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Does Asoiaf Have a True Protagonist? *SPOILERS*


Ambrose H

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On 12/24/2018 at 4:08 PM, Starkz said:

Dany only became important when she got dragons. Even then she still has a long way to go. So far she hasn’t ruled well and has made a lot of mistakes. She’s not ready to make any major impact to the main story which is in Westeros. The people of Westeros aren’t going to flee to Essos either and the reason we disagree often is because your views are so blantanly biased and you paint everything Dany does as heroic.

Daenerys Targaryen became important when George started writing A Game of Thrones.  Her importance was and is clear from the very beginning.  

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On 12/20/2018 at 11:23 AM, Ambrose H said:

Is there a true protagonist or hero in Asoiaf? I'm not sure there is, because GRRM does a great job at showing his characters as human (which is perhaps why his universe is so wildly popular), flaws and all.

Up until when he kills his father in ASoS, Tyrion was my favorite "good guy" who I was absolutely rooting for. I still like him as a character, and he's still probably my favorite character for now, but he definitely lost some respect from me when he shot his father and strangled Shae. I understand why it was necessary in his eyes, but I think it could have been avoided, and definitely took him out of the running for protagonist in my book.

Another "hero" I loved (and still do) was Robb. Sadly, as is well known by now, he met an untimely end at the hands of the Freys. When he was alive, though, he was the figurehead for the North to rally behind.

Perhaps the most heroic character, Jon Snow definitely appeared incorruptible, up until he broke his vows. Again, I understand his motivations, but still. . .

My running theory is that there is no true protagonist, to which the surplus of narrating characters surely contributes, but I'm interested to hear the community's thoughts on this matter

 

-Ambrose

Jon snow

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  • 4 weeks later...

Idk about your definition of protagonist. Nobody is all flawless and totally heroic in this story. 

But if you're talking about main character, yes there is one. His name is Jon Snow. He is the literal title. He is on neither extreme end of the spectrum. He is both. The Prince That Was Promised etc etc.

 

So main characterness: Jon (ice and fire) > Dany (fire only) > everybody else. Not that hard to undetstand unless of course you have Dany fan glasses on. 

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31 minutes ago, flaydagawd said:

Remember when Sansa wanted a hero to throw down Janos Slynt and cut his head off but then she reflected that there are no heroes?

Remember when Jon threw down Janos Slynt and cut his head off?

He is literally the Prince that was Promised. "Promise me, Ned"

Jon was supposed to hang Janos originally. Martin changed that after the chapter's reading when one of the fans told him that it would fit better if he cut his head off instead.

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1 hour ago, Dofs said:

Jon was supposed to hang Janos originally. Martin changed that after the chapter's reading when one of the fans told him that it would fit better if he cut his head off instead.

Can you point me to the source, please? 

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3 hours ago, flaydagawd said:

 Sansa wanted a hero to throw down Janos Slynt

Jon threw down Janos Slynt

He is literally the Prince that was Promised. "Promise me, Ned"

Oooh.  I hope Robert Strong has Ned Head so he can nod approvingly of Jon and whisper something about promises kept.  Or else that meaning of Promised Prince would never be confirmed for the masses.  Then StoneCat and StrongNed could "head off" on a romantic horsedrawn carraige ride to show the reader that love conquers all.

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22 minutes ago, Dofs said:

I am glad he made the change (as I am sure we all are), but based on the link you provided I am not convinced that a fan suggested the change. 

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13 minutes ago, The Mother of The Others said:

Oooh.  I hope Robert Strong has Ned Head so he can nod approvingly of Jon and whisper something about promises kept.  Or else that meaning of Promised Prince would never be confirmed for the masses.  Then StoneCat and StrongNed could "head off" on a romantic horsedrawn carraige ride to show the reader that love conquers all.

As long as he doesn't nod to hard! 

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23 hours ago, Lost Melnibonean said:

I am glad he made the change (as I am sure we all are), but based on the link you provided I am not convinced that a fan suggested the change. 

Tbh, I don't know the place where it was said. The link I gave you was what I googled after you asked me. I read it somewhere else quite a while ago that after the chapter's reading a fan suggested that hanging Janos is not what Ned taught (the one who judges should swing the sword or smth like that) which Martin agreed with and hence changed.

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27 minutes ago, Dofs said:

Tbh, I don't know the place where it was said. The link I gave you was what I googled after you asked me. I read it somewhere else quite a while ago that after the chapter's reading a fan suggested that hanging Janos is not what Ned taught (the one who judges should swing the sword or smth like that) which Martin agreed with and hence changed.

I read all of the comments to the post, and all I saw was one dude saying that he thought the same thing. Those kinds of comments can take on lives of their own. 

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1 hour ago, Lost Melnibonean said:

I read all of the comments to the post, and all I saw was one dude saying that he thought the same thing. Those kinds of comments can take on lives of their own. 

Well, I remember someone reputable claiming that but I honestly don't remember who or where. It does make sense anyway, considering that the chapter was indeed read to public with Jon hanging Janos. Jon beheading him definitely wasn't something that George planned from the very beginning and he only changed it very late into the writing process. So Sansa's wishes about a hero beheading Janos and Jon doing it is a coincidence. A pretty amazing one though, but a coincidence nevertheless. 

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