How does narcissism play into Jaime never speaking of the wildfire? (Related: I understand why he did that for the sake of the story, but I don’t from a Watsonian perspective. Dude, that will clear your name! You think Tywin can’t manipulate singers and rumor?)

ohsorrowsnowleopard:

racefortheironthrone:

ohsorrowsnowleopard:

Jaime judges Ned for judging him?

Does that even make sense?

Jaime resents Ned for judging him, and thus threatening his identity, which is one reason why Jaime is so weird around Catelyn.

I don’t understand why Ned would judge him so? I mean, after all, the Targaryens destroyed his family, surely he should be somewhat grateful?

I suppose it’s harsh to be thwarted off that Lannister pedestal by a low cold Wolf.

As always, start with the text:

racefortheironthrone:

Because Jaime, quite a bit like Tyrion, has this anti-hero identity going on. The ignorant masses despise me because of the best thing I ever did, I’m so misunderstood, I’m also a bad boy because I sleep with my sister, but also I’m better than all of you and I don’t owe anyone an explanation, who are you to judge me, etc. etc. 

As we see here:

“Do you think the noble Lord of Winterfell wanted to hear my feeble explanations? Such an honorable man. He only had to look at me to judge me guilty.” Jaime lurched to his feet, the water running cold down his chest. “By what right does the wolf judge the lion? By what right?”

His sword helped taint the throne you sit on, Ned thought, but he did not permit the words to pass his lips. “He swore a vow to protect his king’s life with his own. Then he opened that king’s throat with a sword.”
“Seven hells, someone had to kill Aerys!” Robert said, reining his mount to a sudden halt beside an ancient barrow. “If Jaime hadn’t done it, it would have been left for you or me.”
“We were not Sworn Brothers of the Kingsguard,” Ned said. The time had come for Robert to hear the whole truth, he decided then and there. “Do you remember the Trident, Your Grace?”

“I cannot answer for the gods, Your Grace … only for what I found when I rode into the throne room that day,” Ned said. “Aerys was dead on the floor, drowned in his own blood. His dragon skulls stared down from the walls. Lannister’s men were everywhere. Jaime wore the white cloak of the Kingsguard over his golden armor. I can see him still. Even his sword was gilded. He was seated on the Iron Throne, high above his knights, wearing a helm fashioned in the shape of a lion’s head. How he glittered!”

“…I was still mounted. I rode the length of the hall in silence, between the long rows of dragon skulls. It felt as though they were watching me, somehow. I stopped in front of the throne, looking up at him. His golden sword was across his legs, its edge red with a king’s blood. My men were filling the room behind me. Lannister’s men drew back. I never said a word. I looked at him seated there on the throne, and I waited. At last Jaime laughed and got up. He took off his helm, and he said to me, ‘Have no fear, Stark. I was only keeping it warm for our friend Robert. It’s not a very comfortable seat, I’m afraid.’“

“Boy or man, he had no right to that throne.”

Ned’s attitude towards Jaime is that:

1. As far as he knows, Jaime murdered an unarmed man for personal political advancement at the same time that his family was murdering children for the same goal. As Ned sees it, it was all part of the same immoral Lannister bid for power. 
2. When Ned found him, Jaime appeared to have seized the Iron Throne and had to be intimidated into relinquishing it through threat of war, indicating a personal ambition for kingship and disloyalty to Robert’s reign. (Also, remember the Ur-Text had Jaime ascending to the Iron Throne by murder in ASOIAF) 
3. Regardless of what Aerys had done, Jaime did not have the right to murder him, having sworn an oath to defend him. Ned and Robert, by contrast, had every right to execute Aerys for murder, attempted murder, and tyranny. By killing Aerys, Jaime prevented justice from being done (and subconsciously, Ned also feels prevented him from taking vengeance for his family and thus getting some closure on their murder) and tainted the rebellion and Robert’s rule, just like everything else the Lannisters did. 

But again, all of this is the perceptions and mis-perceptions of a bunch of really messed-up teenagers. Ned doesn’t say anything to Jaime, so “he only had to look at me to judge me guilty” is Jaime’s interpretation leavened with a huge helping of self-hatred and guilt about everything Jaime didn’t do.