Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2015 15:40:10 GMT
Saw this the other day at the Tower of the Hand and though it was a pretty good write up of Dany's character:
Top Characters #7 Daenerys Targaryen
From the Tower of The Hand
Tower of the Hand is counting down the top 50 characters of A Song of Ice and Fire through A Dance with Dragons, as voted by our members. Coming in at #7 on the list is Daenerys Targaryen (previous ranking: #6). This year’s profile was written by ObiWonShinobi.
A Thin Line Between Love and Madness
“A dragon does not lose sleep over the opinion of sheep.”
Before I begin this profile, allow to me to point the Daenerys Targaryen haters to the quotation above. How can one despise Dany? Is it because when you meet her she is vulnerable and timid? Is it because she was physically, mentally, and sexually abused by her brother? Is it because she doesn’t know how fine she is? Is it her Targaryen exemption from abomination status? Is it because she tells men what to do? Is it because she has the only rightful claim to the Iron Throne? Is it because she single-handedly broke the chains the slave masters held? Whatever it is, it can’t be her climb from the bottom. It can’t be because for the first time in 300 years a Targaryen is having to prove herself through her own ascension with no help from lands or title. It can’t be because Jorah’s assassins always missed their mark. It can’t be because she sacrificed her son, her husband and the bitch responsible for their deaths to the fires of her dragon births. It can’t be because she has the single baddest knight in the history of Westeros running point on her Queensguard. Nah mane, it can’t be that. It has to be something else. Maybe it’s personal.
Daenerys Targaryen: Stormborn, Mhysa, the Mother of Dragons, khaleesi, the Last Dragon, Widow, Consort of Obi, etc… In this profile I want to stay out of the weeds and simply give my impression of my favorite character from multiple reads of this series, Kang of TotH, and smacker of bitches.
Here is my first impression. Her personality is the yin and the yang of fire. Dany is fire made flesh. We all know that fire can mean life, warmth, light, salvation; it can also mean death, destruction, darkness, incineration. This IS Dany. Dany’s duality is constantly on display. There are moments when she will save a rape victim from a gaggle of soldiers, give her last drops of water to a dying handmaid, and even chain her dragons to a catacomb floor. Then there are moments when she is intensely sexual, willing to burn a city to the ground and crucify her enemies, raging Sith Lord, Dany style. It’s that thin line between love and madness that I titled this essay. Dany teeters on this line. She’s Targaryen. God flips a coin every time one is born. She’s l.i.v.i.n.’ and at any moment can fall off the wagon. That’s why I like her.
That’s why I like Jon, too. You can’t talk about Dany without talking about Jon. The song of ice and fire is their song and they are two dragons whose destinies and fates are intertwined. They’re headed for the most nerdgasmic moment in the history of the fantasy genre. This is also why Tyrion is going to play a Yoda-like role in her training. His personality, brains, and demeanor are going to temper her steel. His timely addition to her team is magnificent. I know that union has yet to occur in the books, but it is coming. Her ta'veren is seaux strong it attracts powerful players. She’s even reeling in Marwyn. He’s clearly the BAMF of maesters. She doesn’t just invoke superficial loyalty. These motherfuckers are ready to die for her. You might not like her but you’ve got to respect her team: Tyrion, Selmy, Selmy (because it deserves repeating), Quaithe, her bloodriders, book Grey Worm, Varys… hold on I’m trying to think of something. Okay, now I remember. DROGON, VISERION, and RHAEGAL.
To fully appreciate her character we need to take a step back. We first meet the thirteen-year-old scion of the Targaryen Dynasty as she is preparing for her wedding to Drogo, the khal of khals. We learn a few things early on. First, Queen Rhaella died giving birth to her at Dragonstone amidst a raging storm. Remember, only death can pay for life. It’s a reoccurring theme. Second, she knows little of Westeros and the closest thing to a home she has ever had was a big house with a red door in Braavos. Third, her brother was a toxic asshole wimp who earned his crown of gold ten times over. Fuck him. Geeeet heeeem, Drogo. He never was a dragon. The only thing I will credit him for is keeping her alive from Jorah’s assassins. Fourth, Dany is the creme de la creme jail bait. Dany by all measure is one fine ass gurl. I’m not trying to make light of her character, but her attractiveness is a major part of her character. She’s a present day throwback Valyrian lord, more human than human.
In A Game of Thrones, possibly her strongest book, we learn Dany is observant. She’s always noticing awkward glances, people’s facial expressions, honing her instincts. Whether she reacts the right way to what she is reading is debatable, but at least she’s seeing those moments. Pre funeral pyre she leans to Mirri to heal her wounded khal, believing, “I saved you, would you please save my hubby?” This was a mistake on her part; she has to be smarter than that, but I guess you can’t learn if you don’t make mistakes. I think Drogo’s (the GOAT khal) destiny was always to be Dany’s sacrifice. Remember, only death can pay for life. Sacrifice is the major theme of her arc. It’s a major theme in this story. The love, the blood, the sacrifice, the maegi’s ululating shrill, and a total commitment by Dany to walk into the fire is what made the dragon births possible and what will make her successful in the future.
Her method was a forgotten formula that I believe was translated to her via dreams through some kind of supernatural old magic. Early in the series, the dragon eggs communicated to Dany through dreams, as they most likely did to earlier Targs. I think Egg, Rhaegar, and all the previous attempts were merely trial runs for Dany’s successful hatching. Even now, Dany continues to show signs of prophetic Targaryen fever dreams. In these dreams/visions, Rhaegar acts like a spiritual guide for her. It’s like he’s a father figure shepherding her on her walk about the wheel of time. The dreams. The House of the Undying. Selmy flashbacks. It’s always Rhaegar. Some say perhaps Rhaegar is her actual father, but that discussion is for the comments section.
Whether it was her, the eggs, or the combination of them together that led to the eventual birth of the first dragons in hundreds of years is unclear. In any case, the dragons may have imparted some kind of healing power to Dany whenever she was close to them. From the start, the eggs showed signs of healing her, making her stronger. It’s as if she was receiving some kind of Wolverine regenerative power. Any fantasy reader knows that dragons in many cases have medicinal powers. In some stories their tears reverse death, their magic extends the life of their riders, and they bond with their rider. They were showing her signs of life as soon as she received them. She was resonating with them and it reads like they were feeding off each other. Some say they may have been feeding off the child inside of her well before Mirri came onto the scene, but that, too, is a discussion for the comments. I don’t know. I do know that her time with Drogon at the tail end of A Dance with Dragons, to me, is further evidence. I think her womb has healed itself after riding Drogon. Her uterus is quickening. It is not the flux.
If I were a betting man, I would bet my paycheck that Dany is headed to Vaes Dothrak where she will unify the Dothraki under her banner and become the true philly that mounts the world. Think about that final scene in ADWD. You have a famished Dany feeding off the carcass of a horse alongside her fucking dragon in the heart of the Dothraki sea. On your knees, bitches. You ain’t mounting the globe on a horse (no offense, horses). You are mounting the planet riding a flippin’ huge black-and-red dragon to galactic domination. This highlights another critical part of her character: her gender. Everybody is looking a for a male hero, even the crones. You know who is right? Aemon, of course. He’s right about Stannis and he’s right about Dany. It’s not a prince that was promised. It’s a princess.
I want to recognize Dany and her crew’s trail of tears in A Clash of Kings and the House of the Undying. The Dothraki are very Native American to me and I picture Dany’s khalasar’s journey through the red waste similar to the way the Cherokee and Seminole tribes were forced out of their homeland. The old, the young, the sick dropping like flies. Her hair returning, the white lion hoodie, and their brief respite was a transformational story arc for her. It’s like her strength returned as her hair did and that they were paying the ultimate price for future greatness.
The House of the Undying was about two things: 1) Drogon coming to her rescue, and 2) Three betrayals. Drogon is her bonded dragon. There’s no question. By herself, she’s strong; with Drogon, she’s special. The betrayals are some of the most picked over lines in this series. They shape her psyche, tease her paranoia. For me, Jorah and Viserys definitely betrayed her. But that’s only two betrayals. Do I think Dany has experienced all three? Absolutely not. For the record, I don’t think Brown Ben Plumm is the final one. A simple double cross does not define a HOTU betrayal. I do have a few candidates: Missandei (so cold blooded), Daario (easy), or Shavepate.
We all know A Storm of Swords is her book. It’s arguably the best book in the series. It is the climax of so many storylines in this series and the peak before the ultimate comedown. Here’s what she did. Took over a hemisphere. A Storm of Swords showed she’s got the guile, backup, firepower, and resources to conquer, to lay effective siege. What other character has shown this? Tyrion? Good, he’s on the team now. She’s got the greatest living strategist, a martial five-star general at the helm, ground forces, champions, bloodriders and aerial fire power. The only thing she is missing is a naval force. However, don’t fret, one is coming to her via the Lord Captain of the Iron Fleet. Victarion “I bang the dusty woman” Greyjoy. Remember what I told you earlier. Dany’s ta'veren is magnetic and she attracts the big fish. Victarion and Moqorro are in her chum slick as we speak, ready to be gaffed onto Team Dany. Either dead or alive she will have her argosy. Leaving Meereen she will have at her disposal an air force, a cavalry, ground troops, elite HQ, and the Iron Fleet/Slaver’s Bay mashup armada. Formidable she will be in the Battle for the Dawn. When it’s all said and done she’s going to be the Statue of Liberty for Westeros.
I would be remiss if I didn’t take advantage of this platform to mention a prediction of mine. I believe Dany will fulfill Quaithe’s “pass beneath the shadow” prophecy when she returns to Westeros by emerging in Sunspear. The true name of Sunspear is the darker underbelly known as the “shadow city.” I’ve always thought that this would be where she passes beneath shadow, and after the sample Arianne chapter [ SPOILER for TWOW >> where she notices the portrait of a previous Daenerys << END SPOILER ], I am convinced. Dorne will be the location of the khaleesi touchdown on Westeros.
So who is Daenerys Targaryen? She’s a polarizing, powerful female lead. She’s imperfect and the undisputed khaleesi of this story. She is a counterpart to Jon, a ruler of men, and my number one girl. Fire and blood, ladies and gentlemen, fire and blood. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it and I look forward to engaging you the comments section.
~ Obi
From the Tower of The Hand
Tower of the Hand is counting down the top 50 characters of A Song of Ice and Fire through A Dance with Dragons, as voted by our members. Coming in at #7 on the list is Daenerys Targaryen (previous ranking: #6). This year’s profile was written by ObiWonShinobi.
A Thin Line Between Love and Madness
“A dragon does not lose sleep over the opinion of sheep.”
Before I begin this profile, allow to me to point the Daenerys Targaryen haters to the quotation above. How can one despise Dany? Is it because when you meet her she is vulnerable and timid? Is it because she was physically, mentally, and sexually abused by her brother? Is it because she doesn’t know how fine she is? Is it her Targaryen exemption from abomination status? Is it because she tells men what to do? Is it because she has the only rightful claim to the Iron Throne? Is it because she single-handedly broke the chains the slave masters held? Whatever it is, it can’t be her climb from the bottom. It can’t be because for the first time in 300 years a Targaryen is having to prove herself through her own ascension with no help from lands or title. It can’t be because Jorah’s assassins always missed their mark. It can’t be because she sacrificed her son, her husband and the bitch responsible for their deaths to the fires of her dragon births. It can’t be because she has the single baddest knight in the history of Westeros running point on her Queensguard. Nah mane, it can’t be that. It has to be something else. Maybe it’s personal.
Daenerys Targaryen: Stormborn, Mhysa, the Mother of Dragons, khaleesi, the Last Dragon, Widow, Consort of Obi, etc… In this profile I want to stay out of the weeds and simply give my impression of my favorite character from multiple reads of this series, Kang of TotH, and smacker of bitches.
Here is my first impression. Her personality is the yin and the yang of fire. Dany is fire made flesh. We all know that fire can mean life, warmth, light, salvation; it can also mean death, destruction, darkness, incineration. This IS Dany. Dany’s duality is constantly on display. There are moments when she will save a rape victim from a gaggle of soldiers, give her last drops of water to a dying handmaid, and even chain her dragons to a catacomb floor. Then there are moments when she is intensely sexual, willing to burn a city to the ground and crucify her enemies, raging Sith Lord, Dany style. It’s that thin line between love and madness that I titled this essay. Dany teeters on this line. She’s Targaryen. God flips a coin every time one is born. She’s l.i.v.i.n.’ and at any moment can fall off the wagon. That’s why I like her.
That’s why I like Jon, too. You can’t talk about Dany without talking about Jon. The song of ice and fire is their song and they are two dragons whose destinies and fates are intertwined. They’re headed for the most nerdgasmic moment in the history of the fantasy genre. This is also why Tyrion is going to play a Yoda-like role in her training. His personality, brains, and demeanor are going to temper her steel. His timely addition to her team is magnificent. I know that union has yet to occur in the books, but it is coming. Her ta'veren is seaux strong it attracts powerful players. She’s even reeling in Marwyn. He’s clearly the BAMF of maesters. She doesn’t just invoke superficial loyalty. These motherfuckers are ready to die for her. You might not like her but you’ve got to respect her team: Tyrion, Selmy, Selmy (because it deserves repeating), Quaithe, her bloodriders, book Grey Worm, Varys… hold on I’m trying to think of something. Okay, now I remember. DROGON, VISERION, and RHAEGAL.
To fully appreciate her character we need to take a step back. We first meet the thirteen-year-old scion of the Targaryen Dynasty as she is preparing for her wedding to Drogo, the khal of khals. We learn a few things early on. First, Queen Rhaella died giving birth to her at Dragonstone amidst a raging storm. Remember, only death can pay for life. It’s a reoccurring theme. Second, she knows little of Westeros and the closest thing to a home she has ever had was a big house with a red door in Braavos. Third, her brother was a toxic asshole wimp who earned his crown of gold ten times over. Fuck him. Geeeet heeeem, Drogo. He never was a dragon. The only thing I will credit him for is keeping her alive from Jorah’s assassins. Fourth, Dany is the creme de la creme jail bait. Dany by all measure is one fine ass gurl. I’m not trying to make light of her character, but her attractiveness is a major part of her character. She’s a present day throwback Valyrian lord, more human than human.
In A Game of Thrones, possibly her strongest book, we learn Dany is observant. She’s always noticing awkward glances, people’s facial expressions, honing her instincts. Whether she reacts the right way to what she is reading is debatable, but at least she’s seeing those moments. Pre funeral pyre she leans to Mirri to heal her wounded khal, believing, “I saved you, would you please save my hubby?” This was a mistake on her part; she has to be smarter than that, but I guess you can’t learn if you don’t make mistakes. I think Drogo’s (the GOAT khal) destiny was always to be Dany’s sacrifice. Remember, only death can pay for life. Sacrifice is the major theme of her arc. It’s a major theme in this story. The love, the blood, the sacrifice, the maegi’s ululating shrill, and a total commitment by Dany to walk into the fire is what made the dragon births possible and what will make her successful in the future.
Her method was a forgotten formula that I believe was translated to her via dreams through some kind of supernatural old magic. Early in the series, the dragon eggs communicated to Dany through dreams, as they most likely did to earlier Targs. I think Egg, Rhaegar, and all the previous attempts were merely trial runs for Dany’s successful hatching. Even now, Dany continues to show signs of prophetic Targaryen fever dreams. In these dreams/visions, Rhaegar acts like a spiritual guide for her. It’s like he’s a father figure shepherding her on her walk about the wheel of time. The dreams. The House of the Undying. Selmy flashbacks. It’s always Rhaegar. Some say perhaps Rhaegar is her actual father, but that discussion is for the comments section.
Whether it was her, the eggs, or the combination of them together that led to the eventual birth of the first dragons in hundreds of years is unclear. In any case, the dragons may have imparted some kind of healing power to Dany whenever she was close to them. From the start, the eggs showed signs of healing her, making her stronger. It’s as if she was receiving some kind of Wolverine regenerative power. Any fantasy reader knows that dragons in many cases have medicinal powers. In some stories their tears reverse death, their magic extends the life of their riders, and they bond with their rider. They were showing her signs of life as soon as she received them. She was resonating with them and it reads like they were feeding off each other. Some say they may have been feeding off the child inside of her well before Mirri came onto the scene, but that, too, is a discussion for the comments. I don’t know. I do know that her time with Drogon at the tail end of A Dance with Dragons, to me, is further evidence. I think her womb has healed itself after riding Drogon. Her uterus is quickening. It is not the flux.
If I were a betting man, I would bet my paycheck that Dany is headed to Vaes Dothrak where she will unify the Dothraki under her banner and become the true philly that mounts the world. Think about that final scene in ADWD. You have a famished Dany feeding off the carcass of a horse alongside her fucking dragon in the heart of the Dothraki sea. On your knees, bitches. You ain’t mounting the globe on a horse (no offense, horses). You are mounting the planet riding a flippin’ huge black-and-red dragon to galactic domination. This highlights another critical part of her character: her gender. Everybody is looking a for a male hero, even the crones. You know who is right? Aemon, of course. He’s right about Stannis and he’s right about Dany. It’s not a prince that was promised. It’s a princess.
I want to recognize Dany and her crew’s trail of tears in A Clash of Kings and the House of the Undying. The Dothraki are very Native American to me and I picture Dany’s khalasar’s journey through the red waste similar to the way the Cherokee and Seminole tribes were forced out of their homeland. The old, the young, the sick dropping like flies. Her hair returning, the white lion hoodie, and their brief respite was a transformational story arc for her. It’s like her strength returned as her hair did and that they were paying the ultimate price for future greatness.
The House of the Undying was about two things: 1) Drogon coming to her rescue, and 2) Three betrayals. Drogon is her bonded dragon. There’s no question. By herself, she’s strong; with Drogon, she’s special. The betrayals are some of the most picked over lines in this series. They shape her psyche, tease her paranoia. For me, Jorah and Viserys definitely betrayed her. But that’s only two betrayals. Do I think Dany has experienced all three? Absolutely not. For the record, I don’t think Brown Ben Plumm is the final one. A simple double cross does not define a HOTU betrayal. I do have a few candidates: Missandei (so cold blooded), Daario (easy), or Shavepate.
We all know A Storm of Swords is her book. It’s arguably the best book in the series. It is the climax of so many storylines in this series and the peak before the ultimate comedown. Here’s what she did. Took over a hemisphere. A Storm of Swords showed she’s got the guile, backup, firepower, and resources to conquer, to lay effective siege. What other character has shown this? Tyrion? Good, he’s on the team now. She’s got the greatest living strategist, a martial five-star general at the helm, ground forces, champions, bloodriders and aerial fire power. The only thing she is missing is a naval force. However, don’t fret, one is coming to her via the Lord Captain of the Iron Fleet. Victarion “I bang the dusty woman” Greyjoy. Remember what I told you earlier. Dany’s ta'veren is magnetic and she attracts the big fish. Victarion and Moqorro are in her chum slick as we speak, ready to be gaffed onto Team Dany. Either dead or alive she will have her argosy. Leaving Meereen she will have at her disposal an air force, a cavalry, ground troops, elite HQ, and the Iron Fleet/Slaver’s Bay mashup armada. Formidable she will be in the Battle for the Dawn. When it’s all said and done she’s going to be the Statue of Liberty for Westeros.
I would be remiss if I didn’t take advantage of this platform to mention a prediction of mine. I believe Dany will fulfill Quaithe’s “pass beneath the shadow” prophecy when she returns to Westeros by emerging in Sunspear. The true name of Sunspear is the darker underbelly known as the “shadow city.” I’ve always thought that this would be where she passes beneath shadow, and after the sample Arianne chapter [ SPOILER for TWOW >> where she notices the portrait of a previous Daenerys << END SPOILER ], I am convinced. Dorne will be the location of the khaleesi touchdown on Westeros.
So who is Daenerys Targaryen? She’s a polarizing, powerful female lead. She’s imperfect and the undisputed khaleesi of this story. She is a counterpart to Jon, a ruler of men, and my number one girl. Fire and blood, ladies and gentlemen, fire and blood. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it and I look forward to engaging you the comments section.
~ Obi
