Game of Thrones - Margaery Tyrell / Characters

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Queen Margaery Tyrell

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"One of my husbands preferred the company of men and was stabbed through the heart. Another was happiest torturing animals and was poisoned at our wedding feast. I must be cursed."

Played By: Natalie Dormer

Voiced By: Carla Castañeda (Latin American Spanish), Kanako Tojo (Japanese)

Petyr Baelish: Do you want to be a Queen?
Margaery Tyrell: No. I want to be the Queen.

The eldest child of Mace Tyrell and the wife of self-proclaimed King Renly Baratheon. After Renly's death, she is betrothed to and eventually married Joffrey before being widowed a second time just hours after the wedding ceremony by poisoned wine. She's subsequently betrothed to Tommen and becomes Queen of Westeros by marriage.

Margaery takes after her politically savvy grandmother, with a particular knack for gaining support from the common folk and for subtly manipulating otherwise powerful players of the game.

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#-G

Accidental Public Confession: She blows her cover as a born-again convert to the Faith of the Seven to try and save everyone in the Great Sept from Cersei's plot. Many of the nobles in the background are visibly aghast when she very pointedly tells the High Sparrow to "forget about the bloody gods."
Adaptational Attractiveness: Played With. The book version is still depicted as a Head-Turning Beauty, but she's much younger and a virginal Proper Lady who dresses modestly. This Margaery is a Head-Turning Beauty as well as a Ms. Fanservice, being older, acting far more seductive and wearing far more revealing outfits (and even does a nude scene).
Adaptational Heroism: Margaery's kindness is shown to be manipulative in the show, but she also seems genuinely fond of Sansa since — unlike in the books — she remains supportive, even after the ploy to gain Sansa's claim falls through. It's made quite clear that she didn't know about her grandmother's plans to assassinate Joffrey and push Tyrion under the bus, and that she feels horrible about it, especially the latter. The books leave it ambiguous, with some hints in Margaery's conversation with Sansa that she knew that her family would "take care" of Joffrey. This gets Zig-Zagged, however, since Margaery is shown plotting against Cersei in the show, while in the books it's ambiguous how much she's actually scheming against Cersei and how much Cersei's paranoia makes her think Margaery is scheming against her, but it's implied to be more the latter.
Adaptational Intelligence: Again, owing to Margaery's Age Lift and expanded prominence in the show, Margaery is shown as a more active participant in the "Game of Thrones." While it's implied in the books that her engagement to Joffrey is ultimately the gambit of Littlefinger's to force her grandmother into allying with him to assassinate Joffrey, in the show Margaery is actually actively making the most of her engagement and actively curtailing Joffrey's negative traits. This is something Cersei, Tyrion and Tywin failed to accomplish.
Adaptational Nice Guy: In the novels, she and her female cousins shun Sansa once the plot to marry Sansa to one of her brothers falls through, although this is done largely for pragmatic reasons. Her book counterpart may have some genuine sympathy for her plight, but not so much as to risk her political standing, which is very precarious. On the show, she remains friendly with Sansa and even tries to reassure her about marrying Tyrion, a role that belonged to her brother Garlan in the novels.
Adaptational Skimpiness: Book Margaery cultivates the image of being a pure, innocent virgin. Show Margaery is the resident Ms. Fanservice, who frequently wears revealing clothing, and is much more openly seductive.
Adaptational Villainy: Downplayed. Margaery here is shown actively plotting against Cersei but in the books her plotting is heavily implied to be only a product of Cersei's very real paranoia. On the other hand, Cersei unambiguously deserves it.
Adaptation Expansion: She's pretty much a cypher in the books, while the show portrays her as being very politically savvy, and willing to endure a lot to get her family into power. Her role on the series is much larger than in the novels.
Age Lift: Her book counterpart was 16 years old in A Storm of Swords (the same age as Robb and Jon, who were in their late teens at the equivalent point in the show), while the TV version was introduced in her mid-20s. She is also Mace Tyrell's oldest child instead of his youngest as she was in the novels.
Ambiguously Evil:
- Judging by her dialogue with Renly and Littlefinger, as well as her later willingness to marry Joffrey, her main motivation is ambition: she wants to be Queen. The only reason she doesn't come off as villainous in the show is because the manner in which she pursues her goal doesn't directly hurt anyone and the targets of her manipulation tend to be much worse people. On the other hand, supporting Joffrey over Stannis allows Joffrey's cruelty to continue and for the Lannisters to continue committing atrocities that the austere and principled Stannis wouldn't have allowed.
- Her attempts to remove Cersei from power, even though she is already Queen, for slightly more social influence make her come across as quite petty and greedy. That, and her basically sexually exploiting a child. It doesn't help that Tommen's age is rather inconsistent and even within the timeline of the show he should be too young for sex.
Arch-Enemy: Cersei isn't short on these types of enemies, but in King's Landing Margaery reigns supreme: a younger, more beautiful woman who is 'stealing' Cersei's beloved son, knows how to play the game (and plays it very well) and serves as a living reminder that Cersei is on her way out, politically speaking. ^{In the books...}
Arranged Marriage: The basis of House Tyrell is securing Margaery's position as Queen of Westeros by marriage. She first married Renly Baratheon, then to Joffrey Baratheon and finally to his younger brother Tommen. She's incredibly pragmatic about the whole thing - including not minding that Renly is gay, Joffrey is a sadistic bastard, or that Tommen is half her age - and capable of manipulating all three of them. The only problem is that they keep dying on her.
The Beard: In Season 2, she is well aware of her role in her Arranged Marriage to the gay Renly, much to his surprise. She reminds her husband that even if he'd rather sleep with her brother, he still needs to father an heir to strengthen their alliance (and to make her a more convincing beard).
Be Careful What You Wish For:
- Doubles as No Good Deed Goes Unpunished; she and Olenna feel sympathy for Sansa, when they realize she's a terrified hostage and gives information that Joffrey is a monster. Margaery tries to benefit House Tyrell and get Sansa out by convincing her to marry Loras; sadly, it doesn't happen but she wants to help. Olenna gives Margaery what she wants: she kills Joffrey and works with Littlefinger to spirit Sansa out of King's Landing. Margaery is horrified and guilty.
- After Joffrey, she was looking forward to have a more meek husband like Tommen so he'd be more easier for her to manipulate. This backfires when the Faith Militant rises to power and Tommen is too weak a king to do anything about it, even as they take her prisoner.
Blatant Lies: When she tells Joffrey in "Dark Wings, Dark Words", "The subtleties of politics are often lost on me."
Big Sister Instinct: Margaery is very protective and comforting towards Loras, especially when he finds himself in the Faith Militant's clutches and she's even prepared to play along with them if it means she can save him. She's absolutely furious with the High Sparrow when he decides to maim Loras despite their deal.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Willing to use no-sex gambits on Tommen to guilt-trip him into using what little power he has to free Loras, completely ignoring the fact that if she actually helped teach Tommen to rule they wouldn't be in this mess as Cersei would have no power.
Brainy Brunette: She has long brown hair and is shown for having no small amount of her own political nous.
Brother–Sister Team: She and Loras form this in their three-way marriage to Renly. Unlike Cersei and Joffrey's barely concealed discord in "Valar Dohaeris", the Tyrell siblings are very much in sync during the dinner conversation.
Bullying a Dragon: Her constant Passive-Aggressive Kombat with Cersei catches up to her when Cersei gets her arrested by the Faith Militant for denying Loras's homosexuality. It puts her in a position where she has no way out and is ultimately killed by Cersei's wildfire.
Cartwright Curse: In "Breaker of Chains", she believes that she has been cursed by the gods because both of her husbands were murdered shortly after she married them. She ultimately goes three-for-three, although she predeceased Tommen by about ten minutes before he takes his own life too.
Cassandra Truth: Is the only one to realize that Cersei being absent for her own trial despite the presumable consequences can only mean she's in the process of making a move against all of her enemies, and tries to leave the Sept with her brother before it's too late. However, the guards block off her exit, and she ends up perishing with everyone else in the subsequent explosion that Cersei causes.
Casting Gag: In the books, Margaery's subplot is highly reminiscent of Anne Boleyn's downfall — so comparisons between the two women were easily struck when Natalie Dormer, who had played Anne in The Tudors, was cast as Margaery. Both are beautiful and ambitious young noblewomen of dubious virginity who seek to become queen and have a close bond with their gay brothers. Coincidentally, the Tyrell sigil of a golden rose is a palette swap of the red-and-white Tudor rose. Dormer herself was aware of the similarities and was reluctant to "play the same character twice".
Character Exaggeration: Margaery's sex appeal and cunning are more exaggerated. What made her so dangerous in the books was that she dressed, spoke, and acted like a Princess Classic, not The Vamp. On the show, she almost always dresses in Stripperific outfits and speaks openly about satisfying her ambitions... but this also makes her a bit more sympathetic to modern viewers, who see her as more liberal and open than the stuffy Lannisters et al she has to contend with.
The Charmer: Margaery's greatest weapon is her charisma as she is able to charm Renly, Joffrey, Sansa, the people of King's Landing and even Tywin to an extent who is just happy that someone is getting Joffrey to behave since Cersei can't or won't reign him in. The only person not won over is Cersei due to a combination of seeing Margaery's manipulations for what they are and petty jealousy at Margaery's popularity. By the time of her wedding to Joffrey, she is easily the most popular figure in the Royal Court.
The Chessmaster: Her grandmother is at least training her to be this, and so far she's come across as an excellent player.
Cold-Blooded Torture: Is beaten and taunted by Septa Unella after being imprisoned by the Faith Militant.
Composite Character:
- In "The Bear and the Maiden Fair", she tells Sansa that Tyrion would be a better husband than she thinks. In the books, her Adapted Out brother Garlan says that.
- She takes over Loras's role from the novels as the Tyrell who initially blames Brienne for Renly's death, but is later convinced by the female warrior that she is innocent of the crime.
- While Ellaria Sand seems to embody only the worst traits of the Adapted Out Princess Arianne Martell^note, Show Margaery takes many cues from the Dornish princess post-Character Development. In the books, Margaery and her family are not POV characters, but in public at least she is the ideal Westerosi noblewoman, being demure, innocent, and sweet; meanwhile, Show Margaery is shown to act much as Princess Arianne does in her POV chapters: a Brainy Brunette schemer and Politically-Active Princess in defiance of traditional Westerosi views of women, a Heroic Seductress who uses sex to advance her own agenda, who is greatly ambitious, lustful, cunning, and manipulative but not a bad person, who deeply loves her family, and is principled and cares for others outside of her plans, unlike Cersei (Show Margaery is still concerned for Sansa even when the Tyrells' plans for her fell through, Book Arianne is horrified and wracked with guilt when Princess Myrcella and Ser Arys are harmed by her using them in her scheming). Margaery even goes from being the youngest child of the Tyrells in the books to the eldest, like Arianne, who is her father's firstborn and begins assisting him in his chessmaster schemes like Margaery does with her chessmaster grandmother Olenna.
Consummate Liar: Continually puts on a play-along façade and effortlessly manipulates Joffrey and Tommen with sweet mendacity and some half-truths.
Contractual Purity: In-Universe, as it is expected of any noblewoman before her marriage. Renly suspects that she is not as virginal as the "official" version promulgated by House Tyrell says — and he is perfectly okay with that. It's mentioned in the books (as in real life) that noble girls tend to do so much horseback riding that when it comes to virginity, even their husbands have to pretty much take their word for it.
Cool Big Sis:
- An actual one to her younger brother Loras. She's very proud of his accomplishments as a warrior, enthusiastically cheering for him at the melee, and has a beaming smile when Sansa remarks that Loras is a splendid fighter. She is accepting of her brother's sexuality and was ready to share Renly with him. In this deleted scene from Season 2, we see her comforting a heartbroken Loras after Renly's death. The fact that Loras's body language often mirrors hers during Tyrion's trial indicates that Margaery had confided to her brother about Olenna's involvement in Joffrey's murder. Olenna looks down on her "silly" grandson and keeps him out of the loop, but Margaery clearly trusts Loras with their family's dark secret. She later consoles her traumatized brother in his jail cell, and reassures him that the Lannisters will pay.
- Plays the part of one to Sansa. Downplayed, as her offer to marry Sansa to Loras is only a political power play. Still, Sansa would be better off in Highgarden anyway. Margaery seems to be somewhat genuine in her later interactions with Sansa after the betrothal to Loras is cancelled by the Lannisters to be replaced with one to (an unwilling) Tyrion. Margaery goes out of her way to comfort Sansa and even gives the girl a reassuring smile on her wedding day, even after Cersei had threatened her life and the lives of all the Tyrells earlier that day. Her kindness may have started as political savvy, but they've apparently grown into genuine care and friendship. During the repulsive dwarf joust in "The Lion and the Rose", she glances in Sansa's direction to see how the girl is coping shortly before "Joffrey" starts humping the fake direwolf head. Margaery herself is wholly mortified by how the real Joffrey has publicly humiliated her brother, but she still takes a moment to check if Sansa may be crying.
Covert Pervert: She acts like a Proper Lady, but it's clear in private moments she's hardly devoid of sexual desires, such as when she ogles her brother's lover after walking in on them or when she attempts to comfort Sansa's worries about her marriage to Tyrion by joking he's likely a skilled lover. Her wedding night with Tommen also implies she's a very skilled lover herself.
Deadpan Snarker: She has her moments. Also see her Stealth Insult entry.
Margaery: You've never married, have you?
Littlefinger: I've been unlucky with my affections, sadly.
Margaery: That is sad, though perhaps it's for the best. The whole notion of marriage seems to confuse you.
Death Glare:
- She gives one to Joffrey during the vulgar War of the Five Kings parody because she is infuriated by the depiction of her brother being used as a "horse" by the dwarf actor playing Renly, and by the crude portrayal of "Robb's" death, which she knows deeply hurts Sansa.
- She spends her final moments giving the High Sparrow a look that screams "This is all your fault, you bloody idiot."
Didn't See That Coming: Margaery is a very skilled strategist and good at predicting what people will do but there are still moments when she is blindsided by something unexpected:
- She was completely caught out by Stannis using dark magic to have Renly killed and being forced to rapidly adjust her plans as a result.
- She had no idea her grandmother was working to have Joffrey assassinated and her shock when it does happen is entirely genuine.
- She never expects Cersei to empower the Faith Militant and is left completely helpless when she can't bribe, charm or blackmail her way out of their clutches.
- Lastly, she is completely blindsided by Cersei destroying the Sept and killing everyone inside, only figuring it out moments beforehand.
Disapproving Look: It's subtle, but she gives one to Renly after he appoints Brienne to his Kingsguard.
Dying as Yourself: After spending several seasons trying to come off as an innocent girl and a whole season pretending to be a repentant sinner, she throws her disguise away and she spends her last moments defying the High Sparrow and desperately trying to get everyone out of the Sept before it gets blown sky high.
Eating the Eye Candy: When she walks in on her brother and Olyvar gettin' busy in "The Wars to Come", her eyes noticeably follow the naked Olyvar as he leaves the room, being one of the feel times she shows sexual interest in someone else.
Enlightened Self-Interest:
- Her acts of charity and support towards smallfolk just so happen to align with her political interests, as part of her game plan is to be a beloved figure to her subjects.
- Her befriending Sansa is also benefactory to her, since Sansa can supply her information on Joffrey and the Lannisters, and Sansa is the heiress to one of the most powerful families in the realm.
Everyone Has Standards: Unlike most politically savvy characters in the series, she is not a killer. (And yes, this includes the ladies.) She's horrified when Olenna reveals that she poisoned Joffrey to save her granddaughter from an abusive marriage while making her the queen, and guilty when Tyrion takes the fall for it.
Ethical Slut: Unlike in the books, where it's ambiguous, it's clear that Series!Margaery has gotten some in her lifetime and has a pretty no-nonsense approach to having sex with two of her husbands (one gay and one a fourteen-year-old boy). But she doesn't judge Renly (or Loras for that matter) for his homosexuality and is apparently ready to stand side-by-side with him as his political partner. And while it's rather clear that she manipulates Tommen, it's also clear that she doesn't mean him any harm and being manipulated by Margaery is probably the best thing that has ever happened to him.
Expository Hairstyle Change: Her hair seems to have grown lighter as the seasons have gone on, and in Season 6 she wears it straight and mostly down instead of her elaborate curls from before.
Fairy Tale Wedding Dress: Her dress when she marries Joffrey is an elegant, backless white gown with a long train resembling roses, with more roses in black embroidery along the bodice...though if you look closely, you can see the roses have thorns as well, to remind she's not all sweet.
Fatal Flaw: Just like her grandmother she is very dismissive of Cersei Lannister to Smug Snake levels, not realizing that her pettiness and cruelty significantly outweighs her pragmatism until it is too late — in her case being locked in the High Sparrow's dungeons. She's wised up and in, she's the only one in the Season 6 finale to realize that Cersei has cooked up some scheme against the High Sparrow, but it doesn't help her survive.
Finger Muzzle: She does this to Renly; he's quoting philosophy, but she wants him to shut up and focus on consummating their marriage.
Foil:
- Of all the prominent female characters on the show, only Margaery (and her grandmother, actually) has successfully divined and profitably abused the principal weakness of patriarchal societies: they underestimate women. And Margaery is not a person to be underestimated. Brienne and Cersei have spent their lives attempting to buck their stereotypes and break out of their "proper" roles, and have little to show for their efforts except misery. Sansa seems to be coming to understand what Margaery knows, but her focus on surviving (rather than thriving), her general low stature, and lack of friends or family all result in her will being routinely and easily subordinated to those of the men around her (and, for that matter, the women, including Margaery and Olenna).
- Margaery seems to be deliberately constructing herself as a contrast to Cersei, both to the smallfolk (charity as opposed to "Do you think I care what the people think of me?") and to Joffrey (emphasizing her submissiveness and ability to "do what she's told" unlike his mother's willfulness). However, she actually is this on a fundamental level, given that she was encouraged by a matriarch rather than stifled by a patriarch, and accordingly developed into a happy and masterful manipulator rather than a bitter impotent game piece in the game of thrones desperately trying to be a player. Margaery is comfortable with her femininity and doesn't see it as a hindrance in her pursuit of power. Cersei resents her gender because she believes it gives her an extremely unfair disadvantage, and is envious of the power that men wield. Margaery has Joffrey wrapped around her finger, whereas Cersei completely loses control of her son after he becomes king.
- Even the way she dresses contrasts Cersei, an intentional move by the costume designers. Cersei wears many layers of wrapped material, almost like armor to shield herself from other people; Margaery wears very revealing clothing with many cutouts, wielding her youthful sexuality as a weapon. Cersei's dresses are bold red; Margaery's dresses are a gentle teal to make her seem less threatening. Even her hair is a contrast to Cersei's. Cersei is all about appearances, so on formal public occasions she makes it a point to have her hair elaborately styled, but in private she wears her hair down, because she doesn't really care. This shows that Cersei’s public face and private persona are polar opposites, and her polite public appearances are just an act. In contrast, Margaery Tyrell always has her hair maintained and braided to a certain degree – not as formally as for full-scale court ceremonies, but she still cares about her appearance even if only in private. This reflects how unlike Cersei, Margaery and the Tyrells are much more honest and well-meaning (or at least want to appear that way), and their private appearances are not so different from their public appearances.
- She also serves as one to Sansa. Both girls threw themselves into an Arranged Marriage with Joffrey. The naive, romantic Sansa thought their relationship would be a storybook love affair, only to discover that Joffrey was a sociopath. The more political Margaery's plan to become the queen is very carefully planned, with her scoping her future husband out (including talking to Sansa about his real personality), acting in a way that she knows will best appeal to him, and carefully manipulating him so she is able to control him instead of him hurting her.
Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Margaery is cautious, calculating and actually remembers she's in a Decadent Court when she arrives there. Loras tends to follow his instincts and falls into the first Honey Trap that opens before him in King's Landing.
Freudian Trio: She is the Superego in her three-way marriage to Renly (Ego) and Loras (Id).
Friend to All Children: A part of her PR spin is to visit and care for war orphans. To her credit, she really is good with kids in a way that any act she has to put on around them would have to come very easily to her.
The Fundamentalist: In Season 6, but as she manages to communicate secretly to Olenna, she's playing the part.
Girl Posse: She's frequently accompanied by a posse of handmaidens and ladies in waiting.
Gold Digger: Well, not for gold, but for being a, pardon, THE Queen. Of course, not many women would decline the chance to marry a king, but Margaery is the only one determined enough to marry three of them, and one gay, one a psychopath and one almost a child, to boot.
Go-Getter Girl: Can be seen as the medieval fantasy equivalent. She was raised to be politically savvy and just about everything she does is to facilitate her goal of becoming queen. She puts a great deal of effort into winning over both the nobility and smallfolk (such as by personally visiting orphans on the Wrong Side of the Tracks), endearing herself to her husbands, befriending the right people at the right time and carefully cultivating her image as The High Queen. As she tells Littlefinger, she wants to be the Queen.
Guile Hero: Teeters between this and Manipulative Bitch, mostly in a sympathetic way by virtue of using her manipulation to better her position at the expense of the two most loathed characters in the show. All the while remaining smiley, kindhearted, and positively oozing with sugarcoated contempt for Cersei and Joffrey (and without the latter having the faintest clue). Margaery's claws fully come out sweetly once she marries Tommen. From the royal bed, she quickly begins to take the reins of the realm. Within minutes, she gets the oblivious Tommen to think how much happier everyone might be if his mother were back at Casterly Rock.

H-O

Happily Married: Briefly, with Tommen. The newly deflowered Tommen is mostly thrilled about getting to sleep with a beautiful woman on a regular basis, and Margaery seems genuinely happy about having a kind-hearted and easily manageable husband. But when the Faith Militant rises to power, she comes to realize that a kind-hearted and easily manageable king isn't a powerful king she's able to count on and she begins to resent Tommen's spinelessness. Then again if she spent more time guiding Tommen on how to rule, rather than manipulating him, his spinelessness wouldn't be an issue.
Heroic Seductress: She's not above using her sex appeal to keep Joffrey from being too cruel, though her success is... limited.
The High Queen: She projects this image while she was married to Renly. She is also a gracious Queen at her wedding to Joffrey and while married to Tommen. She actually isn't, but plays the part well.
Hot Consort: Renly's. Hell, her actress is the trope page's image, though her incarnation in Season 2 wasn't the same kind of pouty-lipped sexpot she was in The Tudors. But she seems to be playing it much straighter as of Season 3 with Joffrey.
Hypocrite: Perfectly happy manipulating Tommen away from his mother's (admittedly toxic) influence and then has the gall to complain and get angry when Tommen is 'miraculously unable to free her brother due to her not giving him any tips on how to rule. Who'd have thought? Maybe if unlike Tywin, she actually gave Tommen advice on how to be a king, she wouldn't be in the mess caused by Cersei, who is easily one of the worst schemer vipers along with Margaery, Tywin, Olenna and The High Sparrow.
I Banged Your Mom: An Inverted example - after marrying Tommen Margaery makes sure Cersei is within earshot when discussing with her Girl Posse how much Tommen is enjoying his honeymoon, with the implication that she's got the king wrapped around her little finger and will call the shots from now on.
Incompatible Orientation: Defied. Unlike her brother, Margaery seems to love what Renly can do for House Tyrell rather than the man himself and doesn't care at all that he's gay, even offering to bring in Loras to get Renly started when they need to conceive an heir.
Lysistrata Gambit: Margaery pulls this on King Tommen when her brother is locked up by the Faith Militant, making it clear that he won't get any until she gets her brother back.
Meaningful Look:
- When Joffrey summons Loras in "Valar Morghulis", the latter quickly glances at Margaery as if to say, "Do I really have to do this?", and his sister's non-verbal reply is "You have to do your duty."
- She shares one with Loras in "Valar Dohaeris" after witnessing Cersei and Joffrey's snarky exchange. The Tyrell siblings, who are Thicker Than Water and work as a Brother–Sister Team, are surprised that mother and son have used veiled insults against each other in front of their future in-laws.
Modest Royalty: Not her manner of dressing, which is the medieval equivalent of Ms. Fanservice, but when she goes to the orphanage and steps over a puddle of water and "nightsoil," a servant tells her she'll ruin her dress, but she merely answers: "I have others."
The Mole: In order to escape the High Sparrow clutches, she pretends to become a devout follower of the Faith of the Seven, and attempts to assist her family from within, covertly passing Lady Olenna a paper with their house sigil drawn onto it and urging her to head home. To his credit, the High Sparrow doesn't seem completely convinced of her loyalty, as her meeting with Olenna is supervised to prevent any obvious scheming.
Morality Pet:
- Slightly, she is one to Joffrey. He treats her much better than Sansa. As evil as he is, he does seem to genuinely like Margaery; part of the reason he's so easily manipulated by her is he's genuinely interested in impressing her. Margaery, for her part, is able to find ways to make Joffrey at least act like a better person, showing how to use kindness to earn applause from crowds, something Joffrey desperately wants, and gets him to do charity work, even if just to improve his horrible PR. It's clear Margaery has no real love for him, but he seems to have some twisted affection for her that she's able to manipulate to her uses.
- She herself has one in Sansa, who she takes under her wing and acts as a Cool Big Sis to during their time together in Kings Landing. While at first it looks like an act purely out of Enlightened Self-Interest (since Sansa comes from a powerful noble family, and a Loras & Sansa Arranged Marriage would be in the Tyrell's political interests) she keeps being Sansa's friend at court even after the Arranged Marriage with Loras falls apart and Sansa is set to marry Tyrion instead, to the point Margaery even comforts her by pointing out Tyrion may not be that bad of a husband as Sansa thinks.
My Nayme Is: "Margaery" is a differently-spelled version of the name "Margery"^note.
Ms. Fanservice: She's played by Natalie Dormer, there's no way she couldn't be this. It's also enforced, since sexuality is one of Margaery's most potent weapons. Lampshaded by Cersei, who knows exactly what she's doing but her son is too dumb/infatuated to listen when she attempts to bring it up.
My Master, Right or Wrong: Margaery and Loras's reactions during Tyrion's trial show that they firmly disapprove of how unjustly the accused is being treated, but because Olenna is guilty of regicide, they have to remain silent about his innocence to protect their grandmother's life and their family's reputation.
My God, You Are Serious!: Margaery has an unspoken moment of this in "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" when Sansa asks her if her knowledge of sex comes from being taught by her mother. Margaery spends a few seconds trying to read Sansa and see if she's joking, before she realizes that Sansa really is that naïve and goes with a Sure, Let's Go with That answer.
Navel-Deep Neckline: Several of her gowns feature this, such as the ones she wears at Renly's tourney and her betrothal to Joffrey. Cersei even references it, saying a fabric sample should be enough material to make her a wedding dress.
Never Speak Ill of the Dead: She tries to invoke this trope when Joffrey demands to know why she didn't provide an heir to Renly while they were married. It doesn't work because Joffrey considers Renly to be a traitor, and therefore isn't deserving of any respect even after death. Margaery then does her best to answer her betrothed's question without being too brusque about Renly's sexuality.
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Despite her otherwise-masterful manipulation of Joffrey, she also seems to be enabling his psychopathy:
- When insinuating to Joffrey that her virtue was unsullied by Renly on account of his homosexuality, she accidentally puts her brother Loras in the firing line, when Joffrey plans to use the confirmation of Renly's "depravity" to enact a law making homosexuality punishable by death. Cue Margaery quickly attempting to arrange a marriage between Loras and Sansa in the following episode.
- Margaery also ingratiates herself to Joffrey by pandering to his psychopathy, wondering aloud about how great it must feel to pull the trigger and "watch something die" on the other side of the crossbow. Joffrey takes it as a suggestion and kills Ros — the first time the utter coward Joffrey hurts someone by his own means instead of ordering someone to do it. The act fills Joffrey with a new level of bravado, causing him to push past boundaries he'd previously never dare go near, such as outright threatening to rape Sansa and challenging Tywin's authority publicly.
Nightmare Fetishist: Is deliberately invoking this to manipulate Joffrey and appeal to his lust for violence, going full "ooh, do you really think I could kill something, tell me more about the violent deaths of yesteryear" to lead him about by the nethers. She does grow tired of this act, as she admits to Olenna, noting that Joffrey would probably have her wear a necklace of dead sparrow heads.
No Historical Figures Were Harmed: Perhaps helped by Natalie Dormer having previously played Anne Boleyn in The Tudors, there is a case to be made that she, in essence, blends all but one of the six wives of Henry VIII:
- Like Catherine of Aragon, Jane Seymour (Royalty) and Catherine Parr, she understands the necessity of playing within the social and quasi-religious trappings of their court—as she did with Joffrey, Tommen, the people of King's Landing and the High Sparrow—and yet is very much in control of it;
- Like Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, she is not averse to using her sensuality as a weapon of political influence—albeit she is much more effective and circumspect in doing so. The fact that both queens were Boleyns by marriage relation reflects similarly in House Tyrell's longstanding history as essentially upjumped Social Climbers among the Great Houses.
No Sense of Personal Space: She is occasionally touchy-feely with other characters, such as Sansa, Brienne, and Cersei (although in the case of the latter, her attempt to be friendly with the Queen Regent results in a death threat; however, even Cersei seems to be coming around to Margaery after Joffrey's death).
Obfuscating Stupidity: Actively encourages Joffrey to see her as a Brainless Beauty and underestimate her, by acting flighty (see her impulsive stop at the orphanage), girlish, and dressing "like a harlot". Cersei tries to point this out to Joffrey, but he refuses to listen. After learning what Joffrey is really like from Sansa, Margaery really lays the meek, submissive act on thick with Joffrey when he interrogates her about Renly. And knowing of his sadistic tendencies, she begins to compliment his weaponry, and even asks him if he'd like to see her kill someone. (Tywin may or may not have seen through it, but figured that at least someone was keeping Joffrey's behavior regulated.)
O.O.C. Is Serious Business:
- Margaery is initially furious that her brother is locked up by the Faith Militant, but when she realizes that she's forgetting her "sweet, loving wife" act in front of Tommen, she puts it back on, but not enough to entirely hide her anger.
- She completely drops her Passive-Aggressive Kombat act when Cersei visits her in her cell after she was imprisoned by the Faith Militant on Cersei's command.
  Margaery: Get Out! you hateful bitch!
Oh, Crap!: Moments before the Great Sept is destroyed, Margaery is the only one smart enough to realize both Cersei and Tommen are missing from the trial, and has this reaction as she realizes the implication. One thing Cersei won't do is run, so Margaery knows something really bad is about to happen.
Only Sane Woman: Very calm and down-to-earth as well as discerning. Everyone around her acts more impulsively and foolishly.
Out-Gambitted: Her play at manipulating Tommen and the High Sparrow with her feigned piety to save Loras was all for naught, as she gets caught the explosion that levels the Great Sept along with Loras, the High Sparrow, and her father, among others. An explosion devised by Cersei and Qyburn — something Margaery didn't see coming until it was too late.

P-Z

Parental Sexuality Squick: Margaery becomes momentarily disturbed when her grandmother Lady Olenna starts describing how she seduced her husband (Margaery's grandfather).
Passive-Aggressive Kombat: She's a master at giving Stealth Insults and trading barbs without looking aggressive, engaging at it with several characters during the show, such as Loras, Littlefinger and Cercei.
Pet the Dog: Despite a lot of her "charitable queen of the people" persona being an act to gain political support, she has several moments that show at least some of her altruism is genuine:
- She touches Brienne's arm with both of her hands in "Two Swords" as a way to reassure the lady knight that she no longer believes that Brienne was involved with Renly's death.
- In "The Lion and the Rose", she reaches out and holds Brienne's hand in what is presumably a Westerosi gesture used by women to denote friendship. After Joffrey says to Brienne's face that she was the one who murdered Renly, Margaery comes to Brienne's defense. The new Queen's farewell to Brienne is, "I hope we see more of you," implying that she wishes for the female warrior to see her as a potential ally.
- Almost all of her interactions with Sansa are these:
  - At first she and her grandmother try to get information about Joffrey from her, but on the way, they give her much-needed emotional support, and keep helping her after they have received the information.
  - The Tyrells offers a marriage between Sansa and Loras as means to protect Loras and get her claim to the north, they also do it to save Sansa from Cersei and Joffrey, and Margaery suggests that they would be "sisters" in High Garden. This makes Sansa cry in relief.
  - After the marriage is cancelled, and Sansa is forced to marry Tyrion, Margaery comforts her and helps her despite at this point gaining nothing from it, showing that their friendship by now has become genuine. She's even willing to talk to Sansa about sex and gives her encouragement about her marriage to Tyrion.
  - At the royal wedding, during Joffrey's "reenactment" of the war, despite being infuriated at Joffrey about her brother's representation, she still constantly checks out that Sansa isn't breaking down.
- During her wedding to Joffrey, she constantly tries to stop him from mistreating Sansa and Tyrion.
Photo Op with the Dog: She interacts personally with a group of orphans in "Valar Dohaeris". It looks sweet enough, but it's soon revealed to be a ploy to win the support of the masses.
Politeness Judo: Often uses her sweet and exceedingly polite act to her advantage in getting what she wants from people, especially Joffrey and Tommen.
Politically-Active Princess: She's the heiresses of the Tyrell family and takes on a very active role in her family's political machinations, and exerts a much greater influence on the royal court than her inept father.
Pragmatic Adaptation: Margaery is younger than Loras in the books, but it was revealed by Bryan Cogman in this interview that Margaery is Mace Tyrell's eldest child on the show. This change makes sense because Natalie Dormer is six years older than Finn Jones, the actor who plays her character's brother.
Princess Classic: She plays the role like a master, mostly for Joffrey's benefit. She makes herself look innocent, clueless and demure, a woman of royal blood who obeys and looks up to her husband. Cersei, however, quickly saw through the act, though her relationship with Joffrey has grown too strained for him to listen to any of her advice.
Questionable Consent: Her husband King Tommen is a young teenager while she is older and obviously more experienced. Margaery is shown to manipulate him with her sex appeal on a few occasions and Tommen looks very satisfied after their marriage is consummated. She also starts pulling a Lysistrata Gambit on him when they start fighting.
"The Reason You Suck" Speech: Drops a great one on Cersei when she pays a gloating visit to a jailed Margaery.
Margaery Lies come easily to you. Everyone knows that. But innocence, decency, concern, you're not very good at those, I'm afraid. Perhaps that's why your son was so eager to cast you aside for me. Leave. [...] Get Out!, you hateful bitch!
Rich Kid Turned Social Activist: Margaery Tyrell's second Establishing Character Moment is when, while traveling through a bad part of King's Landing in the royal party, she hops out of her litter to go into an orphanage to spend time with the children. The Lannisters complain, but she points out the Enlightened Self-Interest aspects of it: if the commoners like you, they're easier to govern (a sharp departure from the more dismissive or paranoid attitudes of previous southern nobles we've met, especially the Lannisters themselves, who are downright cruel).
Rule of Symbolism:
- At the dinner table in "Valar Dohaeris", the Tyrell siblings are seated next to each other, while Cersei and Joffrey are positioned at the opposite ends. (To maintain symmetry, Margaery and Loras would normally have been placed across from each other.) Guess which family gets along harmoniously and which one is dysfunctional. Margaery and Loras are snarking at Cersei, Cersei and Joffrey snark at each other.
- Her choice of wardrobe tends to be very modern for the setting, and it often displays her cleavage and her back. The only other prominent, non-prostitute female character in Westeros who habitually exposes as much skin is Ellaria Sand, whose dresses are open-chested and are sometimes backless. Dorne and Highgarden are the two most liberal regions on the continent, so the avant-garde/risqué cuts of their outfits signify their respective culture's relatively progressive attitudes.
Ruling Couple: King Renly, Queen Margaery and Ser Loras are presented as this in Season 2. Natalie Dormer describes their complicated union as a trinity in this featurette. It's Renly's romantic relationship with Loras which allows for the alliance to be created in the first place, and his marriage to Margaery seals the deal officially. Renly treats both his lover and his wife as his equals (the latter is shown symbolically in the melee scene, where Margaery's seat is of the same size as Renly's). The Tyrell siblings essentially function as a Brother–Sister Team in this three-way marriage; Loras's goal is to help Renly win the Iron Throne, while Margaery's job is to help her husband keep it.
Saying Too Much: Olenna reprimands her for expressing her irritation over Joffrey's violent nature in "Two Swords", as there may be spies lurking about.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Flees the Stormlands with Loras and the rest of the Tyrell armies after Renly's assassination, knowing that the Stormlander's Decapitated Army will soon turn to Stannis now that Renly is dead.
Secret-Keeper: She knows that Joffrey was killed by Olenna Tyrell. She is genuinely shocked by her grandmother's audacity. She is genuinely conflicted during Tyrion's trial since she knows Tyrion is innocent but she can't say a word without dragging House Tyrell down. Later, she also consoles Tommen when he discusses Joffrey's death, telling him he shouldn't feel guilty.
Settle for Sibling: After Joffrey's assassination, she quickly seeks to entangle Joffrey's nice younger brother into her charms, knowing he's the next in line for the throne. Little Tommen is smitten and her Arranged Marriage to Joffrey passes on to him.
Sex Goddess: Tommen seems completely flabbergasted by her lovemaking skill on their wedding night.
Sexy Backless Outfit: Most of her Season 3 outfits expose her entire back, along with providing Navel-Deep Neckline.
Sexy Slit Dress: Some of her dresses have slits to show off her legs.
Sibling Yin-Yang: Margaery publicly pretends to be romantically involved with Renly to conceal that her interest is purely pragmatic and based on ambition. See Loras's entry for contrast.
Significant Wardrobe Shift:
- She caused one. With her arrival in King's Landing she quickly replaced the Queen Regent as the capital's leading trendsetter (among other things...). If you''ll look at the numerous noblewomen in the background, you'll see a notable shift in fashion.
- For the short period between becoming Tommen's Queen and her arrest by the Sparrows Margaery abruptly exchanges her spring-coloured, breezy, revealing and highly ornamental Tyrell gowns for a collection of far simpler and more modest dresses held in Baratheon golden-brown. According to the costume designer this was originally planned as a shift to emerald green and gold in order to have her show her true colours both figuratively and literally (the Tyrells' heraldic colours are Green and Gold, but Margaery chose to soften the green to teal in order to appear more innocent and friendly) but was changed to the heraldic colours those of the royal Baratheons in order to send a more personal message to Cersei that she was replacing her at court in every possible way (Cersei never quite adopted Baratheon colours while married to Robert). She does however wear a dark green dress during a brief scene with Loras.
- After her stay in the sept's prison and her apparent conversion, her wardrobe has become considerably more modest and high-necked.
Silk Hiding Steel: Plays at being the Princess Classic like Loras plays at being Knight in Shining Armor, but when's the last time you saw a Disney Princess discuss the political advantages of getting pregnant or her willingness to have her brother act as a fluffer for her gay husband?
Slut-Shaming: Gets slammed with this by a particularly bitter Cersei. Of course, Cersei is the one having affairs with Jaime and Lancel.
Something about a Rose: Michele Clapton designed Margaery's wedding gown with the character's personality in mind, and there are visible thorns which run along the costume.
Clapton: I wanted it to be a sort of traditional dress in a funny way, but then roses can be so pretty, and I didn't want them to be pretty, I wanted them to be slightly dangerous because I think she [Margaery] is.
Stealth Insult:
- She subtly criticizes Cersei's fashion sense as tacky in "Valar Dohaeris".
  Margaery: Loras, isn't the Queen's gown magnificent? The fabric, the embroidery, the metalwork. I've never seen anything like it!
- Seeing Cersei one occasion she immediately and publicly apologizes to the older Queen for not having any wine to offer her (Cersei didn't ask), followed by a declaration that "it's too early for us to drink."
Stripperiffic: Her gowns tend to show a lot of skin.
Stepford Smiler: Margaery pulls her act as a Faith of the Seven devotees so flawlessly that even her own grandmother is fooled by it.
Sympathy for the Devil: She knows very well that she was marrying a vicious and sadistic young man, and is not particularly sad that he's now gone, but she is nevertheless horrified in regards to the circumstances of his death, choking in his mother's arms, and considers it deeply sad and pitiable. The fact she says this to Olenna privately with her guard down shows that she's being sincere.
Tomboy and Girly Girl: She contrasts with Brienne as a representative of the noble ladies of the south of Westeros in the first seasons, as well as members of Renly's faction. Margaery is Proper Lady who uses her feminine wiles to manipulate people while Brienne is a Tomboyish knight with a masculine appearance and profession.
The Ugly Guy's Hot Daughter: Either she has inherited her mother's good looks, or the genes skipped a generation, and she takes after her grandmother Olenna not just in terms of intelligence, but in physical beauty as well, as Natalie Dorner is a dead ringer for a young Diana Rigg.
Universally Beloved Leader: The smallfolk of King's Landing absolutely adores Margaery, due to her personal charisma and the kindness and attention she gives them. She routinely arranges meetings with the poorest citizens and had her servants distribute food to them. Her PR campaign is so successful it has even made Joffrey more popular.
The Vamp: To Cersei, she's indeed a manipulative seductress who uses the persona of a beautiful, graceful, loving, kind lady. Ironically, Cersei is a person of average intelligence at best and a poor judge of people, but she's able to see through Margaery's calculating nature.
Virgin in a White Dress: Ostensibly when she marries Joffrey, as her marriage to her first husband was never consummated. However, it's hinted that she might actually be more sexually experienced than she lets on, though 'officially' she's a virgin.
Wealthy Philanthropist: She knows that being generous to the poor might give her some political advantage over the Lannisters. Margaery is seen interacting with children at the orphanage in King's Landing or she declares that whatever food won't be eaten at her royal wedding shall be given to the poor.
What's Up, King Dude?: Part of her PR campaign is giving the downtrodden citizen of King's Landing easy access to her, to that end she's constantly traveling through the streets of King's Landing, visiting and befriending various smallfolk. She gains popularity very quickly.
Widowed at the Wedding: Became a widow a second time at her and Joffrey's wedding, when her new husband chokes to death after being poisoned, leading for the wedding to be known as "The Purple Wedding".
Wild Card: She's up to no good, that much is blindingly obvious, but she is on good terms with both Sansa and the king. Very innocuous when the primary targets of her schemes are Joffrey and Cersei, it gets murkier when she manipulates the sweet and naive Tommen.
You Said You Would Let Them Go: Margaery is aghast when the High Sparrow marks Loras in spite of their deal. The High Sparrow insists that he will be allowed to return home, as promised.

Characters / Game of Thrones - Margaery Tyrell

Queen Margaery Tyrell

Played By: Natalie Dormer

Voiced By: Carla Castañeda (Latin American Spanish), Kanako Tojo (Japanese)

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Characters / Game of Thrones - Margaery Tyrell

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Queen Margaery Tyrell

Played By: Natalie Dormer

Voiced By: Carla Castañeda (Latin American Spanish), Kanako Tojo (Japanese)

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