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Did Queen Margaery have a plan of her own? Everyone in Westeros is a schemer with a plan.

Margaery seemed as though she had a plan of her own to get her and her brother free. She turned down her grandmother's help and told her to leave. She seemed to be working her way out to free her brother.

Did she have a plan of her own or did she really convert and was planning to follow the High Sparrow?

How was she planning to get herself and brother out ?

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  • Answers will be speculative at best, but it was pretty clear that she had a plan. She's not the type to sit back and hope things get better. She's motivated to make things happen. What her plan was -- we may never know.
    – Eckert
    Commented Jul 8, 2016 at 19:59
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    @Eckert - I thought she did have a plan but that I had missed the hints as to what she might be planning.
    – Hannover Fist
    Commented Jul 8, 2016 at 20:25
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    It's possible Natalie Dormer (actress) was given clues about her plan so she could play the part more vividly and might now share them - sadly that's probably our only hope. Author GRRM has mentioned that he saw the book version of her as less smart and savvy than we see in the show, and "really just like a 16 year old kid", so it's unlikely future books will help
    – user56reinstatemonica8
    Commented Jul 8, 2016 at 21:27

2 Answers 2

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We do not know what her plan was.

She was clearly not completely brainwashed by the High Sparrow as evidence when she gave Olenna the rose drawing. It is possible that she did not have a plan and was just trying to tell her grandmother that it was not safe to stay as Margaery might have known the High Sparrow was going to try to go after Olenna as well.

However, her interaction after Loras has the symbol carved into his head impies she did have a plan:

Maergry: You mutilated him, you gave me your word.

High Sparrow: I've kept my word. Once the Queenmother's trial is concluded, Brother Loras is free to leave.

In all reality, whatever her plans were, they do not matter now;

Seeing as everyone is dead...

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    Maybe the High Sparrow completely brainwashed Margaery and told her to draw that rose because he wanted to assure Olenna that Margaery was not brainwashed (:
    – Schullz
    Commented Jul 8, 2016 at 20:10
  • I tend to think she had a plan, she seemed to be scheming for the Iron Throne as much as Cersei was.
    – user53970
    Commented Jul 8, 2016 at 20:23
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    Another facet on "we don't know" - the books prob won't help as GRRM (author) has confirmed that TV show Marge is much smarter and "10 years" more mature and astute than he imagined her when writing the books. So whatever her plan was, it's likely show-only. If the crew worked thatbout at all, our only chance to know is interviews with Dormer (actress) or D&D (showrunners/lead writers). Olena, however...
    – user56reinstatemonica8
    Commented Jul 8, 2016 at 21:22
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    @Schullz Margaery's language and demeanour when demanding that everyone should leave the Sept of Baelor strongly suggest that she hadn't genuinely accepted the Faith. "Forget about the bloody gods and listen to what I'm telling you."
    – Mike Scott
    Commented Jul 9, 2016 at 5:36
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    @user568458 - that's probably because Natalie Dormer carried over some residual Anne Boleyn royal scheming from the Tudors.
    – PoloHoleSet
    Commented Jul 12, 2016 at 15:27
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We cannot know anything for certain

However we can make some astute speculation. Margaery appears to be a more subtle manipulator than Cersei and far more able to dispense with her pride (which is considerable) when it would interfere with that.

Given that, and drawing some inspiration from the novels, we see that she seems to consider that when threatened by the faith at Cersei's doing, grasping the nettle (rose?) is the correct play. She surrenders and embraces the faith, humbling herself in ways that Cersei refuses to do for a long time and does so self-destructively when she realises the necessity.

In doing so, and in bringing Tommen into the faith, she takes him further from Cersei. She's found a way to turn the faith somewhat to her service.

The High Sparrow appears to be aware of this but accepting of it as he plays Cersei and Margaery against each other to further his (and the sparrow's) influence.

We can't know what her next move was going to be but it seems that she felt that she could largely evade the consequences of her actions by humbling herself and then turn the faith against Cersei, which is more or less what happens in the books. Loras is wounded in battle, potentially dying, and not arrested by the High Sparrows in the novels so we have no guidance on his fate.

In general, Margaery is a more subtle and less violent player than Cersei but Cersei is quicker to destroy her opponents rather than disarm them.

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