House of the Dragon officially has a new version of Westeros' Mad Queen, but this new version becomes so by taking a journey that fans can relate to.
Attention! The following contains spoilers about the episodes that have already aired in House of the Dragon Season 1. Please continue reading at your own risk.
House of the Dragon certainly painted a nice picture for Alicent Hightower. She was used by her father, Otto (then Hand of the King), to marry King Viserys, so that Otto could gain more power. But after Viserys fired Otto, Alicent realized she was cornered. Due to her breakup with Princess Rhaenyra, Alicent knew that both she and her children would be at risk once Rhaenyra ascended the throne.
This led to Alicent adopting a tougher stance, with Ser Criston Cole pushing her to be more aggressive. She even made Ser Larys Strong become her "Littlefinger", allowing Otto to return to the position of Hand of the Knight. All this continued to condition Alicent by transforming her into a paranoid and vindictive queen, but while episode 7 she finally broke her - thus creating a new Mad Queen - her path is definitely understandable.
Daenerys has been consumed by her quest for the Iron Throne
The "first" Mad Queen we saw on the screens, albeit centuries after the events of the series, was Daenerys Targaryen. However, she was more selfish and obsessed with the Iron Throne. His biggest concern about her was having what she perceived as hers by birthright. That's why fans considered her bad when she burned down the Red Keep and the people of King's Landing.
She had become very different from the liberator she claimed to be, which is why Drogon dissolved the Throne when Jon Snow killed her. Sure, Daenerys might have done some good in the future, but her anger was unforgivable. She eventually became the monster she hated, she acted as judge, jury, and executioner against innocent men, women, and children.
Alicent is consumed by the protection of her children
In Alicent's case, the tragedy is even greater as she was pushed into this power play by her father when she was still a teenager. As seen in the heartbreaking scene in which she sleeps with the King, she did not have and did not want any power: she was just an object that allowed Otto to have a "blood" bond with the throne. This caused Alicent to become more ferocious for the sake of self-preservation. As Otto had warned her, Rhaenyra could have ended their lineage, mainly to protect the secret that her children are Ser Harwin's and not Leanor Velaryon's.
The situation came to a head when Alicent lashed out at Rhaenyra and wounded her. She asked to gouge out Lucerys' eye to avenge her son Aemond's wound, but when her request fell on deaf ears, she lost her head by personally attacking the boy. Only the intervention of her mother prevented the worst of her ... But Rhaenyra was still wounded in front of many witnesses.
It is also true that she did not know the whole truth about Aemond's insults towards Harwin and Rhaenyra, but a mother cannot stand by while her son is mutilated. Alicent believes this is also due to the fact that, according to her, no one respects the Hightower House. The fact that Ser Criston refused to hurt Lucerys reinforced her idea that she had no say.
As a result, Alicent's descent into insanity should arouse compassion and empathy, as well as dismay. After all, she is not a spoiled child who throws a tantrum in this world she has never asked to be a part of. She is trapped and trying to regain control of her life. She also wants to protect her children, especially her eldest son Aegon, fearing that Rhaenyra and her supporters will eliminate them when she takes over on the Iron Throne.
This new series, which serves as a prequel to the events of Game of Thrones, adapts George R.R. Martin of 2018 to bring the beginnings of House Targaryen to the screen.
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