Opinions on Pycelle

[Mrs.Grumpy]

I like him in aFfC. He was smart at least.

[lareine]

I think it's very interesting that he was Aerys grand maester as well as well as being Tywin's "creature." I'd love to know more about the role he played in the Targaryen court, especially leading up to and during RR.

[mindchap]

As Per SSMs

Why is Pycelle so loyal to the Lannisters?

There´s backstory yet to be revealed, certainly, but if you asked Pycelle he would insist that he was acting in the best interests of the realm.

I wonder who we'll get the backstory from now.

[Martini Sigil]

The entire small council were duplicitous vipers... But unlike either Littlefinger or Varys, there wasn't much to like about Pycelle... He's perfectly detestible.

[Rheagar Prime]

Cheered when varys killed him. He condemned the targs when aerys was there saying that vis and aegon had his blood so yea lets get the lannisters in. Yet when tywin dies he still serves cersei knowing how incomptent she is sigh. So glad he is finally dead.

[Minstral]

There is probably not many articles of him because they would all be in agreement. He has betrayed among the most people in the books and has become rather ineffectual in the political power game. For instance, rather than find a way to dissuade Ned from Jon Arryns murder, someone who certainly appears to be not the most adept at politics, he hands him the same book and give him the exact details of what he was investigating.

[The Wolves]

He was a Lannister dog so he died like the POS he was, I hated him.

[Mark Antony]

Hate him, Fist pumped when Varys killed him.

[LuisDantas]

I'm hardly a Pycelle fan or even defender, but he does seem to be sincere and loyal in his corruption. He did participate in the decision to make Kevan the regent, after all.

His siding with House Lannister is hearfelt, far as anyone can tell.

And he is certainly not nearly as rotten as Petyr Baelish. Or Marwyn. Or Cersei. Or Tywin. Or Roose Bolton. Or someone else who I will not name because I am trying to go easy on him. :)

[Minstral]

Or Tywin

He is Tywin's biggest cheerleeder and defender, all the while being the very public president of his fanclub. By defending Tywin's use of Gregor Clegane in the first book or helping to open the gates of KL makes him an active part in the Lannister attrocities. Even if it is heartfelt, his support for them is willful blindness on par with Robert, and no one I have seen forgives him for that.

[LuisDantas]

Not sure I see the disagreement. Pycelle is a follower.

[Minstral]

Not sure I see the disagreement. Pycelle is a follower.

What I mean is that by being an extension of Tywin's actions makes him just as bad or worse in some ways. Gregor commits the acts violence while acting under Tywins orders. While Tywin would often argue that his hands are clean and that blood was on other people’s hands, it is almost universally acknowledged that his hands were by no means clean. Rather, his are the dirtier because he adds legitimacy to the brutality. All the while, Pycelle offers his heartfelt support to Tywin.

Now I know that the old man is more a puppet in the Lannister power bloc, but he is also a willing puppet that seemingly offers the support and legitimacy of the order of Maesters. In some ways I find Pycelle to be worse than Tywin, as here is a man that has helped Tywin commit these acts of brutality and give him whatever support he can.

Edit: in short the disagreement is that I think he is as bad as some of the characters you mentioned.

[direwienerdog]

For Pycell to become GrandMaester well it had to be Lannister gold. I see none of the smarts of a regular Maester in him.

[Mountain Tribesman]

out of him vayrs and and littlefinger he's the one i prefer the most since he's loyal, i don't hold the death of jon arryn against him because if the twincest came out there would have been a civil war

Whereas this way there was no civil war in ASoIaF, correct? :lol:

Pycelle was a backstabbing, murdering, brownnosing dirtbag. His behavior towards decent people such as Sansa was atrocious and the only thing I regret about his death was that it didn't come soon enough, or painfully enough. But, thankfully, at least it came.

By the way, how is Pycelle loyal?! He betrayed two Kings of the Seven Kingdoms and caused the deaths of not only them (Aerys was after all insane and evil, and Robert rather foolish), but of innocents like Elia Martell and her daughter (along with that random baby). Varys is truly loyal... loyal to the realm.

[Sullen]

A man sincere in his insincerity.

I thought his trying to keep a low profile was pretty refreshing in this world of large egos colliding with each other, Pycelle at least was genuinely modest.

[Okaythen]

I kind of like him, I mean everybody is absolutely right about all the wrongs he did but I still find him sympathetic for some reason.

[Rhymes with Weak]

Well, at least he was loyal.

[Ramsay B.]

He's always been in my top 3 hated list. The epilogue in ADWD was one of my favorites because he gets what he deserved IMO...and by Varys, nonetheless.

[Riptide]

The noblest lad to ever sit the Iron Throne is closer to what he called Joffrey.

[Sullen]

Why does the Grand Maester he incite so much hate?

Morally-speaking he's well above most villains, as well as a lot of the "good" characters too.