Women Asserting Their Power
Exploratory Essay #1
In A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, the Iron Throne symbolizes the corruption of power and how having power can define a person depending on how one uses that power. Martin uses winter not just as a season but as a symbol of evil used to show how preparing for winter is also a way for preparing for evil. The corruption of power is a convention of high fantasy that is seen in A Game of Thrones. The Iron Throne is more than a seat made of many metals; it is a symbol of power because whoever sits on it is the ruler of the Seven Realms.
Robert Baratheon, king of the Seven Realms, is portrayed through the eyes of his longtime friend Eddard Stark—more intimately known as Ned. Instead of ruling with reason, his actions are ruled by his emotions and desires. Robert is described to have “always been a man of huge appetites” (34). He is a stoutly man who enjoys food, but his huge appetites also refer to his desires. After Robert seized the Iron Throne at the Battle of Trident, he was forever a changed man. Ned has known Robert since they were both young, little boys, so it is significant when Ned admits that “the king is a stranger to [him]” (299). The Robert that Ned knew as a young boy was not the same man as he knew now, but that man “had never been so practiced at shutting his eyes to things he did not wish to see” (319).
“Robert was never known for his patience” (356).
He is still a good man. “I should not have hit her. That was not…that was not kingly” (359).
Robert is described to have “always been a man of huge appetites” (34), which refer to his huge appetites for food and wine but also refers to his appetite for power. At the battle of Trident, Robert displayed his desire for power when he seized the throne. Once he sat on the Iron Throne, his love for power made him negligent of the duties that come with power. He has no patience or desire to sit with the commoners and listen to their complaints. His disregard for the
In A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, the Iron Throne symbolizes the corruption of power and how having power can define a person depending on how one uses that power. Martin uses winter not just as a season but as a symbol of evil used to show how preparing for winter is also a way for preparing for evil. The corruption of power is a convention of high fantasy that is seen in A Game of Thrones. The Iron Throne is more than a seat made of many metals; it is a symbol of power because whoever sits on it is the ruler of the Seven Realms.
Robert Baratheon, king of the Seven Realms, is portrayed through the eyes of his longtime friend Eddard Stark—more intimately known as Ned. Instead of ruling with reason, his actions are ruled by his emotions and desires. Robert is described to have “always been a man of huge appetites” (34). He is a stoutly man who enjoys food, but his huge appetites also refer to his desires. After Robert seized the Iron Throne at the Battle of Trident, he was forever a changed man. Ned has known Robert since they were both young, little boys, so it is significant when Ned admits that “the king is a stranger to [him]” (299). The Robert that Ned knew as a young boy was not the same man as he knew now, but that man “had never been so practiced at shutting his eyes to things he did not wish to see” (319).
“Robert was never known for his patience” (356).
He is still a good man. “I should not have hit her. That was not…that was not kingly” (359).
Robert is described to have “always been a man of huge appetites” (34), which refer to his huge appetites for food and wine but also refers to his appetite for power. At the battle of Trident, Robert displayed his desire for power when he seized the throne. Once he sat on the Iron Throne, his love for power made him negligent of the duties that come with power. He has no patience or desire to sit with the commoners and listen to their complaints. His disregard for the
Cited: Martin, George R. R. A Game of Thrones. Vol. 1. New York: Bantam, 1996. Print. A Song of Ice and Fire. Warner, Rosalind. "An American Game Of Thrones." Weblog post. Rozwarner. N.p., 21 July 2012. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. <http://rozwarner.wordpress.com/2012/07/21/an- american-game-of-thrones/>. West, Thomas. "The Timeless, Powerful Themes of 'Game of Thrones '" Yahoo! News 5 Sept. 2012: n. pag. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. <http://news.yahoo.com/timeless- powerful-themes-game-thrones-182800955.html>.