Othello by William Shakespeare | Summary and Analysis

Othello by William Shakespeare | Summary and Analysis Othello, is a very known playwright written by the famous writer William Shakespeare. If you are a person who have read many of his works you would know that his writings are based on love, triumph and tragedy also. Just by reading Othello I can tell that the story is about jealously and betrayal of lovers, and someone ends up dead because of the drama involved with it. Unluckily I will not tell of the summary of the playwright, nor tell about or give an simple analysis of the characters involved in the story. I will give you an examination of the racial connections in the playwright Othello, and relate it to the racial prejudices of Jacobean England. I will be honest, when I first read Othello, I did not quite understood how race was placed into the playwright, and why it had anything to do with Othello, because the theme of the story was basically about betrayal and jealously between two lovers who were separated over jealously. When I did research about Othello and racism, and rea d Othello continuously, I slowly began to realize that race did have some kind of involvement into it. Racism seemed to be a big issued in the days of Shakespeare and others. Some writers wrote their stories based on the society they was in and made it quite recognizable in their story, England and other nations had problems with race just as we did in America Othello is a story that made that obvious, Shakespeare puts in different racial stereotypes into the dialogues, giving them to characters like Iago, Roderigo and Branbantio. In the 17th century, People of England attitudes toward non-Europeans like North Africans and others were said to be shaped by policies and stories by travelers. The term moor came from a country that was used to refer to people from North Africa. People of North and West Africa who was living in the Elizabethan England was put out because of their unusual style of dress, behaviors and culture customs. Moors were also talked about and was put in the category of being sexually overactive and being a more jealous people. Queen Elizabeth gave the moors full recognition out of quick niceness for their help in defeating Spain, but unluckily that was quickly turned over fast and she deported the North Africans or Moors because of bad and unusual behavior and the fear of if she let them stay in England than there would end up being an overpopulation of black people and she seemed to definitely not want that. Back in that time period in England blacks were not associated with the slavery tim e period that we all know of, because the slave time period started late in the 17th century. One part in Othello that opened up my eyes and made me realize that race it was an issue, was when they spoke of different cultures like the Turkish culture and the Vietnamese culture. In Othello it stated that the people in Othello had celebrated the destruction of the Turkish force, I realized that there were some kind of cultural division in the playwright Othello. As I went on with my research and read some of the sources that helped me completely understand the issue, I understood that racism was one of the issues in Othello. One of my sources that I read named Shakespeare and Race discussed that some of the racial issues in Othello also probably had something to do with Shakespeare and the society that he was in, not just the racism acted on the Vietnam society in the play Othello. I also learned that the character Othello who was Desdemonas love was an African or an Moor in the story. A moor is once again defined as an member of a nomadic people, who civilization flourished in North Africa between the 8th and the 15th centuries. Othello seemed to be culturally divided and assorted. In order to answer the question and understand why racism was a big topic in Othello and why Shakespeare incorporated it into Othello, I had to dig deep and go back to the history and the real world outside of the playwright Othello. It also appeared to that the story was written during the time of great racial tensions in England. As I went on I discovered that Shakespeare disguised the white and the black people in Othello. He made the white people seem evil and the black people seem as the good ones. It seemed like Shakespeare was trying to make a point, a point of no matter what color a person is, we are all humans. Mainly because this was true, back then, whites seemed to be over people of color, while people of color was so called inferior under white people. Queen Elizabeth also made contributions to racism in England ,this might have stemmed off to racism in Othello. In the book English Ethnicity and Race in Early Modern Drama it stated that When Queen Elizabeth ruled England she exiled ten Africans from her country, then afterwards Queen Elizabeth traded the Africans for the imprisoned English men held in Spain and Portugal.(pg5 English Ethnicity and Race.) . This was similar to what I stated earlier. After the end of Elizabeths ruling Elizabethan England became Jacobean England and was under the rule of King James. Not like his other works, Shakespeare did not reserve the playwright or story of Othello to an earlier time period. Historians also stated that by the time William Shakespeare wrote Othello, England had already been exposed to Africans or blacks. Terri Vaughn an History Professor of Columbia University stated that by the year 1555, there were books in England describing the Africans or as they say the Moors of Africa.(Vaugh n). I also learned from my research that in the sixteenth century the meaning of the color black was defined as deeply stained with dirt or being dirty. Writers such as William Shakespeare and others referred to any dark person from North African as a Moor or a black moor. I also learned that white people or light skinned blacks that was from Africa wasnt considered an moor because they couldnt tell if they was from Africa or not. When I started to read and understand Othello more I realized that Othello was about a relationship between a black man and a white woman. Usually back in the slavery days if a black man was in a relationship with a white woman he would face some kind of punishment for that. It would have been like an offense or an rule that was broken by the black man. Maybe no connections or association with other nations or countries made it to be that way. England people who went outside of their race were viewed as barbarians. those who fell outside the borders of the know n, white world were viewed as â€Å"barbarians, which means a member of a culture thats uncivilized and its sometimes considered offensive. Michael Neil states in an article that was written by him called Race in Literature†. The term moor probably have existed as a description in terms of color, but not necessarily in terms of its position to the white civilized world .Othello is a play with a lot of racial feeling in it.† writes scholar Michael Neill(1985). In the article called Shakespeare and Race, written by John Stows. it greatly emphasizes that to the Elizabethans the appearance and conduct of the moors was a complete outrage, saying that here was a big difference between themselves and the moors. The article also explained that when William Shakespeare chosed an African or an moor as an hero or general, he wasnt really confused or had lack of knowledge bout racial thought or racism, but was more aware of his society who made the divisions of black and white world a big issue. The character named Iago in the story made races remarks about Othello calling him a black ram. Othello is treated unequally in the story because he is black and not white, if Othello was a white man, Im pretty sure he would have been treated fairly with no names and racial slurs called out at him. Comments of racial remarks are said all through out the story. Emilia also made a racial remark toward Othello, She called him an blacker devil, when she found out that he killed Desdemona. There were other characters who were racist towards Othello like Iago, Emilia, Brabinto, and Roderigo. Iago made the racial comment about Othello, because he simply didnt like the fact that he made lieutenant and that he was married to Desdemona. Iago also made a racist comment to Desdemonas Dad about Othello and Desdemona. He states, Even now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe. Iago had it in for Othello he simply tried to turn every one against Othello, even Desdemonas dad. Many rac ist comments like thick lips was said about Othello. Yet they were very messy because they never said it in his face. It seemed as if Shakespeare wanted race to be known to his readers of his stories, he wanted people to see that there wasnt just whites in the world, there were other races in the world also and that people of other races was good also and people of Caucasian decent made blacks and others look like negative entities. Shakespeare wrote three other plays with non whites and moors in it, They are The Merchant of Venice, Titus Andronicus and of course Othello. Many think that you will find honest straight up racism and racist sayings and language in Othello. Many also consider that many plays like Othello can examine tools of racism and racist views, with thin an historic setting and both within an historical setting and existing context. historic and a contemporary cultural or spiritual context. Some say that Othello is also an very racist play and that it has an racist theme. I think that its not really that racist because Shakespeare shows a woman and a man of enemy races and puts the m together. The only thing racist about the play is the racist comments that the characters say to Othello. It seemed as if racist comments was said when only angered. It seems like it was just depicting the society of that time. Before we had freedom blacks was considered to be under and lower than whites. But jealousy is more likely to be the theme of Othello. Othello is an historical reading that explores race in other countries and in Literature. It portrayed one of the first love stories of an interracial couple who is destroyed and broken up over hatred and jealous by people who didnt want an accomplished black man to survive and make out in a good situation. Even though William Shakespeare might have lived in an racist place and was surrounded by racist people it showed that he personally wasnt an racist person. Maybe William Shakespeare himself did approve of an relationship of an white woman and black man. Maybe he wanted to show that he was a good person and wasnt like others that was around him at the time. Ruth Cowhig wrote in an exert called Othello and Racism. In the excerpt, Ruth Cowhig provides a simple background on blacks in England during William Shakespeares time. She simply states that the character Iagos racism is the main source of his hatred towards Othello. He gives off an prejudice energy toward other characters in the story to turn them against Othello the Moor also (Cowhig, R). Ruth Cowhig emphasize that William Shakespeare continuously examines stereotypes with his story of Othello. I think the opening of the play presents an opportunity to discuss a variety of issues and stereo typing including interracial marriage. Othello gives us a lesson and something to think about, especially in society today and things that seemed to happen in the past.

Chemistry-soaps And Detergents :: essays research papers

Cleaning with soap and soapless detergents. Detergent comes from the Latin word detergere meaning to clean, it is defined as a cleansing agent. Therefore, water itself is a detergent. This essay looks at soap and soapless (or synthetic) detergents. Both substances we use everyday and have a big market commercially, they effect everyone. Soaps are made from natural products and soapless detergents are produced chemically, each having advantages and disadvantages. Soap has a much longer history than it’s relatively new synthetic version. There is evidence of soap made in Mediterranean countries around 2500 years ago. The basic process has not changed much although now the chemistry is understood. Soap is made from the process called saponification, the alkaline hydrolysis of fats and oils. It is essentially the reverse of esterification. O O R-C-O-R’ + NaOH ---- R-C-O-Na+ + R’OH Ester(fat) + base(caustic soda) ---- salt of fatty acid(soap) + alcohol(glycerol). Caustic potash (potassium hydroxide) can be used instead of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide)but is more expensive. The base used to come from wood ash containing potassium carbonate which formed potash as this was not plentiful it made soap a luxury. The cheapest source of the ester is animal and vegetable fats and oils. H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H O H-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H O-Na+ This is an example of a soap molecule. The hydrocarbon end is non polar and hydrophilic (water hating) and the carboxylate end is polar and hydrophilic (water loving). This the property which allows it to clean, it acts as an emulsifying agent. The soap disperses in water to form miscelles where a negatively charged surface is formed and hydrocarbon chains are in the centre. These miscelles surround droplets of dirt or grease suspending them in the water so they can be washed away. In soft neutral water soap works very well. However in hard water those containing ions (calcium and magnesium ions) the soap reacts with the ions forming insoluble salts, scum which settles on fabrics and around the bath. A scum is also the result when soap is used in acidic water. Soap is also affected by the nature of the dirt, for example perspiration breaks down the soap reducing the washing power. There are other disadvantages of soap, it deteriorates on storage lacks cleaning power and doesn’t rinse out completely. The production of synthetic detergents are an example of a standard chemical approach. If a useful substance has some undesirable properties an attempt is made to make a near copy synthetically which will perform better.

Commanding Heights :: essays research papers

The role that the government played in chapter two, â€Å"The Curse of Bigness,† of Commanding Heights in relation to the rest of the world was to create regulations. The New Deal was what was created to establish the rules and regulations in the United States, in regards to the stock market. It also created jobs by using government programs such as TVA. The TVA program was initiated in order to create jobs, which they were hoping would help boost up the stock market. Luckily as they had planed it did in fact create more job availability which did in turn boost the stock market thus helping the entire economy, as it was trying to crawl out of the depression. By the late nineteenth century the United States was on its way to becoming an industrial nation. This is due to the creation of the interstate commerce commission (ICC). The ICC was the first major attempt by the government to control the economy. The economy at this time was based on the railroads across the country and the ICC was created to regulate the railroads. The ICC regulated rates as well as required just treatment of shippers and communities. The ICC became the model for future regulatory commissions. The government found regulation necessary only after the local newspapers bashed the country because of its industrial setting. The term â€Å"muckrakers† was use by President Theodore Roosevelt in order to insult the media that was bashing America’s image. The majority of the government regulation was focused on one issue. The issue the government was worried the most about was bigness and monopolies. The monopolies appeared to have only one intention and that one intention was to extinguish the atomistic world of small, family-owned enterprises. The monopolies were referred to as â€Å"the red hot event.† What the muckrakers were saying by this is that the number one focus at this time of the economy was definitely the monopolies. President Roosevelt felt that not all monopolies were bad. He separated the monopolies into â€Å"good trust and bad trust.† He felt that monopolies should be scrutinized under the publics’ eye.

Dream House Essays -- essays research papers fc

My Dream House   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ever since I was ten years old I have known what kind of house I wanted to live in. A house that is on the lake and after I start a family it will be considered a loving home.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most important details about a house is the location. My house will be located where it is quiet and peaceful. My house will be located on a small private lake, but about two hundred yards off the edge of the lake. The best location for this would have to be in Minnesota. Minnesota has beautiful lakes with great houses around them. If it would happen to rain a lot, I would want my house to be far enough away that it will not get damaged.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I want my house to be located where it is warm in the summer and cold in the winter. I think the best state for that to happen is Pennsylvania. It is just so beautiful there all the time. The structure of a house is a very important part of construction of the house. The house is going to have two stories and a full basement. There will be windows with shutters on each side of the house. There will also be windows in the basement where some of the ground has been dug out so light can get into the basement. There will be a deck facing the lake around the first and second floor of the house. The purpose of having the deck in that position is so anybody can go out there relax, and watch all the people in boats go by. There will be double sliding glass doors...

To the Young Women of Malolos

The issues discussed in the famous letter of Rizal entitled, â€Å"To the Young Women of Malolos,† are the inequality between men and women, slavery done by the Spaniards because of ignorance, fraud religious beliefs brought by the friars, the role of mothers in the family, tyranny of some because of the cowardice and negligence on the part of others, unreligious acts of the friars towards the Filipinos, education not given to other Filipinos by the Spaniards, and lastly, the abuse of the Spaniards because of the hospitality of the Filipinos.In this letter, Rizal addresses all kinds of women – mothers, wives, the unmarried, and expresses everything that he wishes them to keep in mind. Jose Rizal was greatly impressed by the fighting spirit that the young women of Malolos had shown. His letter is his own way of recognition for them as brave Filipinas who are no longer blinded by the fraud religious beliefs brought by the friars. In his letter, he expresses great joy and satisfaction over the battle they had fought.Rizal also emphasizes in the letter his desire for women to be offered the same opportunities as those received by men in terms of education. Education is indeed important not just for men but as well as for women and everyone has the right to education. Under his letter he also mentioned about our own freedom as individual human beings that we must have our own judgment of what is right and wrong. Rizal stipulates a number of important points in this portion of his letter to the young women of Malolos.The central idea here, however, is that whatever a mother shows to her children is what the children will become also. As the saying goes, a fruit would grow the same as of its tree. In his letter, Rizal enumerates the qualities Filipino mothers have to possess: Be a noble wife, rear her children in the service of the state – here Rizal gives reference to the women of Sparta who embody this quality, set standards of behavior for men around her.Women are fragile and can be easily influenced because of ignorance and lacked of knowledge of her rights. The friars took advantage of the kindness and meekness of this youth and brag about it with its fellow Spaniards. If only the Filipinas were like the women of Spartan who have power over their men, maybe no one would dare to touched or harassed a woman. Jose Rizal also points out to unmarried women that they should not be easily taken by appearances and looks, because these can be very deceiving. Instead, they hould take heed of men’s firmness of character and lofty ideas, which is indeed very true especially today; wherein most women were easily deceive by good looks of men not even knowing their true identity and their true self.I’m a little bit disappointed and discourage though, because some would easily judge a book by its cover, without even knowing its contents yet and as for me, it doesn’t really matter if a guy is really good looking, wh at matters for me is his attitude and values as well as his weird principles in life I guess, and most especially the different kind of feeling that I would feel whenever we are with each other.To sum it all, Rizal wanted to make his people open their eyes and to avoid ignorance of freedom. Ignorance is the cause of slavery during their time and this is what we must not let to happen again. He did not want its people to live without a religious belief but he just wants them apprehend not to be deceived by the exploitations done by the friars under their robes. The teachings made must be put into action not just in words.

Front Office Management paper Essay

Abstract: This report is aimed to discuss the need for clear procedures to be set for the pre-arrival stage of the guest cycle. The pre arrival stages in a guest cycle entail services that are executed by people or other relevant systems (like software) to deliver the best to the guests. Reservations are an important stage in pre-arrival of all guests. An effective service delivery will ensure the guests get satisfied from the very primary stages. Vital preparations have to be made for the arrival of all guests by the front office department. Records have to be kept. Computers are essential in this process for they play an important facilitation role. Discuss the need for clear procedures to be set for the pre-arrival stage of the guest cycle Introduction The main function of front office management is to welcome the guest and make all transactions smooth for the guest. According to Bakers, Huyton and Bradley (2000), a hotel system can be divided into four categories forming the guest cycle notably: the pre-arrival, arrival, occupancy, and departure. This report aims to review the pre arrival stages of guest cycle in a guest cycle by focusing on front office section. The report begins with introduction and background to pre arrival stages of guest cycle and front office management. It will discuss the activities that are partaken when a guest arrives to the front desk of a given hotel in the main body. Then, the conclusion is drawn at the final part. Background In hospitality industry, it is necessary for the service deliverer to give out his/her best services; this is because the clients have nothing to carry home at the end of the transaction (Ismail, 2002). The most important thing is the experience they get from a given hotel. As earlier noted, the front office provides most reputation of a given hotel. The servers need to make great effort to ensure the delivery is up to the required standards. Different writers have similar views of the prospects that take place in the front office more so the pre arrival stage as will be discusses in the following section. According to Hai-yan and Baum (2006), most popular stages that have been identified in pre arrival of guests include: Reservation Registration Occupancy services Check-out and history The pre arrival stages in a guest cycle entail services that are executed by people or other relevant systems (like software) to deliver the best to the guests. The next section is the main body which analyse the activities that are partaken in the pre-arrival stage of the front desk of a hotel. Main body According to Powers et. Al (1999), the stages involved in the pre-arrival need to be distinct and specific. The environment and rooms need to be presentable to ensure the delivery is maximized in all situations. Bakers et. al. (2000) classified the guest cycle in the pre-arrivals, arrivals, occupancy and departure. They believe the pre arrival section mainly comprise the booking doe by the clients and all events that will facilitate arrival of the guest. The front office is tasked with handling a large number of tasks in the guest cycle, they may include making reservations, check-in and registration, mail and information management, handling luggage’s, communication services, handling the accounts for guests, checking out and settlement of bills (Bardi, 2011). The services here can be classified further to three main categories. These include  electronic-mechanical, indirect personal and face to face transactions. The employees in the front desk are trained to employ these services to ensure maximum utility of the clients (Waryszak and Bauer, 1993). The guest cycle stages can be classified into sub-categories depending on different factors. A stage process divides the cycle into presale, sale and post-sale services. The presale services will be discussed into details in this part. Of importance are the reservation services the clients can access from a given Hotel. The reservation stage will be vital for it provides the very initial interaction with the client. The hotel management is obliged to ensure that the staff in this category are very familiar with the activities at this stage and they deliver their best (Ismail, 2002). Use of computers has been of great help for they simplify the process, provide accuracy and speed, this makes the services look professional. The main source of information for reservations include Telephone calls Emails Letters Fax Personal requests The clients will always check in for these services. The service providers will always check if the customer is black listed or not. Black listed customers are offered no chances for various security reasons. Upon confirming a valid customer, the client is offered the rooms available according to his/her priority. If the priority of the clients is important and alternatives are given only when specific rooms are not available (Hai-yan and Baum, 2006). The booking is then confirmed and recorded appropriately in the booking diaries or booking charts. The relevant documents are then filled and the process terminated. These processes are computer enabled to facilitate accuracy. The following considerations are essential when making reservations: Front desk staffs should always offer alternatives to prevent closing the transactions Sale staffs should always use upselling and suggestive selling.  Front desk staffs need to be proactive in delivery Provide satisfying feedbacks to clients Confirm all details to guests and keep up-to-date records Be appreciative to all clients All reservations need to be effectively recorded to ease communication and reference. The main details captured during reservations in pre arrival stage include: guest name, address or the billing address, telephone number, origin or company, dates of arrival and departure, any special notes, and reservation type. It is also vital to note whether front desk staffs are dealing with a group or single persons. To make the reservation via computers, one would run the required software, run the rate plan query command, check for rate availability grid, look up for rate reservation screen, move to the profile screen, and finalize noting the reservation number (Bardi, 2011). The required details are filled into the computers at every given stage and clients informed of any necessary information. Conclusion In as much as the front office is not the main center or hub of a hotel, it is a vital department that makes the first and last impression to the guest. It is important as most guests will approach this department to seek clarification thus essential in retaining clients’ loyalty and reputation of a given hotel. Reservations are a vital stage in pre-arrival of all guests. An effective service delivery will ensure the clients get satisfied from the very initial stages. Vital preparations have to be made for the arrival of all guests by the front office department. Records have to be kept. Computers are essential in this process for they play an important facilitation role. References Baker, S., Huyton, J. & Bradley, P. (2000). Principles of hotel front office Operations. London: Continuum. Bardi, J.A. (2011). Hotel Front Office Management. John Wiley and Sons, USA. Hai-yan, K. and Baum, T. (2006). Skills and work in the hospitality sector: The case of hotel front office employees in China, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 18. No. 6, pp.509 – 518. Ismail, A. (2002). Front Office Operations and Management. Cengage Learning, UK. Kasavana, M.L. and Brooks, R.M. (2012). Managing Front Office Operations (AHLEI). Prentice Hall PTR,USA. Powers, T. & Barrows, C.W. (1999). Introduction to the Hospitality Industry (4th Edition). John Wiley & Sons, Canada. Waryszak, R.Z. and Bauer, T.G. (1993). Front-office Staff Selection Techniques. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 5. No. 4.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Forty-five

Eddard Pain is a gift from the gods, Lord Eddard,† Grand Maester Pycelle told him. â€Å"It means the bone is knitting, the flesh healing itself. Be thankful.† â€Å"I will be thankful when my leg stops throbbing.† Pycelle set a stoppered flask on the table by the bed. â€Å"The milk of the poppy, for when the pain grows too onerous.† â€Å"I sleep too much already.† â€Å"Sleep is the great healer.† â€Å"I had hoped that was you.† Pycelle smiled wanly. â€Å"It is good to see you in such a fierce humor, my lord.† He leaned close and lowered his voice. â€Å"There was a raven this morning, a letter for the queen from her lord father. I thought you had best know.† â€Å"Dark wings, dark words,† Ned said grimly. â€Å"What of it?† â€Å"Lord Tywin is greatly wroth about the men you sent after Ser Gregor Clegane,† the maester confided. â€Å"I feared he would be. You will recall, I said as much in council.† â€Å"Let him be wroth,† Ned said. Every time his leg throbbed, he remembered Jaime Lannister's smile, and Jory dead in his arms. â€Å"Let him write all the letters to the queen he likes. Lord Beric rides beneath the king's own banner. If Lord Tywin attempts to interfere with the king's justice, he will have Robert to answer to. The only thing His Grace enjoys more than hunting is making war on lords who defy him.† Pycelle pulled back, his maester's chain jangling. â€Å"As you say. I shall visit again on the morrow.† The old man hurriedly gathered up his things and took his leave. Ned had little doubt that he was bound straight for the royal apartments, to whisper at the queen. I thought you had best know, indeed . . . as if Cersei had not instructed him to pass along her father's threats. He hoped his response rattled those perfect teeth of hers. Ned was not near as confident of Robert as he pretended, but there was no reason Cersei need know that. When Pycelle was gone, Ned called for a cup of honeyed wine. That clouded the mind as well, yet not as badly. He needed to be able to think. A thousand times, he asked himself what Jon Arryn might have done, had he lived long enough to act on what he'd learned. Or perhaps he had acted, and died for it. It was queer how sometimes a child's innocent eyes can see things that grown men are blind to. Someday, when Sansa was grown, he would have to tell her how she had made it all come clear for him. He's not the least bit like that old drunken king, she had declared, angry and unknowing, and the simple truth of it had twisted inside him, cold as death. This was the sword that killed Jon Arryn, Ned thought then, and it will kill Robert as well, a slower death but full as certain. Shattered legs may heal in time, but some betrayals fester and poison the soul. Littlefinger came calling an hour after the Grand Maester had left, clad in a plum-colored doublet with a mockingbird embroidered on the breast in black thread, and a striped cloak of black and white. â€Å"I cannot visit long, my lord,† he announced. â€Å"Lady Tanda expects me to lunch with her. No doubt she will roast me a fatted calf. If it's near as fatted as her daughter, I'm like to rupture and die. And how is your leg?† â€Å"Inflamed and painful, with an itch that is driving me mad.† Littlefinger lifted an eyebrow. â€Å"In future, try not to let any horses fall on it. I would urge you to heal quickly. The realm grows restive. Varys has heard ominous whispers from the west. Freeriders and sellswords have been flocking to Casterly Rock, and not for the thin pleasure of Lord Tywin's conversation.† â€Å"Is there word of the king?† Ned demanded. â€Å"Just how long does Robert intend to hunt?† â€Å"Given his preferences, I believe he'd stay in the forest until you and the queen both die of old age,† Lord Petyr replied with a faint smile. â€Å"Lacking that, I imagine he'll return as soon as he's killed something. They found the white hart, it seems . . . or rather, what remained of it. Some wolves found it first, and left His Grace scarcely more than a hoof and a horn. Robert was in a fury, until he heard talk of some monstrous boar deeper in the forest. Then nothing would do but he must have it. Prince Joffrey returned this morning, with the Royces, Ser Balon Swann, and some twenty others of the party. The rest are still with the king.† â€Å"The Hound?† Ned asked, frowning. Of all the Lannister party, Sandor Clegane was the one who concerned him the most, now that Ser Jaime had fled the city to join his father. â€Å"Oh, returned with Joffrey, and went straight to the queen.† Littlefinger smiled. â€Å"I would have given a hundred silver stags to have been a roach in the rushes when he learned that Lord Beric was off to behead his brother.† â€Å"Even a blind man could see the Hound loathed his brother.† â€Å"Ah, but Gregor was his to loathe, not yours to kill. Once Dondarrion lops the summit off our Mountain, the Clegane lands and incomes will pass to Sandor, but I wouldn't hold my water waiting for his thanks, not that one. And now you must forgive me. Lady Tanda awaits with her fatted calves.† On the way to the door, Lord Petyr spied Grand Maester Malleon's massive tome on the table and paused to idly flip open the cover. â€Å"The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms, With Descriptions of Many High Lords and Noble Ladies and Their Children,† he read. â€Å"Now there is tedious reading if ever I saw it. A sleeping potion, my lord?† For a brief moment Ned considered telling him all of it, but there was something in Littlefinger's japes that irked him. The man was too clever by half, a mocking smile never far from his lips. â€Å"Jon Arryn was studying this volume when he was taken sick,† Ned said in a careful tone, to see how he might respond. And he responded as he always did: with a quip. â€Å"In that case,† he said, â€Å"death must have come as a blessed relief.† Lord Petyr Baelish bowed and took his leave. Eddard Stark allowed himself a curse. Aside from his own retainers, there was scarcely a man in this city he trusted. Littlefinger had concealed Catelyn and helped Ned in his inquiries, yet his haste to save his own skin when Jaime and his swords had come out of the rain still rankled. Varys was worse. For all his protestations of loyalty, the eunuch knew too much and did too little. Grand Maester Pycelle seemed more Cersei's creature with every passing day, and Ser Barristan was an old man, and rigid. He would tell Ned to do his duty. Time was perilously short. The king would return from his hunt soon, and honor would require Ned to go to him with all he had learned. Vayon Poole had arranged for Sansa and Arya to sail on the Wind Witch out of Braavos, three days hence. They would be back at Winterfell before the harvest. Ned could no longer use his concern for their safety to excuse his delay. Yet last night he had dreamt of Rhaegar's children. Lord Tywin had laid the bodies beneath the Iron Throne, wrapped in the crimson cloaks of his house guard. That was clever of him; the blood did not show so badly against the red cloth. The little princess had been barefoot, still dressed in her bed gown, and the boy . . . the boy . . . Ned could not let that happen again. The realm could not withstand a second mad king, another dance of blood and vengeance. He must find some way to save the children. Robert could be merciful. Ser Barristan was scarcely the only man he had pardoned. Grand Maester Pycelle, Varys the Spider, Lord Balon Greyjoy; each had been counted an enemy to Robert once, and each had been welcomed into friendship and allowed to retain honors and office for a pledge of fealty. So long as a man was brave and honest, Robert would treat him with all the honor and respect due a valiant enemy. This was something else: poison in the dark, a knife thrust to the soul. This he could never forgive, no more than he had forgiven Rhaegar. He will kill them all, Ned realized. And yet, he knew he could not keep silent. He had a duty to Robert, to the realm, to the shade of Jon Arryn . . . and to Bran, who surely must have stumbled on some part of the truth. Why else would they have tried to slay him? Late that afternoon he summoned Tomard, the portly guardsman with the ginger-colored whiskers his children called Fat Tom. With Jory dead and Alyn gone, Fat Tom had command of his household guard. The thought filled Ned with vague disquiet. Tomard was a solid man; affable, loyal, tireless, capable in a limited way, but he was near fifty, and even in his youth he had never been energetic. Perhaps Ned should not have been so quick to send off half his guard, and all his best swords among them. â€Å"I shall require your help,† Ned said when Tomard appeared, looking faintly apprehensive, as he always did when called before his lord. â€Å"Take me to the godswood.† â€Å"Is that wise, Lord Eddard? With your leg and all?† â€Å"Perhaps not. But necessary.† Tomard summoned Varly. With one arm around each man's shoulders, Ned managed to descend the steep tower steps and hobble across the bailey. â€Å"I want the guard doubled,† he told Fat Tom. â€Å"No one enters or leaves the Tower of the Hand without my leave.† Tom blinked. â€Å"M'lord, with Alyn and the others away, we are hard-pressed already—† â€Å"It will only be a short while. Lengthen the watches.† â€Å"As you say, m'lord,† Tom answered. â€Å"Might I ask why—† â€Å"Best not,† Ned answered crisply. The godswood was empty, as it always was here in this citadel of the southron gods. Ned's leg was screaming as they lowered him to the grass beside the heart tree. â€Å"Thank you.† He drew a paper from his sleeve, sealed with the sigil of his House. â€Å"Kindly deliver this at once.† Tomard looked at the name Ned had written on the paper and licked his lips anxiously. â€Å"My lord . . . â€Å" â€Å"Do as I bid you, Tom,† Ned said. How long he waited in the quiet of the godswood, he could not say. It was peaceful here. The thick walls shut out the clamor of the castle, and he could hear birds singing, the murmur of crickets, leaves rustling in a gentle wind. The heart tree was an oak, brown and faceless, yet Ned Stark still felt the presence of his gods. His leg did not seem to hurt so much. She came to him at sunset, as the clouds reddened above the walls and towers. She came alone, as he had bid her. For once she was dressed simply, in leather boots and hunting greens. When she drew back the hood of her brown cloak, he saw the bruise where the king had struck her. The angry plum color had faded to yellow, and the swelling was down, but there was no mistaking it for anything but what it was. â€Å"Why here?† Cersei Lannister asked as she stood over him. â€Å"So the gods can see.† She sat beside him on the grass. Her every move was graceful. Her curling blond hair moved in the wind, and her eyes were green as the leaves of summer. It had been a long time since Ned Stark had seen her beauty, but he saw it now. â€Å"I know the truth Jon Arryn died for,† he told her. â€Å"Do you?† The queen watched his face, wary as a cat. â€Å"Is that why you called me here, Lord Stark? To pose me riddles? Or is it your intent to seize me, as your wife seized my brother?† â€Å"If you truly believed that, you would never have come.† Ned touched her cheek gently. â€Å"Has he done this before?† â€Å"Once or twice.† She shied away from his hand. â€Å"Never on the face before. Jaime would have killed him, even if it meant his own life.† Cersei looked at him defiantly. â€Å"My brother is worth a hundred of your friend.† â€Å"Your brother?† Ned said. â€Å"Or your lover?† â€Å"Both.† She did not flinch from the truth. â€Å"Since we were children together. And why not? The Targaryens wed brother to sister for three hundred years, to keep the bloodlines pure. And Jaime and I are more than brother and sister. We are one person in two bodies. We shared a womb together. He came into this world holding my foot, our old maester said. When he is in me, I feel . . . whole.† The ghost of a smile flitted over her lips. â€Å"My son Bran . . . â€Å" To her credit, Cersei did not look away. â€Å"He saw us. You love your children, do you not?† Robert had asked him the very same question, the morning of the melee. He gave her the same answer. â€Å"With all my heart.† â€Å"No less do I love mine.† Ned thought, If it came to that, the life of some child I did not know, against Robb and Sansa and Arya and Bran and Rickon, what would I do? Even more so, what would Catelyn do, if it were Jon's life, against the children of her body? He did not know. He prayed he never would. â€Å"All three are Jaime's,† he said. It was not a question. â€Å"Thank the gods.† The seed is strong, Jon Arryn had cried on his deathbed, and so it was. All those bastards, all with hair as black as night. Grand Maester Malleon recorded the last mating between stag and lion, some ninety years ago, when Tya Lannister wed Gowen Baratheon, third son of the reigning lord. Their only issue, an unnamed boy described in Malleon's tome as a large and lusty lad born with a full head of black hair, died in infancy. Thirty years before that a male Lannister had taken a Baratheon maid to wife. She had given him three daughters and a son, each black-haired. No matter how far back Ned searched in the brittle yellowed pages, always he found the gold yielding before the coal. â€Å"A dozen years,† Ned said. â€Å"How is it that you have had no children by the king?† She lifted her head, defiant. â€Å"Your Robert got me with child once,† she said, her voice thick with contempt. â€Å"My brother found a woman to cleanse me. He never knew. If truth be told, I can scarcely bear for him to touch me, and I have not let him inside me for years. I know other ways to pleasure him, when he leaves his whores long enough to stagger up to my bedchamber. Whatever we do, the king is usually so drunk that he's forgotten it all by the next morning.† How could they have all been so blind? The truth was there in front of them all the time, written on the children's faces. Ned felt sick. â€Å"I remember Robert as he was the day he took the throne, every inch a king,† he said quietly. â€Å"A thousand other women might have loved him with all their hearts. What did he do to make you hate him so?† Her eyes burned, green fire in the dusk, like the lioness that was her sigil. â€Å"The night of our wedding feast, the first time we shared a bed, he called me by your sister's name. He was on top of me, in me, stinking of wine, and he whispered Lyanna.† Ned Stark thought of pale blue roses, and for a moment he wanted to weep. â€Å"I do not know which of you I pity most.† The queen seemed amused by that. â€Å"Save your pity for yourself, Lord Stark. I want none of it.† â€Å"You know what I must do.† â€Å"Must?† She put her hand on his good leg, just above the knee. â€Å"A true man does what he will, not what he must.† Her fingers brushed lightly against his thigh, the gentlest of promises. â€Å"The realm needs a strong Hand. Joff will not come of age for years. No one wants war again, least of all me.† Her hand touched his face, his hair. â€Å"If friends can turn to enemies, enemies can become friends. Your wife is a thousand leagues away, and my brother has fled. Be kind to me, Ned. I swear to you, you shall never regret it.† â€Å"Did you make the same offer to Jon Arryn?† She slapped him. â€Å"I shall wear that as a badge of honor,† Ned said dryly. â€Å"Honor,† she spat. â€Å"How dare you play the noble lord with me! What do you take me for? You've a bastard of your own, I've seen him. Who was the mother, I wonder? Some Dornish peasant you raped while her holdfast burned? A whore? Or was it the grieving sister, the Lady Ashara? She threw herself into the sea, I'm told. Why was that? For the brother you slew, or the child you stole? Tell me, my honorable Lord Eddard, how are you any different from Robert, or me, or Jaime?† â€Å"For a start,† said Ned, â€Å"I do not kill children. You would do well to listen, my lady. I shall say this only once. When the king returns from his hunt, I intend to lay the truth before him. You must be gone by then. You and your children, all three, and not to Casterly Rock. If I were you, I should take ship for the Free Cities, or even farther, to the Summer Isles or the Port of Ibben. As far as the winds blow.† â€Å"Exile,† she said. â€Å"A bitter cup to drink from.† â€Å"A sweeter cup than your father served Rhaegar's children,† Ned said, â€Å"and kinder than you deserve. Your father and your brothers would do well to go with you. Lord Tywin's gold will buy you comfort and hire swords to keep you safe. You shall need them. I promise you, no matter where you flee, Robert's wrath will follow you, to the back of beyond if need be.† The queen stood. â€Å"And what of my wrath, Lord Stark?† she asked softly. Her eyes searched his face. â€Å"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.† â€Å"I have made more mistakes than you can possibly imagine,† Ned said, â€Å"but that was not one of them.† â€Å"Oh, but it was, my lord,† Cersei insisted. â€Å"When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground.† She turned up her hood to hide her swollen face and left him there in the dark beneath the oak, amidst the quiet of the godswood, under a blue-black sky. The stars were coming out.