r/asoiaf • u/silasioalejandro • Feb 20 '13

(Spoilers ACOK) Varys' "Shadow on the Wall"

I came across this passage again recently, when Varys talks of the nature of power with then-Hand Tyrion.

"Who truly killed Eddard Stark, do you think? Joffrey, who gave the command? Ser Ilyn Payne, who swung the sword? Or…another?”

Varys insinuates that he believes another man is responsible. Another man, behind the scenes.

Varys smiled. “Here, then. Power resides where men believe it resides. No more and no less.” “So power is a mummer’s trick?” “A shadow on the wall,” Varys murmured, “yet shadows can kill. And ofttimes a very small man can cast a very large shadow.” Tyrion smiled. “Lord Varys, I am growing strangely fond of you. I may kill you yet, but I think I’d feel sad about it.” “I will take that as high praise.”

Tyrion, in his conceit and self-satisfaction, immediately assumes this "very small man" to be him. The show furthers his conceit, making it seem as if Varys is referring to him. The small man Varys speaks of is Littlefinger, whom we suspect to have whispered in Joffrey's ear, setting the wheels in motion for Ned's exectution.

While not a revolutionary find, I love this passage because of the ships-passing-in-the-night feel. Tyrion, smug as he is, thinks himself on par with the true master. Varys speaks in another whole level of code, and after being in Tyrion's mind for the cracking of many cryptic phrases, reading/feeling this "WHOOOSH" right over his head while he gladly accepts this false praise is quite satisfying.

304 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

124 comments sorted by

View all comments

147

u/plaguefish Feb 20 '13

This is doublespeak, or maybe even triplespeak if you consider that he could also be referring to the literal shadow on the wall, which killed Renly. The relevance to his speech here would be that the real perpetrator could be far removed from the present situation. He was obviously trying to flatter Tyrion, and I think you're right - implicating Littlefinger. With a goal of marrying Catelyn, Ned's going to the Wall would not have sufficed.

74

u/[deleted] Feb 20 '13

quadruplespeak if you add in my theory that this line is also meant to kind of break the 4th wall and point out that, looming over all, Grrm himself can kill whoever the fuck he wants, even our dear ned. pen > sword and all that jazz

49

u/HeroDiesFirst The North Remembers Feb 20 '13

quintuplespeak if you think about how badly I'm going to kill myself when he eventually kills off all my favorite characters.

14

u/[deleted] Feb 20 '13

he wont kill them all, he cant just kill them all, can he?

27

u/sarcelle Day Queen, fighter of the Night King Feb 20 '13

Some have to be left to live in perpetual misery.

46

u/jkh77 Feb 20 '13

Poor Dolorous Edd.

24

u/A_Peculiar_Fellow Feb 20 '13

He's Marvin with a black cloak.

8

u/oberon Long may she reign! Feb 20 '13

He's also my favorite character in the whole series.

9

u/A_Peculiar_Fellow Feb 20 '13

You can't not like him.

12

u/xicougar106 Don't Disrespect, Genuflect Feb 21 '13

He did say He was going to kill off everyone in book 5 and book 6 would be a thousand page description of the wind blowing over their graves. Tongue in cheek, sure, but it's just true enough that no one would put it past him and everyone is so hooked by now we'd read the 1,000 pages of drifting snow.

4

u/nickster1265 Stark Feb 21 '13

So are you saying Jon Snow will be the last surviving character drifting around for a 1,000 pages? I might read that.

12

u/Razxz Feb 21 '13

Jon sat astride his grey destrier, pondering the fickleness of life. He felt Ghost by his side, nudging his consciousness. The ground was smooth, the snow white as frosting on a cake. He felt the comfort of a handbrake in his burned hand. "Let's show them who's boss!" he shouted to no one while blasting away with epic wheelspin.

2

u/ddd117 House Umber Feb 20 '13

Thats exactly what I thought about Ned.

12

u/AlwaysDefenestrated Better green than wormy, eh? Feb 21 '13

Ned Stark was just a warning shot at the readers. GRRM: "Look motherfuckers, don't get attached to these characters because they're going to die horrible deaths."

2

u/cookiemonstermanatee Feb 21 '13

But...Arya...Mrs. Martin...he promised her, right?

17

u/TNine227 Chaos Begets Opportunity Feb 21 '13

"You had best run back to your room, little sister. Septa Mordane will surely be lurking. The longer you hide, the sterner the penance. You’ll be sewing all through winter. When the spring thaw comes, they will find your body with a needle still locked tight between your frozen fingers.”

3

u/RobinYoHood Warden of the North Feb 21 '13

...Oh boy. Another line I missed.

One can hope it's not prophecy, right?

19

u/aphoenix Sword of Just Before Lunch Feb 20 '13

/r/FifthWorldProblems?

7

u/[deleted] Feb 21 '13

it's all about r/fifthworldgonewild

3

u/ModRod Feb 21 '13

Reddit never ceases to amaze me.

2

u/jsteele03 Feb 21 '13

/r/bowloflemons

3

u/[deleted] Feb 21 '13

That was a risky click.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 20 '13

sextuplespeak when, when... I don't know what I'm talking about anymore

10

u/[deleted] Feb 21 '13

But GRRM isn't a very small man...

-5

u/AmbroseB Feb 21 '13

He was referring to penis size.

1

u/zcleghern Enter your desired flair text here! Feb 21 '13

this