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Why wasn't Tyrion executed on the spot?


Floki of the Ironborn

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When his trial by combat in the Eyrie left him victorious, he wasn't taken back to his cell to await his release. Yet when he loses his trial in King's Landing, he is taken to a cell which conveniently allows for Jaime to free him. Why wouldn't Cersei or Tywin be prepared to dispense of Tyrion as soon as possible? Tywin could surely have arranged it so that the Grand Maester were prepared to say whatever needed be said and then Ilyn Payne would have been on hand to cut the dwarf's head off not far from where his champion lay.
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When his trial by combat in the Eyrie left him victorious, he wasn't taken back to his cell to await his release. Yet when he loses his trial in King's Landing, he is taken to a cell which conveniently allows for Jaime to free him. Why wouldn't Cersei or Tywin be prepared to dispense of Tyrion as soon as possible? Tywin could surely have arranged it so that the Grand Maester were prepared to say whatever needed be said and then Ilyn Payne would have been on hand to cut the dwarf's head off not far from where his champion lay.

 

Because Tywin had other things in mind - like Tyrion to take the black. And because Tyrion's still a Lannister.

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When his trial by combat in the Eyrie left him victorious, he wasn't taken back to his cell to await his release. Yet when he loses his trial in King's Landing, he is taken to a cell which conveniently allows for Jaime to free him. Why wouldn't Cersei or Tywin be prepared to dispense of Tyrion as soon as possible? Tywin could surely have arranged it so that the Grand Maester were prepared to say whatever needed be said and then Ilyn Payne would have been on hand to cut the dwarf's head off not far from where his champion lay.


I can buy that Tywin would want Tyrion dead as soon as possible and maybe had the execution party on standby, but it would have been incredibly awkward and embarrassing if Tyrion's champion won in that scenario.
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Because Tywin had other things in mind - like Tyrion to take the black. And because Tyrion's still a Lannister.

I'm pretty sure Tywin telling Tyrion he was going to have him take the black was a last-minute attempt to talk him out of shooting him with a crossbow bolt, but I could be wrong.

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I'm pretty sure Tywin telling Tyrion he was going to have him take the black was a last-minute attempt to talk him out of shooting him with a crossbow bolt, but I could be wrong.

I think so too, but Tywin's motives have nothing to do with why he went back to his cell in my opinion. In the vale they might have just thrown him from the moon door, but that was because the people in charge were an 8 year old and his unstable mother. In KL they would probably make a big show of it for everyone in the city to see, probably where Ned was executed.

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When his trial by combat in the Eyrie left him victorious, he wasn't taken back to his cell to await his release. Yet when he loses his trial in King's Landing, he is taken to a cell which conveniently allows for Jaime to free him. Why wouldn't Cersei or Tywin be prepared to dispense of Tyrion as soon as possible? Tywin could surely have arranged it so that the Grand Maester were prepared to say whatever needed be said and then Ilyn Payne would have been on hand to cut the dwarf's head off not far from where his champion lay.

 

Despite being a dwarf, Tyrion is a Lannister.  Being a lion affords him many rights that the average person does not have.  We feel so sorry for Tyrion because of the injustice he faces, but when we step back and compare his plight to that of the common man, let alone the former slaves in Essos, his life actually starts looking priviledged.  Tywin gave him an allowance big enough to live like a prince from an oil exporting country.

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Despite being a dwarf, Tyrion is a Lannister.  Being a lion affords him many rights that the average person does not have.  We feel so sorry for Tyrion because of the injustice he faces, but when we step back and compare his plight to that of the common man, let alone the former slaves in Essos, his life actually starts looking priviledged.  Tywin gave him an allowance big enough to live like a prince from an oil exporting country.

It is rather interesting just how supremely wealthy the Westerlands must be if the most hated member of the ruling family can live like a king.

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Those are exact opposite scenarios. Tyrion wins in the Vale so he is free. He loses in KL so they return him to his cell to await the execution, which is how executions proceed in North America, where GRRM is from.

Yeah, this isn't much of a question. It's pretty rare even historically to execute someone within the hour of being pronounced guilty, not to mention someone who was the son of the second most powerful man in the realm. No way has this ever been standard protocol any time in history.

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I'm pretty sure Tywin telling Tyrion he was going to have him take the black was a last-minute attempt to talk him out of shooting him with a crossbow bolt, but I could be wrong.

Actually, Tywin sends Kevan with that offer before the final day of Tyrion's trial, so it's not a last-minute thing. Tyrion rejects it.

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What's the rush? Tyrion had no friends, no allies, no political muscle in his corner, no love of the masses. How (without the benefit of hindsight) was he going to escape the Black Cells? Prisoners weren't in the habit of escaping the Black Cells.

 

On the morrow was soon enough.

Agreed.

 

Tywin probably had no idea his sons were close enough that Jaime would go through such lengths to save Tyrion from being executed. And even if it did cross his mind, he wouldn't have imagined Jaime would actually pull it off without getting caught. 

 

Part of me wanted to believe Tywin wouldn't have let Tyrion die, if only because he's a Lannister, but I don't see any benefit to Tywin letting Tyrion take the Black. The stain off the family reputation would be wiped out a lot more effectively with an execution than having Tyrion on the Wall where he could potentially cause some future scandal. 

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Agreed.

 

Tywin probably had no idea his sons were close enough that Jaime would go through such lengths to save Tyrion from being executed. And even if it did cross his mind, he wouldn't have imagined Jaime would actually pull it off without getting caught. 

 

Part of me wanted to believe Tywin wouldn't have let Tyrion die, if only because he's a Lannister, but I don't see any benefit to Tywin letting Tyrion take the Black. The stain off the family reputation would be wiped out a lot more effectively with an execution than having Tyrion on the Wall where he could potentially cause some future scandal. 

Tywin gives Tyrion the option to confess and take the black even before he's been found guilty. At that moment, the trial is going horribly for Tyrion, and it's a given that he'll be found guilty. If all Tywin wanted is to kill Tyrion, why make that offer? Did he know about the Viper?

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When his trial by combat in the Eyrie left him victorious, he wasn't taken back to his cell to await his release. Yet when he loses his trial in King's Landing, he is taken to a cell which conveniently allows for Jaime to free him. Why wouldn't Cersei or Tywin be prepared to dispense of Tyrion as soon as possible? Tywin could surely have arranged it so that the Grand Maester were prepared to say whatever needed be said and then Ilyn Payne would have been on hand to cut the dwarf's head off not far from where his champion lay.

I think the answer is plot armour  :cool4:

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Actually, Tywin sends Kevan with that offer before the final day of Tyrion's trial, so it's not a last-minute thing. Tyrion rejects it.

 

That was before Tyrion lost his trial by combat though. Afterward Tyrion was more or less sentenced to death. So yea, I think it was a last minute effort on Tywin's part to talk his way out of being killed by Tyrion.

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Yeah, this isn't much of a question. It's pretty rare even historically to execute someone within the hour of being pronounced guilty, not to mention someone who was the son of the second most powerful man in the realm. No way has this ever been standard protocol any time in history.

Second to whom?  

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