How do you feel about Cersei?

[ejhawman]

No sypmathy from me. She is clearly modeled as the Evil Queen, infused with Martin's realism, of course. Some thoughts, feelings, and actions seem forgivable, even sympathetic, when taken in isolation, but looking at the whole instead of just the parts, yes, she deserves a horrible fate.

What's really admirable is Martin making her a POV after her destruction begins, so that we can witness the train wreck as it happens in full detail. A good demonstration that being a POV in a story doesn't necessarily mean the reader is supposed to empathize/sympathize with a character.

[DogLover]

Cersei grosses me out on a pretty big level. I think she sucks and i dont really enjoy reading about her anymore. While i do sympathize with her with her Walk, the High Septon, and Robert being a big fat assface, i dont like her and i think she smells bad and should feel bad. Cersei never loved anyone other than Cersei. Its about time she owns up to that.

This made me laugh, especially the "big fat assface."

Despite Cersei's terribleness, I cannot bring myself to hate her. I pity her because she's so pathetic. And I love her because she's oh so entertaining.

[Faint]

I don't mind that readers find her distasteful so long as they admit she is easily one of the best characters in the books and wildly entertaining.

[Arch-MaesterPhilip]

I hated her my over my first three reads. I'm on my fourth read now and I I feel like she is growing on me. It hit me that I was starting to like her when she is talking with Sansa after finding out about her moon blood.

[A Crow Come Over]

I'm not a fan.

[A Crow Come Over]

I don't mind that readers find her distasteful so long as they admit she is easily one of the best characters in the books and wildly entertaining.

Definitely not even in the Top 10 but she is widly entertaining, re-arming the Faith Militant was a gas.

[Mother of Dragons]

So I've probably read books 1-4 3 or 4 times (I'm long past due for ADWD reread), and I hated Cersei with a passion both in the books and on the TV series. I felt she was the WORST mom in Westeros. I mean look how Joffrey turned out- OTOH one could argue Tommen & Myrcella turned out very sweet, but I think she spent more time on Joffrey. He seemed to be her fav.

Anyway, rewatching the series, and for the first time I kind of like her. She's capable of kindness, as seen with Sansa when she gets her period, and even Tyrion says her love for her children (and cheekbones) are her only redeeming qualities :).

I mean, I had so much Cersei angst I enjoyed her walk of shame. For those that sympathised, think of how she's treated Margaery at this point, who I think is 16 or around that age.

I am working on reading the AFFC combo with ADWD from the Leather Must Be Boiled blog, which I recommend, but Cersei is pretty crazy and paranoid at this stage, so I'm going to try the earlier books again later and see if I appreciate her more in the novels.

I find it amazing how my perspective changed about her from 7 years ago. Perhaps she just has a way of growing on you.

I still want to bitch slap Joffrey though ( like Tyrion & sometimes Cersei), that will never change. Martin probably gave us his demise to make up for Ned/Robb. He must have been in a cheery mood when he wrote that to actually give us fans something to make us happy for a change. :)

[King Tyrion I]

Well, she's a Lannister and I'm looking forward to her redemption arc - if George grants her one.

Some of her actions remain unexplainable to me, others do make sense. Like trying Joff to allow Ned to take the black.

It was Joffrey who messed that up.

Unexplainable actions: trying to get Tyrion killed in "revenge" for her mother.

[Mother of Dragons]

I am shocked you think Cersei is tragic? How exactly is she tragic? She committs her first murder as a child. At 15 she ruins her brother's life because she wants to keep on using him. The way she treats Maggy, her abusive of Tyrion. This is all before anything has really gone wrong with her life. Then she marries Robert, but plans to keep having her affair with Jaime. Lies to her brother to keep him away from the children. Kills more babies. Seriously struggling to see where she is tragic more than evil.

Yeah, you know, she's just really insecure, like could probably use an Rx for Zyprexa kind of way, but in her mind she's protecting what's hers from her enemies- real or imagined, and of course from the voices in her head.

[Mother of Dragons]

Well, she's a Lannister and I'm looking forward to her redemption arc - if George grants her one.

Some of her actions remain unexplainable to me, others do make sense. Like trying Joff to allow Ned to take the black.

It was Joffrey who messed that up.

Unexplainable actions: trying to get Tyrion killed in "revenge" for her mother.

I blame her for Ned, though. Her son was out of control, and Ned was the barganing chip. Of course, we need Ned to die to have the series, so I've finally accepted this travesty. But Cersei knew killing Ned was killing her chance to get Jaime. Even if it meant embarrassing Joffrey in public, as the Queen Regent, she should have tried to do something. Joffrey was just a dumb kid. You think Tywin would've allowed that??

I think maybe we still need Cersei so we can have some villains still around, I dont know if she's capable of redemption though. She hit rock bottom and she's still arrogant as shit.

[TimJames]

The part about her loving her children is debatable.

She did a god awful job raising Joffery, refused to let anyone else take part in raising him (she not only excluded Robert from Joffery's upbringing, but also Jamie), and all but encouraged him to be a ruthless nutcase.

Then there's that scene where she abuses Tommen horrifically, and all the other scenes where she constantly resents Tommen for not being Joffery.

Cersei was a poor excuse for a parent.

[eyenon15]

She's horrible, wretched, possibly evil. Yet, I still like her because she's hot

[Seaworth'sShipmate]

She is a feminist icon, blazing a trail for women in a sexist patriarchal society.

[The Wolves]

She did a god awful job raising Joffery, refused to let anyone else take part in raising him (she not only excluded Robert from Joffery's upbringing, but also Jamie), and all but encouraged him to be a ruthless nutcase. .

To the bolded is ridiculous.

Robert was always a worthless deadbeat, but he was the fucking KING in an absolute patriactic society if he wanted a hand in raising his "son" than there is nothing Cersei could have done to stop him.

And Jaime knew what he had to give up when he gave Cersei a bastard child and he let her call their kid Robert's to keep her hold on a ugly chair, than knowing that he had to let Robert have his kid he gave her 2 more that's his own fault.

[Mother of Dragons]

The part about her loving her children is debatable.

She did a god awful job raising Joffery, refused to let anyone else take part in raising him (she not only excluded Robert from Joffery's upbringing, but also Jamie), and all but encouraged him to be a ruthless nutcase.

Then there's that scene where she abuses Tommen horrifically, and all the other scenes where she constantly resents Tommen for not being Joffery.

Cersei was a poor excuse for a parent.

OK, I'm starting to remember now why I cheered for her walk of shame. However, I'm on the fence about her causing her son to be a psychopath. I'm thinking Joffrey was half mad due to the incest, ala The Mad King. I believe that SHE believes she loves her kids, but as another poster mentioned,she sees them as an extension of herself, and being a narcissist, that would be reason to protect them. She is clearly misguided and suffers from some kind of mental problem(s), maybe she passed the psychopath gene to Joffrey.

I don't think she's quite a suffragette. I think she's one of the reasons females in management or power positions are seen as bitches, because she can't lead. She is tyrannical.

In regards to raising Joffrey, she lets her Dad tell him he's a little shit, because Dad is the only one who can keep HER in line. For all the love she supposedly professed for Jaime, it was obvious she was just using him.

However, she seems to have moments, albeit rare, where she's lucid and nice in a way that doesn't really help her- like the conversation I mentioned she had with Sansa.

To the bolded is ridiculous.

Robert was always a worthless deadbeat, but he was the fucking KING in an absolute patriactic society if he wanted a hand in raising his "son" than there is nothing Cersei could have done to stop him.

And Jaime knew what he had to give up when he gave Cersei a bastard child and he let her call their kid Robert's to keep her hold on a ugly chair, than knowing that he had to let Robert have his kid he gave her 2 more that's his own fault.

2 things: Cersei DID stop Robert. Remember he was so disgusted with Joffrey's creepy cat killing he beat him and she gave him an earful? Robert didn't want to deal with her.

I'm not sure what point you are making about Jaime. If he or she said anything about their kids, could you imagine the consequences? She and Jaime, maybe all the Lannisters would be executed or sent to the wall for treason. Except I guess Cersei would die because she can't join the NW unless Silent Sisters are an option.

ETA: I forgot, she has some intimate moments with Tyrion, while rare, shows she does have some good. I think she really believed Tyrion did kill Joffrey, hence the trial. Remember her paranoia. I know on the show she admits she feels she can't control Joffrey, but I can't recall if she says this in the novels.

Sorry, I'm terrible at recalling quotes.

[Mother of Dragons]

I hated her my over my first three reads. I'm on my fourth read now and I I feel like she is growing on me. It hit me that I was starting to like her when she is talking with Sansa after finding out about her moon blood.

^THIS- sorry, I missed your post. Precisely what I was feeling today.

[The Dragons Hand]

When I think about Cersei in detail my melancholy threatens to reach Rhaegar like proportions. No love to hate relationship, but I do like that I can diss her without the slightest guilt and people who don't like her can agree on it. It's a unique feeling. I love to hate Victarion, but things don't work out the same way with him. People cover their arguments in a blanket made of "He's badass" comments so it's less productive.

Walder Frey is somebody 99.8% of the world hates and my desire for his death gives me life.

[Bustard]

Cersei is everything that I hate

[rocksniffer]

i love cersei...she is everything in a woman i love...strength of will and direct goals...she recognizes her skills and faults and secures aid in areas where she is weak...she was going to marry for love but once thwarted she used her circustances to achieve power...though she is in straights at the end of ADwD..she will overcome it and i believe will be victorious right up until she is beaten by the "little brother" which i believe is Jamie...not tyrion...

...ok have at me...

:fencing:

[lidsa]

I wouldn't miss her chapters for the world, but gods do I want to see her die.