#and how that essentially caused a ripple of effects throughout westeros

[nightswatchdisbandmentera]

It’s interesting how Ned Stark’s dishonor has such far reaching implications throughout the plot. There’s a great irony in how rigid he is in his honor, yet he too fell victim to lust just as many men have before him. It’s not such a big deal if you think about it. I mean, all he did was to father a bastard, and how many men of his station have done the same? So it gives comfort to the rest of Westeros that even an honorable fool like Ned can stoop so low and be just like them. And we see that Ned’s dishonor affects so many characters. Jon Snow internalizes that he’s the shameful product of it and that causes him to join a penal colony, forever driving his need to prove that he too can be a worthy son of Ned. Catelyn Stark is constantly grappling with what it means to be a victim of it (to the point that she resents Jon and fears for her own children’s claims). It’s something that Jaime Lannister references in captivity, reasoning that he at least remained faithful to Cersei whereas “honorable” Ned Stark cheated on his lady wife. Robb probably saw the effects of Ned’s dishonor on his mother and brother, which probably drove him to break his marriage pact with the Freys and marry Jeyne Westerling (something that hastened his doom). Even Cersei dares to make a sexual pass at Ned while being accused of treason, no doubt emboldened in part by the knowledge that Ned at one point fell to lust. And everyone else knows of Ned Stark’s bastard (to the point that Davos gets some random exposition about how Ned dishonored himself on a fisherman’s daughter). Ned’s one act of dishonor is one of his most recognizable character traits and actually has a lot of implications throughout he narrative as it drives how many characters navigate the world around them. So isn’t it funny how it was all a lie?

#asoiaf #eddard stark #its so interesting how ned had to bring dishonor to himself to do the right thing #and how that essentially caused a ripple of effects throughout westeros #GRRM’s pitch letter makes reference to Jon’s parentage coming to light #so I’d be interested in seeing who will be left to learn the truth #and how that will cause people to act and rethink a few things #for jon especially since lbr Ned’s dishonor is all about him and affects him on a far greater scale #but also for people like jaime who have the topic of honor come up in their narratives #not as a gotcha moment but more of a “huh so that happened” type of thing #jon snow #catelyn stark #jaime lannister #cersei lannister #robb stark #valyrianscrolls