‘Game of Thrones’ is an extremely popular, Emmy award winning, action fantasy television series. The show averages about 10.3 million viewers per episode, and was the most pirated show of 2012. Also in 2012 the fans of the HBO show were voted the most devoted in popular culture by vulture.com . Fantasies are often set in medieval locations and abstract worlds, where magic and mythical creatures are present and valiant knights save princesses for their hand in marriage. “The claim could certainly be made that traditional fantasy supports, even glorifies, society’s conventional conception of masculinity.” HBO bases ‘Game of Thrones’ on the epic book saga ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ by George RR Martin. The story denotes the power struggle of several dominating families for the Iron Throne and the rule of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. 'Game of Thrones’ can be seen as a fantasy soap opera. The multi-stranded narrative follows a diverse range of characters and each episode ends on a cliff-hanger.

1. The Representation
of Women in
HBO’s ‘Game of
Thrones’
‘Game of Thrones’ is an extremely popular, Emmy award winning, action fantasy
television series. The show averages about 10.3 million viewers per episode, and was
the most pirated show of 2012. Also in 2012 the fans of the HBO show were voted the
most devoted in popular culture by vulture.com1
. Fantasies are often set in medieval
locations and abstract worlds, where magic and mythical creatures are present and
valiant knights save princesses for their hand in marriage. “The claim could certainly
be made that traditional fantasy supports, even glorifies, society’s conventional
conception of masculinity.”2
HBO bases ‘Game of Thrones’ on the epic book saga ‘A
Song of Ice and Fire’ by George RR Martin. The story denotes the power struggle of
several dominating families for the Iron Throne and the rule of the Seven Kingdoms
of Westeros. 'Game of Thrones’ can be seen as a fantasy soap opera. The multi-
stranded narrative follows a diverse range of characters and each episode ends on a
cliff-hanger.
In contemporary media women are expected to be beautiful, sexy and the perfect
housewife. Even though there has been much discussion of progress, fictional female
characters tend to reflect the social historical views towards them. They are
objectified and serve men. In Heroes (2006-2010), even the indestructible cheerleader
Claire Bennett needed to be saved by a man; the shows tagline was “save the
cheerleader, save the world”. In fantasy what few female characters there are
generally take the form as the vulnerable ‘damsel in distress’ or the sassy ‘tomboy’
warrior. Unlike a lot of fantasy based fiction, ‘Game of Thrones’ attracts audiences
from both genders. Despite the medieval-esque setting the show breaks the traditional
stereotypes resulting in some of the most interesting and dynamic female characters
around today.
1
‘The 25 Most Devoted Fan Bases’, http://www.vulture.com/2012/10/25-most-
devoted-fans.html#photo=25x00014, 28/03/14
2
Aaron Williams, http://www.popmatters.com/feature/171175-the-women-behind-the-
throne/, 10/10/13

2. It is quite surprising that ‘Game of Thrones’ features so many strong female
characters considering their role and treatment. Women are abused and have little role
outside being a wife, child bearer and prostitute. The title sequence immediately
presents the patriarchy of the show; the realm is presented as a construction of phallic
symbols rising from the ground. In the sexist world of Westeros the game of thrones
is a game of power. According to the rules of primogeniture the first-born child
inherits titles and estates. However, “most nobles of Westeros practice male-
preference primogeniture”.3
Thus: “for most women born into the political world,
their job description is more pawn than queen”4
. The male character’s dialogue on the
topic of women is shocking; Salladhor Saan’s reason for aiding Stannis is so he can
rape Cersei: “if we don’t drown at the bottom of Blackwater Bay I will fuck this
blonde queen, and I will fuck her well”. There is an enormous amount of rape and
violence in the series and the camera never cuts away; this could be a catharsis for the
audience. The women are strong characters despite their inferior status. Cersei plays a
huge part as it is at her command that King Robert is killed, unbalancing the
established order.
A common female stereotype is the matriarch; the ‘Game of Thrones’ equivalent of
this is Cersei Lannister; Cersei stays at Kings Landing when the male Lannisters go
off to war. Cersei is a developed character, and not limited by the matriarch
stereotype; she strives to abide to her own agenda. “Cersei feels that her own potential
and genius are being stifled by the incompetency of the men surrounding her.”2
She
manipulates men and gets them to carry out her schemes. At the beginning Cersei is
powerful but, as the show progresses, the audience sees her power fall. In season one
she demonstrates that “power is power” by almost having ‘Littlefinger’ killed. But, as
the series progresses she gets “caught between her sadistic bully of a son and her
pitiless bully of a father, she is bitter and thwarted figure.”4
Although Cersei becomes
increasingly less powerful ‘Game of Thrones’ could be seen as being about the rise of
female power.
Sex is a very prominent theme in the show and many of the female characters are
prostitutes. It is considered dishonourable for a man to have sex with a woman
without marrying her. Thus the prostitute’s role is to fulfil the lust of the male
characters without having an impact on the narrative. Men dominate Westeros and
“female characters must either de-feminize or prostitute themselves in order to gain
power”5
A new media term ‘sexposition’ has spawned from the show. The term
describes instances when essential exposition is delivered during on-screen sexual
action. ‘Sexposition’ keeps “viewers hooked by combining complex plot exposition
with explicit going-ons”6
. Even the lowest female characters, such as prostitutes Shae
and Ros, use the weakness of men to gain social power and protection.
3
Elio Garcia and Linda Antonsson, http://www.tor.com/blogs/2011/05/the-cycle-of-
inheritance-in-a-song-of-ice-and-fire, 02/04/14
4
Helen Castor http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/mar/31/game-of-
thrones-women-westeros-lannister-stark-targaryen, 02/04/14
2
Aaron Williams, http://www.popmatters.com/feature/171175-the-women-behind-
the-throne/, 10/10/13
4
Helen Castor, http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/mar/31/game-of-
thrones-women-westeros-lannister-stark-targaryen, 02/04/14
5
Julia Rhodes, http://www.policymic.com/articles/44231/game-of-thrones-female-
characters-are-mothers-whores-and-little-else, 10/10/13

3. Stereotypically, women have less influence in society because they are driven by their
emotions, whereas men are supposedly rational. However, Rob Stark is driven by his
emotions. In season two, Rob promises to marry one of Lord Frey’s daughters in
order to gain access across a river. He breaks this oath when he meets Tulisa, a healer.
“You lost this war the day you married her.” This triggers his downfall and the brutal
set piece ‘Red Wedding’ massacre. This is an example of how the show defies the
rules of fantasy. To the shock of the audience, multiple protagonists are killed off.
After this episode aired, videos of fans reactions went viral. ‘Game of Thrones’ could
be seen as a feminist program as it represents the nature of men and women as equal,
even if men have more authority.
Sansa Stark is one of the few 'Game of Thrones' female characters that uphold the
traditional fantasy stereotype; this leads some viewers to believe that she weak. Sansa
is influenced by songs that tell tales of knights rescuing princesses. Sansa’s character
progresses upon her arrival at King's Landing when she realises “that the world is a
crueller place, the prince of her dreams is a violator, murderer, and a tyrant, her role is
suddenly unclear.”7
Sansa is isolated and when surrounded by foes, her intelligence
shines through: “Sansa is, above and beyond, a survivor.”8
Characters, such as Cersei and Margaery, reflect the archetypal woman; they are thin
and beautiful. However, some female characters in ‘Game of Thrones’ are
defeminized in order to survive. Characters such as Arya Stark use phallic weapons
(swords) to oppose this threat; “stick them with the pointy end”. Rhodes suggests that
the female characters have to defeminize and that Arya pretends to be a boy “in order
to assert her power.”5
However, I disagree. Arya escapes Kings Landing with men
headed for the Night’s Watch, disguising herself as a male. Some of the women in
‘Game of Thrones’ do not conform to their defined, passive role and reject the
hegemony of men.
One of the most memorable female characters is Brienne ‘The Beauty’ of Tarth who
is ridiculed for her masculine appearance. In the books, Lady Catelyn’s initial
response to meeting her is cruel and sexist: “Is there any creature on earth as
unfortunate as an ugly woman”. Gwendoline Christie is the actress that plays Brienne,
and she is not unattractive. Therefore her character may not be so ugly and is only
perceived to be because her appearance isn’t feminine. Perhaps men mock her
because they feel threatened by her strength and fighting ability. There are multiple
instances throughout the series when Brienne is a worthy opponent and defeats men;
even when fighting the ‘Kingslayer’, an infamously skilled warrior. Thus, women are
not only equal to men, but they are also capable of beating them. Furthermore, unlike
men, women are not restricted by their gender.
6
Isobel Berwick, http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/bd1e2638-a8b7-11e1-a747-
00144feabdc0.html#axzz2xrKVRM6X, 01/04/14
7
Krysta Brennan, http://www.paperdroids.com/2013/03/12/the-women-of-game-of-
thrones-sansa-stark/, 01/04/14
8
EK Mcalpine, http://thegeekagenda.co.uk/2014/03/30/game-thrones-women-
westeros/, 02/04/14
5
Julia Rhodes, http://www.policymic.com/articles/44231/game-of-thrones-female-
characters-are-mothers-whores-and-little-else, 10/10/13

4. Not only does ‘Game of Thrones’ represent women as equal to men there are many
characters that are more powerful than men. “You could throw a stone and hit a
woman with more intelligence, wisdom and strength than any male living in
Westeros.”9
Some examples include: Melisandre, a Priestess of R’hllor who has
extraordinary evil and sexual power and the wildling Ygritte. Ygritte is a strong
character, not just because she is a warrior, but because she does not let men
command her. Another example is Theon Greyjoy’s sister Yara. Theon is degraded
and given a position of lower authority than Yara. The fact that Balon Greyjoy
dismisses primogeniture shows that he acknowledges Yara not only as an equal, but
superior to Theon even though she is a girl and Theon is the rightful heir. Yara defies
fantasy gender roles and commands her own ship. Theon’s arrogance verge on being
narcissistic; this and his delusions makes him one of the weakest characters. Another
weak male character is King Joffrey who currently has the Iron Throne, despite being
immature and masochistic. “Once upon a time (Before TV) a girl thought of her
boyfriend or husband as her prince charming. Now…she thinks of her man as a prime
idiot.”10
Not only does ‘Game of Thrones’ represent women positively it represents
men badly confronting the genre.
Danaerys Targareyan is one of the most powerful representations of women in
Westeros and on television at the moment. However, she has not always been and
throughout the show her character has progressed massively. During the first season,
Danaerys is a slave to her brother Visery’s and is traded for the promise of armies
with the Dothraki. Like most of the male figures of authority, Visery’s attempts to
gain power by using violence and fear, this and his delusions of superiority lead to his
death. In contrast, Danaerys respects and emphasises with people. An example of this
is when she saves a group of women from being raped; including another of the
shows powerful female characters Mirri Maz Duur, a sinister ‘maegi’ (witch).
Danaerys is wise, powerful, has strong morals and perhaps, most importantly, is
completely independent of men. “She never falters in the face of drawbacks or
confrontation, unfailingly striding forwards to reach her goals.”9
Danaerys rejects
conventions not just of the fantasy genre but also social traditions as she embodies
strength and femininity making her an almost flawless role model.
In conclusion, HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’ is a postmodern fantasy epic as it updates
and defies traditions. “Viewers and TV journalists have long come to expect
controversial themes, provocative subject matter and thought provoking television
from HBO”11
. 42% of the viewers were reported to be female which is surprising as
the target audience for the fantasy genre is predominantly male, expanding the niche
audience12
. This creates a lot of potential for future fantasies. One of the reasons the
show attracts so many women is probably due to the sheer amount of female
9
Joe McGuinness, http://www.themacguffin.net/feminism-in-game-of-thrones/,
20/10/13
10
Ashley Sayeau quoting Lynn Spigel, Women’s Rights and Quality Television,
Quality TV Contemporary American Television and Beyond, 02/04/14
9
Joe McGuinness, http://www.themacguffin.net/feminism-in-game-of-thrones/,
20/10/13
11
Janet MaCabe and Kim Akass, Sex, Swearing and Respectability, Quality TV
Contemporary American Television and Beyond, 02/04/14
12
Game of Thrones Fandom,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_of_Thrones#Fandom, 28/03/14

5. characters, which are as memorable and crucial to the narrative as men. Some of the
most popular fantasies around, such as ‘Lord of the Rings’, have only a handful of
female characters. The author of ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ comments: “I’ve always
considered women to be people”. Thus the show represents women as equal to men,
and in many cases superior.
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