Why Did Tommen Kill Himself On 'Game Of Thrones'? The King Did ...

I have a feeling that Game of Thrones Season 6 was going to end with a succession crisis, but not like this. Why did Tommen kill himself on Game of Thrones ? After Cersei blew up the sept, the young King jumped out the window of the Red Keep and plummeted to his death.

Was this supposed to be Game of Thrones' twist on Romeo and Juliet — did Tommen kill himself out of grief for Margaery Tyrell, his wife? Maybe I should use a different Shakespeare allusion. Tommen was ineffective as a ruler, as indecisive as Hamlet, and maybe that realization finally caught up with him and he gave up under pressure. Perhaps he didn't want to face his own anger towards Cersei for what she had done.

Speaking of, Cersei did not seem entirely remorseful that her last son was dead — though that doesn't surprise me. In her eyes, she had already lost her son twice. First, to the Seven, and second to the inevitability of Maggy the Frog's prophecy. Jaime, on the other hand, may not take this news as well.

Twitter has already compared the moment to Brandon Stark's fall that kicked off the series, but I don't think that was the intention of this scene or this development in the series. Suicide is rare on Game of Thrones. The only other character who took their own life, that I can think of, was Stannis' wife at the end of Season 5. Even if Tommen's rule of the Seven Kingdoms does not end up having much lasting significance, in Game of Thrones I think his death should be remembered as a significant consequence of the way characters like Cersei, Jaime, Arya, and everyone makes moves. This show may have dragons but it is grounded in a human world with characters who feel and react both genuinely and deeply to their circumstances.

Image: Helen Sloan/courtesy of HBO

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