This heroine did not leave indifferent any fan of the Game of Thrones. No wonder the Red Woman is called one of the most mysterious and controversial characters, although in the series there are practically no absolutely negative or completely positive characters.
Our article will tell about Lady Melisandra, the different facets of her extraordinary image, as well as the actress who played the role in the series.
Appearance and character
Describing the heroine in the books “Song of Ice and Fire”, the author did not skimp on epithets. According to him, she is tall, stately, full-chested. No wonder she is called Red, because she prefers this color in clothes. You can’t call her written beauty, but Melisandra is pretty and elegant, and besides, she has a certain attractive power.
No less spectacular is the serial Red Woman from Game of Thrones. Photos of the heroine do not give any doubt.
We can notice another important detail. Screen Melisandra prefers, rather, not red, but richer carmine and deep marsala.
She is the priestess of the Fiery God, occupying a rather high position. Seeing in one of his visions that Stanis Baratheon was the embodiment of a deity and that he was destined to defeat the Great Other, Melisandra went to him, brought new faith, promised to serve and help in every possible way.
The movements of Melisandra are leisurely, full of dignity. She confidently communicates with the powers that be, and looks down at Queen Selisa at all, waving at her discretion and not trying to hide her romance with the king.
The writers endowed her not only with a bright appearance, but also with some other unusual abilities that set her apart from ordinary people. For example, dressed in one dress and a light cloak, she does not freeze in severe frost, assuring that faith warms her.
Relations with Stanis Baratheon
It is perhaps difficult to find a series in which as many love lines would be intertwined as in Game of Thrones. Although the Red Woman is a servant of a religious cult, nothing human is alien to her. This is not to say that she is burning with passion for the king, rather, she enjoys what men like, has power over them.
Stanis is not the only one with whom Melisandra had a connection. But their romance is spelled out in all colors. Firstly, despite the fact that the king is married, lovers do not care too much about keeping incognito. Secondly, Melisandra becomes pregnant from Stanis, but not in the human sense, but in the magic. The shadow born by her kills Renly Baratheon, after which his army goes to Stanis. By the way, there are two such “children” in the book.
Goals and methods of the priestess of the Fiery god
The controversial topic of religious fanatics has been raised more than once in The Game of Thrones. Red Woman is ready to do anything for the service of the Lord of Light. In her view, he is the embodiment of Good, a counterbalance to the Great Other and all the dark force advancing on the world of people from the unknown North. Stanis, it seems to her, is a sword in God's hand, which should triumph in that very battle for life.
But the viewer sees that in his desire to fulfill the will of the god Melisander sometimes goes too far, not disdaining even human sacrifices. Without flinching, she sets fire to a fire under Mans. But even more terrible is the scene of the ritual murder of the young Shiren, the daughter of Stanis.
However, if this turns the viewer away from the Red Woman, then not for long. Later, with the help of magic, she brings to life the treacherously murdered John Snow. She repents, regrets her deed, admits that her visions were erroneous. But is a real bastard villain capable of repentance?
The Face and Face of Melisandra
In season 6, viewers will learn one of the most terrible secrets of Melisandra. It turns out that the Red Woman from Game of Thrones is an old woman!
Tired and disappointed, having lost her king, she takes off her clothes and ruby necklace, turning into a hunched freak with braids of rare gray hair and saggy skin.
The famous kinolap
That moment with the transformation into an old woman was the reason to take a fresh look at a ruby necklace. Most viewers believe that this is a powerful magical artifact, thanks to which Melisandra looks young and blooming. The fact is that she already appeared on the screen without a necklace when she bathed in the bathroom and was completely naked. But then she did not turn into an old woman. Many fans of the series consider the bathing scene to be one of the most significant film-clips of Game of Thrones.
The Red Woman, as conceived by the creators, is very old. But thanks to what she looks young, she has not really agreed. Nowhere is it mentioned that the secret of the priestess's beauty lies in the decoration. Perhaps she uses a potion that gives youth. Or maybe she doesn’t need artifacts and drugs at all. Indeed, at the time of transformation, Melisander was simply exhausted, disappointed, and upset. So she threw off her mask, so as not to waste energy on it.
A few words about the actress
The Red Woman in Game of Thrones was played by Dutchwoman Caris van Houten. She can boast of several prestigious awards, for example, the Golden Calf Award, which she was awarded more than once for the best female role.
It is noteworthy that before the role of the Red Woman in the Game of Thrones, the actress was considered as the main contender for the role of Cersei, but because of the tight schedule she was forced to abandon this idea.