One of the artifacts I am examining in terms of my performance study is Season 5, Episode 10 of Game of Thrones, which I was able to access and analyze through HBOGO online. Titled “Mother’s Mercy” and directed by David Nutter, this season finale aired on June 14, 2015 in the United States. Since this is a video artifact, the materials utilized to create the artifact are costumes for the actors, props, settings/scenery, the script, the actors themselves, camera, lighting, and editing equipment, and other technology necessary to create a video. The episode is available to all HBOGO users, of course, but it is also accessible through streaming services such as ProjectFreeTV and Megashare, rendering it universally accessible to anyone with an
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She is charged by the High Sparrow – who is a man – for the crime of adultery. At the heart of this scene is misogyny, for the gendered epithets hurled at her during her long walk through the streets indicated to me that her punishment was indeed far worse as a woman than had she been a man. Her cousin, Lancel, with whom she committed adultery, was not at all subjected to the same treatment in the least; in fact, I’m pretty sure he merely had to apologize and express remorse. The audience of the performance given by Cersei’s character – ordinary citizens of Westeros- were demeaning, judging, and controlling of Cersei merely based on her body and her choices. This facet is reminiscent of the misogynistic way we still treat women today. The ugly face of patriarchy was thus more than apparent to me within this episode, but despite this, Cersei remains strong initially, walking through with her head held high, attempting to keep her pride intact despite the violence behind her nudity. It isn’t until the end of her walk that she succumbs to her sorrow, her body and feet bloodied, her morale shattered. This show reinforced the idea that while some women are empowered by gender nonconformity throughout the show, others find empowerment through rising above sexual violence. The women I am studying each embody seizing power in different ways, but it is the way in which they use their sexuality that enables them to rise above their obstacles. In the Game of Thrones world, these women are expected to have stereotypical gender roles, and they are often objectified as sex objects or pawns in political rivalry – utilizing their objectifications as a weapon, however, enables them to become
She is charged by the High Sparrow – who is a man – for the crime of adultery. At the heart of this scene is misogyny, for the gendered epithets hurled at her during her long walk through the streets indicated to me that her punishment was indeed far worse as a woman than had she been a man. Her cousin, Lancel, with whom she committed adultery, was not at all subjected to the same treatment in the least; in fact, I’m pretty sure he merely had to apologize and express remorse. The audience of the performance given by Cersei’s character – ordinary citizens of Westeros- were demeaning, judging, and controlling of Cersei merely based on her body and her choices. This facet is reminiscent of the misogynistic way we still treat women today. The ugly face of patriarchy was thus more than apparent to me within this episode, but despite this, Cersei remains strong initially, walking through with her head held high, attempting to keep her pride intact despite the violence behind her nudity. It isn’t until the end of her walk that she succumbs to her sorrow, her body and feet bloodied, her morale shattered. This show reinforced the idea that while some women are empowered by gender nonconformity throughout the show, others find empowerment through rising above sexual violence. The women I am studying each embody seizing power in different ways, but it is the way in which they use their sexuality that enables them to rise above their obstacles. In the Game of Thrones world, these women are expected to have stereotypical gender roles, and they are often objectified as sex objects or pawns in political rivalry – utilizing their objectifications as a weapon, however, enables them to become