Lots of people would do exactly the same as what Cersei did to Robert and Ned if they were in her shoes. The story is just mostly presented from Stark POV.

[boltons are sick]

First, let's talk about the sexist double standatds regarding Westerosi marriages which are the reason why Cersei is framed as a villain in the first place even though her actions in the first book are very understandable and I would argue that a lot of people would do them if they were in her place.

We see that Robert constantly cheats on Cersei with countless women and no one bats an eye. Meanwhile, if Cersei sleeps with a man outside of her marriage, it is considered a treason and she woud be executed. The reason for this is sexism and if you support a woman being executed over having an affair outside her marriage (because I have seen a lot of people who think that Cersei should be executed for commiting "treason" against her husband, then you are just supporting the sexist norms of the society because the story is framed from Ned's POV. If Robert is allowed to have multiple affairs without any consequences, then Cersei should also be allowed to have an affair without being labeled a "traitor" for it.

We live in the 21st century where we have multiple cases of men killing their women for having an affair with another man and all those men are then sent to jail because killing a woman over something like that is no longer considered justifiable (except in some Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia, but nobody cares about their opinion). For those reasons, anyone who expresses the opinion that Cersei deserves to be executed for having an affair with Jaime, but have no problem with Robert having affairs with multiple women, should really reevaluate their moral values because the only countries that still hold such values are Saudi Arabia and co while killing women for cheating is no longer considered justifiable in progressive countries.

The other argument is that she tried passing off her own bastards as Robert, but I have to say, so what? If she revealed to anyone that those children are not Robert's, she an her entire family would have been executed, so it's pretty understandable why she wouldn't do it. The female body works differently than the male, so she can't just pretend that those babies coming out of her vagina are not hers like Robert does with his own bastards. Cersei didn't do it to usurp the throne, she did it because she didn't want a man who constantly treated her like shit and raped her on top of that, to impregnate her which is a perfectly reasonable wish, but most fans frame even that decision as some diabolical machination from the "evil" Cersei to enact her schemes.

Plus, do readers from the 21st century really care if a bastard rules the Iron Throne instead of a trueborn son of Robert. Imagine for a moment if Joffrey was actually a good and wise person who would be better suited for the throne than someone like Stannis (not saying he is, just imagine it), would you have a trouble with him ruling just because he is a bastard and not a legitimate heir. Let's not forget that Robert himself also didn't inherit the throne, he usurped it from the Targaryen dynasty and took it for himself, so it's not like he has moral highground over Cersei in that regard either.

Finally, we come to the fact that Robert raped Cersei repeatedly and she is clearly traumatized by the experience and a lot of her negative qualities stem or at least were worsened by the rape she had to endure. This makes me even less inclined to judge Cersei for what she did because when her spouse who is supposed to treat her more nicely constantly rapes her and she can't escape her abusive marriage, if she found any comfort in Jaime, then good for her, I don't judge her for this, at all.

The reason why Cersei killed Robert is justifiable because if she didn't do it, her entire family would have been executed for something that's not even considered a crime nowadays and is only considered a crime in Westerosi society because almost everyone is a sexist prick and the reason why so many fans consider this to be a "crime" is because they themselves absorb some of the Westerosi sexism since it's narrated from Ned's POV or they themselves have some sexist attitudes towards this subject. Also, if somebody rapes a person, I am totally fine with the rape victim killing the rapist.

And about Cersei not taking Ned's offer, seen from her perspective: Ned’s offer was more a threat than a way out. And that’s why it was stupid for him to go to warn her. He said so himself “wherever you go, Robert’s wrath will follow you”. To her, he might as well had said “I’m going to turn you and your family in now, so you better run and hide before that bounty catch up on you. And it will eventually.”. She would have to live on the run, with her children, being in constant danger of being caught or recognised. Shamed and humiliated by name, with hardly any power or protection against the crown/Robert’s men. Her best bet was to get rid of the threats before the damage was done, and claim the power. There wasn’t really another way out in her mind. “In the game of thrones, you win or die. There is no middleground”

Also, in this situation if you look more closely, Cersei was actually the one trying to keep peace in the Seven Kingdoms even if it was ultimately for self-serving purposes. She reminded Ned that if he exposed her secret, the Seven Kingdoms would go to war because Tywin would not be happy with the result. Let's face it, Ned wasn't doing this because of some believe that he was helping the people of the kingdoms by trying to expose Cersei's secret because even he admits that if he does it, the people of the kingdoms would suffer through war. Also, he doesn't believe that Joffrey would be a bad ruler because at this point he doesn't even know him. So, why does he do it? Because his sense of honor wouldn't allow the Seven Kingdoms to be ruled by anyone other than the legitimate heir of the King. That's the whole reason why he is willing to risk a war and that's why I think that the fans who look at the conflict between Ned and Cersei as purely black and white are really wrong about the whole situation and they just look at it that way mostly because it's presented from Ned's POV. There was even a post about "the true villains of ASOIAF" here. While I wouldn't call Ned a "villain" at all, this post does bring up the exact same points I am writing about Ned and how his decision to try and imprison Cersei and her children is not really motivated by feeling that they are a threat to the kingdom and its people but because he just doesn't want the kingdom to be ruled by anyone who is not the legitimate heir to the throne even if in the long run no one will know the difference and he decision indirectly dooms countless innocent people who would die because of the ensuing war. Also, Cersei actually offered him to just return to Winterfell and forget about this, but he still refused and tried to have Cersei and her kids arrested which would have resulted in their eventual executions if Cersei hadn't acted first, but a lot of fans forget about that.

Just to be clear, I am not saying that Cersei is "good" or that she is not a cruel and vindictive person, so you don't have to come up with a list of all the bad things she has done in an attempt to convince me that she is "bad". I am just saying that I don't blame her for her actions during her marriage with Robert and in the first book because she was repeatedly raped and accused of a "crime" that is only considered a crime because of the sexist standards of her society, I can't blame her for fighting against this and trying to protect her family against an unjust execution. I am just saying that a lot of fans would actually see the logic behind that if they didn't constanty frame Cersei as "the villain" and didn't accept everything that was presented from Ned's POV for granted just because he is a likeable character and also a lot of people would understandably oppose the people who are trying to execute their families and that if they use a little critical thinking to analyse the whole situation instead of just accepting everything Ned and Robert do as morally pure because one is the main protagonist of the first book and a likeable character while the other is his friend.

[SeanF]

Robert was a shit, and a terrible husband and father.  Cersei was a monster.

Her way of getting back at Robert was to murder his children.

[boltons are sick]

9 minutes ago, SeanF said:

Robert was a shit, and a terrible husband and father.  Cersei was a monster.

Her way of getting back at Robert was to murder his children.

And Robert was perfectly willing to have a pregnant 13-year-old girl poisoned, so it's not like he is above killing children.

Most of the people in this book series are awful by our standards, so I don't really get the logic of calling one a monster for being willing to kill children but excuse another just because you are more sympathetic towards him.

[King_Tristifer_IV_Mudd]

I can’t fault her for defending her children. But she does so much more than that, she is 100% a villain. Unquestionably. She murders children, defended her monstrous son (who was Robert on bath salts), and countless other atrocities. She absolutely deserves to be hated.

[King_Tristifer_IV_Mudd]

2 minutes ago, boltons are sick said:

And Robert was perfectly willing to have a pregnant 13-year-old girl poisoned, so it's not like he is above killing children.

Most of the people in this book series are awful by our standards, so I don't really get the logic of calling one a monster for being willing to kill children but excuse another just because you are more sympathetic towards him.

Said 13 year old was about to have her rapist savage husband pillage and destroy the kingdom she wanted to reconquer because her psycho family lost it. Is it unsavory , yes, but not unreasonable.

[Terrorthatflapsinthenight9]

2 minutes ago, KingEuronGreyjoy said:

Said 13 year old was about to have her rapist savage husband pillage and destroy the kingdom she wanted to reconquer because her psycho family lost it. Is it unsavory , yes, but not unreasonable.

Yeah and Robert showed regret for it and eventually recalled the order, while Cersei killed or threatened to have children murdered for petty reasons and showed no remorse for it.

[Craving Peaches]

I wouldn't go around killing Robert's innocent babies, that's for sure. Multiple other women are in the same position as Cersei in terms of being in a forced marriage, and they don't go around killing children or killing their husband. Incest is a crime in our modern societies. I don't think Cersei is justified in killing people when she herself created the scenario in which she has to kill them to escape.

[SeanF]

4 minutes ago, boltons are sick said:

And Robert was perfectly willing to have a pregnant 13-year-old girl poisoned, so it's not like he is above killing children.

Most of the people in this book series are awful by our standards, so I don't really get the logic of calling one a monster for being willing to kill children but excuse another just because you are more sympathetic towards him.

I find Robert pretty horrible.  He gloated over the rape and murder of Elia and her two children;  he would have murdered Jon, had he known of him.  He shrugged off the murder of Mycah, and treated his children like shit.

He could argue reason of state for his plan to murder Daenerys, but I’m sure he’ s aware that 13 year old girls don’t have much choice over who they marry.   Besides, Drogo is the threat, not Daenerys.

But, none of that lets Cersei off the hook for her crimes.

[boltons are sick]

Why is everyone bringing up Robert's bastards when the topic is not even about that?

I said in my post that I don't think Cersei is good (but neither are the fan-favorite characters), but that I think what she did to Robert and Ned was somewhat justifiable because otherwise her entire family would be executed, not that what she did to Robert's bastards was justifiable.

 

This is like someone posting a topic about how Tyrion killing Tywin is justifiable for his treatment and then the people replying with how Tyrion is a rapist when those things have nothing to do with one another.

[SeanF]

6 minutes ago, boltons are sick said:

Why is everyone bringing up Robert's bastards when the topic is not even about that?

I said in my post that I don't think Cersei is good (but neither are the fan-favorite characters), but that I think what she did to Robert and Ned was somewhat justifiable because otherwise her entire family would be executed, not that what she did to Robert's bastards was justifiable.

 

This is like someone posting a topic about how Tyrion killing Tywin is justifiable for his treatment and then the people replying with how Tyrion is a rapist when those things have nothing to do with one another.

One can’t consider Robert’s treatment of her, without considering her treatment of his children.

[Craving Peaches]

8 minutes ago, boltons are sick said:

that I think what she did to Robert and Ned was somewhat justifiable

I don't think it's justifiable because she is responsible for creating a scenario in which she 'had' to kill them. If she doesn't have Jaime's children then her family is also safe and no one needs to be killed. If she was so concerned about her family she shouldn't have continued the incestuous relationship with her brother in the first place.

[hnv]

most people don't fuck their siblings.

 

actio libera in causa, Cersei doesn't get off for getting herself in this situation

[King_Tristifer_IV_Mudd]

Whether it’s fair or not, her choosing to pursue Jaime, and pass his children as Robert’s directly caused a massive war. And she knew I would, and did it anyway. By her own volition.

[boltons are sick]

1 minute ago, Craving Peaches said:

I don't think it's justifiable because she is responsible for creating a scenario in which she 'had' to kill them. If she doesn't have Jaime's children then her family is also safe and no one needs to be killed. If she was so concerned about her family she shouldn't have continued the incestuous relationship with her brother in the first place.

If a woman is married to man who contantly rapes her and also cheats on her, she has no way to leave the marriage and the reason why a woman cheating on a man is even considred treason in their society is due to some sexist laws that nowadays are only practiced in backwater countries like Saudi Arabia, etc., I am going to excuse her for having an affair with someone.

[King_Tristifer_IV_Mudd]

Just now, boltons are sick said:

If a woman is married to man who contantly rapes her and also cheats on her, she has no way to leave the marriage and the reason why a woman cheating on a man is even considred treason in their society is due to some sexist laws that nowadays are only practiced in backwater countries like Saudi Arabia, etc., I am going to excuse her for having an affair with someone.

Said affair caused a massive war and the death’s of of thousands. Because of HER choice. It’s not fair, but that’s the reality. She could’ve forsaken her power and fled with her children in secret before the story ever began, she had the resources. Fled to the Free Cites or even further East, never to heard from again. Instead she chose to pursue power and risked her children’s lives even further.

[boltons are sick]

Her intention wasn't to cause a massive war but to persue some measure of love in her loveless marriage, but the whole fandom frames that as evil. By this logic, you can blame many people for the war like Ned, because he chose to reveal Cersei's secret even after Cersei told him that they could keep quiet about it and that if it's revealed it would cause a war. I even addressed this:

"Also, in this situation if you look more closely, Cersei was actually the one trying to keep peace in the Seven Kingdoms even if it was ultimately for self-serving purposes. She reminded Ned that if he exposed her secret, the Seven Kingdoms would go to war because Tywin would not be happy with the result. Let's face it, Ned wasn't doing this because of some believe that he was helping the people of the kingdoms by trying to expose Cersei's secret because even he admits that if he does it, the people of the kingdoms would suffer through war. Also, he doesn't believe that Joffrey would be a bad ruler because at this point he doesn't even know him. So, why does he do it? Because his sense of honor wouldn't allow the Seven Kingdoms to be ruled by anyone other than the legitimate heir of the King. That's the whole reason why he is willing to risk a war and that's why I think that the fans who look at the conflict between Ned and Cersei as purely black and white are really wrong about the whole situation and they just look at it that way mostly because it's presented from Ned's POV. There was even a post about "the true villains of ASOIAF" here. While I wouldn't call Ned a "villain" at all, this post does bring up the exact same points I am writing about Ned and how his decision to try and imprison Cersei and her children is not really motivated by feeling that they are a threat to the kingdom and its people but because he just doesn't want the kingdom to be ruled by anyone who is not the legitimate heir to the throne even if in the long run no one will know the difference and he decision indirectly dooms countless innocent people who would die because of the ensuing war. Also, Cersei actually offered him to just return to Winterfell and forget about this, but he still refused and tried to have Cersei and her kids arrested which would have resulted in their eventual executions if Cersei hadn't acted first, but a lot of fans forget about that."

Ned is just a much more likeable character than Cersei and he is acting to enforce "the law", so the fandom is more likely to sympathize with him (even if that law is sexist, unjust and discriminatory and enforcing it would cause a war while keeping quiet about it would save many lives). Cersei and Ned (as well as many other characters) are all guilty of causing the War of the Five Kings which is part of the moral ambiguity of the series, but the readers only blame Cersei because they hate her and see everything in black and white.

 

[Terrorthatflapsinthenight9]

And Cersei wasn't exactly innocent, nor she is a good mother to her children anyway. 

[Craving Peaches]

25 minutes ago, boltons are sick said:

If a woman is married to man who contantly rapes her and also cheats on her, she has no way to leave the marriage and the reason why a woman cheating on a man is even considred treason in their society is due to some sexist laws that nowadays are only practiced in backwater countries like Saudi Arabia, etc., I am going to excuse her for having an affair with someone.

I am of the opinion that two wrongs don't make a right. And again, there are multiple other women in Cersei's position, none of whom have done what she did. Killing Robert and Ned was wrong in my view. And I don't judge Cersei for having an affair, I judge her for incest and fraud.

[King_Tristifer_IV_Mudd]

15 minutes ago, Terrorthatflapsinthenight9 said:

And Cersei wasn't exactly innocent, nor she is a good mother to her children anyway. 

Exactly, she essentially viewed them as extensions of herself, not as individuals.

[Craving Peaches]

Cersei had the chance to flee to the Free cities, protecting her children and harming no one. Instead she chose to harm people. At no point was she forced to harm people to protect her children. The reason she didn't flee to the Free Cities was because she didn't want to lose her power and influence. She cares about her power most of all, more than her children. Killing Ned and Robert was about preserving her power first.