Junior Rasmussen
The Purple Wedding, which takes place in the second episode of the fourth season of *Game of Thrones,* sees the death of King Joffrey Baratheon. The episode, titled The Lion and the Rose, focuses on the wedding between Joffrey and Margaery Tyrell. While the Red Wedding results in a decisive victory for the Lannisters and King Joffrey Baratheon, the Purple Wedding sees Joffrey's death. The episode received critical acclaim and was nominated for five Emmy Awards.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the episode | The Lion and the Rose |
| Season | 4 |
| Episode Number | 2 |
| Nickname | Purple Wedding |
| Cause of death | Poisoned wine, poisoned pie |
| Culprit | Olenna Tyrell, Littlefinger |
| Death | Choking to death |
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What You'll Learn
Joffrey's death in the books
In the books, Joffrey Baratheon dies during his wedding feast with Margaery Tyrell. This event is known as the Purple Wedding, and it occurs in the book "A Storm of Swords". The episode of the TV show adaptation that depicts this event is titled "The Lion and the Rose".
Joffrey's death is caused by poison, which causes symptoms similar to choking. The poison was introduced earlier in the books by George R. R. Martin, and the wedding feast was the perfect opportunity to use it. The intent of the murderer was likely to make the king's death look like an accident, as people in Westeros had not yet invented the Heimlich maneuver.
There are several differences in the way Joffrey's death is depicted in the books compared to the TV show. In the books, the wedding feast takes place inside the Red Keep, with Joffrey, Margaery, and their families seated near the Iron Throne. Jaime does not return to King's Landing until after the events. As Joffrey chokes to death, he claws at his throat, leaving bloody gashes. Sansa is given a hair net with poison, instead of a necklace as seen in the show. After escaping the wedding hall, she examines the hair net and realizes that one gem is missing. Tyrion also inspects the chalice, which still contains some of the poisoned wine.
The identity of the murderer is not explicitly revealed in the books, but there are several fan speculations. Petyr Baelish, also known as Littlefinger, is suggested to be behind the plot, as he had been absent for much of "A Storm of Swords" and his reappearance changes the course of future events. Olenna Tyrell and Baelish were planning to murder Joffrey, but it is unclear how Margaery was involved or who else may have been accomplices. Garlan Tyrell, for instance, was sitting near the wine and could have been trusted with the task. Another speculation is that Sansa was the murderer, as she had a motive to want both Margaery and Joffrey dead. However, the true identity of the murderer and their motives remains a mystery, adding to the intrigue surrounding Joffrey's death in the books.
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The Purple Wedding
Joffrey's death had been prophesied by an old woods witch, a collaborator of the Brotherhood Without Banners, known as the Ghost of High Heart. She said: "I dreamt of a maid at a feast with purple serpents in her hair, venom dripping from their fangs".
On the morning of the wedding, Margaery's grandmother, Olenna Tyrell, questions Sansa Stark about Joffrey to see if the stories of the boy king's cruelty are true. Sansa admits that "he's a monster". Olenna then gives Sansa a silver hair net decorated with black amethysts from Asshai, insisting that she wear it during the wedding.
At the wedding, Joffrey makes a small speech about the importance of the royal wedding and the end of the War of the Five Kings. He introduces a mock play of "his" victory over the rival claimants to the Iron Throne. All the players are dwarves, and Joffrey mockingly tries to coerce his uncle Tyrion into joining them. Tyrion carefully evades this demand, but at the same time insults Joffrey by suggesting he fight the champion dwarf instead and calling to mind Joffrey's "bravery" at the Battle of the Blackwater. Tyrion finishes by cautioning his nephew to be careful as the champion dwarf is clearly mad with lust and it would be a tragedy for the king to lose his virtue hours before his wedding night. Enraged and humiliated, Joffrey stalks over and empties his wine goblet onto his uncle's head.
After Joffrey takes a gulp of wine, he starts coughing, so he takes another gulp to quell the cough. His coughing becomes more violent and quickly becomes so severe that his throat closes and he cannot breathe. Margaery notices and shouts that he is choking. Lurching forward, Joffrey falls to the ground, desperately gasping for breath and convulsing so violently that he vomits. Panic erupts among the guests, and Lady Olenna shouts for the Kingsguard to help their King. Jaime and Cersei rush to his side, but he continues to gag, as blood runs out of his nose and his face turns grotesquely purple. With his last strength, the King attempts to point accusingly to his uncle, seemingly believing him to be the culprit. Tyrion, meanwhile, has picked up the wine goblet, inspecting it for poison. The scleras (whites) of Joffrey's eyes turn red and begin to bleed and wheezing out his last breath, he dies.
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Poisoned wine
Joffrey Baratheon, the King in the Game of Thrones series, dies during his wedding to Margaery Tyrell. This event is known as the Purple Wedding, a nickname given by fans to emulate the infamous Red Wedding. The Purple Wedding takes place in Episode 2 of Season 4 of the show.
Joffrey's death occurs when he consumes poisoned wine and eats a slice of Tyrion's pie. After taking a gulp of wine, he starts coughing and drinks more wine to quell the cough. However, his coughing becomes more violent, leading to severe convulsions and vomiting. As panic spreads among the guests, Joffrey falls to the ground, desperately gasping for breath. His face turns purple, and the whites of his eyes begin to bleed as he dies.
There are various speculations about who poisoned Joffrey's wine. Some suspect Olenna Tyrell, the Queen of Thorns, who wanted to protect her granddaughter Margaery from Joffrey's monstrous nature. It is believed that Olenna gave Sansa Stark a hair net or necklace containing the poison, which she discreetly retrieved during the feast. However, the exact details of the scheme remain unknown, leaving room for fan theories and speculation.
The death of Joffrey, the show's principal villain, was a shocking and memorable moment for viewers, providing a satisfying conclusion to one of the show's most irredeemable characters.
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The Red Wedding
The Purple Wedding is a separate event that takes place after the Red Wedding and involves Joffrey's death. In the Purple Wedding, Joffrey chokes and coughs violently after drinking wine from his wedding chalice and eating pie. He falls to the ground, his face turns purple, and he dies in his mother's arms. There is speculation that he was poisoned, and Tyrion is initially accused of the murder. However, the true culprit is never definitively revealed, leaving the mystery unsolved.
The event takes place at the Twins and results in the death of several prominent characters, including Robb Stark and members of other major Houses from the North. The Blackfish, Brynden Tully, manages to escape the massacre by fighting his way out of the assault on the camps and slipping away during the night-time ambush.
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Suspects and motives
The Purple Wedding, as it is nicknamed by fans, sees the death of Joffrey Baratheon, who chokes to death after drinking poisoned wine at his wedding reception with Margaery Tyrell. The episode, titled "The Lion and the Rose", is the second episode of the fourth season of HBO's Game of Thrones.
Olenna Tyrell
Olenna Tyrell, also known as the Queen of Thorns, is a prime suspect in the poisoning of Joffrey. Her motive is clear: she is protective of her granddaughter, Margaery, and would not want her to marry a known monster like Joffrey. It is speculated that Olenna gave Sansa Stark a hair net with a gem containing poison, which Olenna discreetly retrieved during the wedding feast.
Sansa Stark
Sansa Stark is another suspect, as she had a clear motive for wanting both Margaery and Joffrey dead. Additionally, she fled the scene before Cersei could accuse Tyrion, further raising suspicions. However, it is unclear why Sansa would have brought poison into the wedding herself, as this would have been a risky move that could easily have been traced back to her.
Tyrion Lannister
Tyrion is initially accused of poisoning Joffrey, as he brought the pie from which Joffrey ate before choking. However, this accusation may be unfounded, as Tyrion himself did not eat the pie, and it is unlikely that he would have wanted to draw attention to himself by poisoning Joffrey in such an obvious manner.
Garlan Tyrell
Garlan Tyrell is suspected by some fans due to his proximity to the wine chalice during the wedding feast, and because he is considered trustworthy by his family.
Littlefinger
Littlefinger's motives are less clear, as there was no enmity between him and Joffrey, and it seems unlikely that he would have gone to such lengths simply to save Sansa or avenge Catelyn's death. However, his involvement in the scheme is suggested by the fact that he predicts Tommen's marriage to Margaery following Joffrey's death.
The mystery of who poisoned Joffrey remains a topic of speculation among fans, with various theories and suspects being discussed even years after the episode aired.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Joffrey dies at his own wedding to Margaery Tyrell, also known as the Purple Wedding.
Joffrey dies by choking on wine and pie that was poisoned.
After Joffrey's death, Tyrion is arrested for his murder, Prince Oberyn Martell dies fighting in a trial by combat against the Mountain, Jaime frees Tyrion from certain death, and Tyrion ends up killing his father, Tywin.
