Is Queen Alicent Hightower Really A Villain In House Of The Dragon?

House of the Dragon has taken off after its pivotal episode 7. The blacks and the greens have clearly separated into two factions and we

By Chandraboli Majumdar
October 5,2022
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House of the Dragon has taken off after its pivotal episode 7. The blacks and the greens have clearly separated into two factions and we are nearing the beginning of the Dance of the Dragons. In the show, the greens have been portrayed very much as the villains. Queen Alicent Hightower is becoming increasingly hated by fans as she truly embraces her dark and evil side. However, it would be wrong to label such a complex and multidimensional character as simply a villain. In fact, Olivia Cooke and Emilia Carrey have both done a brilliant job in portraying Alicent Hightower.

Is Queen Alicent Hightower really a villain?

Queen Alicent attacks Rhaenyra and her sons
Queen Alicent attacks Rhaenyra and her sons

Alicent Hightower is an extremely complex character with multiple layers to herself. Categorizing her as a villain would be an injustice. In a show favoring the Targaryens, she will naturally be considered a villain. However, Alicent is a product of unfortunate circumstances and external influence much like Rhaenyra. She started off 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 kids. This led to some shocking actions on her part but nothing worse than what several characters have done on the side of the blacks.

Otto Hightower’s influence and grooming of Alicent Hightower

Otto Hightower talks to Alicent in House of the Dragon
Otto Hightower talks to Alicent in House of the Dragon

From a very young age, Otto Hightower projected his ambitions and desires on an impressionable Alicent. With her father being her only family, she trusted him and did what he said. Naturally, she thought that he would know best, just as any child would feel. Nonetheless, Otto Hightower took advantage of this and used her to fulfill his ambition for the throne. He basically pushed her to Viserys and indirectly told her to seduce the King. He groomed her and eventually even projected his dislike for Rhaenyra onto her. Otto Hightower along with Lord Larys Strong manipulated her into perceiving Rhaenyra as the enemy. He even made her believe that Rhaenyra would hurt her sons.

A frightened and protective mother

Aegon believes the rumors regarding Princess Rhaenyra and Ser Harwin Strong
Aegon believes the rumors regarding Princess Rhaenyra and Ser Harwin Strong

A lot of what she does in House of the Dragon is out of concern for the survival of her children. She fears that when Rhaenyra will sit on the throne, the people of Westeros will reject her as their ruler. To prove herself as the only rightful heir, Rhaenyra would have to kill off her sons. Only then would she be able to sit on the Iron Throne. Alicent passes on all of this hatred and fear into her young son Aemond, just as her father had done to her. In fact, the incident of Aemond losing his eye to Rhaenyra’s kids was another turning point for her. We see her turn into a monster and show a side of her that is willing to do what it takes for her children.

Product of society, circumstances, and patriarchy

Lord Larys Strong talks to Queen Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon
Lord Larys Strong talks to Queen Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon

Alicent and her actions were a result of the patriarchal society she was raised in. She was stuck between her friend and father. All around her she had negative influences who slowly poisoned her towards Rhaenyra. This includes Ser Otto Hightower, Lord Larys Strong and lastly Ser Criston Cole. She found herself in an impossible situation where the only way to survival was to incite war. This is similar to the position that Rhaenyra finds herself in. Just 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. Though she does not kill Laenor, an innocent man still loses his life in House of the Dragon episode 7. Queen Alicent made the choice that she thought was right. But her decision was influenced by factors not in her control. Alicent Hightower is a villain for sure, but there is a lot more to her than just that.

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