Some thoughts on Good King Viserys I and the Iron Throne:
As it related to the Iron Throne and it’s literary purpose in this epic fantasy, I fully believe that the Iron Throne is the One Ring. George was so heavily inspired by Tolkien’s work (even adapting “RR” as middle initials on his books), that he wanted to pay tribute to the world Tolkien built, with dragons and castles and Lords and legends and world building, without as to much stealing anything that he develops his own homage to the LOTR by using the same elements and themes.
The One Ring corrupted those who sought its power, once they had it, they didn’t want to give it up. Emphasis on “those who sought its power”- NOT those who had it but did not want it (see: Gandalf and Ned Stark) The Throne corrupted all who sought it. Robert Baratheon and Daenarys to name a few.
So why might you ask did it so violently disfigure Viserys, yet he remained a good man?
Because, like his great great great great+ grandson, he “didn’t want it”. Viserys never had ambition to be king, he relunctantly accepted it when the Lords of the Great Council decided he was to be named heir. Viserys did not seek the power of the Throne, so he was not morally corrupted by its power. Yet, he was discarded all the same. Cut and disfigured and rotted away. Much like another LOTR character who had the One Ring for many years, did not seek its power- didn’t even know what it was- and that was Gollum. Gollum eventually lost his mind and became obsessed with it, but, I believe the similarities between Viserys and Gollum are just that. Just look at this screen cap, Viserys began to lose his hair and its last strands dangled from his head - much like Gollum. Both were equally destroyed by the narrative central item of this tale and exposure to it even though neither desired the power they had.
Jon Snow, the true born heir to the seat “didn’t want it”, and made that clear, and it was only Drogon who realized that the Throne was to blame for everything. Even though Jon killed Daenarys, Drogon knew Jon did not do it because he wanted the Throne and blamed the Throne for his mothers death and ended the corruption once and for all.
There’s no other explanation for it, other than the Iron Throne is the One Ring here.
Forged in fire
Destroyed by fire
One Throne to rule them all (the Conquest)