If there’s one character who is most reviled by House of the Dragon fans, it’s Queen Alicent Hightower. She is against the ‘protagonist’ of the series, Rhaenyra Targaryen, because she wants to usurp her throne for her son. So technically, she’s the bad guy. But is she? We think she’s a complex character and calling her a bad guy without analyzing her is a disservice. So let’s explain why Queen Alicent is a misunderstood character.
Alicent is the victim of manipulation by her father
Otto and Alicent Hightower
Interestingly, she’s been heavily manipulated by her father, Otto Hightower, from the start. Initially, Alicent Hightower is not interested in consoling the King after the Queen’s death. It is Otto who pushes her to do it and she does it with the goodness of her heart.
It’s obvious that she’s afraid of her father (and an anxious person too) because she keeps picking her fingernails to the point of almost bleeding them when she’s around him. But she rebels against her father. When Rhaenyra promises her that she didn’t spend the night with her uncle and that she was still pure, Alicent actually goes against her father and plays a role in his expulsion as The Hand of the King.
Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower
But before leaving, Otto plants the fear in her mind that Rhaenyra was going to kill her children when she became queen. And later, when she learns from Ser Criston Cole that she lied, that’s when she switches from supporting Rhaenyra to being against her. Otto plays it like a fiddle and Rhaenyra’s lie further reinforces Otto’s words.
It’s also important to note that at first she didn’t want the throne for Aegon. When Viserys Targaryen is troubled by the succession, it’s Alicent Hightower who says she wouldn’t want her son to usurp his sister’s throne. So she didn’t want the throne for her son at first and wasn’t plotting for it.
This brings us to our next point:
Alicent Hightower is not Cersei
Cersei Lannister
Alicent Hightower is often compared to Cersei from the original Game of Thrones series. But this comparison is not justified. After all, Alicent is not unnecessarily cruel. She’s just an overprotective mother because she fears for her children’s lives.
She even slaps Aegon II when he defiles a maidservant. And offers kind words, financial help, and pregnancy prevention drink to the girl he molested. It’s not something Cersei would have done for a maid.
Cersei would probably have put the girl to death for tarnishing Joffrey’s reputation! In fact, the only time Cersei slapped her son, Joffrey, was when he personally insulted her. Also, if Cersei was in Alicent’s place, she would have been far more vicious and cruel to Rhaenyra and her children.
The lack of support from her husband
Alicent with King Viserys Targaryen
Even though Viserys Targaryen wanted to marry Alicent Hightower at first, but over time, as he began to be affected by the debilitating disease, it became clear that he only loved his first wife, Aemma Targaryen. In Episode 8, he mistakenly refers to Alicent as Aemma and doesn’t seem sorry about it.
Alicent Hightower also quickly understands the king’s preference for Rhaenyra and subsequently the fact that he does not care for his children with her. This is very clear when he refers to Rhaenyra as his only child and also when he is unbothered by Aemond’s loss of an eye to Rhaenyra’s child. In fact, he takes his daughter’s side.
This is the first incident where we see Alicent lose her temper and attack Rhaenyra. And she only does it because her husband refuses to do justice to their own son. So she has no one from the Targaryen family who actually takes care of her and her children. As a result, this pivots her towards her father who actually framed her. Thus, she cannot escape the circle of manipulation.
Now, that doesn’t mean she’s a sage. But viewers should think of her as a complex character rather than a straightforward villain.
What do you think of Alice Hightower? Let us know.
