Lioness: Cersei Lannister in the Game of Thrones books

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In Season 6 of the Game of Thrones show, Olenna Tyrell wonders if Cersei is “the worst person

[she’s] ever met” . Cersei does do a lot of terrible things.

While the wife of King Robert, she has a secret incestuous relationship with her twin brother

Jaime, passing off their illegitimate kids as Robert’s rightful heirs – undermining

the political system of Westeros and leading to war.

When Arya Stark tangles with Cersei’s son Joffrey, Cersei has the innocent direwolf

Lady executed , and tries to get Arya “maimed” or killed . Cersei kills King Robert by getting

him drunk during a hunt . Then she ignores the king’s will to have Ned Stark serve

as regent , and instead has Ned imprisoned.

That’s all in Book 1.

In Book 2, Cersei has Robert’s baby bastard Barra murdered along with her mother . Cersei

has an innocent woman, Alayaya – Ros in the show – brutally beaten in an attempt

to hurt Cersei’s brother Tyrion . She may also be responsible for Ser Mandon’s attempt

on Tyrion’s life . In Book 3, Cersei wrongfully accuses Tyrion of killing Joffrey , which

gets Tyrion sentenced to death.

In Book 4, Cersei really goes to town – she has the High Septon killed , has some innocent

dwarfs killed , has some innocent guards killed , and tries to have Bronn and Trystane Martell

and Jon Snow killed.

She just loves killin’ . She also sends a bunch of women to Qyburn to be “used”

in horrific experiments , and brutally tortures an innocent bard . She tries to frame Margery

Tyrell and others for crimes that they didn’t commit , and makes a bunch of bad political

decisions – she stops paying the crown’s debts , gives an expensive fleet of ships

to an unqualified pretty boy who steals them and becomes a pirate , and she lets the Faith

Militant arm themselves , leading to the rise of the High Sparrow.

After this farce and disaster, Cersei’s crimes catch up with her – she’s imprisoned

by the Faith, and takes a walk of shame.

That’s as far as the books go so far – but in Season 6 of the show, Cersei wreaks revenge.

She blows up the sparrows and Tyrells with wildfire, and crowns herself Queen of Westeros

– in her final form as a sort of Maleficent, Evil Queen type.

So Cersei kind of is… “the worst” . She hurts and kills innocent people, destabilises

the country, and contributes to war.

Should we call her… a villain?

A “monster” ? Is she just cruel and selfish and stupid, a “vile … evil bitch”, in

Margaery’s words ? Or could there be more to Cersei Lannister?

In the first three books of Thrones, we only see Cersei through the eyes of other characters

– but starting in the fourth book, we get chapters from Cersei’s point of view.

We read her thoughts and feelings, her hopes and dreams, her past, and glimpses of her

future – so we can start to understand, and maybe sympathise with this complex character.

We can even predict how Cersei might die.

Her story basically comes down to three main themes – power, love, and prophecy.

The first line of Cersei’s first chapter says that she dreams of sitting the Iron Throne,

“high above them all” . “Cersei wants to rule” – she “lusts for power with

every waking breath” . And it’s a particular kind of power that she wants.

People like Stannis and Robert Baratheon and Robb Stark have power that you can see – they

wear crowns and swing swords and lead armies, and everyone knows that they’re in charge

. In contrast, people like Varys and Littlefinger and Olenna have a more subtle kind of power

. They don’t wear crowns or swing swords or lead armies – instead, they have secrets,

spies and schemes . Their influence is invisible – but very significant.

Varys runs a conspiracy, Littlefinger causes war, and Olenna kills King Joffrey and grows

the power of her house.

Without anyone even knowing it, these three are some of the most powerful people in Westeros

. But Cersei isn’t interested in this subtle kind of power.

In the show, Littlefinger tells Cersei that “Knowledge is power” – but then Cersei

demonstrates, in her words, that “Power is power” . She doesn’t want to influence

events from the shadows, she wants people to know she’s in charge.

She wants to sit the Throne, and for “Great lords and proud ladies” to kneel before

her.

These ideas about visible power and pride are at the core of Cersei’s personality,

and they seem to have mostly come from Cersei’s father, Tywin.