Eddard Stark: The Price of Principles | Character Analysis | ASOIAF

Some name honor a crutch. Others, a sword. Some even call it a shield. Yet, it was undeniable that honorable men were a rare breed in Westeros and beyond. Though this was a sad truth, it was still a truth, and the reason was simple to understand. In the world of ice and fire, honor and honesty brought one little and left one less. But despite this inconvenience, some men still believed their word to be of worth. The greatest of such men was Eddard Stark. Hello everyone, and welcome back to Exploring Fiction. The Lord of Winterfell was never meant to rule. In every capacity, Ned believed himself inferior to his elder brother, or to his friends-in-arms. He was not timid or bashful, but he understood his place. And more than that, he adhered to his principles. But fate placed greater responsibilities in his lap by the day, and he rose from second son to general of a rebellion to Warden of the North to Hand of the King throughout his lifetime. Eddard had chances to rise even farther, to become even more renowned throughout the Seven Kingdoms, but doing so would’ve required great sacrifice. Not of time, effort, or coin, but of morality. Ned would’ve had to kill the good man inside him, and that he could not do. Instead, he was content with what was given him and did what was asked of him, serving as loyally as he could. He raised his children as a good husband, kept secrets as a good brother, and gave counsel as a good friend. But, good men were not the winners of the game of thrones. Eddard lost his life remaining true in his convictions, learning the price of an existence rooted in virtue. So, who exactly is Eddard Stark, and why is he such an interesting character? Let’s explore… Disclaimer: The art used in this video does not belong to me, and is intended to fall under Fair Use. 0:00 Introduction 2:02 Far from an Heir (Background) 3:23 Embers of an Uprising (Background) 4:47 The Dirty Work (Background) 6:04 A Sullied Effort (Background) 7:19 Mourn for Family, Friends, and Enemies (Background) 8:46 A More Comfortable Existence (Background) 11:05 Divine Omens & A Friend's Request 12:36 Shouldering the Burden of Sorrow 13:29 Honor Amongst Thieves & Dangerous Search 14:50 Schism Renewed & Condemned to Justice 16:54 Mistake Masked in Malice 18:46 For Family, and Only for Family 20:00 Bring Me His Head 20:33 Analysis 24:32 Conclusion _________________________________________________________________________ Visit my website for exclusive reviews, fiction, and more: https://russellawellsauthor.com Sign Up for my Mailing List for FREE Exclusive Content: https://subscribepage.io/freeaudiobook _________________________________________________________________________ Music: Nomadic Sunset - Alexander Nakarada Magic Forest - Kevin MacLeod Epic Cinematic - Liborio Conti _________________________________________________________________________ #asoiaf #eddardstark #analysis #characteranalysis #gameofthrones #asongoficeandfire #georgerrmartin #eddard #stark #agameofthrones #lannister #baratheon #robertsrebellion #thenorth