Human beings are often restricted - we find ourselves limited in some way or another by
others, our environment, society, and most importantly - ourselves.
In many contexts and situations, there are imposed limits from a variety of sources that
are placed upon people that restrict them from truly expressing the way they feel and
leaping into life with two feet.
A tyrannical boss, deeply rooted insecurities, posturing and niceties - we live in a world
that is, and has been, extremely difficult to truly be yourself in.
This is just the way of the world - you can’t always say or do what you truly feel in day
to day situations because you’d reap the consequences in some way.
It makes sense and these limitations do help society to function - but they can also make
life less enjoyable than it would be otherwise.
We long for total control and expression, and we don’t always have it, and that is
part of why wholehearted, passionate, flamboyant, fiery free spirits are so enticing in fiction.
They are unrestricted, not because their societies DONT have these limitations - but because
when all is said and done, they have the conviction to rise above them and live life their own
way.
Oberyn Martell is one of my absolute favourite characters in the Song of Ice and Fire book
series and the Game of Thrones TV series, and a big reason for that is because he is
a breath of fresh air that contrasts virtually every character in the story with his personality,
demeanor, behaviour and the way he goes about carrying out his motivations.
For the characters in the series who are even a little bit accustomed to the political landscape
and inner machinations of the setting, it is clear that deception and dishonestly are
essential for meaningful survival, at the top of the food chain at the very least.
Characters like Varys, Littlefinger, Tyrion, Roose Bolton and Walder Frey hide their intentions
beneath countless layers of lies or half truths to get ahead, because most are selfish, and
one misstep could spell disaster for oneself with regards to one’s plans.
Even Ned Stark, one of the most honest characters in the story, is consistently shown in the
books to be biting his tongue in day-to-day situations in order to adhere to the climate
of his political environment.
That isn’t to say that literally everyone lives dishonestly, but there is a clear pattern
that Oberyn naturally opposes.
Of course, his Royal status enables him to be this liberated in a way that the common
folk would never be able to, but the point stands.
He lives with reckless abandon, loves with a full heart, seeks pleasure and fulfillment
and does what he likes for all to see.
Not everyone in the story is total opposite to Oberyn, because he is similar to characters
like Bronn and Renly in certain ways, but the specifics and nuances of his character
really help him stand out.
Characterized by this liberated spirit, heart and honesty, Oberyn is free in a lot of the
ways we tend to wish we were, in a setting and environment much more stifling than most
of our own, and there is an element of impressiveness in that that draws people to characters of
his ilk, in an almost vicarious way.
He represents true human desire, so I quickly found myself liking Oberyn for what he stood
for in this sense and started rooting for him from the start.
He feels, he doesn’t hold back and he regrets nothing.
Guided by the heart, He indulges in whatever pleasures he desires, stands up for what he
believes in and protects the honour of those he loves.
And despite the huge personal risk, he essentially declares war on Tywin Lannister from the start.
Because that’s just the type of person he is.
To be clear, I’m not saying that Oberyn is always honest to everyone, because this
is A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones, after all, but his emotional energy is one
of honesty and passion, and even when he stands on ceremony to say some words that may not
be too meaningful in and of themselves, he makes his feelings crystal clear.
But of course, this contrast is far from the only reason he is so infectious and admirable.
What’s arguably most enticing about Oberyn is his ideology.
He is in King’s Landing for two things that he may actually conflate into one - revenge
and justice.
13 years prior to his introduction into the story, Oberyn’s sister, Elia Martell, wedded
to Rhaegar Targaeryen, was killed in the sack of King’s Landing during Robert’s Rebellion
in horrifying fashion.
Gregor Clegane, otherwise known as the mountain, brutally murders Elia’s children before
raping her with her children’s blood on hands, before finally killing Elia in equally
gruesome fashion.
It is a monstrous, inhuman act, one that bred a deep need for vengeance within the Martell’s,
and one that cannot go without retribution in their eyes.
And though the dust has settled at the present time in the story, the ones responsible are
living a life of luxury and comfort, positioned at the top and protected on all sides - yet
the red viper still stalks his prey.
After years and years, he has done his waiting and seeks the perfect opportunity to strike.
Because he needs to, because he cannot let go and live his life without vengeance.
Now, he is truly fearsome, but not without reason or heart.
He fathers many bastards, yet cares for all of them.
He is on an arguably self-destructive quest for revenge, yet it is because he believes
it will restore honour to his family and help his lost sister rest.
He desires to kill for himself, but also for his family.
He seeks revenge, and he also seeks justice.
Cut through the combativeness, the promiscuity, the hot, vengeful nature -
and Oberyn is a good soul.
In this lovely show-exclusive speech, we see an encapsulation of what Oberyn is.
He may be over the top and exuberant, but he is not unkind and he sees things, and people,
for what they are.
He is truth.
He is honesty.
And He is vengeance.
Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken.
He might not be a paragon of virtue, but he stands up for what he believes in and does
away with dishonesty and injustice.
And similar to Ned Stark, that is why he simply had no chance to last long in a story where
only the cynical and pragmatic survive in the political landscape.
His fight with the Mountain as Tyrion’s champion, which, I may add, is far more tactically
interesting and well presented in the books, ends in gut wrenchingly appropriate fashion.
He outmaneuvers the Mountains and essentially wins, but in a thematically consistent move,
it is snatched away.
His combat skills aren’t what let him down - his pride and longing is.
After yelling and screaming constantly for the Mountain to say the name of the woman
he murdered, he simply does not let his victory be and cannot let go without outing those
who have wronged him and displaying why he is here to all.
And that is what costs him.
His heart, and his penchant for true justice in a setting that cares not for those things.
His story is one of unfulfilled internal promises, a representation of that very human need to
follow one’s instinct - and it is also an encapsulation of the nihilistic pointlessness
of ideals in war.
It is a beautiful aspect of humanity, but one that was never pragmatic enough to survive
long in this story, and that’s why Oberyn’s character is one of the most impactful in
the series.
He lived without reservation and burnt too bright.
His end is a reintroduction to darkness and a loss of hope for Tyrion at this point in
the story, but most of all - it is a tragic snuffing out of a man so full of life and
infectious passion.
A dismissal of justice and the human spirit.
Smiling at his love and full of life one second, and skull crushed the next.
A cruel end to the life of a beautiful soul, and a reintroduction to the brutal hellscape
that is A Song of Ice and Fire.
Many thanks for watching.