to everyone saying that shae had it coming:
I still don’t understand how one can watch Game of Thrones and not think critically about every character and his or her motivation. The show/books have made it clear that no character is purely evil (except Joffrey and Ramsay Snow those fuckers are sick). No character acts without reason. Everything is complicated and rich with class struggles, gender struggles, and much more.
I feel like a lot of people are taking Shae’s story and journey too simplistically. Like: lol tyrion found hot whore and then they banged a lot and they loved each other but than the hoe was jealous of sansa and betrayed tyrion what a bitch so glad he killed her.
When that is not how Shae’s story went down AT ALL, at least in the show. I can’t speak to the books yet because I only just finished the second one but what I can say is that Shae in the books and Shae in the show are two totally different characters to me. Shae in the books is vapid and shallow. She does not really love Tyrion, she loves his money. She is also not the brightest, at least where I am. In the show, I adored Shae. She is smart, proud, and defiant. She puts Tyrion in his place time and time again. She really loved him.
But why would she betray him?
It’s been said before but I will say it again. Did she really have a choice? I truly believe that if Tyrion hadn’t cast her out, calling her a whore, and choosing Sansa over her, Shae would’ve died for him in an instant. But he did. He chose his wealth and station over her and yes he threw her out because he loved her but she doesn't know that. And then say she’s heading for her ship but she’s stopped by the Lannisters (which I believe is what must have happened). They tell her to testify or she dies. Is she supposed to die for the man who scorned her? The man who told her she was just a whore? No. Shae is a survivor and she is not a woman who would die for unrequited love.
So Shae betrays him and she betrays Sansa too which bothered me most of all (it was very out of character for her). And then we find her in the finale in Tywin’s bed. Of course, people who are once again examining her simplistically would say: lol dumb whore shae fucking tywin now? what a bitch.
I am willing to bet that Tywin called for Shae and he probably offered her money but was Shae supposed to decline? She was supposed to decline Tywin Lannister, the most powerful man in Westeros? You’re dreaming if you think that wouldn’t put her in danger. Twyin threatened to kill her many times before, which she is well aware of. What would stop him from killing her now?
And then Tyrion finds her there and she attacks him. I wish we got so much more from this scene. I felt Shae attacking Tyrion was out of place and it was very strange that Tyrion didn’t demand any kind of explanation. I feel like they simply had Shae attack Tyrion so they could justify her murder even more. But I don’t think Shae’s murder is justifiable at all.
Tyrion brought upon her death from the moment he took her with him to King’s Landing. He claimed to love her but refused to run away with her. Instead, he continued to put her in danger. And sure, Shae had many opportunities to leave but she stayed because her love of him. Tyrion wouldn’t leave with her because his love of his wealth and power. And then Shae “betrays him” and he doesn’t even have the decency or respect for her to question it and ask her why. I understand it was heat of the moment. I understand Tyrion had been twisted from the trial. I understand Tyrion’s motivation although that is something fans are completely denying to do for Shae.
Shae did not have it coming.
What Tyrion did to her was horrible and unfair.
Shae was a pawn in the game of thrones and it was Tyrion who brought her into it and it was Tyrion who took her out.
And hopefully we will see him living with that guilt for the remainder of the show.
So please, look at these characters more complexly. Do not render them simply as a caricatures or stereotypes. They deserve so much more than that.