One small fact: Joffrey was not evil

[Orphu]

I think Joffrey might have been partially reacting to Cersei's advice that "Everyone who is not us is an enemy". In other words Joffreys contempt for others came from his belief that they were his enemies.

As for the cutting open the cat thing, this is not so much different from what happens in war, and men are lauded for such acts. Yet for some reason, dashing babies heads against wall is necessary and good, yet cutting a cat open to see the kittens inside is some terrible atrocity. I can see why joff would get confused.

I claim that every "evil" act carried out by Joffrey was the result of some lesson taught to him by his family, history, or the actions of Westerosi nobility. This can be contrasted with Ramsay who looks like a natural psychopath.

[MysteryNinja]

He knew how to charm a naive eleven year old girl (with a little help of alcohol), I guess you could say he knew how to be gallant - but he sadly couldn't hold up his mask when he found someone to bully.

He also saved Sansa from an embarrassing and distressing scene at the Crossroads Inn, when people noticed her direwolf and where gossiping about it and Sansa was just breaking down from the wrong attention; Cersei did first have to tell him to step in though

[/end semi-seriousness]

I don't put Joffrey on the level of Gregor or Ramsay's thoughtless cruelty, but he's not too far behind

[mrunderhill]

He knew how to charm a naive eleven year old girl (with a little help of alcohol), I guess you could say he knew how to be gallant - but he sadly couldn't hold up his mask when he found someone to bully.

He also saved Sansa from an embarrassing and distressing scene at the Crossroads Inn, when people noticed her direwolf and where gossiping about it and Sansa was just breaking down from the wrong attention; Cersei did first have to tell him to step in though

[/end semi-seriousness]

I don't put Joffrey on the level of Gregor or Ramsay's thoughtless cruelty, but he's not too far behind

Joffrey knew how to charm everyone if he wanted. Joffrey is the male version of Cersei, but with an added sense of invincibility. When Joffrey put effort in he could charm most people, but like his mother he had no desire to be loved.

I don't put Joffrey on the level of Gregor or Ramsay. Joffrey was a very bad guy, but his worst crimes were committed when he started shooting random peasants. That was the worst thing Joffrey ever did. Ramsay/Gregor often raped and murdered peasants for their own entertainment.

[Master Forel's Fro]

I wouldn't even give Joffrey the credit of being charming to sansa. Cercei didn't trust ned and sansa thru Joffrey was her way to keep taps on ned and she was planting the seeds of trust by having Joffrey pretend to like her.