SB on Episodes 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, & 4.8 (for 4/5/16)

SB on Game of Thrones: Blog Entry Eleven

Increase in the Amount of Coverage of Daenerys

            While viewing this set of episodes, I noticed an increase in the amount of coverage of Daenerys.  Not only is Daenerys gaining more power, but Daenerys’s connections to other major Game of Thrones characters (who Daenerys has not yet directly interacted with) are becoming more apparent.  For example, when Cersei, Varys, Tywin, and others were having a discussion in episode 4.6, they spent a significant amount of time talking about Daenerys and how Daenerys is becoming a major threat with her three dragons.

            Even though these characters are all major Game of Thrones characters, some of these characters (like Cersei and Daenerys) have done a fairly little amount of direct interaction with each other, at this point in the series.  However, recent episodes have shown a great deal of progress of the storyline of Daenerys.  I am excited to see how the meeting of these major characters plays out and I am excited to see how this complex game for the throne will end.

Connections between Game of Thrones and Viking Mythology

            It will now be argued that the television series Game of Thrones resembles Viking mythology. As discussed by Martell et al. in World Myths and by Else Roesdahl in The Vikings, the Vikings (like other cultures) had their own system of mythology, which was made up of stories about specific heroes (including Thor, Loki, and others), and reflected the values of their culture. 

As explained in World Myths and The Vikings, every single character and creature (gods and demons, alike) from the stories of Viking mythology met in an epic, final battle called “The Battle of Ragnarok.”  The legend of “Battle of Ragnarok” (titled “The Twilight of the Gods” in Martell et al.’s World Myths) explained the details and the outcome of this fierce, mythological battle:  every single god and creature from the mythological world was killed in this final battle and, from the ashes of this battle, the natural world formed, created itself, and created the human race.

Viking legends each told their own story, but the fate of all of the characters from these stories (and the fate the entire universe of Viking mythology) was determined by one final battle.  All of the individual legends that make up the body of Viking mythology, can be thought of as individual episodes that make up the entirety of a television series. 

Like Viking mythology, Game of Thrones tells stories about specific heroes, villains, and creatures, and all of these characters are interconnected by the major problem of their universe:   the battle for the throne. Like the universe of Viking mythology, the fate of the universe of Game of Thrones will be determined by the outcome a final battle.

Based on the outcome of the universe of Viking mythology (the destruction of this universe at the Battle of Ragnarok), I will make a prediction about the final outcome of the Game of Thrones universe. I do not want to make an invalid analogy fallacy.  It is understood that just because Game of Thrones and Viking mythology are alike in some ways does not mean that they are alike in every way.  However, I predict that (similarly to how the Battle of Ragnarok resulted with the destruction of the universe of Viking mythology) the final battle for the throne (in episode 7.10) will result with the destruction of the Game of Thrones universe.

I am not only basing this prediction (of the destruction of the Game of Thrones universe in the final episode) on the similarities between Game of Thrones and Viking mythology.  It seems like, with winter coming and with Daenerys slowly approaching with her growing dragons, Game of Thrones takes place in an apocalyptic time period.  To me, it looks like the Game of Thrones universe is heading for a “Battle of Ragnarok” of its own.

Works Cited

Martell, Hazel Mary, et al. World Myths.  Florence, Italy: McRae Books, 2002. Print.

Roesdahl, Else. The Vikings. London, England: Penguin Books, 1998. Print.

SB on Episodes 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, & 4.4 (for 3/29/16)

SB on Game of Thrones: Blog Entry Number Ten 

The Death of Joffrey

            Even after Joffrey survived the first three seasons, I still knew Joffrey would get what was coming to him.  When Joffrey finally died in episode 4.2, however, I had mixed feelings about it. 

Even though Joffrey died a gruesome death, I still feel that (when compared to some of the other dead Game of Thrones characters) Joffrey died a relatively quick and easy death.  Yes, the choking and the foaming made it seem like a terrible way to go, however, Joffrey died at his wedding party, died with his mother next to him, and died before he ever recognized (and apologized for) his errors. 

I am not wishing that Joffrey died a more painful death.  I am glad that the death of Joffrey did not involve torture or (too much) extreme gore. But after considering all of the harm that Joffrey committed against so many people (including the public humiliation of Tyrion in this same scene), it seems that Joffrey had a relatively quick and peaceful exit. 

I was hoping that Joffrey would have the capacity to understand the errors of his ways and to maybe even genuinely apologize (to Sansa, Tyrion, or anyone) for how evil he was.  Joffrey never really did this and I was hoping that he would before he died.

Connection to other Media.  Some might consider this to be a stretch, but Joffrey’s death almost reminded me of Vito Corleone’s death in The Godfather.  In sum, after a life of committing and organizing gruesome crimes, Vito died of a heart attack in his garden.  Many viewers of The Godfather have held that Vito had a relatively peaceful death because Vito did not die in a shootout or a gory scene, but died next to his grandson while gardening.

When I first saw The Godfather, I was upset and felt that, considering all of the crime that Vito was involved with throughout his life, Vito had a relatively peaceful exit.  However, I feel differently about (and have a greater appreciation for) Vito’s death after a few re-watches of The Godfather (and the sequels).  Perhaps, my mixed feelings about Joffrey’s death will change when I re-watch Game of Thrones, one day.

The Impact of Aristotle’s Ethics on Medieval Philosophy Depicted in Game of Thrones

            In episode 4.3 when Tywin, Cersei, and Tommen were observing Joffrey’s body, Tywin was trying to teach Tommen about what it takes to be a king and gave specific examples of previous kings and their errors.  Tywin explained how one king was so pious that he wouldn’t eat anything (because this king believed that food was an earthly, sinful pleasure) and, as a result, died of starvation.  Tywin also told the story of a gluttonous king who died from over-indulging in earthly, sinful pleasures.  Tommen asserted and Tywin confirmed that a good king must have wisdom to avoid extremes.

            This scene reminded me of Aristotle’s ethical principle of the golden mean, which is discussed in (Robert C. Bartlett and Susan D. Collins’s) Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics and other works of Aristotle.  In sum, the golden mean principle is the idea that one should avoid extremes.  For example, (going off of Tywin’s comparison of the kings) eating too much and eating too little are both harmful because one must eat a healthy (middle) amount, in order to survive. 

            Samuel Enoch Stumpf and James Fieser (in Philosophy: History and Problems) and Frederick C. Copleston (in Medieval Philosophy) explained how Aristotle’s works had a great influence on medieval philosophy.  Not only were Aristotle’s views on ethics highly regarded in medieval philosophy, but so were Aristotle’s views on logic and other topics (as discussed in Copleston's Medieval Philosophy and Stumpf & Fieser's Philosophy: History and Problems). 

No explicit reference to Aristotle was made in this scene.  However, knowing that Aristotle had such a strong influence on medieval philosophy and knowing that this is one time period that is explored in Game of Thrones, I made the connection and observed that Tywin was teaching Tommen the lesson of Aristotle’s golden mean.  As can be seen, Aristotle’s influence on medieval philosophy was depicted in Game of Thrones.

Works Cited

Bartlett, Robert C. & Collins, Susan D. Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press, 2011. Print.

Copleston, Frederick C. Medieval Philosophy. New York, NY: Harper Torchbooks, 1961. Print.
The Godfather. Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. Perf. Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, and Diane Keaton. Paramount Pictures, 1972. Film.

Stumpf, Samuel Enoch & Fieser, James. Philosophy: History and Problems. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. 2008. Print.

SB on Episodes 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, & 3.10 (For 3/22/16)

SB on Game of Thrones: Blog Entry Number Nine

Perceptions of Trust 

            In this set of episodes, two different viewpoints towards human kindness were explored. One of these perspectives was explicated (in episode 3.9) when the Hound Dog told Arya that, one day, she will be killed because she is too kind.  Later on in this same episode, a different perspective was endorsed when Daario told another character that people who have suspicious minds are usually deceptive people, themselves. 

These are two different ideas about the connections between trust, honesty, kindness, well-being, and functionality that were presented in this set of Game of Thrones episodes.  I will not make a judgment about these two perspectives based on the characteristics or the actions of the characters who stated them. I will not make a judgment about these two perspectives based on an analysis of any single character.  However, it seems safe to declare that the Hound Dog is correct in this debate and a fair degree of skepticism, or (as put by Daario) “suspicion,” is not only desirable, but is required in order to survive the Game of Thrones.

     For example, consider the Red Wedding scene at the end of episode 3.9 where a number of major characters (like Catelyn and Robb) had their guards down, were betrayed, and were brutally murdered.  Another instance of an act of violence that was, arguably, caused by characters being “too trustworthy” of each other from this set of episodes was when Ygritte shot Jon in episode 3.10.

Throughout the series, many characters have unexpectedly betrayed and/or taken advantage of the kindness of other characters.  As mentioned by Anglberger and Hieke in “Lord Eddard Stark, Queen Cersei Lannister: Moral Judgments from Different Perspectives,”   the series seems to communicate that even virtuous characters (like Eddard Stark) can have unfortunate fates. 

It seems that being too kind to others in the Game of Thrones universe, as suggested by the Hound Dog, can result in one’s death.  It seems quite clear that one must have his or her guard up in order to even have a mere chance at survival in the Game of Thrones.  This is why I endorse the Hound Dog’s “suspicious mind” (insert Elvis song) position, rather than Daario’s position.

Gilly and Samwell’s Journey

            I really enjoy the scenes that cover the adventures of Gilly, her baby, and Samwell.  The development of Samwell’s character was fascinating.  I was not expecting Samwell to destroy the White Walker that was approaching Gilly, her baby, and Samwell’s cabin in episode 3.9.  The development of Gilly and Samwell’s relationship is interesting.  Gilly suggesting “Sam” as a name for the baby was not expected.  I am excited to see what happens with Gilly and Samwell’s relationship.

Comedy in Game of Thrones.  It must be mentioned that Samwell’s comic relief was really appreciated in this particularly dramatic set of episodes (which included the “Red Wedding,” sexual torture, and the deaths of major characters).  Even though many of Samwell’s characteristics, including his sense of humor, may seem quite “modern” or “contemporary,” I really appreciated his wit in these episodes.  For instance, I thought the interaction where Gilly referred to Samwell as a “wizard” was funny and I found humor in (the delivery of) some of Samwell’s baby name suggestions.  

Importance of Music and Lack of Music in Episode 3.9

            In the final moments of episode 3.9, music played an important role in communicating the drama of this episode.  Before the famous Red Wedding scene began, the wedding band’s slower instrumental folk song served as a kind of signal to begin the gory and intense attack where a number of major characters (including Catelyn and Robb) were killed.  Further, immediately after the brutal murder of Catelyn, this dramatic scene (and this episode) ended and the credits rolled without any music.  It is unusual when there is no music to accompany the ending credits of episodes of Game of Thrones.

This concluding massacre scene contained music and sounds of many kinds (with screams and sounds of violence) that added to the intensity and drama of the scene.  However, the lack of sound and complete silence that came after was such a sudden contrast to this particularly loud concluding scene. This contrast made the conclusion of the episode even more dramatic.

Works Cited

Anglberger, Albert F. F. & Hieke, Alexander. “Lord Eddard Stark, Queen Cersei Lannister:         Moral Judgments from Different Perspectives.” Game of Thrones and Philosophy:Logic        Cuts Deeper Than Swords. Eds. William Irwin and Henry Jacoby. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley &        Sons, Inc., 2012. 87-98. Print.

SB on Episodes 3.4, 3.5, & 3.6 (for 3/15/16)

SB on Game of Thrones: Blog Entry Number Eight

Game of Thrones as Modern Mythology

Near the end of episode 3.6, Littlefinger discussed the “lies that we tell ourselves over and over again” and stated that when we stop telling these lies, chaos emerges.  During the recitation of this eloquently-phrased line, (what I would consider to be) “epic” music grew in the background and images of Joffrey (in a bedroom with a woman that he just gruesomely murdered) and Sansa (looking at the ship and crying) were shown.  

I believe that this dramatic scene was self-reflexive and communicated a major concept about the series.  Many scholars (like W. B. Yeats and Peter Berresford Ellis) understood the function of mythology in the same way that Littlefinger described the “lies” in this scene: we tell each other stories that are not literally true, not to serve as definitive declarations of our world, but to provide examples for ethical behavior, maintain order, and avoid chaos. The fact that images of important characters (at particularly dramatic moments) were shown while Littlefinger’s speech was heard communicated that Littlefinger’s statement about lies (and this fact about mythology) applies to the show, itself. 

This can be dangerous terminology.  It must be clarified that I do not want to “mythologize” or over-praise Game of Thrones.  However, it is important to recognize (as was hinted at in episode 3.6) that this show can be considered as contemporary mythology that provides examples of ethical behavior, reflects our values, and reveals psychological truths.

Autonomy in Game of Thrones

Autonomous Episodes. To change gears for a moment, it is asserted that this episode (3.6) might be an autonomous, single-standing episode that could be viewed and understood by people who are new to the series.  Even though many events took place in this episode and knowledge of prior episodes was required, in order to understand the complete significance of these events, this episode is watchable by new viewers and this episode provided insight into almost every major character, issue, and theme of Game of Thrones.  Further, even though some problems were left unsolved, this episode ended with a sense of finality:  this even seemed like the conclusion of a Hollywood film when the camera pulled away from the romantic kiss to reveal the breathtaking view of this mythological world. 

Autonomous Sequences and Collections of Scenes. I assert that even single scenes and sequences of scenes from Game of Thrones can serve as autonomous, complete stories that provide insight into the major themes and issues of the show for people who are unfamiliar with the series.  For example, recall the final scene of episode 3.4 when Danaerys completed the trade, obtained her soldiers, and had her dragon attack the ruthless leader.  The scenes that covered the trade (which began in episode 3.3 and concluded in episode 3.4) were a comprehensive, autonomous, and small collection of scenes that told a complete story and provided insight into how the Game of Thrones can be played.

Autonomy and Mythology: Autonomous Collections of Scenes that Tell Folk Legends

Further, (to connect this idea of autonomy to the discussion of mythology) the complete story of the dragon/army trade that was told in this collection of scenes reminded me of a particular folk legend structure.  Many folk legends are about trades where one trader is outsmarted by the other trader and these folk legends communicate the value of intelligence, wisdom, wit, and patience over greed and selfishness. 

For example, many tales from Bairbe McCarthy’s Irish Leprechaun Stories were about a trade (usually involving gold) between a greedy human and an honest magical character.  Even though the magical character would always be true to the terms of the trade, the human, blinded by greed (and unaware of the obvious problematic conditions of the trade), would always be outsmarted by the magical character and would not get his or her desired prize. 

Similarly, Danaerys (the Mother of Dragons) was a magical character who, technically, stayed true to the terms of the trade.  The other trader, who was blinded by greed and desire for the magical prize of the dragon, did not see the obvious conditions and outcomes of the trade and did not get his desired prize. 

This handful of scenes that covered the trade interaction (which concluded in episode 3.4) is one example of a collection of scenes from Game of Thrones that (a) can be understood without any knowledge of previous episodes, (b) provided insight into the major issues of the show, and (c) seemed directly inspired by a specific folk legend structure (namely, folk legends about trades with the theme of ‘knowledge is power’).  This blog provided further exploration into the idea that Game of Thrones can be understood as the mythology of our time.

Works Cited

Ellis, Peter Berresford. Celtic Myths and Legends. Philadelphia, PA:  Running Press Book         Publishers, 2002. Print.

McCarthy, Bairbe. Irish Leprechaun Stories. Cork, Ireland, EU:  Mercier Press, 1998. Print

Yeats, W. B. Irish Fairy and Folk Tales. New York, NY: Barnes & Noble, Inc., 1993. Print.

SB on Episodes 3.1, 3.2, & 3.3

SB on Game of Thrones: Blog Entry Number Seven

Changes

Even though the central issues remain the same, I observed that episodes 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 were different from the previous two seasons and might mark a kind of turning point.  Before beginning the third season, it was clear that change was a prime characteristic of Game of Thrones:  drastic changes occur at a rapid rate (due to the complex and fast-moving plot), and the show, itself, is a hybrid of genres.  However, episodes 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 were unique because they had more elements from genres (of visual media and music) that were less present in the first two seasons, they provided further insight into interesting issues that were introduced in the first two seasons (namely, warging/greenseeing), and they showed the development of new relationships.

More Fantasy-Horror Elements

Unlike most of the episodes from the first two seasons of Game of Thrones, the first scene of the third season began like a fantasy-horror film:  on the snowy landscape, Samwell encountered one of the “Army of Darkness (1992) zombie”-like White Walkers and was rescued when this White Walker was killed and set on fire.  There were elements of fantasy-horror in the first two seasons of Game of Thrones:  consider the first scene of the first season with all of the corpses in the forest, or the final scene of the second season when the army of White Walkers was approaching. 

Even though there were these fantasy-horror scenes in previous episodes, I believe that episodes 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 contained a significantly greater amount of elements of the fantasy-horror genre.  In this set of episodes, the White Walkers (and other fantasy monsters like flying, fire-breathing dragons and giants) seemed much more common and more directly involved with the action of the plot. 

New Genres of Music

Also, these episodes contained a style of music that was not in any previous episode of Game of Thrones.  Right after Jaime’s right hand was removed in the final scene of the third episode of the third season, the ending credits came and “The Bear and the Maiden Fair” by Hold Steady played (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgiTB2NFvAM).  This was the first time that I heard a rock (and, arguably, punk rock) song in an episode of Game of Thrones.  Even after learning that this was a Westerosi Folk Song, I would still not expect fast rock music to appear in Game of Thrones.  I have enjoyed all of the music in Game of Thrones and I really enjoyed this song, so I am not complaining.

Since the creators of Game of Thrones put a great deal of consideration into nearly every aspect of the show, I assume that there would be no exception for the music.  I believe that this new genre of music was included in Game of Thrones at this particular moment, in order to end the scene (of the removal of Jaime’s hand) with yet another unexpected surprise, to reflect these general changes in the series that I observe here, and to foreshadow other upcoming changes in the series.  

More Coverage of Warging/Greenseeing

            I noticed that this set of episodes explicitly addressed Bran’s special abilities.  While this was addressed in earlier episodes, I believe that this set of episodes (episode 3.2, in particular) was one of the first times that warging and greenseeing were explicitly discussed.  Leederman suggested that, with warging and greenseeing, Martin was exploring the idea that humans can learn from studying the animal kingdom, from observing the wonders of nature, and from understanding different perspectives. 

I find the general concept of learning from nature to be fascinating.  Further, I am also intrigued by the idea of one’s consciousness leaving the human body.  For these reasons (and because warging and greenseeing are being addressed more explicitly and frequently in the series), Bran has become one character that I am extremely interested in and I am excited to see how his special abilities come into play in the Game of Thrones.

New Relationships and Concluding Prediction/Hope

            It must be noted that I am intrigued by yet another change that I observed:  the development of Brienne and Jaime’s relationship.  I believe that, throughout the course of their journey, Brienne and Jaime have formed a unique connection, and I predict that these two will, eventually, become allies.  Even by the end of the third episode of the third season, these two are still prisoners.  I hope that these two are able to cooperate because this may be their ticket to freedom.

Works Cited

Leederman, T. A. “A Thousand Westerosi Plateaus:  Wargs, Wolves, and Ways of Being.” Mastering the Game of Thrones: Essays on George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. Eds. Jes Battis and Susan Johnston. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2015. 189-203. Print.