Is Queen Alicent Hightower really a villain in House Of The Dragon?

House of the Dragon has taken off after its pivotal Episode 7. Black and Green have clearly split into two factions and we are approaching the start of the Dance of the Dragons. In the show, the greens were portrayed as the bad guys. Queen Alicent Hightower is increasingly hated by fans as she truly embraces her dark and evil side. However, it would be wrong to label such a complex and multi-dimensional character just a villain. In fact, both Olivia Cooke and Emilia Carrey did a brilliant job portraying Alicent Hightower.

Is Queen Alicent Hightower really a villain?

Alicent Hightower is an extremely complex character with multiple layers to herself. To categorize her as a villain would be an injustice. In a show favoring the Targaryens, she’ll naturally be seen as a villain. However, Alicent is the product of unfortunate circumstances and outside influences, much like Rhaenyra. She started out as a caring, observant, quiet, and compromising young girl. But over time, she had to adapt and make herself stronger, bolder, and more ruthless to survive. Alicent also had to ensure the survival of her children. This resulted in some shocking actions from her but nothing worse than what several characters did on the black side.

The influence of Otto Hightower and the grooming of Alicent Hightower

From the earliest age, Otto High Tower projected his ambitions and desires onto an impressionable Alicent. Her father being her only family, she trusted him and did as he said. Naturally, she thought he knew better, as any child would feel. Nevertheless, Otto Hightower took advantage of it and used it to fulfill his ambition for the throne. He basically pushed her to Viserys and indirectly told her to seduce the king. He nursed her back to health and eventually even projected his dislike for Rhaenyra onto her. Otto Hightower and Lord Larys Strong manipulated her into perceiving Rhaenyra as the enemy. He even made her believe that Rhaenyra would harm her sons.

A frightened and protective mother

Much of what she does in House of the Dragon is concerned with the survival of her children. She fears that when Rhaenyra sits on the throne, the people of Westeros will reject her as their ruler. To prove that she was the only rightful heiress, Rhaenyra would have to kill her sons. Only then can she sit on the Iron Throne. Alicent passes all that hate and fear on to her young son Aemond, just like his father had done to him. In fact, the incident of Aemond loses his eye to the children of Rhaenyra was another turning point for her. We see her transform into a monster and show a side of her that’s willing to do whatever it takes for her kids.

Product of Society, Circumstances, and Patriarchy

Alicent and her actions were the result of the patriarchal society in which she was raised. She was stuck between her friend and her father. All around her, she had negative influences that gradually poisoned her towards Rhaenyra. This includes Ser Otto Hightower, Lord Larys Strong and finally Ser Criston Cole. She found herself in an impossible situation where the only way to survive was to incite war. This is similar to the position Rhaenyra is in. Much like Alicent, she too had to adapt as the world around her began to oppose her. In fact, Rhaenyra’s hands aren’t clean either. Although she doesn’t kill Laenor, an innocent man still loses his life in Episode 7 of House of the Dragon. Queen Alicent made the choice she thought was the right one. But his decision was influenced by factors beyond his control. Alicent Hightower is a villain, of course, but she’s so much more than that.

In fact, if fans are looking for a villain to hate, he’s been on our screens for a while now. It is none other than Lord Larys Strong. A man who is nothing but vile, barbaric, ruthless, manipulative, cunning and selfish. He has absolutely no allies, not the Greens and not even his own family.