The Game of Thrones television show uses Myrcella as a classic princess archetype, her character brings a child-like innocence to the otherwise grim narrative and latter adds a romance subplot to balance out the action. Myrcella is also an integral part of Cersei and Jaime’s character development, their parental love for her often highlighted as a redeeming quality for their characters. In both the television show and books, Myrcella is often described as kind, brave, and intelligent, the best of the Lannisters. Myrcella’s suffering as the result of her family’s political games illustrates everything the Lannister will lose if they continue to play the game of thrones.
Myrcella is a Beloved Lannister Princess
Myrcella Baratheon’s character in the early seasons of Game of Thrones is fairly similar to her book counterpart. She is a young, sweet, innocent princess who spends most of her time with her mother, Queen Cersei, and younger brother, Prince Tommen. The biggest change to Myrcella’s character is her relationship with Cersei. In the books, Cersei and Myrcella are not very close, and Cersei only views Myrcella as an object she possesses. When Myrcella is sent to live in Dorne with the Martells, Cersei’s rage comes from her possessive nature, not motherly love. In the television show, Cersei’s love of her children is emphasized as one of her admirable qualities, and her love for Myrcella adds a feminist element to her story.
When Myrcella is sent away to Dorne by Tyrion, it becomes a driving force in Cersei’s animosity towards Tyrion, pushing her to ensure Tyrion’s downfall at any cost. Tyrion’s love for Myrcella and Tommen is also heavily showcased in the early seasons of the show. In addition to his desire to prove himself to his father Tywin, Tyrion’s desire to protect the Lannister family is also motivated by his love for his niece and nephew.
Myrcella Drives Jaime and Cersei’s Character Development
Myrcella’s main role in the Game of Thrones’ narrative is to be a catalyst for Jaime and Cersei’s character development. Cersei’s love for Myrcella humanizes her character. Jaime’s mission to rescue Myrcella from Dorne is his path to redemption. When the mission fails, and Myrcella dies, Jaime is emotionally destroyed. After Myrcella dies, the Lannister and Martell rivalry is brought to a point of no return, and Cersei is determined to destroy the Martells and their ally, Danaerys Targaryen.
One of the most poignant and emotionally painful scenes in the show is in season 6, when Cersei runs up to the docks hoping to greet Myrcella, only to find her dead body being rowed ashore by Jaime. Cersei’s love for Myrcella is an emotionally powerful relationship, however this became a frustrating crutch for the show over time. Many female characters’ morally questionable choices are justified by their motherly desire to protect their children, which can be emotionally impactful but robs female characters of their ambition and personal desires. This hindered the show’s ability to show a complex, and nuanced version of womanhood, and prevented them from creating memorable female villains.
Game of Thrones Oversimplified the Dornish Plot
Game of Thrones took many artistic liberties with the source material from A Song of Ice and Fire, and the portrayal of Myrcella Baratheon and the Dornish Plot are two of the show’s biggest departures from the books. In the Game of Thrones television show, Myrcella’s story is focused on her romance with Trystane Martell, and the Dornish plot has practically nothing in common with its book counterpart. In the show, the Dornish plot mainly sets up another Jaime and Bronn team up to satisfy fans. In the books, Myrcella and Trystane are very young and are portrayed as good friends but not romantically interested in each other. In the books, the question of who Myrcella will marry comes up frequently, marriage being one of the most powerful political moves a player can make in the game of thrones. Her betrothal to Trystane Martell introduces an interesting complication to Westeros’ usual laws of inheritance. In Dorne, the eldest child inherits all titles and powers, regardless of gender.
Arianne Martell, the eldest daughter of Prince Doran Martell, hopes to use Myrcella as a pawn in her own scheme for power. Fearing Doran will pass her over and make her younger brother Quentyn the leader of Dorne, Arianne kidnaps Myrcella and plans to crown her as Queen of Westeros because she is older than Tommen, using the Dornish rules of inheritance as justification. Arianne hopes to rally the people of Dorne to her side, and reclaim her inheritance. In a skirmish with Doran’s guards, Arianne’s ally Ser Gerold Dayne, known as Darkstar, slashes Myrcella across the face, leaving her with a prominent facial scar and a missing ear. Darkstar hopes to force the Martells into war with the Lannisters. Arianne deeply regrets causing Myrcella so much pain. Myrcella’s suffering is the result of Arianne’s hot-headed and impulsive approach to politics, as well as Doran’s overly secretive and cautious tactics. Myrcella’s injuries illustrate how innocent children always pay the price of adults’ political games.
What’s to Come in the Winds of Winter
After Myrcella is injured in Arianne’s failed coup, Myrcella journeys back to Kings Landing with Oberyn’s daughter, Nymeria Sand. Nymeria and the other Sand Snakes still seek justice for the death of their father, Oberyn. Many fans theorize Nymeria will kill Tommen, or in some way will cause the deaths of Myrcella and Tommen, fulfilling the prophecy that all of Cersei’s children will die. Doran wants to keep the Lannisters distracted as he plans an alliance with Daenerys and Aegon Targaryen, hoping to avenge the deaths of his siblings, Oberyn and Elia.
Changing Myrcella and the Dornish plot had a huge impact on the trajectory of the Game of Thrones television show. Without the original Dornish Plot, the rivalry between the Lannisters and the Martells loses all of its emotional power. Making Doran a pacifist instead of a skilled politician robs the story of a painful portrayal of the consequences of violent political rivalries. Myrcella is often described as smart, kind, and brave, but was rarely able to show these traits in the show. Myrcella is everything the Lannister legacy could be, and if the Lannisters lose her, their fight for the Iron Throne seems pointless.
Myrcella Baratheon is an entertaining but tragically underused character in the Game of Thrones television show. The show’s decision to use Myrcella as a means of humanizing Cersei is moving, especially thanks to Lena Headey’s performance, but is an overused trope in writing morally complex female characters, implying that the only way a villainous woman can be humanized is through motherhood. Myrcella’s unqiue personality, a bold girl who has a talent for the chess-like game cyvasse, is never given a chance to shine. By giving Myrcella a memorable and joyful personality in the books, Martin emphasizes the tragedy of losing young lives like hers to warfare.
Myrcella’s injuries in the books illustrate the loss of innocence in warfare. There will never be a winner in the never-ending battle between the Lannisters and the Martells. Each family will only suffer greater and greater losses. In the books, George RR Martin often puts his characters in the position of sacrificing one life to presumably save many, using these situations to emphasize that ends don’t justify the means, especially when children are in danger. If winning the game of thrones comes at the cost of losing children like Myrcella, any power and security gained is worthless.
