Women, Deception, and Manipulation
George R.R. Martin is known for writing novels full of deception, violence, manipulation, and any other wrong doings of the upper-class in the Middle Ages. His flagship series, A Song of Ice and Fire, on which the TV show “Game of Thrones” is based, encompasses many similar characteristics, including the active role of women, emotional manipulation and dishonesty, along with psychological games he plays with his readers.
The role of women is extremely important to the plot in Martin’s novels. Firstly, many criticize the violence against women in the novels, however, “Martin also said it would be "fundamentally dishonest" for him to exclude any sexual violence against women in his stories that are so embedded …show more content…
An example from the text on how characters manipulate others to get their way would be the climax of one plot in the first book of the series, “A Game of Thrones”. Petyr Baelish has a long and intriguing conversation with Catelyn Stark, Ned Stark, the current Hand-of-the-King and Lord of Winterfell’s wife. (“A Game of Thrones” Chapter 88) He talks with her about how he will help to secure their family’s safety because Tyrion was captured by House Stark as a suspect in the attempted murder of Bran Stark, An heir to Winterfell who was pushed out of a tower at the age of 6, who loses his ability to walk. (“A Game of Thrones” Chapter 4) However, later on he goes to Jaime Lannister, Robert Baratheon’s Brother-in-Law and current Kingsguard member, and attempts to secure money for himself and neutrality for his brothel in a bargain with the Lannisters by lying and stating that Starks want to go to war with them, which is not true in the slightest. (“A Game of Thrones” Chapter 112) This shows manipulation because one character is lying and being deceitful to those who do not align with his interests. A second example of deceit and manipulation is when Walder Frey pretends to forgive House Stark after Robb Stark, a contender in the War of Five Kings, who married another woman, even though that he swore to marry Frey’s daughter in exchange for resources and passage across The Green Fork (“A Game of Thrones” Chapter 59). Frey then invites Robb, his wife, his army, and his mother to the wedding of his daughter and someone Robb then offered to Frey to marry. At the wedding, Frey makes a toast to House Stark, but he actually made an alliance with a house that is the enemy of the Starks, the Lannisters. He then orders the doors closed and has his orchestra play the song of the enemy house, then they draw weapons and shoot at them, killing them all. After the blood bath, his mother, Catelyn,
George R.R. Martin is known for writing novels full of deception, violence, manipulation, and any other wrong doings of the upper-class in the Middle Ages. His flagship series, A Song of Ice and Fire, on which the TV show “Game of Thrones” is based, encompasses many similar characteristics, including the active role of women, emotional manipulation and dishonesty, along with psychological games he plays with his readers.
The role of women is extremely important to the plot in Martin’s novels. Firstly, many criticize the violence against women in the novels, however, “Martin also said it would be "fundamentally dishonest" for him to exclude any sexual violence against women in his stories that are so embedded …show more content…
An example from the text on how characters manipulate others to get their way would be the climax of one plot in the first book of the series, “A Game of Thrones”. Petyr Baelish has a long and intriguing conversation with Catelyn Stark, Ned Stark, the current Hand-of-the-King and Lord of Winterfell’s wife. (“A Game of Thrones” Chapter 88) He talks with her about how he will help to secure their family’s safety because Tyrion was captured by House Stark as a suspect in the attempted murder of Bran Stark, An heir to Winterfell who was pushed out of a tower at the age of 6, who loses his ability to walk. (“A Game of Thrones” Chapter 4) However, later on he goes to Jaime Lannister, Robert Baratheon’s Brother-in-Law and current Kingsguard member, and attempts to secure money for himself and neutrality for his brothel in a bargain with the Lannisters by lying and stating that Starks want to go to war with them, which is not true in the slightest. (“A Game of Thrones” Chapter 112) This shows manipulation because one character is lying and being deceitful to those who do not align with his interests. A second example of deceit and manipulation is when Walder Frey pretends to forgive House Stark after Robb Stark, a contender in the War of Five Kings, who married another woman, even though that he swore to marry Frey’s daughter in exchange for resources and passage across The Green Fork (“A Game of Thrones” Chapter 59). Frey then invites Robb, his wife, his army, and his mother to the wedding of his daughter and someone Robb then offered to Frey to marry. At the wedding, Frey makes a toast to House Stark, but he actually made an alliance with a house that is the enemy of the Starks, the Lannisters. He then orders the doors closed and has his orchestra play the song of the enemy house, then they draw weapons and shoot at them, killing them all. After the blood bath, his mother, Catelyn,