The Oppression Of Women In Game Of Thrones

History names hundreds of conquerors who have won famous wars and defeated mighty nations. Among these are Alexander the Great, Julius Ceaser, and Hernan Cortez. The ratio of male to female names on that list is grossly uneven, although the few female names, such as Joan of Arc, are highly recognizable. These women are looked up to as being great examples for girls today because of their perseverance in a man’s world. The hit TV series Game of Thrones depicts several women with high power, intelligence, and strength which rivals or defeats the men in the series. However, these women are undervalued again and again both by their rivals and by their own loved ones. Cersei Baratheon, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, exemplifies how women, even today,
are looked over despite their strength and value.
Cersei is a powerful player in the “game of thrones.” However, she is a woman, and therefore could only advance so high without being held back by the men in her life including her husband, father, and two sons. She had hit the glass ceiling of her power, and every time she tried to assert her authority and ingenuity to rise above that ceiling, she was forced back down.
One of the clearest scenes where this is depicted is in Season 3, episode 4 of Game of Thrones. Cersei has a discussion with her father concerning her brother and her concerns involving the threat the Tyrell’s present to the throne. Immediately, the scene shows Cersei’s forced respect for her father as she waits in silence for him to acknowledge her presence. Tywin waits an agonizingly long time before speaking to her, and then he uses short curt sentences. This makes it clear that Tywin has no respect for his daughter. He sees no value in speaking to her. Cersei had successfully played the “game of thrones” but Tywin still viewed her as worthless. She tactfully tells him that she is the most faithful to the Lannister name of his children. He finally relents and allows her to speak her mind.
In just the first half of this scene, a truth is made so clear to everyone watching.
Everything Cersei said about loyalty to her family, was true. Cersei is strong and smart, and she is willing to do whatever it takes for her family. Yet her father still dismisses her so easily. Cersei and the audience both realize that if it had been Jamie proclaiming that loyalty, Tywin would have been much more eager to hear is opinion and give him authority. This truth is also agonizingly apparent in the working world today. Feminists have been attacking this truth for years. A woman who is hardworking, smart, and good at her job can very easily lose out on the opportunity of a promotion because a man is also contending for that same promotion. Thankfully, laws have disallowed this type of workplace sexism, however, that does not automatically solve the problem. Women, however, are now at least given a voice if they are dismissed because of their
gender.
The scene continues with Cersei saying, “The Tyrells are a problem.” Her short sentence sparks an immediate retort from Tywin. He dismisses her opinion and her reasoning quickly, meanwhile insulting her and many of the things she’s done. Perhaps one of the most ironic phrases in this scene is that Tywin actually tells Cersei “I do not distrust you because you are a woman. I distrust you because you are not as smart as you think you are.” He then goes on to explain her own failure in raising her son, Joffrey, who has turned out to be stubborn and evil.
Despite Tywin saying that he did not distrust her because she was a woman, he refutes it in his next words when he tells her he resented her failure with Joffrey. In a way, he says her that her one job was to raise her children well. She failed at that woman’s task, therefore she cannot possibly be any help in political affairs. If she can’t manipulate her own son, then how could Tywin possibly trust her to help in the game of ultimate manipulation?
How many people, like Tywin, claim they are not sexist? How many people say that men and women are equal on every matter? Those words are necessary to say in order to not ruffle the feathers of others. Whether all people actually live by this belief is up for debate. Yes, women are no longer considered to be the domestic queens that was once so widely advertised. However, there is still the old fashioned, engrained belief that it is the woman’s job to cook, clean, and raise the children. Generations may still pass before woman truly are considered equal in every way.
Another relevant factor in this scene to today’s world is Cersei’s strong desire to get into politics. Women and politics just played a big role in society as Hillary Clinton became the first ever woman to make it far in a presidential election. Hillary’s family life did not play a major role in the people’s support for her. However, women all over America saw Hillary’s potential presidency as a step forward for feminism, proving women really can handle powerful political positions. This difference put Hillary on a different playing field than her contender, and therefore did not fulfill feminist’s desire of being equal in every way.
The scene closes powerfully, clearly indicating that Cersei, despite her efforts, had received no more credit or respect from her father, Tywin.
Cersei, in defense of herself, dares Tywin to try stopping Joffrey from doing what he likes. Tywin looks up and responds, “I will,” with a finality that leaves shivers in the audience’s bones.
Tywin’s last words are so antagonizing because they were said to assert his dominance over Cersei. He throws her weakness in her face, and he assures her that he will succeed where she has failed. He also is telling her that he has no interest in her help because he is powerful enough to do it all on his own. Tywin displays himself as the ultimate chauvinist in those two words.
There are still chauvinists in today’s world. Women are still told that they “cannot.” Because of femininity, women cannot be the best soldier, a successful engineer, or a large business owner. There are men for those positions. The women need not even attempt to become involved. Acknowledgement can be made to the fact that women, physically, tend to be weaker. Also, mentally, women have a more nurturing nature. This does not, however, make it acceptable to teach young girls that they are only capable of reaching so
high.