The Underlying Moral Differences Between Littlefinger’s Selfishness and Varys’ Crafty Altruism

As part of their ongoing analysis of the blockbuster HBO series Game of Thrones, the insightful folks at ScreenPrism compared the ideology of Littlefinger against that of Varys. These are two very different characters who both have acted in a similar manner to affect an optimal change. It’s what each man considers to be optimal that highlights the moral difference between the two. While Littlefinger seems to be acting on behalf of all, he is actually acting solely on his own behalf whereas Varys chooses to do all he can for the sake of the realm.

Varys and Littlefinger maintain opposite perspectives on the morality of power. Littlefinger is purely and openly for himself always,…while Varys uses the same crafty wiles with the goal of doingwhat’s best for the people… this fundamental difference in the philosophies that drive them is key. Their views of life caused the two characters’ fates to ultimately diverge in spite of their similar talents and strategies