Blood, Bastards and ASOIAF: What Makes A Character?

I hope most of you have noticed that blood is very essential to the world of ASOIAF. By that, I don’t mean the blood and gore and death and injustice that encompass every inch of its world- from the icy north to the Dornish deserts, from the black cells to Joffery’s bedroom, from ruins of Valirya to the Dothraki Sea. Even today, the walls of Maegor's Keep are said to be reddened with the blood of the unfortunate labourers.

But blood is very essential to this world. Most societies and hierarchies (at least in Westeros) are based on blood relations, and the entire cause of the war of five kings was to dispose of a bastard born out of incest, a Lannister blood out of the Iron Throne (which rightfully belonged to Baratheons) and oh...Don’t forget how the Targeryans and Blackfyres also ‘rightfully’ have the Iron Throne ;)

But even when they are simply social constructs, we shouldn’t forget how ‘real’ elements like nature, and the magical laws of Planetos, are heavily dominated by blood. For example, take the Targaryen. They are dragonlords, such that their blood is prone to magic much more than most- they are empowered physically against diseases and harm if they are bonded with a living dragon. Also, even in the absence of dragons, prophesized dreams and visions never stop (even found in Blackfyres) and of course, their blood if sacrificed yields higher results. The same goes for Blood of Greenseers (Jojen paste theory) and Kingsblood! Even bastards of King Robert were tried to be killed (in the books) by Melisandre (she actually sacrificed ‘King’ Stannis’ daughter in the show). Warlocks tried to kill Daenerys for dragonblood and kingsblood, and the dragons are literally born out of the sacrifice of Khal Drogo and Mirri Mazz Durr (comparable to a king and a greenseer).

Yet, it has been the census of the scientific community that blood or genes alone don’t make a person’s character. He is the product of the environment in which he grows. This has been contradictory to many religious views both in the real world and AWOIAF. Many believe that bastards are born of deceit. Daemon Blackfyre and Ramsay Bolton may have embodied that concept, but this is not the full picture.

But at the core, AWOIAF hasn’t violated this consensus, and GRRM’s characters never disappoint.

1.   1. Joffery (Lannister) Baratheon: even though it is very well established that he had a mental illness thanks to his incestuous birth, it is also noticeable that his viciousness and foolishness (inherited from Cersei) made it worse. But even though he really didn’t share any blood with Robert- he had deep love and respect for him, and disdain towards his dislikes, namely the Lannisters. We see how rudely he behaves with Tyrion, Tyrwin, Jamie and sometimes even Cersei.

 

2.     2. Jon Snow (Aegon Targaryen): In the show, he was revealed to be the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna, whose identity was given by Ned as his bastard! It’s not revealed in the books, but heavily implied to be the case. His case is really, very interesting. He is the living embodiment of Ned Stark and his honour. We see it at every step. Yet by Rhaeger’s blood, he is a descendent of Aerys II and Rhaella, thus still a candidate for Azor Ahai along with Danerys, who shares the same credentials. So blood does have power over their magic and fate, but not character!

 

3.     3. Tyrion (Targeryan) Lannister: it is strongly implied that he is actually the son of the Mad King, who r**ed Joanna, Tyrwin’s wife. Understandably, this made him angry, and even more when Joanna died cause of an unproven bastard’s birth. The famous line “…I can’t prove that you aren’t my son…” that Tyrwin said to Tyrion (when he asked for the lordship of Casterly Rock) is essentially a manifestation of this anger.

Unlike in the show, books portray the Imp to be silver-haired with a single purple eye, like that of a Targaryen. It is also hinted he will probably ride a dragon and gain powers of dragonblood. Yet, he is nothing like them. Tyrion became like his father, who he despised but secretly hoped to be like so one day he could get accepted by him- cunning and smart; and even ruthless and unkind to commoners in the books.