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Robert Baratheon/the Usurper
Tyrion is Jaime and Cersei’s brother and Tywin’s son. He is portrayed as witty and has a quick retort ready for almost every situation. He has dwarfism, which resulted in his father’s rejection. As Tyrion tells Jon Snow, “All dwarfs are bastards in their father’s eyes.” Tyrion’s trajectory shows that adversity, while often horrific to endure, can have a transformative impact on those who face it head-on rather than avoiding it. Tyrion argues that by embracing one’s perceived weaknesses, one can turn those supposed weaknesses into sources of strength. Tyrion teaches those lessons directly to Jon Snow, and Jon takes them to heart. Those lessons arguably enable Jon to overcome the frustration he feels at being left out of the Stark family in order to embark on a new path in life and embrace his inherent capacity for leadership. Tyrion’s lessons make a broader point about life in Westeros as a whole. As Tyrion shows, one’s status in Westeros is determined by strictly defined expectations about who is worthy of power and respect. Tyrion shows how defying those narrow expectations by embracing one’s true self can lead a person to be the most empowered version of themselves.
Tyrion Lannister Quotes in A Game of Thrones
The A Game of Thrones quotes below are all either spoken by Tyrion Lannister or refer to Tyrion Lannister. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 5: Jon
Quotes
“Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.”
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Chapter 13: Tyrion
Quotes
“I have a realistic grasp of my own strengths and weaknesses. My mind is my weapon. My brother has his sword, King Robert has his warhammer, and I have my mind … and a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.” Tyrion tapped the leather cover of the book. “That’s why I read so much, Jon Snow.”
Chapter 22: Arya
Quotes
“Your mother and I have charged [Septa Mordane] with the impossible task of making you a lady.”
“I don’t want to be a lady!” Arya flared.
Chapter 26: Jon
Quotes
Fat and awkward and frightened he might be, but Samwell Tarly was no fool. One night he visited Jon in his cell. “I don’t know what you did,” he said, “but I know you did it.” He looked away shyly. “I’ve never had a friend before.”
“We’re not friends,” Jon said. He put a hand on Sam’s broad shoulder. “We’re brothers.”
And so they were, he thought to himself after Sam had taken his leave. Robb and Bran and Rickon were his father’s sons, and he loved them still, yet Jon knew that he had never truly been one of them. Catelyn Stark had seen to that. The grey walls of Winterfell might still haunt his dreams, but Castle Black was his life now, and his brothers were Sam and Grenn and Halder and Pyp and the other cast-outs who wore the black of the Night’s Watch.
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Tyrion Lannister Quotes in A Game of Thrones
The A Game of Thrones quotes below are all either spoken by Tyrion Lannister or refer to Tyrion Lannister. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 5: Jon
Quotes
“Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.”
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13: Tyrion
Quotes
“I have a realistic grasp of my own strengths and weaknesses. My mind is my weapon. My brother has his sword, King Robert has his warhammer, and I have my mind … and a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.” Tyrion tapped the leather cover of the book. “That’s why I read so much, Jon Snow.”
Chapter 22: Arya
Quotes
“Your mother and I have charged [Septa Mordane] with the impossible task of making you a lady.”
“I don’t want to be a lady!” Arya flared.
Chapter 26: Jon
Quotes
Fat and awkward and frightened he might be, but Samwell Tarly was no fool. One night he visited Jon in his cell. “I don’t know what you did,” he said, “but I know you did it.” He looked away shyly. “I’ve never had a friend before.”
“We’re not friends,” Jon said. He put a hand on Sam’s broad shoulder. “We’re brothers.”
And so they were, he thought to himself after Sam had taken his leave. Robb and Bran and Rickon were his father’s sons, and he loved them still, yet Jon knew that he had never truly been one of them. Catelyn Stark had seen to that. The grey walls of Winterfell might still haunt his dreams, but Castle Black was his life now, and his brothers were Sam and Grenn and Halder and Pyp and the other cast-outs who wore the black of the Night’s Watch.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
