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Chapter 19: Jon
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in A Game of Thrones, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Politics and Power
Climate Change and Collective Action
Gender and Power
Honor and Integrity
Identity
Summary
Analysis
As soon as Ned arrives in King’s Landing, he receives word that he’s wanted immediately for a small council meeting. When Ned reaches the council in the Red Keep, he finds Littlefinger, Renly Baratheon, Lord Varys, and Grand Maester Pycelle already there. Ned asks if they should wait for King Robert to arrive, and Renly laughs. He says the king doesn’t bother himself with much of the governance, which he finds dreadfully boring. He lets his council, and the Hand of the King, handle such matters.
This passage shows just how uninterested Robert is in the business of being king, as he doesn’t bother to show up to meetings when actual governance is expected or required. Again, the novel portrays Robert as someone who enjoys the fruits and rewards of power but doesn’t have any interest in the responsibility that comes with power.
Themes
The urgent matter, Littlefinger explains, is that Robert wants to hold a tournament with jousting, archery, and other festivities to commemorate Ned’s new role as the Hand of the King. Prize money will be awarded to the winners of various competitions. Ned thinks the idea is ridiculous, especially after he learns that the Crown is 6,000,000 gold pieces in debt. Three million gold pieces of that debt are owed to the Lannisters. Ned can’t imagine wasting money on something as frivolous as a tournament in his honor, and he tells the rest of the council that he’ll speak to Robert.
Again, the novel shows Robert as caring about festivities and parties—whereas Ned is mostly concerned with honor, integrity, and good governance. The fact that the Lannisters control most of the Crown’s debt also shows that they have a kind of economic control over the Crown—and presumably over Robert—that Ned didn’t know about before, making it clear that the Lannisters are even more powerful than he has thought.
Themes
After Ned leaves the council, Littlefinger escorts him to a brothel and says that Catelyn is inside. Ned thinks that Littlefinger is insulting Catelyn and is furious. But Ser Rodrik appears and tells Ned that what Littlefinger says is true. Ned follows Littlefinger inside and finds Catelyn. Catelyn explains the full story of what has happened, including the discovery that the dagger that was meant to kill Bran belonged to Tyrion Lannister. Ned is taken aback by what Catelyn says but quickly makes plans. He tells Catelyn to return to Winterfell and secure a defense of some 200 archers. Ned will stay in King’s Landing and pretend that nothing is amiss. He is still trying to find out if the Lannisters did in fact kill Jon Arryn. If he finds out they did, then he’ll have to rely on Robert to ensure the Lannisters face justice.
The rapid evolution of events makes it clear that a conflict between the Lannisters and Starks is brewing and that that conflict could occur at any moment. The fact that Ned relies on Robert to ensure justice doesn’t seem to be especially reassuring to Ned. Though Ned once considered Robert a close friend, Robert’s recent actions seem to have caused Ned to doubt his faith in Robert. For example, Robert tried to appease Cersei by ordering the execution of Sansa’s direwolf, Lady. This passage implicitly asks if Robert would make a similar decision if the Lannisters were called to face justice and if he would side with the Lannisters to try and appease them over Ned and the Starks.
Themes
