'real' than those in the ASOIAF main series or the Dunk & Egg novellas. At least for me, anyway.