The Red Wedding's Bloody Shockwaves

The Red Wedding is a pivotal moment in the Game of Thrones series, marking a turning point in the show's popularity and a shock to viewers. The event takes place during the War of the Five Kings and sees the massacre of Robb Stark, his mother Catelyn, and most of his soldiers at a wedding feast. The betrayal and slaughter of the Starks and their army was orchestrated by Lord Walder Frey as revenge for Robb breaking a marriage pact with House Frey. The episode, titled The Rains of Castamere, is considered one of the most harrowing and shocking episodes in television history, marking the end of the Northern rebellion and cementing the idea that no character was safe.

The Red Wedding was a massacre

The event was orchestrated by Lord Frey, who hosted the wedding, and his conspirator, Lord Roose Bolton. However, Lord Frey would not have gone through with the plan without the promise of protection from Lord Tywin Lannister, the Hand of the King to Joffrey I Baratheon.

The Red Wedding began with the marriage of Edmure Tully, Lord of Riverrun, and Roslin Frey, one of Lord Frey's daughters. After the wedding, a feast was held for the highborn in one of Lord Frey's castles, and a "bastard feast" was held in the second castle for the lower ranks.

During the feast, musicians began to play "The Rains of Castamere", a song associated with Robb Stark's enemy, Lord Tywin Lannister. This was the signal for the massacre to begin. Most of Robb's men were too drunk to fight and were butchered on the spot by crossbow-wielding musicians and Frey knives.

Robb Stark, his pregnant wife Talisa, and his mother Catelyn were all killed during the massacre. Talisa was stabbed repeatedly in the abdomen, and Robb was stabbed through the heart by Roose Bolton, who said, "The Lannisters send their regards". Catelyn had her throat slit by Black Walder Frey, one of Lord Frey's grandsons.

The Red Wedding ended the northern rebellion against the Iron Throne and dealt a devastating blow to House Stark.

It was orchestrated by Lord Walder Frey

The Red Wedding was orchestrated by Lord Walder Frey as revenge against Robb Stark for breaking a marriage pact between House Stark and House Frey. Robb had promised to marry one of Lord Walder's daughters but broke his promise and married Talisa Maegyr instead.

Lord Walder Frey lured Robb Stark, his mother Catelyn, his wife Talisa, and his army to the Twins by arranging for his daughter Roslin to marry Edmure Tully, Catelyn's brother. Edmure Tully was now Lord of Riverrun, having inherited the title after the death of his father, Lord Hoster Tully.

Lord Walder Frey invoked the sacred tradition of the Guest Right by sharing bread and salt with his guests. Once invoked, neither the host nor the guests can inflict harm upon each other for the length of the stay. However, this did not stop Lord Walder Frey from orchestrating the brutal massacre of Robb Stark and his army.

The signal for the massacre to begin was an instrumental version of "The Rains of Castamere", a song belonging to the Lannister family. The musicians who played at the wedding were assassins in disguise, and they revealed themselves by shooting Robb Stark and his bannermen with crossbows. Robb's direwolf, Grey Wind, was also killed by crossbow, despite attempts by Ser Raynald Westerling to save him.

Robb's wife, Talisa, who was pregnant with their child, was stabbed to death by Lame Lothar Frey. Robb was killed by Roose Bolton, who drove a dagger through his heart. Catelyn Stark had her throat slit by Black Walder Rivers.

The Red Wedding was a decisive victory for the Lannisters and King Joffrey Baratheon. It ended the conflict between House Stark and House Lannister and annihilated the Northern army.

Lord Walder Frey was granted the castle of Riverrun and promised Lannister protection from any northern retaliation. He was also able to elevate House Frey as the new Great House of the Riverlands.

Robb Stark broke his oath to Walder Frey

Robb Stark's decision to marry Talisa was the initial cause of the rift between him and Walder Frey. Robb had previously made a pact with House Frey, agreeing to marry one of Walder Frey's daughters in exchange for their military support in the war against the Lannisters. However, Robb broke this pact when he married Talisa instead. This was seen as a major insult to House Frey and a breach of trust, and it damaged Robb's relationship with other Northern Houses as well. As a result, Robb lost the support of House Frey and weakened his military campaign against the Lannisters.

Walder Frey, feeling personally insulted and seeking revenge, decided to ally himself with the Lannisters. By betraying Robb Stark, Walder Frey elevated his family's status and secured their position in the South. This was not just about revenge; it was a calculated move to protect House Frey's legacy in a turbulent political climate.

The Red Wedding, orchestrated by Walder Frey, was a direct consequence of Robb Stark's broken oath. It was a shocking and bloody massacre that left fans reeling and highlighted the treacherous nature of the world of Game of Thrones, where betrayal can come from unexpected places.

The Red Wedding was a betrayal of the sacred Guest Right

The Red Wedding was a pivotal moment in the War of the Five Kings, a massacre that effectively ended the conflict between House Stark and House Lannister. It was orchestrated by Lord Walder Frey as revenge against Robb Stark, the ruling King in the North, for breaking a marriage pact between House Stark and House Frey.

The sacred Guest Right, an ancient custom that forbids harm from either party when invoked, was shared between the Starks and Freys. However, this did not stop Lord Frey from betraying Robb Stark and his army. The sacred Guest Right was further violated when Robb Stark and his army were brutally murdered during the wedding feast of Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey.

Robb Stark's mother, Catelyn, had requested bread and salt from Lord Frey to secure the Guest Right. Lord Frey, however, had no intention of honouring this pact and had conspired with Lord Roose Bolton and Lord Tywin Lannister to bring about the demise of House Stark.

During the wedding ceremony, a septon performed the marriage rites, and Edmure wrapped a Tully cloak about Roslin after they exchanged their vows. After Edmure and Roslin were wed, Lord Frey hosted a feast for the highborn in one of his castles, with a separate "bastard feast" for the lower ranks held in the second castle. Common soldiers celebrated in tents outside the castle, with the Freys providing wagons and casks of ale, mead, and wine for their guests.

As part of the bedding custom, Edmure and Roslin departed the hall in the company of many guests. Robb and Catelyn remained behind with Lord Walder. Shortly after, the musicians began playing "The Rains of Castamere", a song associated with Robb's enemy, Lord Tywin Lannister. This was the signal for the massacre to begin.

Lord Walder Frey had coordinated the massacre with little loss to his own men. Mailed Northmen, Boltons, and possibly Karstarks joined the Freys in the slaughter, and Robb Stark's personal guard was quickly killed. Robb Stark was murdered by Roose Bolton, who thrust a dagger through his heart. Catelyn Stark's throat was slit by Ser Raymund Frey.

The Red Wedding was a brutal betrayal that violated the sacred Guest Right, staining its ancient custom and ruining House Frey's reputation. The massacre ended the northern rebellion against the Iron Throne and dealt a devastating blow to House Stark.

The Red Wedding was a turning point for the show

The Red Wedding, which takes place in season 3, episode 9 of Game of Thrones, is widely regarded as one of the most memorable and harrowing episodes in television history. It was a turning point for the show in terms of its popularity and its storytelling.

The episode, titled "The Rains of Castamere", centres around the wedding of Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey. It is during this wedding that Robb Stark and his bannermen are massacred in a brutal and shocking betrayal. Robb's army is slaughtered, his pregnant wife Talisa is stabbed to death, and his direwolf is killed before Robb and his mother Catelyn are executed.

The impact of the Red Wedding was compounded by the fact that, up until that point in the story, Robb Stark was the hero that fans expected to avenge the death of his father, Ned Stark. Robb's defeat and death threw an unpredictable element into the show, as his march on King's Landing had felt like such a central focus. The Red Wedding cemented the idea that no character was safe and that the villains often won by playing dirty.

The episode received universal acclaim and is cited as one of the best in the series. It earned executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss a nomination for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. The Red Wedding is also considered a turning point for the show in terms of its popularity. Fans who had read the source material, George R.R. Martin's books, knew this devastating moment was coming and that it would catch non-book readers off guard. This led to countless videos of unsuspecting fans reacting in horror to the bloody betrayal, which helped the show's popularity skyrocket.

Overnight, Game of Thrones went from a popular fantasy show to the one series on television that was unmissable. As the ratings continued to rise, the show got bigger in scale, defying what people thought could be done on television. However, the showrunners seemed to take the wrong message away from the success of the Red Wedding. What made the Red Wedding so great was how shocking it was while also seeming inevitable. Fans wanted Robb to succeed, but his death made sense in the context of the story. Going forward, however, the show became more of a machine for shocking moments, and character motivations and smart plotting began to take a backseat to catching the audience off guard.

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