Joffrey Baratheon Character Analysis in A Game of Thrones

Joffrey is Tommen and Myrcella’s brother, Tywin’s grandson, and Tyrion’s nephew. He is engaged to Sansa. Most of the realm (including Joffrey) believes that he is Robert and Cersei’s son, though he is in fact Cersei and Jaime’s son. When Sansa first meets Joffrey, she is smitten with him because he seems like everything a prince should be. He’s tall, handsome, and strong. Sansa’s realization that he is in fact cruel and despotic is a pivotal moment in Sansa’s coming-of-age story. After Robert dies, Joffrey becomes king. Ned argues that Joffrey is not Robert’s rightful heir because he is not Robert’s biological child, a view that leads Joffrey to arrest Ned. Contradicting Cersei and Sansa’s wishes, Joffrey has Ned executed, reinforcing the novel’s portrayal of Joffrey as an uncontrollable child who wields power chaotically and irresponsibly.

Joffrey Baratheon Quotes in A Game of Thrones

The A Game of Thrones quotes below are all either spoken by Joffrey Baratheon or refer to Joffrey Baratheon. 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:

“One day, Bran, you will be Robb’s bannerman, holding a keep of your own for your brother and your king, and justice will fall to you. When that day comes, you must take no pleasure in the task, but neither must you look away. A ruler who hides behind paid executioners soon forgets what death is.”

Related Characters: Ned Stark (speaker), Robert Baratheon/the Usurper, Bran Stark, Gared, Joffrey Baratheon

Page Number and Citation: 14

Explanation and Analysis:

After Ned executes Gared as punishment for deserting the Night’s Watch, he talks with Bran about the importance of carrying out death sentences himself. Previously, Ned acknowledged that King Robert and the Targaryen kings both have used executioners to avoid carrying out death sentences themselves. With that in mind, Ned’s commentary here suggests that his philosophy of personal accountability, honor, and integrity is at odds with the philosophy of King’s Landing. Following Ned’s logic, those in King’s Landing have forgotten what death is, which is tantamount to overlooking the sacredness of each human life. With that in mind, Ned’s statement Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accus

“You should have taken the realm for yourself. It was there for the taking. Jaime told me how you found him on the Iron Throne the day King’s Landing fell, and made him yield it up. That was your moment. All you needed to do was climb those steps, and sit. Such a sad mistake.”

“I have made more mistakes than you can possibly imagine,” Ned said, “but that was not one of them.”

“Oh, but it was, my lord,” Cersei insisted. “When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground.”

Related Characters: Cersei Lannister (speaker), Ned Stark (speaker), Robert Baratheon/the Usurper, Jaime Lannister/the Kingslayer, Joffrey Baratheon

Related Symbols: The Iron Throne

Page Number and Citation: 407-408

Explanation and Analysis:

Ned tells Cersei that he knows that Joffrey is not Robert’s biological son and Jaime is. Ned gives Cersei the chance to flee and go into exile with her children. While Ned thinks he is giving Cersei advice, Cersei responds by critiquing Ned. Ned’s response to Cersei’s critique displays again how uninterested he is in power. He passed up a chance for power at the end of Robert’s Rebellion, as Cersei says, and Ned passes up another chance at this moment. He could act immediately based on the knowledge he’s gained about Joffrey’s parentage. Instead, he offers Cersei mercy. That Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque

Ned produced Robert’s letter. “Lord Varys, be so kind as to show this to my lady of Lannister.”

The eunuch carried the letter to Cersei. The queen glanced at the words. “Protector of the Realm,” she read. “Is this meant to be your shield, my lord? A piece of paper?” She ripped the letter in half, ripped the halves in quarters, and let the pieces flutter to the floor.

“Those were the king’s words,” Ser Barristan said, shocked.

“We have a new king now,” Cersei Lannister replied.

Related Characters: Ned Stark (speaker), Cersei Lannister, Joffrey Baratheon, Barristan Selmy, Robert Baratheon/the Usurper, Varys, Petyr Baelish/Littlefinger

Related Symbols: The Iron Throne, The Iron Throne

Page Number and Citation: 441

Explanation and Analysis:

After Robert’s death, Ned presents Robert’s last will to Cersei. The will says that Ned should be the protectorate of the throne. At this point, Ned and Cersei are the two primary players in the “game of thrones.” They are locked in a battle to see who will achieve power and who will lose. As Cersei previously said, the loser will face death. Throughout their contest, Ned has repeatedly followed norms and rules of honor and integrity. His reliance on Robert’s letter to settle the dispute shows that he expects Cersei to play by similar rules. When Cersei meets the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aper

Sansa stared at him, seeing him for the first time. He was wearing a padded crimson doublet patterned with lions and a cloth-of-gold cape with a high collar that framed his face. She wondered how she could ever have thought him handsome. His lips were as soft and red as the worms you found after a rain, and his eyes were vain and cruel. “I hate you,” she whispered.

King Joffrey’s face hardened. “My mother tells me that it isn’t fitting that a king should strike his wife. Ser Meryn.”

The knight was on her before she could think, yanking back her hand as she tried to shield her face and back-handing her across the ear with a gloved fist. Sansa did not remember falling, yet the next she knew she was sprawled on one knee amongst the rushes. Her head was ringing. Ser Meryn Trant stood over her, with blood on the knuckles of his white silk glove.

Related Characters: Joffrey Baratheon (speaker), Sansa Stark (speaker), Bran Stark, Ned Stark, Robert Baratheon/the Usurper, Tywin Lannister, Viserys Targaryen

Page Number and Citation: 622

Explanation and Analysis:

After Joffrey orders Ned’s execution, Sansa sees him in an entirely new light. Whereas Sansa once was infatuated with Joffrey and saw him as a hero from a fairy tale, she now sees him more clearly as the villain he is. She expresses her disdain, and Joffrey responds by ordering one of his soldiers to strike her. In many ways, Joffrey resembles ineffectual leaders like Viserys and Robert. With that in mind, his physical abuse of Sansa reinforces how in the novel, patriarchal power is rooted in morally indefensible misogyny and gender-based violence directed at women and girls. Notably, Joffrey Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui

A voice inside her whispered, There are no heroes, and she remembered what Lord Petyr had said to her, here in this very hall. “Life is not a song, sweetling,” he’d told her. “You may learn that one day to your sorrow.” In life, the monsters win, she told herself.

Related Characters: Petyr Baelish/Littlefinger (speaker), Joffrey Baratheon, Ned Stark, Sansa Stark

Page Number and Citation: 624

Explanation and Analysis:

After Joffrey orders Ned’s execution, Sansa examines her previous outlook on life and reflects on how that prior worldview has crumbled. Sansa's change in outlook is most clearly reflected in the change in her views of Joffrey. While she once believed him to be the archetypical hero, she now sees him as a villain. And, unlike the romantic songs that Sansa was once enamored with, Sansa now believes that in real life, monsters triumph over villains. This change in perspective illustrates a pivotal moment in Sansa’s coming of age, as she lets go of the illusions of her youth and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit

Joffrey Baratheon Character Timeline in A Game of Thrones

The timeline below shows where the character Joffrey Baratheon appears in A Game of Thrones. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...think about it. Robert says that if Ned comes to King’s Landing, perhaps his son Joffrey and Ned’s daughter Sansa could marry, uniting the families. (full context)

...swords and are wrapped in layers of protective cushions. When they’re done, Robb challenges Prince Joffrey to another round of combat training. Joffrey says that practice is child’s play, and he’ll... (full context)

...all night, as usual—he never sleeps much. He leaves his room for breakfast and finds Joffrey talking to Sandor Clegane, also known as the Hound. They’re talking about Bran’s recovery. It’s... (full context)

...that regretfully she’ll have to cancel their plans to spend the day together and asks Joffrey to entertain Sansa. Joffrey accepts. He and Sansa are now officially engaged, though they won’t... (full context)

Joffrey and Sansa have a picnic and drink wine before they hear a crashing sound in... (full context)

...searching, they find Arya, who has been hiding in the woods since the fight with Joffrey. Arya is taken before King Robert to explain her side of the story. Joffrey has... (full context)

As Ned turns to leave with Arya, Cersei says that the direwolf that attacked Joffrey will have to be punished. Nymeria (Arya’s direwolf) ran away after the fight and hasn’t... (full context)

Joffrey comes to sit next to Sansa. The two haven’t spoken since the fight between Arya... (full context)

Joffrey orders his bodyguard, the Hound, to walk Sansa back to the Red Keep. On the... (full context)

...he dreams of running off, but he doesn’t because he can’t bear to think of Joffrey on the throne, taking whispered orders from his mother Cersei. Robert doesn’t understand how he... (full context)

...Mycah. They all need to be punished too, Arya says. Sansa says that Mycah attacked Joffrey first, so it’s different. Arya calls Sansa a liar. (full context)

...in King’s Landing. Sansa protests and says she needs to stay because she’s engaged to Joffrey. Ned says the engagement was an awful mistake, and when Sansa is older, he’ll arrange... (full context)

Ned hears that the Hound has returned to King’s Landing with Joffrey. Littlefinger warns Ned that the Hound may be feeling vengeful after learning that Ned ordered... (full context)

...asking her to meet him. Now, Ned confronts her with the truth he has discovered: Joffrey is not Robert’s son. He is Jaime’s son, and Cersei and Jaime are lovers. Cersei... (full context)

...Ned the protectorate of the kingdom and says that he will rule until his son, Joffrey, comes of age. Ned knows that Joffrey isn’t Robert’s son, so he struggles to write... (full context)

...Ned should make peace with the Lannisters and take his seat as the king in Joffrey’s stead for four years until Joffrey comes of age. He should marry Sansa off to... (full context)

Ned knows that Cersei, as the queen, will say that Joffrey is the rightful king—while Ned, as the Hand of the King, will say that Stannis... (full context)

...and Arya to prepare to leave. Sansa doesn’t understand why she can’t say goodbye to Joffrey and argues with Ned. Arya wants to know if there’s time for one last lesson... (full context)

Soon after, Joffrey, who believes himself to be king, summons the small council to see him. In the... (full context)

Ned didn’t want it to come to this, but he says that Joffrey is not King Robert’s true heir. Joffrey asks Cersei what Ned is talking about. Cersei... (full context)

...orders. She goes to see Cersei and tells her that she is in love with Joffrey. She hopes that Cersei will talk to King Robert and convince him to command Ned... (full context)

...Robert’s heirs, but as soon as Robert died, Ned tried to steal the throne from Joffrey. They also intercepted a message he intended to reach Stannis, calling on Stannis to bring... (full context)

Cersei says that she can’t possibly let Sansa marry Joffrey, considering that Sansa is the daughter of a traitor—that is, unless Sansa writes letters to... (full context)

...Sansa urged Robb and Catelyn to come to King’s Landing and pledge fealty to King Joffrey. If they did so, Sansa would plead with Joffrey to spare Ned. Nowhere in the... (full context)

...walls. In the castle, Sansa searches for friendly faces, but no one meets her eyes. Joffrey also adjudicates the king’s justice for the first time and asks that Sansa be present.... (full context)

Joffrey appoints Jaime to the position of Commander of the Kingsguard and the Hound to the... (full context)

...young Robb is. Varys also tells Ned that Sansa pleaded for Ned’s life before King Joffrey. Varys encourages Ned to do as Cersei wants. Ned should repent for his crimes, say... (full context)

...runs to try and see her father. In the center of town, Cersei and King Joffrey watch over Ned. Sansa is with them, and Arya wonders why she looks so happy. (full context)

...of the crowd, Ned confesses to betraying Robert. He says that he conspired to kill Joffrey and seize the throne for himself. When he finishes speaking, Joffrey announces that Sansa and... (full context)

...it’s Ilyn, armed with her father’s sword, who has come to kill her. Instead, it’s Joffrey. He says that he wants Sansa to be present with him in court. Sansa argues... (full context)

In court, Sansa watches Joffrey hand out cruel sentence after cruel sentence. She recalls the songs of heroes she once... (full context)

...If Ned were still alive, they could possibly trade him for Jaime. But, Tywin says, Joffrey has proceeded foolishly. He jumps from one folly to the next and has no clue... (full context)

...King’s Landing to be the Hand of the King and to try and reign in Joffrey. Tywin tells him not to bring Shae, but Tyrion plans to bring her anyway. (full context)

...moment, it seems that others might agree, but then someone asks if they side with Joffrey, would that make them traitors to Renly? Then, Greatjon speaks up. He says that the... (full context)

Joffrey Baratheon Character Analysis

Joffrey Baratheon Quotes in A Game of Thrones

Chapter 1: Bran Quotes

Chapter 45: Eddard Quotes

Chapter 49: Eddard Quotes

Chapter 67: Sansa Quotes

Joffrey Baratheon Character Timeline in A Game of Thrones