Question about Benjen
Did Benjen ever know about Jon's parentage? That Lyanna was his mother and Ned was his uncle? I'm not sure if this was ever said or did Benjen know in the books?
shareIt's never explicitly said either in the books or show. There's a chance he does know, but it's about equal chance that he doesn't. Ned didn't even tell his wife.
shareAnd I really have to wonder why he never told Cat. You would have thought to save Jon her wrath. I'm just beginning a re-watch of seasons 1-6 in advance of the season 7 premiere and I'm in season one and I have to say I really do hate Ned. Some think of him as a hero. There are two scenes I could really kill him for. The first is when he comes in on Cat when she's being mean to Jon who is just there to say goodbye to Bran before he takes the black. Then the scene when he arrives in King's Landing where he comes into the throne room and Jaime greets him. When Jaime is trying to tell him why he killed The Mad King, all Ned wants to do is judge him. Oh and the fact he never told Jon about his mother. So that's three.
shareNed was an "hounourable" fool.
shareNot so dumb as to tell anyone about Jon's true parentage, and IMHO if he wouldn't tell his wife then he wouldn't tell his brother. Better to let the lad hear some harsh words from his stepmother, than to become the target of assassins or the locus of a new civil war.
And IMHO that's why Ned allowed Jon to join the NW. So that neither he nor his offspring would ever raise the red and black flag, and start a new civil war.
I meant other cases, when Ned's honour manifested itself, not Jon's case. Snow's case is complicated. However, I disagree about letting Jon join the NW. It was ruthless from a certain point of view. But in the long run he unintentionally "saved" Jon from being massacred at red wedding. Not that Jon managed to avoid that fate, but at the wall there was a certain red priestess present...
shareNed was indeed the most decent and honorable man* in Westeros, so much so that the king of the seven kingdoms would travel all the way to the North to offer him a job. Of course Robert was a dolt, and didn't realize that personal honor is a massive handicap in a political job.
However, IMHO his treatment of Jon wasn't entirely a matter of decency and honor. Yes, telling the kid his true parentage would put him and others in all kinds of danger, so of course he held off on doing so. But letting Jon join the NW without having that talk with him wasn't entirely decent or honorable, he let him take The Oath without knowing all the facts... which is why I think that Ned wanted to make sure that Jon didn't set himself up as a new Targaryan heir and make war on the Baratheons. Ned was for the Baratheons and against the Targaryans at that point, although if he'd got to know Joffrey better he'd probably have raised his vassals and put a Targaryan flag in Jon's hands himself.
And his saving Jon from the Red Wedding was fortuitous not intentional. Ned didn't expect to die and start the War of Five Kings as a result.
* The only other 100% decent and honorable person in Westeros is Brienne of Tarth.
People like Ned make for great Kings, priests, teachers, etc but not as an advisor or politician. An advisor needs to be more cunning and devious yet with good honorable enough intentions like Tyrion.
Also, Ned didn't force nor influence Jon to joining the NW. Sure he found it a good path to follow given his background but unlike today's disgust for celibacy, priesthood/monks/priestesses, or in this case a NW wasn't thought of in the same light. His brother Benjen even joined and it's an honorable profession for many lords and blue bloods, as well as the common folk. A Targaryan was even a NW, brother of Aegon the King.
It seems to me that Ned wasn't actually pleased by Jon's desire to join the Night's Watch, but ultimately accepted it as the best of a few bad options under the circumstances. There was a whole conversation about it in book 1.
shareI read the book but have forgotten that so thanks for bringing it up.
shareHow many people prejudge others especially if all they know about them are horrible things? For Ned, he couldn't think of any reason why a Kingsguard would disregard their oath and slay their own King. Westeros has old rules of nobility and honor, like slaying a kin or a guest in one's home. And for a Stark unlike others, they are a noble House and oaths are not taken lightly. Other Houses may not hold such things in high regard like the Lannisters or the Freys, but that's why we root for the Starks and not the others. Even Tyrion has more Stark qualities than a Lannister's, and as for Dany, I think she will become a mad Queen.
Second Ned probably didn't tell Jon for his own protection, after all Jon was only 13 when Ned died. And you don't trust such a secret to a child (just watch The Americans). As for not saying anything when he saw Cat, he probably knew how she treats Jon and has probably talked to her about it several times. But reprimanding her in front of Jon or the children isn't his way and antagonizing her even more about it may make things worse for Jon.
I've wondered why he didn't tell Cat too. Instead he chose to make himself look like man whore who cheated...instead of telling her the simple truth. Didn't he trust her?
Ned was kind of an idiot...just like his friend King Robert.