Paddy Considine explains how Viserys Targaryen is a good man but a bad king

Game of Thrones prequel House of The Dragon is fast approaching as you read this article, and very soon we will be back in the tumultuous world of Westeros. Between war and chaos, there are brief stints of calm and peace, maintained by someone who thinks they are doing their best. King Viserys I Targaryen was a peace-loving man, but he was divided on the notion of his own family. Actor Paddy Considine who will be portraying the character in the upcoming prequel explains how Viserys’ rule eventually leads to the Dance of the Dragons.

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Considine noted, “The mantra we had for him was that he’s a good man, bad king because he just wants to please people and keep the peace. But also, Viserys has an ego. He’s got a great tragedy in his life, but there’s a part of him that’s going, ‘How am I going to be remembered in hundreds of years?’ They don’t remember peaceful kings. They don’t remember good people. They remember warriors. They remember tyrants.”

Showrunner Ryan Condal further explains how Viserys’ rule led to a civil war, “Nobody alive in this story has ever seen a war or a meaningful conflict. Yes, there have been skirmishes and tournaments, but we’re living in this society based on conflicts for power. We’re watching a period of time where every man has been trained for battle since birth, but the battle doesn’t happen. That pent-up energy leaks out between the cracks and starts to wear on itself where you almost need the release of war in order to keep the whole thing from boiling over.”

Do you agree with their assessment of King Viserys’ reign? Tell us in the comments below!

 

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