The Cask of Amontillado (Walder Frey)

[James Fenimore Cooper XXII]

Lord Walder Frey is the Montressor of this story.  I hope to see Walder survive many more years and then tell the reader his side of the story.  The thought process and the decisions which led to the red wedding will interests, as well as temper the anger towards the Freys, among the less partial readers. 

In Poe's short story, a man named Montressor tells the story of how he lured a friend into a trap.  The friend is a vain man with a love of wines named Fortunato.  Montressor enticed Fortunato to a prepared brick tomb where he seals the man inside.  Montressor had the trap set.  The bricks and the fresh mortar were ready at the site.  The inebriated Fortunato was easy to trick.  Montressor never told the listener the specific reason other than Fortunato had insulted his family. 

The story between Lord Walder and Robb Stark is known.  We know Walder's reasons for hating Robb.  Robb Stark broke his oath to Walder.  This is very bad because Walder lost his eldest son and heir while loyally fighting for the Starks.  Walder's anger at Robb's betrayal is justified and he deserves to have a very large compensation from the Starks.  I think that much we are all agreed.  Walder's sons prepared a trap for the vainglorious Robb just like Montressor did to Fortunato. 

Montressor and Walder are men of pride.  Perhaps excessive pride.  Unfortunately, that is the way of the upper social classes.  The nobles of Westeros are very sensitive when it comes to family devotion and loyalty.  The Starks are no different from the Freys and the Lannisters in that department. 

[Lady Stonehearts Simp]

[Terrorthatflapsinthenight9]

So Montressor is a prideful, opportunistic, spiteful, treacherous and petty old man who murdered one of his "friends" for a petty and unjustified reason ? 

I learn something everyday.

[Craving Peaches]

I don't see how this is based on a serious reading of the text. It is made very clear multiple times by different characters that what the Freys did was a complete affront to everything held sacred, and obviously went way beyond whatever compensation or retaliation the Freys were entitled to after Robb broke their marriage pact.

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 "The Red Wedding was an affront to all the laws of gods and men, they say, and those who had a hand in it are damned."

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… but even robber lords and wreckers were bound by the ancient laws of hospitality. 

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"Murdered in breach of all the sacred laws of hospitality."

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"Put up your steel, ser! Are you a Corbray or a Frey? We are guests here."

And it was not just Robb Walder murdered, but thousands of innocent agents that had nothing to do with Robb failing to uphold his obligation. So even if you accept Walder Frey was justified in doing what he did to Robb despite clear evidence to the contrary from the text itself, there is absolutely no way he was justified in the killing of thousands of innocent people alongside Robb. I really do not understand why certain parties on this forum are so particular about presenting what the Freys did as some sort of reasonable revenge taken to restore their honour. Walder clearly does not care about honour since what he did has destroyed his House's reputation.

[Lady Stonehearts Simp]

1 minute ago, Craving Peaches said:

I don't see how this is based on a serious reading of the text. It is made very clear multiple times by different characters that what the Freys did was a complete affront to everything held sacred, and obviously went way beyond whatever compensation or retaliation the Freys were entitled to after Robb broke their marriage pact.

And it was not just Robb Walder murdered, but thousands of innocent agents that had nothing to do with Robb failing to uphold his obligation. So even if you accept Walder Frey was justified in doing what he did to Robb despite clear evidence to the contrary from the text itself, there is absolutely no way he was justified in the killing of thousands of innocent people alongside Robb. I really do not understand why certain parties on this forum are so particular about presenting what the Freys did as some sort of reasonable revenge taken to restore their honour. Walder clearly does not care about honour since what he did has destroyed his House's reputation.

You can’t reason with a Frey apologist. They lack it.

[Craving Peaches]

1 minute ago, King Robb of Winterfell said:

You can’t reason with a Frey apologist. They lack it.

Presumably we're all reading the same books though. This isn't a theory or a matter for interpretation. The information is plain to see in the text...

[Lady Stonehearts Simp]

8 minutes ago, Craving Peaches said:

Presumably we're all reading the same books though. This isn't a theory or a matter for interpretation. The information is plain to see in the text...

Agreed. And the fact that they can read it, and interpret it in a positive way for the Freys goes to show how far gone they are.

[Craving Peaches]

6 minutes ago, King Robb of Winterfell said:

Agreed. And the fact that they can read it, and interpret it in a positive way for the Freys goes to show how far gone they are.

Another thing in the same vein I don't understand is people claiming Jon murdered Janos Slynt as a revenge killing, when we can see in his head the entire time and know he chose to execute Slynt for insubordination to prevent him from undermining the unity of the Watch. In order for the former to be correct, Jon would have to be lying to himself in his own head...

[Lady Stonehearts Simp]

Just now, Craving Peaches said:

Another thing in the same vein I don't understand is people claiming Jon murdered Janos Slynt as a revenge killing, when we can see in his head the entire time and know he chose to execute Slynt for insubordination to prevent him from undermining the unity of the Watch. In order for the former to be correct, Jon would have to be lying to himself in his own head...

Yeah they are either delusional or just dedicated to trolling. I wish people would ignore these posts but no one does.

[Craving Peaches]

4 minutes ago, King Robb of Winterfell said:

Yeah they are either delusional or just dedicated to trolling. I wish people would ignore these posts but no one does.

Even if everyone ignored all these posts, people post the same opinions in other threads.

[Rondo]

Walder's point of view will be interesting reading.  If he lives long enough to tell his side of the story.  Walda in the North could birth a boy to inherit the land from Roose and Roslyn could do the same for the Riverlands.  The Frey family will have accomplished something remarkable.

[SeanF]

3 hours ago, Terrorthatflapsinthenight9 said:

So Montressor is a prideful, opportunistic, spiteful, treacherous and petty old man who murdered one of his "friends" for a petty and unjustified reason ? 

I learn something everyday.

Actually, it’s a good comparison.

Montressor is an evil man who takes cruel revenge for a petty slight.

[kissdbyfire]

4 hours ago, Craving Peaches said:

I don't see how this is based on a serious reading of the text.

The answer here is simple: you don’t see it because it isn’t. 

4 hours ago, Craving Peaches said:

It is made very clear multiple times by different characters that what the Freys did was a complete affront to everything held sacred, and obviously went way beyond whatever compensation or retaliation the Freys were entitled to after Robb broke their marriage pact.

This. And add to that the fact that Walder Frey had a bad reputation even before the RW. The author shows us clearly who and what they are from the start. He paints them as a giant red flag, like he’s trying to clue us that the Freys are not to be trusted and that they’ll do nasty things. 
 

[SeanF]

3 hours ago, Rondo said:The Frey family will have accomplished something remarkable.

The “something remarkable “ is the complete extermination of the Freys.

[Lady Stonehearts Simp]

5 hours ago, Rondo said:

Walder's point of view will be interesting reading.  If he lives long enough to tell his side of the story.  Walda in the North could birth a boy to inherit the land from Roose and Roslyn could do the same for the Riverlands.  The Frey family will have accomplished something remarkable.

I expect Ramsay to take care of Walda and her child similar to the abomination.

[H Wadsworth Longfellow]

I want to know what terms the Lannisters required before pardoning Roose and Walder.  I don't think they had a lot of ground to negotiate with Tywin.  The RW had to happen. 

[Craving Peaches]

8 hours ago, H Wadsworth Longfellow said:

The RW had to happen. 

No it did not.