"Exploring Archetypal Themes in 'Game of Thrones'" investigates the recurring symbols and characters in the series through archetypal analysis.

1. Date: 9 April 2024
Exploring Archetypal
Themes in
“Game of Thrones”
Sem 2 | Batch 2023-25
Department of English
Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University
Aakash Chavda

2. Exploring
Archetypal Themes in
“Game of Thrones”
Prepared by: Aakash Chavda

3. ● Presented by - Aakash Chavda
● Roll No. - 1
● Paper: 109 - Literary Theory and Criticism and Indian
Aesthetics
● Topic - Exploring Archetypal Themes in “Game of Thrones”
● Submitted To - S. B. Gardi, Department of English, M.K.B.U.
● E-mail Id - aakashchavda637@gmail.com
Academic Details

4. Game of Thrones
◈ “Game of Thrones” is adapted from
George RR Martin’s best seller novels A
Song of Fire and Ice.
◈ Game of Thrones, American fantasy
television series created by David Benioff
and D.B. Weiss.
◈ It is a series around a mythical world like a
cracked-mirror reflection of medieval
Europe. (Tucker and Martin’s)
◈ Renowned for its critical acclaim and
widespread cultural influence, the series
left an indelible mark on American
television and the fantasy genre due to its
intricate characters, emphasis on political
intrigue, and its somber and sometimes
grim tone. (Eldridge)

5. What is Archetypal Criticism?
◈ Archetypal criticism views literary works as tapping into universal mythic patterns,
symbolic images, and archetypal characters that arise from the collective
unconscious shared by all humans across cultures.
◈ It involves studying the recurring mythic patterns, images, narratives, and character
types that are present in literary works. (Brown)
Walter K. Gordon says that,
"The basic contention of archetypal criticism is that literary expression is an
unconscious product of the collective experience of the entire species. As such,
literature is therefore integrally related with man's cultural past."
◈ Major supporter include Maud Bodkin, who drew on Jung's theory of the collective
unconscious, and Northrop Frye, who outlined archetypal categories like the
romance archetype, comedy archetype, tragedy archetype, etc.
◈ archetypal criticism explores "the presence and role of mythic archetypes and
patterns in literary works"

6. “essentially an unconscious content that is altered by
becoming conscious and by being perceived, and it takes
its colour from the individual consciousness in which it
happens to appear.”
- Carl Jung
● Strengths: providing insights into the unconscious appeal and
perennial patterns in literature across cultures and time
periods.
● Weaknesses: the danger of oversimplifying or distorting works
to fit archetypal patterns, vagueness, and relying too much on
universal symbols rather than analyzing the artistic
craftsmanship. (Brown)

7. ◈ Hero archetype is the oldest and popular archetypal pattern in our society.The hero
archetype is a literary character that is all around good. He or she will save people,
do the right thing, and protect what is good.
◈ There are six major hero archetypes in literature. They are the tragic hero, the epic
hero, the classical hero, the everyman hero, the Byronic hero, and the Anti-hero
archetype.
◈ According to Joseph Campbell, a hero can go beyond his personal limits as wells as
limits imposed upon him by his culture.
“The standard path of the mythological adventure of the hero is a magnification
of the formula represented in the rites of passage: separation—initiation—
return.”
◈ In the series, ‘Game of Thrones’ there are two characters who falls under the hero
archetype, and they are Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen. (Alexander 230)
What is Hero Archetype ?

8. ◈ The character of Jon Snow can be considered the protagonist. Jon Snow is a
fourteen years old illegitimate son of Eddard Stark of Winterfell. Like every hero
from myth, Jon Snow’s birth is a mystery to us. (Alexander)
◈ He is thoughtful and honorable, but also uncertain of himself and forever an
outsider within his adopted family.
◈ Jon becomes the member of Night’s Watch, and his quest to find his place in the
world is continue.
◈ We witness his personal isolation and his first journey from home to the Wall.
◈ Jon Snow, like many heroes, embodies both noble qualities and imperfections. His
unwavering integrity is both his greatest asset and his greatest vulnerability.
◈ Sacrifice of Jon - marriage, property, and children and titles.
◈ Escapes from death.
◈ Jon Snow’s character in Game of Thrones fits the Hero archetype in the traditional
Campbellian sense. (Preston)
Jon Snow as Hero

9. - David Benioff and D. B. Weiss
"Jon Snow tries to live
with honor, while
knowing that honor
often gets his family
members murdered.”

10. Daenerys Targaryen
◈ Daenerys’s call to adventure happens after she gets Khal
Drogo to kill her cruel brother, making her next in line to the
throne of Westeros.
◈ She receives supernatural aid in the form of the dragon eggs
she gets as a wedding gift from Magister.
◈ Jorah Mormont acts as "the Wise Old Man" figure, providing
assistance in her journey, fitting Campbell's concept.
◈ The "meeting with god" stage occurs when she initially suffers
from her husband Drogo's lust but their relationship evolves
into a partnership and greatest love of her life.
◈ The "belly of the whale" stage, symbolizing rebirth, happens
when she walks into her husband's funeral pyre with dragon
eggs and emerges from the ashes with her baby dragons after
Drogo's death.
◈ Despite facing countless challenges, betrayal, and loss,
Daenerys perseveres in her quest to reclaim her throne.
(Alexander)

11. ◈ Independent and Defiant Nature: Shows
more interest in weapons and combat rather
than palace intrigue or feminine pursuits.
◈ Courage and Resilience: Arya's journey
involves facing numerous challenges and
problems, including the loss of her family
members. Arya Seeks vengeance for the
injustices she and her loved ones have
suffered.
◈ Prophecies: Arya's journey is marked by
significant events and prophecies that hint
at her heroic destiny. (Andrews and
Andrews)
Arya Stark: True Hero?

12. Leaving The Hound To Die. Enjoying Torture
Enjoying Killing

13. At the end of Game of Thrones, there's a pretty solid
argument to be made that Arya is literally the
greatest hero the world has ever known.

14. ◈ Tyrion Lannister as a nuanced figure who
straddles both heroic and anti-heroic
archetypes.
◈ His journey parallels the archetypal hero's
quest, he undergoes trials and gains experience
to prepare him to become a true king.
◈ At times, he upholds promises and principles of
honor.
◈ His dwarfism links him to earthly imagery and
the underworld, diverging from traditional
notions of chivalry.
◈ indulging in lust, drunkenness, and deception.
◈ He manipulates people and situations for his
own gain.
◈ He embodies the very flawed nature of human
beings. (Monk)
Tyrion Lannister: Hero or Anti-Hero?

15. ◈ She is "vengeful, manipulative, cruel, and has
no sympathy for the less fortunate, even if
they're in her own family." These qualities are
typical of antiheroes.
◈ While male anti-heroes often maintain intrigue
despite their horrible actions, the same is rarely
observed for female characters in this role.
Cersei is highlighted as a notable exception to
this.
◈ Cersei stands out among other female anti-
heroes because, unlike many others who come
across as "shrill and abrasive", she has clear
inner motivations and a well-developed inner
life that makes her compelling.
◈ Cersei is a rare example of a captivating,
complex anti-hero character who happens to be
a woman. (Sarner)
Cersei Lannister as Anti-Hero

16. ◈ The series “Game of Thrones” contains substantial amount of
archetypal themes that appeals to the global audience.
◈ However, there are some character that hold ambiguous
archetypal imagery.
◈ Series hold timeless archetypes from heroes heroic journey to the
cunning mastery of anti-hero that appealed to the larger
audience.
◈ The series has reached a cultural importance and impact that goes
beyond its medieval fantasy backdrop.
◈ Exploring archetypes in the series helps us to understand the
overall narrative and broader cultural impact.
Conclusion

17. ◈ Alexander, S. “Analysis of Hero Archetype in George Richard Raymond Martin’s A Game of Thrones.”
International Journal for Research Trends and Innovation, vol. 8, no. 2. www.ijrti.org,
https://www.ijrti.org/papers/IJRTI2302038.pdf. Accessed 7 April 2024.
◈ Andrews, Travis M., and Travis Andrews. “Analysis | The true hero of 'Game of Thrones' emerges at the
Battle of Winterfell. Who it is shouldn't be surprising.” The Washington Post, 29 April 2019,
https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2019/04/29/true-hero-game-thrones-emerges-battle-
winterfell-who-it-is-shouldnt-be-surprising/. Accessed 8 April 2024.
◈ Brown, Daniel Russell. “A Look at Archetypal Criticism.” The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, vol.
28, no. 4, 1970, pp. 465–72. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/428486. Accessed 9 Apr. 2024.
◈ Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with A Thousand Faces, Commemorative edition. Princeton University
Press, 2004
◈ Eldridge, Stephen. “Game of Thrones | Television Series, Plot, Reception, & Facts.” Britannica,
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Game-of-Thrones. Accessed 7 April 2024.
◈ Genelza, Genesis. “(PDF) THE JOURNEY OF DAENERYS TARGARYEN: A HERO ARCHETYPAL
ANALYSIS.” ResearchGate, 11 January 2024,
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/377239592_THE_JOURNEY_OF_DAENERYS_TARGARYEN
_A_HERO_ARCHETYPAL_ANALYSIS. Accessed 8 April 2024.
◈ Monk, Patricia. “Tyrion Lannister: A Fulcrum of Balance in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire.”
Mythlore, vol. 36, no. 2 (132), 2018, pp. 5–22. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26809291. Accessed
8 Apr. 2024.
References

18. ◈ Preston, Richard E. “Game of Thrones as Myth: Daenerys Targaryen as the Hero.” WinterIsComing.net,
9 April 2016, https://winteriscoming.net/2016/04/09/game-of-thrones-as-myth-daenerys-targaryen-as-the-
archetypal-hero/. Accessed 8 April 2024.
◈ Preston, Richard E. “Game of Thrones as Myth—Jon Snow as the Archetypal Hero.”
WinterIsComing.net, 13 November 2015, https://winteriscoming.net/2015/11/13/game-of-thrones-as-
myth-jon-snow-as-the-archetypal-hero/. Accessed 7 April 2024.
◈ Sarner, Lauren. “'Game of Thrones' Created TV's Greatest Female Anti-Hero in Cersei Lannister.”
Inverse, 12 April 2016, https://www.inverse.com/article/14126-game-of-thrones-created-tv-s-greatest-
female-anti-hero-in-cersei-lannister. Accessed 8 April 2024.
◈ Tucker, Ken, and George RR Martin's. “Why is Game of Thrones so popular?” BBC, 7 April 2014,
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20140407-why-people-love-game-of-thrones. Accessed 7 April 2024.
◈ West, Thomas. “Characters That Prove Wheel of Time & Game Of Thrones Use The Same Archetypes.”
Screen Rant, 3 May 2022, https://screenrant.com/wheel-time-game-thrones-character-counterparts/.
Accessed 8 April 2024.