Anyone who has seen “Game of Thrones” and now follows “The House of the Dragon” knows that Westeros politics carries a lot of weight in this universe, whether with maneuvers, probate issues or marriages to forge alliances, and blacks and greens are large and are part of it.
But episode 5, released this Sunday (18), showed the beginning of the formation of one of the most important political groups in the series, which will be the protagonist of the future civil war of the Targaryens: the Greens.
Queen Alicent’s entrance to Rhaenyra and Laenor’s pre-wedding party, one of the big moments of the episode, impressed not only that she interrupted King Viserys’ speech, but also that she was dressed in green.
The series is based on George RR Martin’s book “Fire and Blood”, which chronicles the rise and fall of the Targaryen family. The specific part in which the series takes place is about the Dance of the Dragons, a pivotal event in the history of Westeros.
Without going into details, the series’ future events will lead to a real civil war within the family due to the clash between the Greens – those who defend that Queen Alicent’s eldest son takes office as king -, and the Blacks – who defend that Rhaenyra was to ascend the Iron Throne, as was the wish of her father, King Viserys.
The two factions or political groups are already forming long before the death of King Viserys, who appears to be in worse shape with each episode. The reason for the struggle is the difficult situation of the succession to the throne of King Viserys.
After Queen Aemma’s death in childbirth, one of the most memorable scenes in the series to date, and also the death of the baby, who would be the king’s long-awaited son, things got complicated in the succession. With Daemon, the king’s brother, being the natural heir to the throne, given the absence of male descendants, the king ended up choosing to appoint his only daughter, Rhaenyra, as heir to the Iron Throne.
But Viserys remarried, choosing as his wife Alicent Hightower, the daughter of the Hand of King Otto Hightower. With her, Viserys had multiple children, including Aegon, who would be the natural heir to the throne as the king’s eldest son. Only Viserys never stipulated that Rhaenyra would be replaced as heir and insisted that she would ascend the throne after her death.
That said, and as the lords of the great houses of Westeros have been summoned by Viserys to swear allegiance to Rhaenyra, the kingdom will split halfway between those who defend Aegon’s birthright and those who understand that Viserys’ decision to appoint Rhaenyra as heir must be respected.
With Rhaenyra as heir, a group began to conspire to elevate Aegon to the throne. This group includes famous people such as Alicent herself, her father Otto Hightower and many other gentlemen who have sided with the queen in the dispute. This group became known as the Greens. On the other hand, the group that came together to defend Rhaenyra’s rights came to call themselves the Blacks.
Although the action will only take place in the future between these two sides, the conflict has already developed into meetings, whispers and alliances, before any attack comes from either side.
The names of the groups carrying on the Targaryen civil war refer to the colors used in the wars by the houses of Alicent, the Hightower, and of Rhaenyra, the Targaryen. However, the colors also refer to the colors of the two’s clothes. Although Alicent has already appeared dressed in green in episode 5, signaling the start of the formation of the Greens and a change in the character’s interests, there is another scene in the future of the series that should formalize the creation of the two factions.
In the book, the Blacks and the Greens are known this way after a tournament, where Alicent wore green and Rhaenyra wore black. We don’t know yet if this scene will take place, but there are glimpses in the trailers and leaked footage of a scene in which the two – formerly played by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke – appear dressed in dark, and Alicent threatens Rhaenyra with a dagger. .
Episodes of “House of the Dragon” arrive every Sunday at 10pm on HBO and HBO Max. The first five are now available on HBO Max.
The post Blacks and Greens: Understanding the Political Groups of “House of the Dragon” first appeared on Olhar Digital.
Source: Olhar Digital
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