Exploring the Representation of the Middle Ages in Game of Thrones

This essay analyzes the representation of the Middle Ages in the TV series Game of Thrones, examining how the show blends historical elements with fantasy. It explores the influence of real-world events like the Wars of the Roses on the fictional world of Westeros, highlighting the portrayal of medieval characters, such as knights, lords, and commoners. The essay discusses the series' depiction of brutality, political intrigue, and the roles of women, drawing comparisons to historical periods and figures. It also delves into the romantic and grotesque aspects of the Middle Ages as presented in the show, contrasting the show's blend of historical accuracy and fantasy elements, and the impact of the series on scholarly interpretations of the medieval past. The essay uses references to the series and reviews to support its analysis, emphasizing the show's influence on how audiences and scholars perceive the medieval era.

Running head: Representation Of The Middle Ages In The TV Series Game Of Thrones
REPRESENTATION OF THE MIDDLE AGES IN THE TV
SERIES GAME OF THRONES

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Representation Of The Middle Ages In The Tv Series Game Of Thrones
Middle ages and medieval elements are two very popular themes especially for the
writers and directors of this time may be because audiences love to revisit the past. However,
there are many TV series that are loosely based on real Middle Ages but present a setting that is
based on medieval time. One such TV series is the popular American show Game of Thrones
based on the parts of the epic of George R. R. Martin namely Songs of Ice and Fire.
According to Marsden (2018), there can be two elements in the modern perception of the
real middle ages that includes romantic and elements of grotesque. Martin himself said that he
was inspired by British History and some important historical events such as Wars of the Roses,
Hundred Years’ war, Crusades and so on. However, both Martin and the directors of the series
focused mainly on the fantastic elements and juxtaposed those elements with the characteristics
of the medieval times. The series is set in the imaginary place called Westeros that has typical
medieval characters like knights and medieval houses like castles. Typical medieval stock
characters can also be found in the series such as aristocrats, brutal lords, Machiavellian villains,
noble messiahs and avenging rulers. The brutality presented by the writers of the series helped
the audiences experience a different time in the history that was not as civilized and fair as it is
now. The elements of grotesque can be found in the presentation of the vicious and cruel king
Joffrey Baratheon, presentation of the psychotic lord Ramsey Bolton and so on (Marsden, 2018).
Their characters are not based on any real medieval kings although their characters show the
lawless medieval world when the autocratic rulers were the ones to decide the fate of the
commoners.
Age of reformation saw Catholicism as the medieval folly along with many other
scholarly opinions on middle Ages who think that medieval ages represent superstition and
darkness. From this perspective, the modern age is totally opposite from the middle ages and this
contrast shocks the audiences when they revisit this past with the Game of Thrones. On the other
hand, the harsh brutal features of the medieval Mongol horde can be seen in the presentation of
the tribe of Dothraki in the series. These people represent the medieval savagery. The position of
women as things is a very dominant theme in this series that also reflects the actual position of
women at that time. The character and history of Danaerys may not be found in the medieval

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Representation Of The Middle Ages In The Tv Series Game Of Thrones
history but her spirit can be equated to the white saviors who broke the shackles of the slaves
(Marsden, 2018). The storyline of the series is vast and many parts of the world have been
presented here. Some of the parts such as the Westeros show the development of the western
civilization over time while the Essos shows the barbaric medieval past that bears the traces of
amorality and cruelty.
The romantic element of the middle ages can also be traced in the remarkable romantic
characterization of Ned Stark, Jon Snow and Daenerys Stormborn. The medieval literature also
focuses on the medieval morality and chivalry. The heroic and brave choices of these characters
please the audiences who are accustomed with relating heroism with middle Ages (Marsden,
2018). On one hand, the amoral and brutal side of the medieval times shocks the audiences and
on the other hand the reestablishment of order and justice by these heroes satisfy the
psychological desires of them. Unlike the colonial era, the medieval times also represent stability
when the kings were happy with their respective lands and scarcely tried to breach their lines
without any reason.
According to Pappas (2014), the politics of the middle ages has been beautifully captured
by Martin. The series also reflects newer interpretations of the past that is why it has influenced
many scholars to interpret the middle ages from different perspectives. According to the scholar
Kavita Mudan Finn, we envision the medieval past as per how the Victorians described the past
as to be dark and superstitious. However, it can also be the case that the positive areas of the past
have been erased by them in order to differentiate their present with their past. Gem of Thrones
gives a wonderful account of the uprising of women characters that does not apparently seem to
be medieval although there are some accounts that show uprising of medieval women in reality.
So, in that way, it can also be said that the series challenge the linear envisioning of the medieval
past and try to give it a new meaning.
It is true that the series has fantastic elements and ahistorical elements like dragons,
magicians, zombies, Night King and so on. However, the main plot does not depend on them that
much. It becomes clearer when the series ends with a fatal combat between two rulers of
Westeros and not with a fight involving dragons and zombies (Waxman, 2017). It shows that the

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Representation Of The Middle Ages In The Tv Series Game Of Thrones
writers wanted to bring out the real essence of the middle ages and included the magical
elements in order to satisfy the desire of the audiences to experience exotic and surreal medieval
times. On the contrary to the creative side of the series, some thematic parts are actually reliable
as an authentic representation of the medieval times. For example, Henry VIII put his wife to
death for the crime of treason that happens to be apparently the first case at that time where a
woman was executed (Waxman, 2017). Similar situations can also be found in the series where
women try to challenge the men or the rulers of the society and receive a punishment for that.
Moreover, it can be said that the online reviewer of the series along with opinions of
other reviewers discussed here show satisfaction with the presentation of the medieval past
shown in the series. For giving different scopes of interpreting the Middle Ages, Game of
Thrones is majorly appreciated and not rebuked for choosing the medieval elements as the basis
of the setting of the series.

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Representation Of The Middle Ages In The Tv Series Game Of Thrones
Reference list
Marsden, R., (2018, 17th Act), Game of Thrones: imagined world combines romantic and
grotesque visions of middle Ages, The Conversation, Retrieved on: 14th Oct, 2019, From:
https://theconversation.com/game-of-thrones-imagined-world-combines-romantic-and-
grotesque-visions-of-middle-ages-105141
Pappas, S., (2014, 3rd April), How Real Is the 'Game of Thrones' Medieval World?, Retrieved on:
14th Oct, 2019, From: https://www.livescience.com/44599-medieval-reality-game-of-
thrones.html
Waxman, O., (2017, 14th July), Game of Thrones Is Even Changing How Scholars Study the Real
Middle Ages, Time, Retrieved on: 14th Oct, 2019, From: https://time.com/4837351/game-
of-thrones-real-medieval-history/