Does anyone else always side with Meredith?

Then his idiotic plan didn't even work. Although if this is the case then Hawke didn't play a huge part in events like it implied.

Correct, it didn’t work. The mages all dismissed Anders’s terrorism and mass murder as those of a madman. The actual cause of the war being something completely different a couple years later. He murdered hundreds of innocent people for nothing.

I suppose you could argue that if nothing else it made Justinia seriously think about the issue of the Rite of Tranquility since there was evidence that the Templars had been misusing it in Kirkwall and if nothing else Ser Alric suggesting such a drastic solution to the mage problem got her thinking. Then if her investigations showed that Anders had a connection with Karl who had been made tranquil illegally then maybe she thought that could have led to him wanting revenge. After all, it does seem as though it wasn't long after Kirkwall that she authorised Pharmond's research in order to establish if there was a way to deprive mages of their powers without neutering their minds. So it could be argued she would never have thought about this otherwise.

I think the chief reason she did this was to deal with the issue of mages who don't want to be mages and are afraid of their powers, thus vulnerable to possession. As with the Rite of Tranquility itself, it could be misused but at least removing the magic whilst leaving the personality untouched would be preferable to the RoT.

The fact is we do not know exactly what Justinia intended to do with Pharamond's research and of course what it did reveal was that the RoT was reversible, which had been known by the Seekers since the days of the first Inquisition. Justinia was underhanded and irresponsible undertaking the research without Templar knowledge and oversight because it was precisely the sort of dangerous magical experimentation that should have been monitored, to avoid the awful consequences that ensued at Adamant. However, she clearly adjudged, correctly, that the Templar Order would not approve of it and likely block it, even though this wouldn't have been because of what might be discovered about reversing the RoT because it was the Seekers and not the Templars who knew about this.

Anyway, it was this research that directly led to the rebellion in the Circles, so if the events in Kirkwall were the catalyst to that research then it could be said that Anders (and Hawke) were indirectly responsible for starting the actual rebellion, having already caused unrest throughout the Circles through their actions. In Masked Empire, Celene was already anticipating a total breakdown in the system before the events of Asunder. She actually gave Justinia an ultimatum to deal with the problem of the unrest in the Circles herself or she would step in (in Orlais at least) and in return Justinia demanded she reciprocate by dealing with the elven rebellion in Halamshiral. Note, not deal with the injustices that led to the rebellion but simply ensure the elves were under control.   The Chantry was about maintaining the status quo, no matter how unjust and cruel that status quo might be.

Still, the Chantry would never deprive all mages of their magic. Time and again it had been shown both during Blights and the invasion of the Qunari that mages were often their best defense against external threats. If you have mages of your own then you have a magical response to any aggression by Tevinter. They just wanted tame mages who are willing to work within the system and accept any strictures put upon them. Actually most mages would be quite happy to do so if they could be allowed to live out in the community and have a normal family life or, at the very least, keep contact with their families whilst living in the Circle. This is denied to ordinary folk, whilst being permitted to children of the nobility. If everyone had been allowed the contact and freedom to attend outside events that the children of nobles enjoyed, there would have been a lot less problems. If mages could have had normal relationships and families within the Circle community it would have led to a much better mental state, less possessions and less suicides.   

Having a proper system of education for young mages is necessary and sensible; having rules and laws about what sort of magic can be performed also seems reasonable; having an organisation to oversee magical activity and deal with those who flout the rules also seems fair enough as is having magical research done in closed communities away from large populations.   It was the desire to be allowed to expand their knowledge of the uses to which magic could be put by the mages of that time that caused the Circles to be created in the first place, having found the restrictions put upon them by being in the general population frustrating.   Somehow that got translated over time into all mages being rounded up and put into Circles, justified by a need to preserve the safety of the public at large but that wasn't how they started and it is possible was even intended by Drakon and those of his time.

Why turn against Bethany is better than support the Annulment as a mage, who isn't a part of the Circle?
Supporting Meredith means the Annulment. Annulment means: she sentenced Bethany death. Her "reason" to do: "People will demand blood" (she says) – so: pure revenge on people who did NOTHING, pure revenge on BETHANY.

I always wondered, how Hawke can think: Bethany in safe in the Circle... Karl, Ella... and after Alrik died: Karras (if Hawke didn't kill him) – and Meredith herself seems very unstable (not because of the lyrium thing, but at all, it was clear in the full game. That little reassuring letter from Bethany (I'm fine brother/sister) isn't the best proof everything is okay... With Bethany in the Circle, I never saw, why a good reason to support Meredith's madness. Meredith was never about protecting mages – if we listen to the people (mages and templars both) at the Gallows we will see, what is happening. And the Annulment. Hawke doesn't see the future, that saving Bethany will be the option. The only reality at this moment: every mage including Bethany sentenced to death. Seems this like: I support the execution of my sister – to protect my sister.

I see the reason to do anything Meredith asks for Bethany – until she demands her death.
In the opposite: I see the reason of Mage Hawke to siding Templar Carver – not because of agrees, but because of whatever Hawke thinks about Carver's decision being Templar – but still can afraid to face with him in the battleground. And I think this highly applicable of Bethany's case, because she chooses the mages. During the battles also Hawke only has chance to keep an eye on Bethany, if supports her against Meredith. If Hawke goes with Meredith and the Templars, Hawke loses sight of Bethany for a while – and can't be sure what happens to her.

Well....gervaise21 and Catilina, those are good inputs. I don't have an active DA2 game running, atm, so I might change how I next play a non-mage Hawke. At the time of the last playthrough, a fearful Hawke opting for the templars felt... "reasonable" for someone I imagined to be as afraid as I imagined my WarHawke was at the time.

But yeah... it might not make much sense for the War/RogueHawke to trust Meredith enough to spare Bethany given last couple years' events in Kirkwall, even if his mind is clouded by fear. Food for thought..

No matter which side I am on, both Orsino and Meredith have to be killed. Orsino will use blood magic and Meridith will use red lyrium. The choices made are cosmetic, because the story plays out the same.

10 reasons for hawke to side with Meredith


1. not being a mage himself and having little empathy for their cause

2. it has always weighed on him to have to live a poor, hidden, runaway life of lies because of his father's choices

3. Bethany died in the deep roads or joined the wardens (the annulment puts no one he loves at risk)

4. He matures a personal, irrational animosity toward blood mages and mages in general after his mother's death

5. he is a careerist, willing to sacrifice innocent lives in order to maintain the wealth and power he has accumulated over the years

6. He has a close relationship, of friendship or love, with Fenris

7. He believes that the alternative to the tyranny of the many against the few (southern thedas, qunari) is the tyranny of the few against the many (tevinter, evanuris), and prefers the first scenario

8. although there are examples of successful mage self-government (dalish... even if Merrill's clan experience is not that awesome..) he does not believe it is feasible on a large scale and/or in the current political and cultural conditions of southern thedas

9. the abuses of the templars on mages (numerous) and the dirty deeds of the various blood mages (numerous) have always remained at the level of ordinary crimes. Horrible, disgusting crimes... but still. They are the equivalent of policemen killing and torturing suspects, twisting the law, on one hand, while on the other hand we have robbers, murderers, serial killers etc. Killing the grand cleric takes the confrontation to another level: war, revolution, subversion of the established order (possibly, all over Thedas). In this new context, even a hawke who sympathizes with the mages may have doubts and side with the "status quo".

10. in spite of everything, he loves kirkwall, its people, its scents, its sea, its colors,its ancient art, its taverns and its markets, that he does not want to see it the target of an exalted march, besieged by templars and rival cities (starkhaven) and sacked/burned to the ground (a real risk given what Leliana and Sebastian claimed)

1. Of course none of the 10 points is self-sufficient. You must have at least 4-5 of the at the same time

2. Not revenge, just despiese for the heretic life

3. Sort of, like, who cares

4. It's a very common and natural feeling, to blame not just the single but the whole categoria

5. Why not, it's a good role play

6. No alternatives

7-10 lot of people live happily under the the rule of a mad tyrant, especially if rich and powerful. Law and Order.
Hawke could have picture himself like a trusted oligarch under Putin.

1. ?

2. Of course, revenge – and among the stupidest ones: let's see, how you worded: 
It is a pure revenge: Hawke here chose to mass murder the mages because of s/he didn't like his/her own life – that THE TEMPLARS and THE CHANTRY persecuted them for their father and Bethany born... Of course the mages should be die, because of Hawhe blamed them for the Templars and the Chantry's sin... Hawke blamed the mages, and wanted revenge on them, for his father and Bethany born as mage, and his father choose to raise them. This Hawke would hate his/her father and Bethany. And hates also Leandra: why Leandra chose Malcolm, when she could pick that pretty, rich and noble DeLauncet. Malcolm, Leandras deprived him/her from the pretty, rich life as DeLaunchet child and the DeLauncet and Amell family's heir – so: s/he wants to kill the mages in the Gallows, dirty fuckers, they also have that "curse" than his father and Bethany...!

Or... maybe Hawke loved Malcolm, Leandra and Bethany – it just hard to imagine, if hawke loved them – blamed not their persecutors, but the mages everywhere in the world... for example, in the Gallows...

A very sick mind, but there are people with this thinking (poor ones) – and a good role-playing.

3. People who doesn't like mad, criminal commanders with army...

4. Of course... and irrational... good for role-playing – as I said.

5. Indeed. 

6. There IS alternative: to clean Kirkwall from her and from her dirty mob...

7-10. We all know, there was no law and order under Meredith. Hawke experienced it not once. Law and order Hawke should refuse everything about Meredith and her mob (if can think, ofc).
And about the system: idiot followers like such systems, and who get benefits from it (or believes, it's a "benefit" but this is the next category), and deceived, intimidated people can't imagine changes, yes. And dirty, immoral people would work for such a dictator...
Such system is so far from "law and order". Law and order for serving people, and stability, but such system doesn't respect any law, and the legislation depends on one dictator's whim, and their "order" isn't real order, but something what based on intimidation and desinformation violent "order" (just like at the laws: I don't think, we can call order something what based on one person's whim – it sounds me very chaotic...). Order is predictable and stable – some person's whim... rarely predictable and rarely stable. Law and order people with logical thinking would the FIRST ONES, who refuse such system.
But good for role-playing, of course.
(But no recent-IRL politics... this is a game!)