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I think that Ned's decision to help take down the rightful king had a lot to do with the fact that his sister had been forcefully taken. He might never have risen against the king had he not felt that rescuing his sister was an honorable course of action, which I'm sure he did.
Sorry, Jennifer, but I am inclined to ask if you're familiar with the events leading up to that rebellion. Aerys II (the Mad King) whom he and Robert overthrew burned Ned's father alive and then strangled his brother. He then asked for Ned and Robert's head. And this was on top of Aerys' son - Rhaegar Targaryen - allegedly abducting his sister. How was he supposed to go about dealing with that?
I agree with Matthew. From Ned's perspective, that war was honorable, even a desperate act of self-defense. Of course, we have some hints later on that things were not all as they seem....
While Aerys was clearly going mad, with his indefensible treatment of Ned's father and brother, I believe the real catalyst for events was the "abduction" of his sister. That is what leads his father and brother to head for King's Landing and demand her return, believing her to be taken against her will. Except that I don't think she was. Another character who knew Rhaegar comments that he was very much opposed to rape and the mistreatment of women, which leads me to believe that Lyanna went willingly. It also potentially sheds new light on Ned's other supposed lapse in honor, namely Jon Snow. I find it acharacteristic that he would cheat on Catelyn immediately after their wedding (or at all, for that matter), but if Lyanna went willingly with Rhaegar and then died in childbirth, I could totally see Ned claiming him regardless of the consequences. He can't very well let the truth come out, can he? Jon would be killed in a heartbeat as a potential future claimant to the throne! Just my personal theory, but one that seems popular around the interwebs....
Thank you, Jordan. And he's right, the abduction preceded any of the other events, including the execution of the Starks. Had Aerys II not been batshit crazy and responded with such violence, the whole situation could have been peaceably resolved. He could have asked his son to return to King's Landing and explain himself, he and Lyanna could have returned and (presumably) expressed their love. Not a tidy ending, but at least civil war could have been avoided.
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Christina
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Aug 15, 2013 10:27AM
I think that Ned's decision to help take down the rightful king had a lot to do with the fact that his sister had been forcefully taken. He might never have risen against the king had he not felt that rescuing his sister was an honorable course of action, which I'm sure he did.
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Sorry, Jennifer, but I am inclined to ask if you're familiar with the events leading up to that rebellion. Aerys II (the Mad King) whom he and Robert overthrew burned Ned's father alive and then strangled his brother. He then asked for Ned and Robert's head. And this was on top of Aerys' son - Rhaegar Targaryen - allegedly abducting his sister. How was he supposed to go about dealing with that?
I agree with Matthew. From Ned's perspective, that war was honorable, even a desperate act of self-defense. Of course, we have some hints later on that things were not all as they seem....While Aerys was clearly going mad, with his indefensible treatment of Ned's father and brother, I believe the real catalyst for events was the "abduction" of his sister. That is what leads his father and brother to head for King's Landing and demand her return, believing her to be taken against her will. Except that I don't think she was. Another character who knew Rhaegar comments that he was very much opposed to rape and the mistreatment of women, which leads me to believe that Lyanna went willingly. It also potentially sheds new light on Ned's other supposed lapse in honor, namely Jon Snow. I find it acharacteristic that he would cheat on Catelyn immediately after their wedding (or at all, for that matter), but if Lyanna went willingly with Rhaegar and then died in childbirth, I could totally see Ned claiming him regardless of the consequences. He can't very well let the truth come out, can he? Jon would be killed in a heartbeat as a potential future claimant to the throne! Just my personal theory, but one that seems popular around the interwebs....
Thank you, Jordan. And he's right, the abduction preceded any of the other events, including the execution of the Starks. Had Aerys II not been batshit crazy and responded with such violence, the whole situation could have been peaceably resolved. He could have asked his son to return to King's Landing and explain himself, he and Lyanna could have returned and (presumably) expressed their love. Not a tidy ending, but at least civil war could have been avoided.
