Heroic male characters are glorified all too often so I am focusing this blog post on just the women characters of Game of thrones.
An interviewer asked George RR Martin, the author of the book series, "How do you write such different women characters? Where does that come from?" he replied - "You know I have always considered women to be people."
Do you see now where Tyrion's cheeky dialogues came from? 😁
An interviewer asked George RR Martin, the author of the book series, "How do you write such different women characters? Where does that come from?" he replied - "You know I have always considered women to be people."
Do you see now where Tyrion's cheeky dialogues came from? 😁
Despite the hype, if you haven't explored this series yet, you can watch it for free on Prime.
So what is so special about the women of Game of thrones?
1. Different types of strength
Different people are born with different types of strength and to survive, one has to play up whatever strengths they have got. Just like in real life, the women of Game of thrones are amazing and strong but in rather different ways.
Brienne of Tarth played by Gwendoline Christie is 6"3 tall and fights better than the male knights of Westeros. She is an epitome of female strength and a true warrior. She even defeats the Hound!
Arya Stark played by Maisie Williams is 5"1 (the same height as me!) and is a trained assassin who is stealthy enough to sneak up to and kill the biggest villain of the series.
Cersei Lannister played by Lena Headey is the cleverest player and a character who truly deserves to be seated on the Iron Throne. Her strategies rival her intelligent father and clever brother but she has never had to lift a sword in the series. She uses her clever mind and works with capable allies to get things done.
Daenerys Targaryen played by Emilia Clarke is fireproof because of the supernatural power that comes with being a Targaryen. She uses this capability throughout the series. She is also the mother of dragons and that makes her the controller of a weapon of mass destruction. She is not strategic or brilliant, in fact she can be very impulsive, but she has the whole world rooting for her to sit on the Iron Throne.
Sansa Stark/Margery Tyrell - When a girl cannot fight physically, her mental abilities can be her biggest strength. These two women use their womanly wiles to get what they want. They can manipulate and convince other characters to do their bidding by simply using their natural charm.
And there are many more amazing women in the series like Olenna Tyrell (lady with the sharpest tongue), Lyanna Mormont (scariest girl in Westeros who can make a king with two minutes of speech), Yara Greyjoy (who is way stronger than her brother), Ygritte (a wildling fighter), Red Woman (who kills one king and brings back a dead man with her superpowers) and Ellaria Sand (who avenges her lover's death with one deadly kiss).
1. Different types of strength
Different people are born with different types of strength and to survive, one has to play up whatever strengths they have got. Just like in real life, the women of Game of thrones are amazing and strong but in rather different ways.
Arya Stark played by Maisie Williams is 5"1 (the same height as me!) and is a trained assassin who is stealthy enough to sneak up to and kill the biggest villain of the series.
Cersei Lannister played by Lena Headey is the cleverest player and a character who truly deserves to be seated on the Iron Throne. Her strategies rival her intelligent father and clever brother but she has never had to lift a sword in the series. She uses her clever mind and works with capable allies to get things done.
Daenerys Targaryen played by Emilia Clarke is fireproof because of the supernatural power that comes with being a Targaryen. She uses this capability throughout the series. She is also the mother of dragons and that makes her the controller of a weapon of mass destruction. She is not strategic or brilliant, in fact she can be very impulsive, but she has the whole world rooting for her to sit on the Iron Throne.
Sansa Stark/Margery Tyrell - When a girl cannot fight physically, her mental abilities can be her biggest strength. These two women use their womanly wiles to get what they want. They can manipulate and convince other characters to do their bidding by simply using their natural charm.
And there are many more amazing women in the series like Olenna Tyrell (lady with the sharpest tongue), Lyanna Mormont (scariest girl in Westeros who can make a king with two minutes of speech), Yara Greyjoy (who is way stronger than her brother), Ygritte (a wildling fighter), Red Woman (who kills one king and brings back a dead man with her superpowers) and Ellaria Sand (who avenges her lover's death with one deadly kiss).
2. Unwillingness to stay down after a fall
Most of these women characters have fallen during the course of the show. But every time they fall, they get back up and fight with even more vigour than before. They show tremendous strength of character and just don't give up. If they don't get up after a fall, it must be because they are dead.
Whether it is Dany becoming a pauper widow, Cersei's walk of shame, Arya's encounter with the waif, Margery's arrest by the Sparrow and Sansa's marriage to Ramsay, the characters have all hit horrible lows but they find the strength to battle on, be resilient and use their rock bottom as a foundation to build up to better things in life.
Most of these women characters have fallen during the course of the show. But every time they fall, they get back up and fight with even more vigour than before. They show tremendous strength of character and just don't give up. If they don't get up after a fall, it must be because they are dead.
3. Being bold
The women of Game of Thrones boldly go after their sexual pursuits too. Margery fails with Renly (as he is gay) but succeeds in seducing Tommen into becoming her little puppy, Cersei does the same with Euron Greyjoy. Arya goes after the boy she always fancied but turns down a marriage proposal because that is just not her.
Dany amuses herself with Daario Nahaaris while waiting for better things and he is only too eager to please. The relationship between Cersei and Jamie has disturbed many viewers for years but by the end, we could clearly see they belong together and there is no question that she owns him.
4. Those times and these times
This series is based in ancient times when women are sold as slaves and have weaker claims to thrones than their male counterparts. But such fictional characters manage to thrive spectacularly even in those sexist times.
Women around the world should be able to draw strength from this series to fight their own battles and make better lives for themselves. If it was was possible in those time, it is definitely possible in today's world.
Now that the TV series has had a disappointing end, more and more fans are seeking to read the books instead and hoping that GRRM writes a better ending to the series soon. Reading these books can be monumental task but if you are motivated, get the full set and read in sequence.
If you wish to buy this from India, click the link below for the box set.
But if like me, you don't have the time or the patience to read 5,200+ pages, this is a series I would strongly recommend you try through audio books. You can listen when you cook, when you go for a walk/run or even when you commute and reap the benefits of passive reading. I managed to listen to the entire audio book series in a few months time. I think you should give it a try too!
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