As of yet, no one in House of the Dragon seems to compare to the comionate and yet deviously scheming Margaery Tyrell of Game of Thrones, although her closest counterpart is most probably Rhaenyra Targaryen herself.
Like Rhaenyra, Margaery appeared to be sweet on the outside, but the truth was far more complex. She was, indeed, one of the series most complicated individuals to have appeared and her storyline was cut short leading viewers to wonder at her true intentions beneath it all. For all of that, there are still a number of quotes that do a good job of summing up her personality.
"I Want To Be The Queen.”
Season 2, Episode 5, “The Ghost Of Harrenhal”
Margaery Tyrell was inarguably one of the smartest characters on Game of Thrones and one of the reasons it was such a great show about politics. Like the best power players, she knew how to use the levers of influence to get what she wanted, and what she wanted was to be the queen. As this quote points out, this was always a key part of her identity.
While she might want others to see her differently, the truth is that she was, like many of the series’ other most compelling characters, hungry for power and for influence. She was never going to settle for anything less than what she deserved.
“I Don't Know Your Grace, Do You Think I Could?”
Season 3, Episode 2, “Dark Wings, Dark Words”
Margaery was one of the few people who could manipulate Joffrey--a truly evil fantasy villain--into doing what she wanted. In part, this was because she was something of a personality chameleon, able to change herself to suit the needs of the moment.
This is perfectly encapsulated in this particular quote, in which she is responding in kind to Joffrey’s questions about whether she could kill someone. What’s particularly disturbing about this quote is how much it sums up Margaery’s essential unknowability, her ability to be all things to all people, even if that meant losing something essential about herself.
"The Whole Notion Of Marriage Seems To Confuse You."
Season 2, Episode 4, “Garden Of Bones”
There were times when Littlefinger seemed like the one character who was best at playing the game of thrones. As he found out with Margaery, however, that wasn’t nearly as much the case as he would have liked to believe.
In this quote, Margaery revealed the key elements of her personality that would see her come very close to attaining the power she so desperately wanted. In particular, she had the ability to set others in their place, especially when they thought they were the ones who were in a position of power.
“Come To Me For Whatever You Need To Feed Them, Clothe Them..."
Season 3, Episode 1, “Valar Dohaeris”
If there was one thing that Margaery did particularly well, it was manipulating public opinion. In a notable scene from the beginning of the third season, she met a group of poor folk and urged them to come to her if she needed anything.
At this point, it’s unclear whether she’s doing this because she genuinely cares for the poor or because she wants to accumulate more power for herself. As would come to often be the case with her, it is a bit of both. She is, to both the viewer and herself, something of an enigma. It's because of characters like her that Game of Thrones is such a great HBO show.
“One Of My Husbands Preferred The Company Of Men And Was Stabbed Through The Heart. [...]I Must Be Cursed.”
Season 4, Episode 3, “Breaker Of Chains”
Margaery has one of the unluckiest married lives in the history of Westeros. As she reveals in this quote, however, she knows this about herself. There is, indeed, something more than a little refreshing about the candid way in which she talks about her husbands.
And, more to the point, it shows that she is very clear-eyed about the consequences of these facts. When it comes right down to it, though, Margaery is the type of powerful female character who will always do what she has to in order to survive, no matter how bad her husband might be, she will find a way to twist his power and influence to best suit her own schemes.
"We Would Be Sisters, You And I. Would You Like That?”
Season 3, Episode 4, “And Now His Watch Is Ended”
The friendship between Sansa and Margaery is a relatively brief one, but it clearly means a great deal to the former, who sees a potential ally in the latter. For Margaery’s part, the appeal to sisterhood seems to be at least somewhat genuine.
Say what one will about Margaery, but she isn’t totally heartless. This quote reveals that, when the situation requires it, she can even offer a helping hand to someone who is in desperate need of it. It is one of those moments where she emerges as a very likable character in her own right, although the more cynical fan may suggest this was also just part of her political power play.
“He Sits The Throne Like He Was Born To It.”
Season 4, Episode 5, “First Of His Name”
Once Tommen ascends the Iron Throne, Margaery understands that he is now her access to power. This helps to explain why she makes this remark to Cersei, and though their conversation ends up being a pointed one generally, this comment from Margaery says much about her personality.
She is the type of person who will always go whichever way the wind happens to be blowing. She knows that her only access to power is through whoever happens to be sitting on the Iron Throne, which is why she is willing to offer such an obviously insincere compliment about Tommen (hardly the most inspiring king).
“Women In Our Position Must Make The Best Of Our Circumstances.”
Season 3, Episode 7, “The Bear And The Maiden Fair”
There’s no question that Margaery is one of the best female characters Game of Thrones ever produced. Much of this stems from her own self-knowledge about the role that women are expected to fulfill in Westerosi society. In this quote, she reveals just how much she knows the truth of matters.
More to the point, she also recognizes that it’s up to her to make the most out of what she is presented, and understands that in Westeros, women gain power through marriages and alliance rather than personal political play. As she shows throughout the series, this just happens to be one of her specialties.
“Cersei Understands The Consequences Of Her Absence And She Is Absent Anyway."
Season 6, Episode 10, “The Winds Of Winter”
The rivalry between Cersei and Margaery is one of the most important in the later seasons of the show. However much they might despise one another, they also understand one another in a way few other characters do.
In this quote, Margaery reveals that she, at least, has seen the truth: that Cersei has planned all of their doom. Unfortunately, no one is willing to believe her until it is too late. This, too, seems to be a key part of her personality and character: to never be fully appreciated.
“I've Had Lots Of Time To Think About How Good I Was At Seeming Good.”
Season 6, Episode 6, “Blood Of My Blood”
Margaery Tyrell isn’t someone who is willing to believe lies, even when they might be to her advantage. In this quote, she reveals just how much she has decided to look inward. It’s one of the most forthright moments of any character in the series, and it’s hard not to feel at least a bit sorry for her.
Having been stripped of everything, she now has to confront the truths about herself. It’s the perfect quote to sum up her character, as she has finally come to understand it in all of its complicated moral ambiguity.