Cersei
Lannister. Queen. Shrewd. Calculating. Angry. Power hungry. These are just some
of the terms that come to mind when describing the Queen Regent.
Lena Headey
has captured the icy demeanor of Cersei right down to the last detail. I cannot
picture another actress even trying to do the part. From the very first time
you see Cersei grace the screen, you get the idea that something’s amiss.
Cersei’s eyes pierce right through everyone. She comes off as being aloof,
almost crisp towards those she does not know, or more to the point, trust. We
find out that she was born into the wealthiest family in Westeros – the
Lannister dynasty. She has a twin brother, Jaime, who is part of the Kingsguard.
Her younger brother is Tyrion “the Imp” Lannister, who in her eyes is worthless
and an embarrassment to the family. He did, after all, cause their beloved
mother, Joanna, to die in childbirth. After that horrific event, Cersei never
forgave her younger brother and had little use for him growing up.
Being born
into the wealthiest family in Westeros has its’ privileges. Cersei would never
lack for food, shelter, and clothing. She was given the finest education for a
young girl at the time. This is where we see Cersei begin to chafe at her role
in life. She was born a female, and with that comes specific obligations: she
must be tutored in finer arts of reading, writing, painting, dancing, court
etiquette and household management. Not exactly exciting stuff, especially for
a young girl of her intellect. She had no use for dolls and pretty things and
found them to be a complete waste of time. She wanted to be free, to do the
same things that Jaime did, to learn the art of warfare, to train with weapons,
to ride horses. Unfortunately, being born female meant she had no choice but to
acquiesce to her powerful father’s demands and her family’s expectations.
Being born a
female, and a wealthy one at that, meant to be ‘sold off’ in marriage to some
nobleman from a wealthy house. A daughter’s duty: to marry well and beget the
production of heirs. Not exactly what Cersei wanted in life. I think she is a
misunderstood, bitter woman. She never got the chance to marry for love or
happiness. Unfortunately, she was carrying on an incestuous relationship with
her twin brother, so it’s not like she could openly defy custom and tradition.
Had she done so, she would’ve probably risked having terrible consequences for
her and her family. After all, through a political and strategic marriage can a
daughter bring more status and wealth to her family. Cersei resents being used as a pawn,
powerless to the events being dictated in her life. I think she had a great
deal of pent up anger and frustration towards Robert and in a sick, twisted way
enjoyed the fact that she did not have children by her lawful husband, but by
her own brother. It gives you a glimpse into the madness that will eventually
catch up with Cersei further down the road.
She feels
that women, in general, have no real power. But she is not just any woman. She
is Cersei Lannister. As Queen Cersei, the power she had was still limited,
after all, her husband, the late King Robert Baratheon, was still her Lord and
ruler. Once he died, her power as Queen Regent became absolute. This is where
we see the true nature of the beast. This is a ruthless woman who will not
hesitate to have her enemies burnt, tortured or killed if they get in the way
of her goals. Eddard Stark found that out the hard way. In the first season, we see glimpses into how
she will do anything to protect her children, because after all, they were not
Robert’s, they were Jaime’s. She did a good job of protecting their parentage
until someone started to have doubts and ask questions. Hence, John Arryn’s
death.
Cersei is a
feminist, but I wouldn’t say that with the best of intentions. Yes, she hates
the inequality of her position and title in life. She resents having to be
excluded out of most major decisions. She hates being seen as just a woman, a
pretty thing, to be cast aside in favour of men with brawn and brains. Once
Robert dies, Cersei attains a great deal of power. And power, as Lord Varys
once said, ‘is a curious thing.’ You can really get a true sense of a person’s
character – give them a little bit of power and see what they choose to do with
it. In Cersei’s case, she only does terrible things with it. As Queen Regent, she made a terrible decision
– putting Joffrey on the Iron Throne as King – thinking she could control him
like a little puppet on a string. Bad choice, Queen Mum. However, the apple
doesn’t fall far from the tree and they are both very vindictive people. With
Lord Tywin Lannister off fighting the Stark forces in the north and Jaime being
a part of the Kingsguard, Cersei feels that she is left to her own devices. Cersei
cannot tame the monster that is Joffrey, so rather than control him, she allows
him free reign and goes along for the ride. What a horrendous ride it is
turning out to be.
Having the
backing of her family, their wealth and her title of Queen Regent means
absolute power.
And absolute
power means one thing to Cersei: absolute control.
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