The Problem with a Mad Queen

[It_spelt_Magalhaes]

On 5/25/2019 at 5:19 PM, RYShh said:

Burning prisoners alive while she could actually behead them by using the Unsullied or Dothraki?

This is where Varys and Tyrion started to lose their faith in her, after she burned Randyll Tarly and his son alive.

So, if I'd stabbed the Mad King in the gut?

If it's how 'humane' the method that bothers you, she couldn't actually pass the sentence and swing the sword herself, could she?

At least through dragonfire it came from her, more closely than through an executioner.

That moment with the Tarlys bothers me because by leading the army that had just sacked and massacred Highgarden, Randyll Tarly had not only betrayed House Tyrell to whom he was a vassal but clearly declared for Cersei.

She offered surrender. He refused.

His heir chose to stand with him, refusing her rule and forcefully declaring they are her enemies and have no intention of not fighting against her at any cost.

She had to execute them. 

Imo Varys and Tyrion advocating mercy had to do with their nobility, fear of her methods, yes, but I had no doubt their greatest objection, as political advisors, lay with the fact that she was willing to execute nobles.

It would create difficulties in future negociations. How dare that foreign w... threaten the lives of nobles! Lets send our armies against her and get a lot of men killed instead of surrendering our pride!

 But if the Houses knew that marching against her could result in getting extra crispy, some might think it'd be a good idea to keep still. The horror implied is a most effective way to make enemies yield without challenge.

Did they protest that vividly when she burned the other soldiers?

Then we get to The Bells and they've already surrendered. 

You can't tell me it's the same.

 

[RYShh]

2 minutes ago, It_spelt_Magalhaes said:

So, if I'd stabbed the Mad King in the gut?

If it's how 'humane' the method that bothers you, she couldn't actually pass the sentence and swing the sword herself, could she?

At least through dragonfire it came from her, more closely than through an executioner.

That moment with the Tarlys bothers me because by leading the army that had just sacked and massacred Highgarden, Randyll Tarly had not only betrayed House Tyrell to whom he was a vassal but clearly declared for Cersei.

She offered surrender. He refused.

His heir chose to stand with him, refusing her rule and forcefully declaring they are her enemies and have no intention of not fighting against her at any cost.

She had to execute them. 

Imo Varys and Tyrion advocating mercy had to do with their nobility, fear of her methods, yes, but I had no doubt their greatest objection, as political advisors, lay with the fact that she was willing to execute nobles.

It would create difficulties in future negociations. How dare that foreign w... threaten the lives of nobles! Lets send our armies against her and get a lot of men killed instead of surrendering our pride!

 But if the Houses knew that marching against her could result in getting extra crispy, some might think it'd be a good idea to keep still. The horror implied is a most effective way to make enemies yield without challenge.

Did they protest that vividly when she burned the other soldiers?

Then we get to The Bells and they've already surrendered. 

You can't tell me it's the same.

 

''TYRION: Your Grace, if you begin beheading entire families --

DAENERYS: I'm not beheading anyone.

TYRION pauses and looks over the DROGON. DRGON roars and shakes his head and flexes his wings. TYRION: Your Grace --''

She had thousands of Dothraki at her side, any of them could behead them, burning was too harsh, no different than Aerys's doing.

[It_spelt_Magalhaes]

1 minute ago, RYShh said:

''TYRION: Your Grace, if you begin beheading entire families --

DAENERYS: I'm not beheading anyone.

TYRION pauses and looks over the DROGON. DRGON roars and shakes his head and flexes his wings. TYRION: Your Grace --''

She had thousands of Dothraki at her side, any of them could behead them, burning was too harsh, no different than Aerys's doing.

Again, method and perception.

Was it a bad image to pass to the Westerosi who have been repeating the well earned reputation of the Mad King?

Most certainly. It turns a necessary act into a terror tactic that can backfire or succeed. We're shown later on that the valorous people of Westeros prefer to think about how her dragons can be killed.

But consider she's Khal to a dothraki horde, the same you just told me were there around them all. What would they think of a leader that needed someone else to make her kills?

Also, we all admired Ned Stark's integrity for making sure to carry out his own sentences. Daenerys simply wasn't able to swing a sword over her head.