Part 2...
Tywin's Deeds:
I will discuss six major deeds that Tywin commits both within the story and before it happens. While he himself has stated reasons for even his most heinous actions, those reasons should not be trusted at face value. That's not to say that Tywin's reasons have no wisdom in them or that they don't make sense. No, the issue with Tywin's stated reasons are that they clearly don't say everything about Tywin did what he did. There's a paradigm that I want you to remember:
Truthful vs The Truth
Tywin's stated reasons all come about as truthful in that they have some rational to them, they make sense to those listening and Tywin isn't lying when he states them. These "truthful" statements for his actions usually boiled down to "It may have been bloody, but my actions produced results for the greater good." But Tywin deliberately keeps the Truth from escaping his lips because they would betray his true petty and selfish motivations. They would betray the truth that Tywin Lannister no longer cares about the good of the realm, his house or his people. The truth is that in Tywin's mind, what is good for him is what's good for House Lannister. He's ego has become so warped by his experiences, his griefs, his hatred for his father and the great legend surrounding his ruthlessness that Tywin has come to believe that he must stay superior to others or else he will become inferior and therefore, be laughed at like his father.
As a hypothetical example of truthful vs truth, let me give you another scenario from another Show. In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aang's predecessor as Avatar was a Firebender named Roku. Roku was close friends with the Firelord Sozin, but Roku rebuked and stopped Sozin's plans to expand the Fire Nation's power to the other nations. Eventually, the two of them worked together to stop a volcano, but old Roku was overwhelmed by the volcanic smoke. When Roku called to his friend Sozin for help, Sozin left him to die. Let's say that a close subject questioned Sozin about the Avatar's death. Sozin could respond that Roku was overwhelmed by the volcanic gasses and died which would be truthful. But he could also bluntly admit that he left Roku to die to continue his own ambitions which would be the truth.
Sack of King's Landing
Due to the Mad King's growing madness, Robert's Rebellion broke out between House Targaryen and the alliance of House Baratheon, Stark, Arryn and Tully. Despite many victories, the tide did not turn in favor of the Rebels until the Battle of the Trident where the Loyalist Army was defeated and the Crown Prince Rhaegar was slain by Robert Baratheon's warhammer. Until this moment, Tywin had stayed neutral in the conflict and ignored calls for aid from both sides.
A very wise and shrewd point in Tywin's favor as this conflict held no gain for him at the moment. At this point, he despised Aerys after years of mistreatment, disrespect and insults. However, as much as he hated Aerys, he had no reason to side with the rebels. Not even his past friendship with Steffon Baratheon was enough to compel Tywin to fight for Steffon's son Robert. I can't say whether or not this has anything to do with rumors about Aerys' plans to replace Tywin as Hand with Steffon. It is unclear if Tywin had any grudge against Steffon as little is detailed about their interactions apart from being childhood friends.
After the battle of the Trident, Tywin pulled off another impressive maneuver. He was able to gather 12 thousand men in good order and march them all the way from Casterly Rock towards King's Landing before the Rebels got there. This inspite of how much closer to King's Landing that the Rebels were as they were at the trident just days up the Kingsroad whereas Tywin had to travel from one end of the continent to the other within a fortnight. Again, Tywin was able to do all of this in just a fortnight, the equivalent of 14 days or 2 weeks.
Tywin arrived at the city saying that he'd come to help Aerys against the coming Rebels. Spymaster Varys advised Aerys against opening the gates and Kingsguard Jamie Lannister shared his sentiment. But Aerys choose to listen to Grandmaestar Pycelle who encouraged Aerys to open the gates and stated how Tywin was always a loyal servent to the Mad King. Perhaps Pycelle successfully stoked Aerys' pride, maybe Varys was using reverse psychology, or maybe Aerys' insanity rendered him incapable of making any sound logical decision. This was the same king who allowed his pregnant wife and son to take shelter at Dragonstone, but kept his older son's widow and her children in King's Landing under the paranoid belief that Dorne was plotting treason against him.
I cannot say that Tywin conspired with Pycelle to have the gates opened from the inside. Some fans speculate that Pycelle had been woking as Tywin's inside man for years and even claim wild things such as that Pycelle poisoned all of the queen's pregnancies and thats why she had so many miscarriages, stillbirths and deaths in the cradle. All I know for certain is that Pycelle and Tywin would have known each other from Tywin's time as Hand of the King and Pycelle was enamored with Tywin's capacity as a ruler. Pycelle admits that he had the gates opened because he believed that Tywin was the only man who could restore order to the realm after Rhaegar's death. For his part, Tywin merely took advantage of an opportune moment and made the most of it. As soon as the gates of King's Landing were opened, Tywin's host entered the city, slew the defenders and rampaged their way to the Red Keep.
You'll probably already have a viewpoint about Tywin's actions at King's Landing. Probably one that suggests that what he did was necessary and/or inevitable given the brutal nature of war or whatever. Tywin himself admits that his actions were bloody, but produced desirable results. He had entered into the war late and needed to demonstrate that House Lannister had abandoned House Targaryen forever. Taking the city and putting its people to the sword was Tywin's way of showing Robert his fealty.
I won't deny that any of this is true, but there's more going on than what Tywin admitted to Tyrion. Once again, Tywin is usually a cleaverly truthful smokescreen to hide the unstated truth.
I can understand taking the city to hand over to the Rebels. I could understand slaughtering the defenders and the remnants of Rhaegar's army while they're off guard. It's war and in war, you kill your enemy in any way possible. What I cannot and will not absolve Tywin of is the brutality and wholesale rape, murder and pillaging that Tywin's army unleashed on the city. The devastation was so great that even war veterans such as Eddard Stark, Jorah Mormont, and to an extent, Jamie Lannister were shocked by what they witnessed.
While some looting, ravaging and killing may be inevitable, Tywin did not have to let it go so far. In ASOIAF, we have seen that effective commanders can and will reign in their men and severely punish any who lose their discipline and/or honor. Stannis gilded several men who raped Wilding women after he crushed Mance Rayder's host and Randyll Tarly flogged and killed men for theft and insubordination at Maidenpool and with Renly's foot at Bitterbridge. Men will only try to get away with what they think that they could get away with and will hold their actions if they know they have a leader who can and will punish them. Tywin himself claims that when men act undisciplined this is a reflection of a bad leader. So by Tywin's own logic and words to Tyrion, what happened in King's Landing could only have happened if Tywin lost control of his men or he allowed them to act as they pleased.
Tywin had the ability to hold back or somewhat restrain his men, but he didn't even care or try. The lesson of the Rains of Castamere was guiding his actions, deciding that taking King's Landing as ruthlessly and brutally as possible would achieve the most desirable results. Worst, is that his actions reveal how little he cares for the common people even by the standards of the average highborn. He had ruled, governed and lived with the people of King's Landing for nearly two decades and now cares so little about the pain and devastation that he's unleashing on them. This doesn't come completely out of nowhere, years earlier Tywin already demonstrated his disregard by repealing all of Aegon V's reforms intended to give the smallfolk more rights and protections. What happened to the people of King's Landing didn't even enter Tywin's calculations because he didn't care about them. He saw them as assets to be counted, used and depleted if need be, no different from counting coins or furniture.
And there in lies the truth of why Tywin committed his actions the way that he did. Tywin did not care about the people of King's Landing because this was never about them. He cared more about Aerys and he cared more about taking the city from Aerys. The Sack of King's Landing was Tywin's revenge for years of disrespect, snubs, insults and lack of recognition by the Mad King. Tywin helped run Aerys' realm and Aerys only ever rewarded him with disgrace, taunts and provocations. All Aerys ever did was put his childhood friend down to try and assert how much better he was than Tywin, that Aerys was the king and Tywin was, but a mere servant. In Tywin's mind, Aerys was doing to him what the Reynes and Tarbecks did to his father.
So to pay back Aerys for all of that and to show Aerys who has the true power, Tywin destroyed him. Tywin devastated King's Landing as revenge against Aerys. Tywin decided to take away Aerys' city, his kingdom, his throne and his crown and give it to Aerys' enemy. An enemy who will give him all of the recognition and acknowledgement that Aerys never could.
Which directly ties into the next deed...
The Rape and Murder of Elia Martell and her children
During the Sack of King's Landing, Tywin ordered a group of knights led by Ser Amory Lorch and Ser Gregor Clegane the Mountain of Fang Tower to scale the Walls of the Red Keep. While most knights focused on securing the Red Keep in Tywin's name, Lorch and the Mountain infiltrated Maegor's Holdfast, the most secure location in the Keep and cornered Elia Martell, Princess of Dorne and widow of Prince Rhaegar with her children Rhaenys and Aegon.
Amory dragged the girl Rhaenys from under her bed and stabbed nearly a hundred times when she wouldn't stop screaming. Gregor ripped baby Aegon from his mother's arms and smashed his head while his mother could do nothing. Then Gregor forced down Elia and with the blood of her baby still on his body, the large cruel knight raped Elia Martell. Afterwards, the knight who'd been dubbed by her late husband smashed in her head as he murdered her. The bodies of the Martell princess and her Targaryen children were wrapped in crimson cloaks to hide the blood and presented to Robert Baratheon and his commanders.
Eddard Stark demanded justice for their murders, but Robert rebuffed him and the feud between them caused Ned to leave King's Landing in a cold fury. It would take their shared grief over Lyanna's death to reconcile them, but Ned never forgot what Tywin did and what Robert allowed. It was likely the fate of Elia and her children that caused Ned to hide the identity of Rhaegar's last son by his sister Lyanna. Ned choose personal dishonor and lied about Jon being his bastard, reasonably fearing that Jon Snow's head would be smashed in and left in the horrible shape that his half-brother was if the truth ever reached Robert.
Tywin's sack of King's Landing were already infamous in themselves. Some whispered that Tywin practically stabbed Aerys in the back and House Lannister remained untrusted even by the rebels. The crownlands and the people of King's Landing would retain a strong anti-lannister resentment that would last decades because of the many who either lost family and friends by Lannister swords or were looted, brutalized or raped or had a loved one raped by Lannister men.
But the rape and murder of Elia Martell and her children would earn Tywin the eternal hatred of House Martell and the eternal distrust of House Stark. Oberyn Martell in paricular wanted to raise another rebellion against Robert in the name of Prince Viserys, but his older and more cautious brother Doran restrained his younger brother. Doran would then accept fealty to Robert Baratheon and accept Jon Arryn's overtures of peace when he returned the bones of their uncle, Prince Lewyn Martell of the Kingsguard. Doran and Oberyn Martell would go on to plot for years to undo Tywin and Robert for what happened to their sister and her children. Oberyn himself would hold a theory that Elia had been deliberately murdered as punishment for taking the place that Tywin wanted for his daughter.
Tywin himself says that he had to kill the Targaryen children in order to prove his loyalty to Robert. While he takes full responsibility for the death of her children, Tywin stops short of admitting fault for what happened to Elia. Tywin claimed to Tyrion that he had merely neglected to tell Gregor and Amory not to kill her as her death was unnecessary. Considering the Tysha incident, it's not of the realm of possibility that Tywin is lying to Tyrion's face and it's likely that Oberyn had guessed close to the truth regardless of his personal though understandable emotional bias.
It doesn't matter.
Whether or not Tywin ordered Elia's death and/or rape doesn't absolve him of responsibility for her death and rape. Gregor and Amory were in that room on his orders, killing her children on his command and therefore, the danger to Elia's life can be directly tied to Tywin. Amory Lorch murdered a baby boy during the Reyne-Tarbeck Rebellion and the Mountain was rumored to have killed his own family, maimed his brother with fire and slain his first wife. I cannot believe that a man as shrewd and methodical as Tywin would neglect to account for how vicious his chosen knights were. It's also very unlikely that he would have account for what to do with Elia considering that she's the widow of the crown-prince and the sister to the Prince of Dorne.
In fact, it's more likely that he choose them for the task because of their brutality. Any other knight may hesitate or object to killing a child in front of their mother. They would refuse on moral, ethical or honorable grounds, but Tywin was in no room for argument. So he choose two men who would obey his orders without hesitation. He may object to the mess that they made such as how Amory killed Rhaenys or Gregor raping Elia, but he was more annoyed by the mess than morally horrified. They still got the job done and the results were what Tywin ultimately cared about.
In the sense that the Sack of King's Landing was about punishing Aerys, what happened to Elia and her children was to both punish Aerys and punish House Martell as Oberyn believed. In Tywin's mind, Cersei was supposed to be Rhaegar's wife and the future queen. Being father to the queen of the 7 kingdoms and grandfather to the future king would raise up House Lannister's prestige. Being denied this opportunity was an insult that Tywin handled badly. So, Tywin very likely either ordered Elia's death and didn't care how it was done as long as it was done. Or, he looked the other way in regards to Elia as long as her children died, knowing full well what Lorch and Clegane were capable of.
At best, Tywin was an enabler of Elia's fate and at worst, he directly ordered it. Either way, he was getting revenge against Aerys and endearing himself to Robert. Shortly after taking the throne, Robert Baratheon would indeed take Tywin's daughter Cersei as his queen, once more getting his way with Robert in a way that he couldn't with Aerys. Even if he didn't get to be Hand of the King or get back Jamie, Tywin was satisfied and more importantly, his ego was further bloated.
The Incident with King's Landing and Elia further reinforced in Tywin's mind how ruthless brutality was the only way for people to respect him. He was ruthless and brutal during the Rains of Castamere and know all he has to do is use a song to keep disgruntled vassals in line. He was ruthless and brutal against Aerys and now his daughter was queen and his golden son was the 2nd most senior kingsguard after Barristen the bold. He was ruthless and brutal in Kings Landing and now people in the realm feared him, no one treads upon the lion that they feared. There was still the matter of his de facto heir, the dwarven son Tyrion, but Tywin would tolerate the monster so long as he obeyed him and did not defy his power.
Which brings us to...
The Truth about Tysha
As mentioned before, Tysha was a young girl whom Tyrion and Jamie saved from bandits when Tyrion was 13. Tyrion and Tysha fell in love and got married by a drunk septon, spending a few weeks in a cabin by the sea. When Tywin found about about it, he made Jamie lie to Tyrion. Jamie told Tyrion that Tysha was just a whore whom Jamie had hired to make Tyrion "a man" and let him lose his virginity, but she took things too far by marrying him. To "punish" her, Tywin has a hundred of his household guards gangrape Tysha and give her a silver coin for each man who rapes her. Then, Tywin forces Tyrion to go last and give her a gold coin because "Lannisters are worth more."
Later in Book 3, Jamie frees Tyrion after he's falsely tried and convicted for murdering Joffrey. Believing that he'll never see his beloved brother again, Jamie decides to tell Tyrion the real truth about Tysha. Tysha was exactly what she seemed to be, "a crofter's daughter, chance met on the road". Tysha was just a young girl who was saved on the road and whom truly loved Tyrion. Tywin forced Jamie to tell Tyrion that Tysha was a whore because he was convinced that Tysha just wanted Casterly Rock's wealth.
At least that's what he tells Jamie.
Tyrion already hates Tywin for this act despite Tysha being a whore and this episode is why he prefers the company of whores and is fairly jaded about true love or ever being loved. Tywin constantly uses Tysha as a weapon to undermine or mock Tyrion which he hates and even Cersei insults Tyrion about Tysha when she learns that he's taken Shae as his lover.
In truth, the whole Tysha incident reveals Tywin's true colors of committing malicious and cruel acts for petty and selfish reasons and hiding them behind pseudo-logical reasons that other people buy. Tysha was taken from Tyrion in the worst way possible as Tywin's revenge for Tyrion taking away his mother and Tywin's beloved wife Joanna when she died giving birth to Tyrion.
To paraphrase Dragon Demands in his "Saint Tywin" video: "You took away my wife in childbirth, you little dwarven monster. So I'll take away your wife, gangrape her and taint your memories of her by making you believe that she never loved you."
There are actually people who will defend what Tywin did to Tysha. You'll find them in Reddit or the ASOIAF fan forums where they'll downplay the senseless immorality of Tywin's actions. Often, they will infer or directly say that Tyrion and Tysha brought it on themselves by defying Tywin or social norms. Or that Tywin had to do what he did to let the "sharp lesson" stick in Tyrion's mind.
1) Never blame a victim of rape for being raped. The conversation stops as soon as you start saying that the victim deserved being sexually assaulted in the worst way possible. This is not something that I'd even wish upon Cersei Lannister (and no, the Walk of Atonement was not the same before defenders even start) despite everything she's done.
2) Tywin could have resolved this situation in a less malicious manner. He could have merely had the marriage annulled since the septon was drunk and it was done without his permission. Then send Tysha away and never speak of the situation again. Hell, send Tysha to the Silent Sisters in a septa far from the Westerlands. If Tyrion refuses to put aside Tysha, disown him and make his capable and loyal brother Kevan the new heir until Tywin marries and fathers another son. But no, Tywin choose to break up the happy couple as cruelly, deceptively and brutally as he could think of.
3) Throwing down your son for marrying for love is hypocritical when one considers that Tywin married his first cousin for love rather married a lady from another powerful family. Politically, House Lannister gained nothing when Tywin married his beloved Joanna and yet Tywin did it anyway as heir to his house.
4) THIS IS THE ACHILLES HEEL THAT CAUSES TYRION TO KILL TYWIN! IF TYWIN HAD NOT DONE THIS, HE WOULD NOT HAVE DIED THE WAY THAT HE DID! By utilitarian logic, the greater good thing to do is either disown Tyrion if he doesn't put aside Tysha or just annul the marriage and sent Tysha to the Silent Sisters. But no, Tywin used ruthless brutality to punish his son for marrying Tysha and for Joanna's death. This act of needlessly cruelty would backfire when Tyrion not only killed Tywin, but vowed to become an enemy of House Lannister and everything Tywin had built!
The Riverland Invasion
In the First Book, Catelyn Stark is deceived by Littlefinger into believing that Tyrion Lannister gave a valyrian steel dagger to an assassin who tried to kill her crippled son Brandon. Acting on this information, she arrests Tyrion when she happens to meet him at the Inn of the Kneeling King. As she takes him up to the Vale, word reaches the Westerlands concerning Tyrion's kidnapping and Tywin begins to call his banners. In the meanwhile, he sends The Mountain to raid villages on the border between the West and the Rivers to try and provoke Eddard Stark to come and stop the Mountain. Then Tywin could capture Eddard and use him as a hostage against the Tullys and Starks get back Tyrion. Instead, Eddard had his leg broken in a confrontation with Jamie and Ned sent Beric Dondarrion in his stead. Beric and his company were mostly thrashed with the remnants forming into the Brotherhood without Banners.
Eventually, Tywin decides to just invade the Riverlands with his brother Kevan, his son Jamie, and The Mountain among his main commanders. He splits his army of 35 thousand into 2 hosts, 15 under Jamie and 20 under himself. The two hosts defeat the riverland hosts marshalled in defense of the border and Riverrun and virtually 2/3rds of the region are sacked and conquered by the Westerlanders. When Tyrion arrives from the Vale with a few hundred Mountain tribesmen, Tywin continues his attack, apathetic to his son's wellbeing.
Surprisingly, Tywin doesn't have a public truthful statement for the Riverlands invasion. He admits to Tyrion himself that he only invaded the Riverlands to protect the honor of House Lannister (Ie himself). Tyrion was a walking and living disgrace to the House in Tywin's eyes, but he was still a Lannister. And if anyone can steal a Lannister without repercussion, then that makes House Lannister (again, Tywin), look weak.
Now, Tywin could have done the diplomatic approach and demanded justice against the Tullys or Starks from his son-in-law Robert. Demand that Catelyn release Tyrion and come to King's Landing to answer for her crime. Being the just man that he was, Eddard Stark would have to comply and then give Cat a chance to explain herself. At which point, Catelyn explains that she knows that Lannisters tried to kill her son twice and she believed Tyrion was behind the second attempt thanks to the Valyrian Steel dagger. Robert would recognize it as his and everyone would then look at Joffrey whose trying really hard not to look guilty.
But this is Tywin Lannister that we're speaking about. This is a man who believes that Force and Ruthless Brutality are the best way to assert dominance. His father was diplomatic and people ignored and laughed at him. Tywin was patient and diplomatic with the Mad King and the Mad King insulted and laughed at him. Tywin was not going to be laughed at, he would punish the Tullys for daring to step on the Lion's paw and make them remember why Tywin was not to be messed with. Between Tywin's own brutality, allowing his men to plunder, rape and pillage as they pleased, the Mountain's actions and the Brave Companions even assaulting septs and ravaging and murdering septons and septas, the Riverlands suffered the worst of all harm in the War of the Five Kings. Tywin inflicted all of this misery and devastation on the land just to keep from being laughed at. Years later, Jamie Lannister observed the following, "From what Jaime had seen of the riverlands, scarce a field remained unburnt, a town unsacked, a maiden unspoiled. On the land, the lands burning..."
Then Along came a Young Wolf...
The Starks and The Red Wedding
Robb Stark leads a host of 20 thousand men south to rescue his imprisoned father and aid his uncle and grandfather. After forging a marriage alliance with House Frey, Robb's forces increase to 24 thousand from and he splits his Host into 2 forces. The larger host under Roose Bolton march down the King's Road and eventually battle Tywin at the Green Fork of the Trident. Tywin defeats this host and forces it into retreat, but Tywin was outplayed.
Though much smaller, Robb's force of cavalry and knights were faster and more mobile and knew the land thanks to Robb's great-uncle Brynden Blackfish. They swiftly traveled to Riverrun, buffered by remnants of defeated Riverlanders and forces from House Mallister in Seagard to surprise and defeat Jamie's Host at Riverrun. By the time Tywin had left the Trident, he was too late and Jamie's host was already destroyed by Robb Stark with the Kingslayer himself captured by Robb.
This outmanuvering coupled with the uprising of Robert's brothers Stannis and Renly and Joffrey's execution of Ned Stark puts Tywin in a terrible position. So, he sends out Kevan, Clegane and the Brave Companions to ravage and devaste more of the Riverlands to prevent the Riverlander lords from joining more strength to Robb. Tywin sends his hated son Tyrion to King's Landing and makes him acting Hand of the King to get the Royal Court in line and rein in Joffrey and the other Small Council Members. Tywin then encamps his army at the haunted fortress of Harrenhal as it was the best vantage point to respond to an attack from either of Robb's armies or an attack on King's Landing from either Baratheon contender. While somewhat trying to entice Robb into attacking him at a formidable defensive position, Tywin also sends word back to the Westerlands to raise another host to flank the Young Wolf.
But Robb outplays Tywin again and bypasses the Westerlands' defenses by finding a goat path around the Goldentooth (likely by warging into his Direwolf Greywind) and surprise attacks Tywin's second host at Oxcross. Robb then proceeded to attack the West, plundering livestock, the coast and many gold mines within the northern and western portions of the region. Several castles are seized by Robb's host as Tywin had taken most of the West's strength with him while the rest was lost at Oxcross or focused at Casterly Rock and Lannisport. By doing this, Robb was lessening Tywin's ability to logistically and financially support his army in the field and undermining his power in the eyes of his vassals and his people as Tywin was failing to protect them.
However, Robb's actions were part of a grander ambitious plan that failed due to betrayal and misinterpretation of orders. Theon Greyjoy was sent to the Ironborn to form an alliance and instead helped his father invade the North and take Winterfell. Edmure was ordered to hold Riverrun to defend it and instead Edmure attacked Tywin as he was trying to return to the Riverlands. Though he inflicted heavy losses, Edmure's actions disrupted Robb's plans to draw Tywin into the West where Robb could either attack him at his leisure or exhaust him from any further offensives. Additionally, Tywin would've been unable to come to King's Landing's aid when Stannis attacked and Stannis would've been able to take the city, kill Joffrey and afterwards, Robb hoped to come to an accord with Stannis as his war was with the Lannisters.
Tywin likely realized this after defeating Stannis with the aid of House Tyrell. Tywin would be smart enough to understand how lucky he had been up to this point. Lucky that Robb's plans for an alliance with the Ironborn failed in the worst way possible. Lucky that Robb didn't bring enough men to besiege, take and hold Lannisport or Casterly Rock. Lucky that the Vale was not joining the North and Riverlands, but instead staying oddly silent and neutral thanks to Littlefinger's secret orders to Lysa Tully. Lucky that the Baratheon brothers fought each other instead of uniting against a common enemy. Lucky that his hated son was able to properly prepare the city's defenses while his daughter and grand-son were enlarging their list of enemies with their idiotic cruelty. Lucky that said hated son was able to form an alliance with the Tyrells after Renly's mysterious death. Tywin would also know and accept the reality that House Lannister would have to cater to and rely on the power and wealth of the Tyrells to retain their regime on the Iron Throne. Tywin would realize this reality for the fragile reign of House Lannister and he hated it.
In fact, Tywin was so single-mindled determined to destroy the Starks that he regarded the threat of Mance Rayder's host as a boon for the Lannisters and another foe for the North to fight. Completely ignoring that if the Wildlings took the Wall and the North, they could be in a position to spread out into the divided and war-devastated South. This would be especially bad if the Freefolk managed to team with the culturally similar Mountain Clans of the Vale whom Tywin himself had just supplied with steel weapons and armor to use to takeover the Vale. Tywin's ego is so wounded, that an eventual threat to the realm wasn't a pressing issue as long as it hurt his enemies first.
But Tywin's ego was most severely hurt by the Young Wolf's victories over him. Robb didn't just defeat Tywin in battle, he also turned a winning campaign into a losing struggle. Robb didn't just beat Tywin in martial strategies and tactics, but he also out-thought Tywin and outplayed the Old Lion again and again. The Young Wolf plundered his land and dared to steal the gold of the West, directly hitting Tywin's coffers. Soon, even the dimwited Edmure Tully was able to beat him and ironically, this lucky break allowed Tywin to save King's Landing. Now that the tide had turned again, Tywin didn't just need to defeat the Starks to secure his grand-son's seat on the Iron Throne. Tywin had to defeat the Starks to reassert the strength of House Lannister.
Working in coalition with Walder Frey, Roose Bolton and Sybell and Sir Rolph Spicer, Tywin secretly arranges another infamous atrocity. With Tywin's blessing, Walder Frey would pretend to want amends with Robb Stark in exchange for his uncle Edmure marrying one of Walder's daughters. Roose would gradually bleed the Stark army under his command of those who were loyal to the King in the North so that only Boltons, Freys and Karstarks (Rickard Karstark incident) comprised his lessened host. Sybell Spicer gives her daughter potions to prevent her from getting pregnant with Robb's child and Rolph plays an unspecified role as well.
I need not say what we already know in regards to this event. Even George RR Martin found the Red Wedding so hard to write that it was the last chapter that he finished for Sword of Storms. Tywin swiftly rewards the orchestrators of the event for ridding him of his enemy with only 50 losses to themselves. Roose Bolton was made the new Warden of the North while his son Ramsey was legitamized, granted Winterfell and promised to wed "Arya Stark". House Frey is given Riverrun and Walder Frey practically becomes de facto ruler of the Riverlands as Lord-Paramount Baelish does not care about the Riverlands or the cursed Harrenhal. The Spicers receive Castamere and a betrothal to Tywin's bastard niece Joy Hill, the daughter of his missing brother Gerion Lannister and a serving girl. Though some sources say that Tywin had actually arranged for Joy to marry one of Walder Frey's bastards. The Westerlings are pardoned for their treason and allowed to live.
Why was Tywin so brutal towards Robb? Why did he break unversially sacred social norms and customs to beat the Young Wolf?
Tywin himself explained to Tyrion that he did it to end the war. Tywin admits that Robb was too weary in the field and that he had no way of keeping him from returning North to gather reinforcements. Even with additional aid from House Tyrell and eventually House Arryn and Martell, Robb would be a formidable foe to beat and it would possibly cost thousands more lives to do so. Worst, if Robb managed to get Moat Cailin back from the Ironborn and return to the North, Robb could indefinitely hold the Lannisters and Tyrells at the Neck as the North had done to all comers for thousands of years.
Once again, everything Tywin says here is correct, wise and truthful. There is a certain ruthless logic to the belief of "It's better to kill three and a half thousand men at a wedding than ten thousand in battle." He did efficiently end the war with the North while officially keeping his own hands clean. He can empower the Boltons to takeover the North and "liberate" the parts occupied by the Ironborn. He can use the Freys to keep the devastated Riverlands in line. He may even be seen as merciful considering how he forgave the Spicers and Westerlings and gave them small rewards apart from the big reward of being allowed to live.
But it's not the Truth.
The Truth, was that Robb Stark was to Tywin Lannister what Harry Potter was to Lord Voldemort.
In the 4th Harry Potter movie, Voldemort gives Harry a short, but meaningful speech as he's tormenting and torturing him in a very one sided duel. Voldemort tells Harry that after he dies, no one would ever doubt Voldemort's power. No one would ever use Harry as an example of how the Dark Lord wasn't invincible and wasn't all powerful. That when Harry was killed, they would no longer talk about Harry as "The Boy who lived" or as an inspiring famous hero to stand against the Dark Lord. All people would say about Harry was how outmatched he was and how he begged for death in the end and Voldemort mercifully obliged.
Tywin didn't just want to defeat or destroy House Stark. He also wanted to wipe out people's memories of the Starks. The phrase that best encapsulates what Tywin wanted to do with the Starks is the phrase, In Damnatio memoriae. The Latin phrase meaning "condemnation of memory" was an ancient practice of Roman and the Egyptians to erase an especially disgraceful individual such a senator, an infamous criminal, a traitor, an elite or even a pharoah or emperor from living or archived memory. The disgraced individual's name was stripped from all known records such as carvings, inscriptions, books, coins or even paintings. In popular media, the best example I can recall is the film Ten Commandments. When Moses is discovered to be hebrew and is brought forward for murdering the Egyptian Taskmaster, Pharoah Seti exiles Moses and also has him stripped from all records and memory, even the speaking of his name was forbiddin.
Tywin wanted to do the same to House Stark and a lesser extent, House Tully to satisfy his wounded ego. He didn't want to hear people whisper about how the wolf had tangled the lion's tail or how House Lannister only won because of the Tyrells and sheer dumb luck. So Tywin did all that he could to destroy House Stark's legacy: Tywin has Robb and his mother killed at the Red Wedding; he made secret arrangements to make sure that Robb's wife Jeyne would not get pregnant; He gave a false Stark (Jeyne Poole) and the North to the Boltons; he'd forced Tyrion and Sansa to wed to father a child who could rule the North in House Lannister's name; He threw down House Tully and stripped them of their ancestrial home to give to his brother-in-law Emmon Frey while giving rule of the Riverlands to Littlefinger and Walder Frey; and he even melted down House Stark's treasured Valyrian Steel Greatsword Ice into two valyrian steel longswords, one for House Lannister and the other for...let's face it, House Lannister.
By contrast, Eddard Stark honorably returned the sword Dawn to House Dayne after it's previous Sword of the Morning, Arthur Dayne died at the showdown at the Tower of Joy. Despite having lost half of his family to the Targaryens, Ned still called for justice for the slain children of Elia Martell, refused to hire assassins to kill Viserys or a pregnant Daenaerys and he embraced dishonor as a shield to protect a secret Targaryen. Despite his grief, Eddard was able to hold respect for his enemies and was able to distinguish between the guilty and the innocent.
Even Robert Baratheon for all of his faults allowed Prince Rhaegar to receive a proper burial in Targaryen tradition despite his great hatred of both Rhaegar and the Targaryen dynasty. Robert put the Targaryen dragon skulls in the cellars of the Red Keep, but he did not destroy them. Robert also didn't order Daenarys or Viserys' death until he learned of Dany's marriage to a powerful Dothraki warlord with 100 thousand warriors or that she was pregnant with another contender for his throne. Robert was also very forgiving to most of his enemies, enabling him to earn the respect or even friendship and loyalty of former foes.
But Tywin can't get past the idea that he lost to someone. That he was beaten when he's supposed to be superior to everyone and that the lion has no equal. So he has Robb killed in the most disgraceful way possible and tries all that he can to obliterate the Starks from memory just like he did the Reynes and Tarbecks. Therefore, all people will say about the Starks will be the same that they said about the Reynes. About how they defied Tywin and then were wiped out. Tywin wanted to emulate Aegon the Conqueror who was fair and merciful to enemies who yielded, but wiped out Houses Hoare and Gardener when they defied him and the last daughter of House Durrandon was married to his half-brother Orys Baratheon. All anyone talks about with those houses is how the Targaryens utterly destroyed them in an awe inspiring demonstration of Targaryen power, especially with their dragons.
Remember Maegor? Tywin is making the same mistake that the Third Targaryen King made. He failed to heed the lesson of Maegor's reign. Tywin thinks that brutally crushing the North-Riverlands Alliance will make them fear him and therefore, obey him.
But all Tywin did was make the people of the North and the Riverlands hate Tywin and his House. Even if they didn't know that he helped orchestrate the event, Tywin practically rewarded the Red Wedding by empowering the Boltons and Freys, making him guilty by association. Even his own son Tyrion points out that though the Red Wedding ended the war in the short term, the Northmen would never forget this event. A hundred years in the future, old men would pass the tale down to their children and grand-children so that the North would remember their hate for the Lannisters and all who betrayed and murdered their king and kin. No, not just killed their king, but had his body beheaded, had the head of the king's dead dire wolf sewed onto the stump and then paraded the king's desecrated body in senseless mockery.
In addition, Tywin's actions in the Riverlands and the Red Wedding created the zealous Sparrow Movement. Remember all of the horrible things that Tywin let his men like Clegane and the Brave Companions do? Even to septs and the septons and septas within them? The Sparrows are a group of devout peoples who despised these and other attrocious actions such as Eddard Stark's execution on the steps of Baelor, the Red Wedding and the alleged incestious bastardy of King Joffrey and Tommen. They would eventually get so angry, that they would crowd into King's Landing, display the bones of murdered holy men for all to see and overthrow the Most Devout to appoint their leader as the new High Septon of the Faith of the Seven, also known as the "High Sparrow". Tywin's cruelty created a new enemy and a new problem for his House that is compounded by Cersei's decision to reinstate the Faith Militant
In the short term, Tywin won the war. But in the long-term, the Red Wedding ensured that even those who claimed fealty would never trust or respect the Lannister Regime or their allies. In the Riverlands, the Freys are being picked off like flies by the Brotherhood Without Banners and some fans speculate that there is a plot to initiate a Second Red Wedding against the Freys at Riverrun. In King's Landing, the Sparrows have taken over the Faith of the Seven and are openly rebuking and antagonizing the Lannisters for their atrocities and crimes. In the North, the Boltons are fighting a quietly losing war with enemies from without and within as "Arya's" torment is turning even the few allies that Roose and his son Ramsey have against them.
The key point to remember is that their actual chances of victory or success don't matter. THEY DON'T CARE IF THEY'RE OUTMATCHED OR IF THEY LOSE! THEIR FEAR IS COMPLETELY OVERCOME BY THEIR HATE AND THEIR ANGER! THEY WOULD RATHER FIGHT, LOSE AND DIE THAN LIVE ANOTHER DAY UNDER A REGIME THAT MURDERS AND DESECRATES THEIR KIN!
By killing one enemy in the most brutal way possible, Tywin has created a hundred more.
Unsurprising considering how he treats his own family.
Tywin, the Terrible Father and his Troubled son Tyrion
Some may say that a person's personal traits or his family life has no impact on his legacy as a good or bad leader. Well, when a person's treatment of their family or their personal vices and virtues has a direct impact on their organization/kingdom in a good or bad way, I have to strongly disagree. In the context of Tywin Lannister, his family relations and his treatment of his family directly corelates with the status, fortune and future of House Lannister.
Tywin having issues with his family isn't surprising considering Tywin's background. He hated his father's weakness and continued to resent him even long after his death. Tywin also had a poor relationship with his younger brothers Tygett and Gerion because they each defied Tywin in their own way.
A very skilled fighter, Tygett asserted his own independence and resented being in Tywin's shadow. The reckless Gerion seemed to be more like their father though he had the strong spine that Tytos lacked and this adventurous behavior clashed with Tywin. Kevan and Tywin were the closest of the Lannister brothers not only because Kevan was nearly as intelligent and astute as his older brother, but also because Kevan choose to obediantly and loyally follow his older brother right or wrong.
Tywin and his sister Genna appeared to have had a love-hate relationship as well. Tywin was protective of his younger sister and she in turn loved him for it and was a surrogate mother for his children after Joanna's death. However, Genna did not approve of the joyless and brutal man that Tywin eventually became and she also disliked his antagonism of Tyrion. At one point, Genna told Tywin that Tyrion was most like him and Tywin refused to speak to his sister for half of a year. Genna also fell out of favor with Tywin due to disappointing him in some unknown manner.
Despite their strained relationship, Tywin did look out for his family in his own way. When Gerion went missing during a voyage to Valyria, Tywin sent out men to search for much of the decade to find Gerion until he was assumed dead. Tywin also allowed Gerion's bastard daughter Joy Hill and Tygett's son Tyrek to stay in the Lannister household for the sake of his late brothers. Genna's husband Emmon Frey and their children and grandchildren remain a constant presence in Casterly Rock. After the Red Wedding, Tywin grants Riverrun to Emmon Frey; Darry to Kevan's son Lancel and searched for Tyrek after he went missing during the Riot in King's Landing.
Still, considering how he treated his own children, I cannot say that Tywin ever did anything favorable for his family unless it was also in his own interests. Looking for his missing brother and nephew may have simply been done because their disappearence reflected negatively on House Lannister. Taking in his neice and nephew was likely a pragmatic way of having more future tools closeby to expand House Lannister's power. Lastly, granting seized lands and castles to his kin also doubled as a way of creating de-jure and de-facto cadet branches for House Lannister. Tyrek was even wed to a baby Lady Hayford as a naked way to allow a Lannister takeover of House Hayford's lands. It's not impossible that Tywin did have some true love and care for his siblings and their progeny, but it would have been overruled by his pride and ambition.
In regards to his children, it seems that Tywin had the most fondness for his eldest son Jamie. After all, Jamie was growing up to be a talented, attractive and skilled knight. Tywin hedged his hopes on his son succeeding him and using Tywin's actions as a jumping off point to bring more glory and power to House Lannister. A dream taken from him when the Mad King appointed Jamie to the Kingsguard to spite Tywin. Tywin seems to have lived in denial about what it meant for his son to take the whitecloak as when Tyrion asserted his place as heir, Tywin stated that Jamie was heir and Tyrion had to tell him that Jamie gave that up when he joined the Kingsguard.
However, as soon as Jamie asserted that he wanted to stay on the Kingsguard and not leave it when Tywin offers, things change. Tywin's love for his golden son was contingent on Jamie doing as Tywin wanted. The moment that Jamie put his own honor above that of Tywin's plans, Tywin immediately disowned Jamie as his son. A sign of Tywin's controlling nature in regards to his mental complex, if someone doesn't do as he wants then they are worthless.
Tywin initially had a warm relationship with his daughter Cersei when she was younger. He doted on her and even confided in her his plans to marry Cersei to Prince Rhaegar. However, Tywin eventually came to regard his daughter as nothing more a tool, forcing her into a loveless and abusive marriage with Robert Baratheon to advance House Lannister's position. He also surmised that Cersei was politically incompetent and hypocritically regarded Cersei as incapable as a mother. To that end, Tywin tried to have Cersei married to Willas Tyrell, heir of Highgarden to remove her from the capital, then Joffrey would be under his thumb and Tommen would be sent to Casterly Rock.
The ironic thing about Tywin's relationship with his daughter is that he practically molded her to inherit all of his worst qualities. Cersei grew up to exemplify all of Tywin's cruelty, malice, pride, selfishness, envy and even got his superiority complex though her mental issues are closer to classic narcissm. But since Tywin took no interest in trying to tutor or mentor his daughter, Cersei has at best a low cunning. But she cannot comprehend that her ill-choices will have ill-consequences, refuses to take any responsibility for her faults, and has neither the patience nor insight to make a move that won't also somehow backfire against her and her house.
As intelligent as he was, its odd that Tywin was utterly ignorant of the incestious relationship between his twin children. Even his wife Joanna figured out the affair and took steps to stop it. Evidentally, Joanna ordered her children never to continue their relationship or she would tell their father. However, Joanna would perish and her twin children could practically disregard their mother's wishes. But in all of the years that Tywin saw his children grow up both in Casterly Rock and King's Landing, never once did he see anything that would make him suspect their incestious feelings for each other. In fact, even Tyrion would see the truth about his twin siblings and said nothing out of family loyalty and love for Jamie.
With the exception of Sir Barristen the Bold, all of the small council of Robert Baratheon knew or eventually figured out the truth: Pycelle, who knew but kept silent out of loyalty to the Lannisters; Baelish knew, but kept quiet because it helped his plans; Varys knew, but kept quiet because it helped his plans; as I asserted in a previous essay, Renly knew about the incest, but quiet for his own plans; Stannis suspected the incest and together with Jon Arryn were able gather proof which proved the truth; and Eddard Stark figured out the truth that Jon was killed for and tried to act on it. Hell, the Tyrells very likely know the truth, but say nothing because of their ambitions for the Iron Throne.
Tywin's willful ignorance seems to be a symptom of another family problem with Tywin Lannister. He only saw in his children what he wanted to see and never what was actually there. He ignored and disregarded anything that did not fit in with his vision of his golden twin children and the ill-made spiteful little imp that killed his beloved wife. He didn't know about the incest because he didn't want to know. And it would be Tywin's selective blindness which would create the crisis point that would set the Seven Kingdoms on Fire.
All Tywin had to do was privately meet with his children, firmly warn them to break off their affair or he would tell King Robert and the High Septon. But Tywin wouldn't do that because that would endanger his golden children and the stain of his children in such an affair would haunt House Lannister for generations to come. The truth going public would do more damage to House Lannister than anything Tytos' weakness could've done.
But Tywin's worst deed in regards to his family was antagonizing his son Tyrion.
Even though Tyrion is just as smart and capable as his father, Tywin can never overlook the fact that Tyrion is a dwarf who killed his wife in childbirth. So Tywin has taken it on himself to make his son as miserable as possible just like Tywin himself was made miserable by his wife's death. Every vice and bad event in Tyrion's life growing up can be directly traced towards Tywin's mistreatment of his son. Everything that Tyrion did offended Tywin, every word from Tyrion's mouth was an unpleasant noise. When others spoke or acted in support of his son, Tywin rebuked them as seen with Genna and Gerion. It got so bad that sometimes a young Tyrion would light fires in the depths of Casterly Rock and pretend to see his father burning in those fires.
Hell, Tywin even forebade his son from travelling on his 16th nameday or with his uncle Gerion. It's as if Tywin hates Tyrion so much that he won't even let him out of his sight or to go on a journey where he would have any joy. Instead, Tywin's gift to Tyrion on his 16th nameday was putting him charge of all of the cisterns and drains of Casterly Rock. He did this because Tywin told Tyrion he was irresponsible in regards to his marriage to Tysha.
We've already been over that, but remember Tysha.
And no, the grief over his wife's death is no excuse for any of this. If Tyrion is truly guilty of killing Joanna by childbirth, Tywin is equally guilty for getting her pregnant in the first place. I doubt that Joanna would ever want Tywin to treat their child the way that he has. She may not have like how Tyrion grew up to be a drunk, cynic who likes to sleep around with prostitutes. But if she knew about Tyrion was treated by her father, she would probably be on Tyrion's side, especially over the Tysha incident.
During the events of the book, Tywin shows his disregard for Tyrion as well as his tactic of using family as tools. He sends Tyrion into danger at the battle of the Green Fork and by taking command in King's Landing or lets him stay in danger such as when Tyrion was on trial for murdering Joffrey. While Tywin does not want to be associated with the status of a kinslayer, he won't hesitate to put Tyrion in a situation where he could die. If Tyrion had died at the Green Fork or in King's Landing, then no one could blame Tywin. But if Tyrion lived and did some good, then Tywin would benefit.
It cannot be understated just how cruelly Tywin treated Tyrion after the Battle of the Blackwater. Tyrion used his wit and courage to repair the damage left in Joffrey and Cersei's wake. He prepared the city by giving the defenders proper leaders, regaining and maintaining order in the city and properly utilizing wildfyre. He also managed to form an alliance with the Tyrells and Martells to give the Lannisters allies while previously they were alone. Tyrion personally fought and led men during Stannis attack on Kings Landing despite being a dwarf with leg cramping problems. He lost his nose and nearly his life because of a treacherous kingsguard. How does Tywin honor his son's efforts and sacrifice? He gives him absolutely no credit and basically takes all of the praise for saving Kings Landing for himself.
Tywin never visited his wounded son as he laid recovering from his face-maiming injury. When Tyrion confronts his father, Tywin refuses to acknowledge Tyrion as his heir or give him Casterly Rock later on. No matter what Tyrion does, Tywin will always see him as, "An ill-made spiteful little creature filled with lust and low cunning that killed his mother to come into the world." Even the marriage to Sansa is a poisoned gift as it was less about rewarding Tyrion and more of a further insult to Robb Stark. An insult that says, "You dare defy me Young Wolf? I'll kill you, take your kingdom and give it and your sister to my lustful, ugly dwarf son."
When Tyrion is accused of murdering Joffrey and Cersei starts rigging the trial against him, Tywin sits back and lets it all happen. Considering Tywin's intelligence, many have figured that he knew about Tyrion's innocence, but said nothing as the unfair trial was Tywin's golden chance to be rid of Tyrion once and for all. Tywin planned for Tyrion to take the Black if found guilty as the vows of the Nights Watch are life-binding. Even if Joffrey's murderer was found, it would not absolve Tyrion of his oath and Tywin could wash his hands of the trial or the possibility of being named a kinslayer. Even when Tyrion defied his trial, demanded a trial by combat and failed, Tywin evidently still planned to send Tyrion to the Night's Watch with Mace Tyrell's approval.
So when one considers how badly Tywin has treated Tyrion his entire life; considers how Tywin had Tyrion's wife gangraped and lied about her being a whore; considers how Tywin utterly failed to show Tyrion any respect or acknowledgement for his talents, efforts and accomplishments; considers how Tywin let Tyrion suffer through a humiliating rigged trial for a crime that he did not commit; and considers the anger Tyrion feels from learning the truth about Tysha not being a whore...
Should one be surprised that Tyrion eventually snapped and killed Tywin on the toilet?
And as one last insult, Tywin shagged Shae while Tyrion was languishing in a cell. Despite constantly crapping on his son for sleeping around with whores, Tywin Lannister sleeps with a whore who was previously his son's lover. This man already had his daughter-in-law gangraped and sent away with everyone believing she was a whore and now he's sleeping with his son's former lover. Sleeping with Shae is at best, another stealth insult in Tyrion's direction and at worst, Tywin may be sleeping with whores as well, just like his toothless and spineless father Tytos was. Tywin's rebuke of Tyrion's love of whores because hypocritical either way and doubly so when you consider his dislike of his father taking mistresses and what he did with Tytos last mistress.
I wonder what Freud would say about this little messed up dynamic?
And just to put aside the immoral and unethical behavior Tywin displays towards his son, let's give a quick thought from a logical perspective. If Tywin had never mistreated his son, Tyrion would have no reason to kill him and Tywin would still be alive. So in a sense, Tywin might well as shot himself with that crossbow considering how much brought his fate upon himself.
Tywin's Legacy
Tywin believed that ruthless brutality was the best way for people to fear and respect him. Tywin won his power through fear and an obsession with his house's image and legacy.
However, he failed to heed the lesson of King Maegor the Cruel.
Tywin is repeating the same mistake that Maegor made.
Tywin puts little stock in a consistent and fair system of justice, law and order. He will ignore Social Order and Sacred Cultural Norms if it suits his interests. He acts without any short or long term regard for the common people who inhabit his realm.
He treats his family as pawns, emotionally and psychologically abusing them into becoming the puppets of his will. If anyone steps out of line, he punishes them in the worst way that he can think of to either get them back under his thumb or cut them off from House Lannister forever.
When Tywin died, everything he'd built eroded away due to his distrust and cruelty. From within and without, enemies are lining up to destroy House Lannister either to advance their own power or as retribution for one of Tywin's dark deeds. The Faith of the Seven is on the verge of Denouncing Tywin's grand-son depending on the outcome of his daughter's trial. House Martell may ally themselves with (F)Aegon and the Golden Company. The North and the Riverlands are in a civil war with Lannister allies facing a growing list of Stark loyalist enemies directly attacking them or helping Stannis, a man whom Ned Stark endorsed as the rightful king. The Ironborn are invading the Reach and are very well poised to do the same to the still weakened and devastated Westerlands. No one in the Vale could be counted as a friend to the Lannisters while Cersei's actions have made relations with the Tyrells very tenuous.
As far as Tywin's children are concerned, Tywin's treatment of them has made 2 of them living threats to his house and the third has walked away. Jamie has become disillusioned and washed his hands of his family's madness, preferring to dedicate himself to trying to redeem himself as a knight and a kingsguard. Cersei is so incompetent and self-destructive that plotters like Varys and Littlefinger are letting her stay in power so that she'll ruin the realm more. Meanwhile, Tyrion is hellbent on destroying his house as revenge for a lifetime of abuse and mistreatment by teaming up with Daenarys Targaryen.
Tywin meanwhile is dead, killed on the privy after spending hours unable to relieve himself due to an unknown blockage in his bowels (possible compliments of Oberyn Martell). When he dies at the hand of his abused son, the son he himself abused and antagonized, Tywin's bowels loosen and its contents empty out of the fatal wound from Tyrion's crossbow. As he looks upon the scene and smells the stench of death and filth, Tyrion can only give his legendary quip:
"Lord Tywin Lannister did not, in the end, shit gold."
That is Tywin's legacy.
He took bloodied bones of malice and cruelty and painted it with gold to present to all of the world. But in time, the gold would fade or wash away and only the blood and the bones would be left. The filth of Tywin's evil ultimately did far more harm to Westeros than good, another way for Martin to tell the lesson of how brutal and cruel leaders can never build prosperity in the long term. All Tywin left for his family wish a foul smelling and smiling corpse and a host of enemies encrouching the Lannisters to avenge what was taken from them.
Conclusion
The character of Tywin is likable due to his force of personality, legitimate capabilities and accomplishments and his multi-layered characterization. But one must acknowledge the truth that George RR Martin is trying to convey with the character. Tywin is a way for George to deconstruct and explore what would truly make for a good ruler in a world like Westeros. Allow me for a moment to give a Charles Dance like analysis on what people would say of Tywin generations after his death.
"Tywin Lannister was an intellectually brilliant and diligent ruler. He rebuilt the power and prestige of House Lannister, putting calcitrant vassals back under his rule or destroying them. He served as Hand of the King for King Aerys II, King Joffrey I and King Tommen I. And in his prideful cruelty, he committed atrocity after atrocity against the people of the Crownlands, Dorne, the Riverlands, and the North that made them eternal foes of House Lannister and created many more as well. He mistreated, abused and disregarded his own kin until his son grew tired of his father's malice and murdered him. After that, all who hated Tywin for his deeds turned their hate against his house and destroyed it."
Lastly, I do have an interesting belief on Martin's deconstruction of the fantasy genre. It appears that this not based on some intent to undermine the genre or call its better ideas of a noble king or righteous knights as pointless. I believe that Martin actually LAMENTS the fact that noble kings and righteous knights aren't ruling Westeros. He shows Westeros and its people actively suffering under the selfish, ambitious backstabbers like the Lannisters, Boltons, Freys and to a lesser extent, the Tyrells. They've won the war and their ambitions are fulfilled, but everyone else is worst for it. Furthermore, the consequences of their actions are slowly biting them in the ass, stripping them of all of the power that they'd attained and that their doom is already sealed. Westeros is also far from ready for the Others and that's going to suck and Martin isn't sugarcoating how its going to suck for them.
Not only do I believe that Martin that firmly wrote Tywin as an evil man obsessed with power, he did so to demonstrate that leaders like Tywin should not be in power. Martin does not absolve anyone of their evil and he also is willing to show how such malice can damage both the victims and the perpetrator themselves. Tywin thought that he could use this malice to gain control over others both to advance his house and to raise himself above others. It was a wine that Tywin drank and shared with his kin that tasted sweeter than victory. But in the end, that malice became a poison that will soon fell all of the Lions of House Lannister.
Tywin was just the beginning.
And Tywin has no one to blame but himself.
The End
Disclaimer: A Song of Ice and Fire is the property of George RR Martin
