The Broke Howard Hughes Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Working under the theory that insane people don't actually know they're insane was The Mad King actually insane or just an irrational jerk. Now consider the facts of the Rhaegar/Lyanna situation. Rhaegar 'kidnaps' Lyanna and Brandon goes to Kings Landing to demand the return of his sister.It's rational that the king, whoever he is, would see a threat against his son and heir as a crime. 1. He arrests Brandon, also rational. 2. Demands his father come to speak for his son's crimes and arrange ransom. Rational.3. Arrests Rickard, and murders him and Brandon in a gruesome way. Clearly not rational. 4. Demands Jon Aryn send him the heads of Robert and Ned. Seemingly not rational, but is it?Seeing as how being crazy means you don't realize you're actually doing anything other people would deem insane. Is it possible The Mad King realized killing so many important people was not only wrong but likely to cause him trouble so in response he demanded the deaths of anybody likely to cause a fuss. That doesn't sound like a crazy person to me. Just somebody who made a horrible mistake and is trying to shore up his bases so it doesn't come back to bite him in the butt. Now clearly he did crazy things but is it possible that his actions are simply insane, self indulgent, whims? Because if he were ACTUALLY crazy he wouldn't have realized what he'd done to Rickard and Brandon was dangerous. He'd have thought it justice and wondered why anyone would think anything any different. Am I bored, wrong, or does this sound possible to anyone else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dornishman's Wife Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Because if he were ACTUALLY crazy he wouldn't have realized what he'd done to Rickard and Brandon was dangerous. He'd have thought it justice and wondered why anyone would think anything any different.Even crazy people can be paranoid. Especially crazy people in fact. He knows the fathers defied him, of course he's afraid the sons will defy him as well. That doesn't mean that he recognizes his responsibility in the events that unfolded, just that he sees the need to kill off as many people close to his initial target as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stannis Eats No Peaches Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Working under the theory that insane people don't actually know they're insane was The Mad King actually insane or just an irrational jerk. Now consider the facts of the Rhaegar/Lyanna situation. Rhaegar 'kidnaps' Lyanna and Brandon goes to Kings Landing to demand the return of his sister.It's rational that the king, whoever he is, would see a threat against his son and heir as a crime. 1. He arrests Brandon, also rational. 2. Demands his father come to speak for his son's crimes and arrange ransom. Rational.3. Arrests Rickard, and murders him and Brandon in a gruesome way. Clearly not rational. 4. Demands Jon Aryn send him the heads of Robert and Ned. Seemingly not rational, but is it?Seeing as how being crazy means you don't realize you're actually doing anything other people would deem insane. Is it possible The Mad King realized killing so many important people was not only wrong but likely to cause him trouble so in response he demanded the deaths of anybody likely to cause a fuss. That doesn't sound like a crazy person to me. Just somebody who made a horrible mistake and is trying to shore up his bases so it doesn't come back to bite him in the butt. Now clearly he did crazy things but is it possible that his actions are simply insane, self indulgent, whims? Because if he were ACTUALLY crazy he wouldn't have realized what he'd done to Rickard and Brandon was dangerous. He'd have thought it justice and wondered why anyone would think anything any different. Am I bored, wrong, or does this sound possible to anyone else?I know what you're getting at...but you essentially just said that he knew that killing people would have caused trouble, so he decided to kill everyone to stop them complaining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Broke Howard Hughes Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 I know what you're getting at...but you essentially just said that he knew that killing people would have caused trouble, so he decided to kill everyone to stop them complaining. Which would make his actions crazy. Point taken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Independent George Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 So he also didn't actually rape Rhaella after burning Rickard - he's just a fetishist, and they had a safe word pre-arranged? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Broke Howard Hughes Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 So he also didn't actually rape Rhaella after burning Rickard - he's just a fetishist, and they had a safe word pre-arranged?Is that the same thing seeing as how she was his wife? I'm not saying raping your sister and/or marrying her isn't wrong but they are Targaryen's afterall. Who knows what they were actually up to half the time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Mac Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 What about him willing to burn down King's Landing, and kill half a million people? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stannis Eats No Peaches Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Is that the same thing seeing as how she was his wife? I'm not saying raping your sister and/or marrying her isn't wrong but they are Targaryen's afterall. Who knows what they were actually up to half the time?Ahhh I see. So he's not mad, he's a Targaryen. That's a good excuse; I can't find a fault in him now.:P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Arryn Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Which would make his actions crazy. Point taken.The Rains of Castamere? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Broke Howard Hughes Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 Doing crazy things doesn't exactly make you a crazy person. Sandor bashed a baby's head against a wall, clearly crazy, but nobody calls him the Mad Mountain. He's just an A-hole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erudain Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 That was Gregor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Broke Howard Hughes Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 That was GregorDetails details :bowdown: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Pepper Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 I always thought Aerys got his "Mad" reputation prior to the Lyanna/Rhaegar stuff. He wouldn't leave the Red Keep, never cut his nails and was paranoid to the point of being afraid to eat and took any comments about him out of context and punished cruelly. That's all pretty big indications that a person has gone mad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenlyIsNotRight Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 This is not the first time I've seen a thread that suggested Aerys was not entirely batshit and evil. It honeslty blows my mind that people even try to argue that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Arryn Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 This is not the first time I've seen a thread that suggested Aerys was not entirely batshit and evil. It honeslty blows my mind that people even try to argue that.Cafeful. Word is that's how it started with Aerys, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firepoet Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 This is not the first time I've seen a thread that suggested Aerys was not entirely batshit and evil. It honeslty blows my mind that people even try to argue that.Well it is a book of grey characters, and all we know about Aerys came from people who hated him. So wondering if his actions could be interpreted in any other way is reasonable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theda Baratheon Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Mentally ill people can be fully aware that they are mentally ill, to be honest. But in this case, yes - he was completely stark (excuse the word) raving bloody bonkers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Full-Faced Braavosi Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Woah... I think you've just justified the extermination of the human population. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicciTarg Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 While he is a bit overly touched in the head, I think a lot it was he just didn't give a _ _ _ _. Look at what is happening today in dictator and extremist regimes world wide. Some people are just evil, plain and simple. Not everyone that commits such heinous acts are mentally sick. Sometimes they are. In some cases though, I think mental illness is used as an excuse. It makes the rest of society feel better and people do not have to accept that the human species is capable of such things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Is that the same thing seeing as how she was his wife? I'm not saying raping your sister and/or marrying her isn't wrong but they are Targaryen's afterall. Who knows what they were actually up to half the time?Whoa now. Marital rape is still rape. It doesn't stop being rape just because she's your wife.And yes Aerys was insane — a paranoid pyromaniac. He was already loony before Robert's Rebellion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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