Essay 5 Plato

1. Estudiante 1
Great Estudiante
Dr. Palmore
EWRT 2
11 December 2013
Tywin and Worlds of Illusion
George R. R Martin’s A Game of Thrones places the reader into a world that is a stark
contrast to our own contemporary society. Inside of this stratified world dominated by birth
status and family reputation, readers can easily find themselves incredulous with the seemingly
irrational notion that a society would be willing to grant unlimited power to someone just
because of their birth. However, upon closer examination, we see that while the social structure
of Westeros is brutal and unfair, it is not based on irrationality. Certain highborn characters have
influence that transcends their birth and ensures people’s conformity. The most notable of these
characters is Tywin Lannister. Unlike the other highborn lords, Tywin’s true power comes not
from a family name, but from his brutality and vast resources. Yet Tywin still places high
importance on birth. In doing so, Tywin creates an illusionary world in which power appears to
come entirely from inherited status. This manipulation of the perception concerning the origin of
power is analogous to the illusion Plato describes in The Allegory of the Cave. Additionally,
Tywin’s manipulation of the collective view of the people in Westeros mirrors contemporary
society, particularly modern media.
Tywin Lannister is undoubtedly the most powerful man in Westeros. This power is due to
the brutal mentality and gold he possesses. The first physical description of Tywin instantly
evokes an image of strength and fortitude: “Tywin Lannister […] was in his middle fifties, yet
hard as a man of twenty […] When his once-thick golden hair had begun to recede, he had

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commanded his barber to shave his head; Lord Tywin did not believe in half measures” (Martin
433). The appearance of Tywin matches his personality. Despite being the richest man in the
Seven Kingdoms and Warden of the West, Tywin remains as fit as a much younger man.
Moreover, the reader is immediately exposed to Tywin’s mentality by the statement, “Tywin
Lannister did not believe in half measures”. This phrase conveys the rigidity Tywin embodies.
Tywin’s brutal totality is further apparent from the lengths he is willing to go to in order to
achieve his goals. Particularly significant is how Tywin formed an alliance with Robert
Baratheon: “Tywin Lannister […] presented Robert with the corpses of Rhaegar’s wife and
children as a token of fealty” (78-79). The fact Tywin is willing to slaughter women and children
to convince Robert of his loyalty shows his merciless nature. Moreover, it shows that Tywin is
willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his ends. However, Tywin is more than just brutal. His
power and influence is magnified from his wealth and the debt the kingdom owes him.
Littlefinger makes the scope of Tywin’s influence clear when he states, “’we owe Lord Tywin
some three million dragons at present […] the Crown is more than six million gold pieces in
debt, [Tywin is] the biggest part of it” (133). The incredible amount of gold Tywin was able to
lend the Crown ensures his continued control of Westeros politics. Many other Lords share
Tywin’s birth status but none have such control over the Crown’s finances. Tywin’s supremely
influential position is then demonstrated by King Robert himself when he exclaims, “Lord Tywin
looms eternal as Casterly Rock” (80). It is essential to note that while relatively many people
share Tywin’s birth status, King Robert speaks of Tywin as eternal; a unique description that
suggests Robert is intimidated or even threatened by Tywin. The way in which even the King
speaks proves that Tywin’s power is beyond that of any a highborn lord.

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Yet despite Tywin’s vast gold and reputation, he still puts an extremely high emphasis on
the Lannister name, as evident by his bipolar attitude towards Tyrion. Tywin has no love for his
dwarf son and even goes as far as to put him into a Vanguard for a major battle. When learning
of this intention, Tyrion reflects, “either his lord father had a new respect for Tyrion’s abilities,
or he’d decided to rid himself of his embarrassing get for good. Tyrion had the gloomy feeling he
knew which” (463). However, despite deliberately putting his son’s life in danger, Tywin later
makes Tyrion Hand of the King. This act surprises even Tyrion and when he asks his father why,
Tywin simply answers, “‘you are my son’” (528), implying that birth, not ability is the deciding
factor in Tywin’s decision. Tywin’s power comes from his resources but he still considers birth
of the utmost importance, so much so that he even assigns the position of Hand of the King to his
unloved son for the sake of family name.
Because of Tywin’s gold and influence, people would follow Tywin regardless of his
birth status. However, since Tywin puts such emphasis on birth, he creates the illusion that birth
is at the root of his power. It is this illusion that makes the social structure in A Game of Thrones
work. Tywin’s emphasis on birth convinces peasants to follow people for the sake of birth, a
notion that extends beyond Tywin to all highborn characters. Tywin pulls this illusion in front of
people’s eyes and enslaves them to the faulty idea that birth equals power. Tywin’s deception is
similar to the world in Plato’s The Allegory of the Cave in which Plato demonstrates illusion by
depicting enslaved prisoners who are forced to watch shadows on a cave wall. These shadows
come from “men passing along the wall carrying all sorts of vessels, and statues and various
materials” (Plato 446). Since the shadows are all the prisoners see, they take for granted that the
shadows are reality. Plato then elaborates on this allegory by describing how ideas are spread:
“[the prisoners would] be sure to fancy when one of the passers-by spoke that the voice they

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heard came from a passing shadow” (446). This description of how the passers-by or the
manipulators in the cave could communicate with the slaves through the shadows strengthens the
connection between The Allegory of the Cave and Tywin’s role in Westeros. Tywin is not the
king, yet his behavior gives the position of king power and credibility. When he commands,
people believe they must follow because of his birth, when in reality they must follow because
Tywin would kill them if they did not. This same mentality people apply to all highborn
individuals, even though most lords would not have the power or brutality to react to
disobedience like Tywin Lannister. Therefore Plato’s writing is an appropriate metaphor for
Tywin’s role in Westeros. He is the man holding the vessels that cast the shadows on the wall.
The shadows represent the idea that power comes from family name and the vessel represents the
truth that power comes from wealth and brutality.
The manner in which Tywin manipulates people’s perception of power is by no means
unique to the world in A Game of Thrones. In our own contemporary society, we still reside in
the cave and are subjugated to Plato’s shadows. In our society, modern media has taken up the
role of the man with the vessel. The media reports on the events and people as they see fit. Just
like Tywin Lannister, they have the power to manipulate perception and influence government.
As the article from Frontier Post titled Media and Social Responsibilities states, “in today's
highly globalized world [the] media has a major role of creating awareness among the masses, it
also changes the perception or at time creates misperception”. This description of the media’s
role in morphing perception in our society corresponds to Tywin Lannister’s role in Westeros.
Both Tywin and the media manipulate the perception of the masses and change beliefs in society.
The media does this by reporting news and opinions they want propagated through society. Most
people take these stories at face value and thus give the media power. Similarly most people in

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Westeros take Tywin’s role at face value. They believe he is in power because he is a Lannister
when in reality he is powerful because of his wealth and actions. Another article published by the
Baluchistan Times titled Media-a War Winning Constitute, goes even further by claiming the
“media [is the] fourth pillar of state [and] has transcended its influence over other elements of
national power in contemporary national security calculus”. This description can also be used to
describe Tywin Lannister. Just like the media, Tywin has become a pillar of the state through his
finances and is so powerful that even King Robert views him as an eternal fixture.
In a world of conflicted characters that do not seem to deserve the power they have,
Tywin Lannister represents the ultimate absolute. He is the embodiment of power and is able to
change people’s perceptions of the very nature of society. Therefore, while initially it may seem
like the dynamic social structure in Westeros is impractical, the reality is that it is forced upon all
the citizens, lord and peasant alike. Because of brutal and truly powerful leaders like Tywin
Lannister, citizens are forced to conform to the illogical and violent social structure present in the
Seven Kingdoms. Tywin’s influence in Westeros represents an extreme and straightforward
example of the power of illusion. The deeply flawed society of Westeros represents the potential
danger and consequences of taking information at face value. Thanks to everyone’s acceptance
of the incorrect assumption that birth means power, Westeros is a violent and chauvinistic place
filled with unjust suffering and crime. Therefore, Tywin’s and by extension nobilities’ grip on
Westeros is a stern reminder of the dangers of incorrect perceptions, and the importance of
realizing the media’s role in our own world.

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Works Cites
Martin, George R. R. A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1). New York: Spectra,
1997. Print.
"Media and social responsibilities." Frontier Post 01 Sept. 2013: Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 11
Dec. 2013.
"Media-a war winning constituent." Baluchistan Times 23 Nov. 2013: Newspaper Source Plus.
Web. 11 Dec. 2013.
Plato. “The Allegory of the Cave.” Trans. B. Jowett. A World of Ideas. Ed. Jacobus, Lee A.
Boston: Bedford/St. Matrin, 2006. 35-51. Print.

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