Since Game of Thrones first aired on HBO, all fans have had a similar craving: to see Joffrey's head treated with the same courtesy as Ned Stark's was at the end of season one. His wicked actions, such as his treatment of the Starks, his attitude towards his own family and, in my opinion one of the worst, his sadistic killing of Ros, have put him in the Pantheon of villains along with the Joker, Hannibal Lecter and Cruella De Vil. And indeed the public's wishes came true in the latest episode of Game of Thrones season four: the "Baratheon" king, or should we say the Lannister king, died.
His death, which obviously does not come as a shock to the readers of A Song of Ice and Fire, occurs on his wedding day to Margaery Tyrell. During the festivities he is given a cup of wine and chokes to death, poisoned by the beverage. Due to the color of the King's face upon his death, the event was dubbed 'The Purple Wedding', an occasion that most certainly brought the viewers more joy than the previous season's "Red Wedding".
The TV scene was, I must admit, very well done and Joffrey's death is, to the public's joy, rather excruciating, albeit not quite as graphic as the passage in the book. The reaction to his death was unanimous: thank God for that. Fans across the globe rejoiced as they watched Cersei's distress as she holds her evil dying son.
However, I do not feel the satisfaction I thought I would after witnessing his death. I did not feel as if justice had been served. He did not face or acknowledge any of his evil, no wicked, deeds nor did he suffer the same way he had made so many suffer during his reign. Did Sansa feel compensated for the death of her brother and father? I'm not sure she did.
I guess this is a topic similar to that of the death penalty. By staying alive and simply facing his wrongdoing, he would have gotten off easy and by dying so quickly and violently he was given a cleaner death than most of the people he murdered and tortured, and he did not face his actions. So would any outcome have satisfied me and, perhaps, other viewers? Maybe he deserved a fate more similar to that of Theon Greyjoy.
Another reason for my lack of satisfaction might simply be that I will miss Joffrey's character. Once he is gone, who is left to hate and discuss after each episode? Indeed Koffrey's death was something to look forward to and now that is is over, we are left with some mild feeling of satisfaction, a sensation or loss and the belief justice has not even remotely been served. Because, at the end of the day, he will just end up buried with all the other kings of Westeros and only suffered five minutes for his sins.