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Game of Thrones more than meets the eye.

Beyond the boobs, the butts and the blood, Game of Thrones also has some powerful messages about our society and the situation our species finds itself in.

By Phillip WoodfordPublished 7 years ago 3 min read
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Game of Thrones is back again for 2017 with even more nude bodies, sword fights, and fire breathing dragons. Since the first season the show has seen increasing popularity, becoming one of the most popular HBO shows to date.

The Game of Thrones fantasy universe is far from our own society, the dragons and ice zombies are a big give away. Yet the award wining show does present some very important modern themes in its fantasy feudal world. Beyond the boobs, butts and blood, Thrones also has some powerful messages about our society and the situation are species finds itself in.

Winter Is Coming

The Night King and the White Walkers.

The White Walkers are coming for the Seven Kingdoms. What stands between the Night King's host of icy zombies and the rest of Westeros is a band of criminals, disgraced nobles and bastards otherwise known as the Nights Watch. The Nights Watch are the first and last line of defence. They are holding back the forces of winter and are too few to hold the wall against Wildlings let alone the ice zombie army.

Their important and increasingly precarious situation reflects the weather related threat we all now face. Global warming. The warming of the globe and the change in climate affects us all. Like the squabbling factions on Thrones, world leaders are more concerned about their own throne than the advancing threat that will engulf it and the world’s population with it.

Global Warming cannot be faced alone. Whilst we are told in that if you change your light bulbs, eat less meat and recycle more, our individual efforts will be as effective as the last Great Ranging. Rather than a lasting winter followed by an army of icy undead, we face increased temperatures affecting weather, water and food supplies.

As single individuals, we stand no chance of stopping climate change, but as a group, we could just hold back the flood.

The Game of Thrones

Cersei Lannister on the Iron throne

Westeros feudal is a society where the likes of House Stark and House Lannister hold power over all who live within their lands. This hierarchy is maintained though violence and as proven by House Bolton is also changed by violence. Those who sit at the bottom of this hierarchy, the peasants, are the blunt instruments of this violence. The peasants rather than the Lords make up the army and are forced to play the game of thrones on the battlefield.

As characters such as the Sparrow or the Brotherhood Without Banners show, there is power in the masses who decide to play the game of thrones for themselves. Our society disregards huge parts of the population due to discrimination created from class, gender, disability, and race. In school we are taught to obedient and consuming citizens, accepting the status quo and the monopoly of violence the state has. By simply accepting that this is the way it is, we are implicit in its existence.

Dragons, magic or riches are not needed for social change. If enough are willing to resist oppression the elite will fall, according to political scientist Erica Chenoweth it takes a round 3.5 % of the population to create a successful peaceful revolution. Social change can start anywhere, in schools, in the workplace, even at home.

Valar Morghulis- All Men Must Die

Valar Morghulis - All men must die

If Game of Thrones has proven anything, it is that death comes to us all, especially those on Arya Stark’s list. The show is famous for its death count, 150,966 deaths so far, which shows that anyone can die at anytime. The good and wholesome die like flies, leaving the wiliest with their heads still attached. But, even then they are not safe.

Death can fall upon us or someone we love at any time. This can be seen as a gift, although not in the Faceless Man sort of way. Death means that we can appreciate its counterpart life to its fullest. It means that our experience is unique. Our limited time in the form we are in creates an appreciation for what we are and what is important to us, and the reality that if we are to reach our dreams we must take action now, not later.

Our time is finite and we cannot take what we have in this world with us. The only thing that will be left is the mark we leave on our society and the people we know.

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About the Creator

Phillip Woodford

I write therefore I am, or something like that. My areas of interest are social justice, and philosophy.

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