Game of Thrones: A Game of Women

Nine noble families fight for control over the mythical lands of Westeros. Meanwhile, a forgotten race hell-bent on destruction returns after being dormant for thousand of years. Yes, I am talking about Game of Thrones, the American fantasy drama television series you have probably heard about.

There are many voices that have risen saying that Game of Thrones is a sexist, misogynist series and, in addition, that makes women fall asleep (and if you are a guy who gets a girl become addicted to Game of Thrones, you become a true hero)...

Please, shut up

There are many others who also seem to forget that this is a series set in the Middle Ages, in which aspects of this era are used as a frame of reference to understand the figure of women. So erasing how they were treated would be as if historically nothing had ever happened.

It is true that this fictional medieval world is a hostile environment for women, but there are many examples of women who triumph, liberate and empower themselves:

• Arya Stark

"I wasn't playing. And I don't want to be a lady."

Arya hates courtly life and feminine conventions. Unlike her sister Sansa, she does not dream of Prince Charming, nor with marriage and children; she wants to learn how to fight with a sword and her father agrees. She knows how to take care of herself without the help of any protective man when she is separated from her family, and she becomes a brave, determined and independent girl.

• Brienne of Tarth

"All my life men like you have sneered at me. And all my life I've been knocking men like you into the dust."

Brienne is a warrior woman, a rude and efficient 'knight' in a trade exclusively for men. She is a woman who transgresses the gender roles (and what is more important: that she triumphs over them). The series constantly talks about the conflicts that this character faces for transgressing gender roles and teaches us about how unfair they are. She also makes fortuitous and necessary alliances with other women for the common good, so the concept of sisterhood makes more sense than ever.

• Cersei Lannister

"Tears aren’t a woman’s only weapon. The best one’s between your legs."

Her father, her husband and her brothers want her to raise her children. Queen Cersei suffers the injustice of not being able to reign or enjoy the rights she would have if she were a man. So she struggles to get the power she knows she's entitled to. She is Machiavellian and does not stop until she gets what she wants. Her character personifies female power, her courage and strength, without having to prove goodness.

• Daenerys Targaryen

"Woman? Is that meant to insult me? I would return the slap, if I took you for a man."

Daenerys Targaryen was sold to a savage by her abusive brother to get an army (he "would have let his whole tribe fuck her - all forty thousand men - and their horses too if that was what it took"...) and she was raped on her wedding night. However, she has a substantial and powerful evolution around the plot. She never tries to act "like a man" and she ends injustices wherever she goes, such as deciding to free slaves. Definitely, she is not ashamed of her gender, nor of who she is. She knows how she deserves to be treated. She works for what she wants. She is strong. And the best thing is that she believes in herself and in everything she can get to because she never underestimates herself.

• Sansa Stark

"My skin has turned to porcelain, to ivory, to steel."

Sansa is probably one of the most hated characters. This can be simply because she is feminine and therefore, because people still associate this feature with being weak and as if it was something negative. But she has a great evolution; she begins by being a pre-teenager who believes in fairy tales and romantic love. And then she realizes the injustices and fights without losing her femininity or her essence. In Sansa we also see how the concept of resilience makes sense: she overcomes an unwanted marriage, a half-kidnapping and a rape, among other things.

In conclusion, the power of women is only invisible to those who do not want to see it. These women have come to stay. And to the one who does not like it...

by Ana Álvarez Nogales

Sources:

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· Davila, I. (2013). Por qué ellas se duermen con 'Juego de tronos'. [online] GQ. Available at: http://www.revistagq.com/noticias/cultura/articulos/por-que-ellas-se-duermen-con-juego-de-tronos/17615 [Accessed 28 Apr. 2017].

· DiStasio, C. (2014). 7 Daenerys Targaryen Quotes That Make Us Want To Be Better Women. [online] Bustle.com. Available at: https://www.bustle.com/articles/27993-7-daenerys-targaryen-quotes-that-make-us-want-to-be-better-women [Accessed 28 Apr. 2017].

· Gallagher, J. (2016). Sansa Stark's 20 Best Quotes From 'Game Of Thrones'. [online] Starpulse.com. Available at: http://www.starpulse.com/sansa-starks-20-best-quotes-from-game-of-thrones-1848577109.html [Accessed 28 Apr. 2017].

· Gallagher, J. (2016). The 20 Best Cersei Lannister Quotes From 'Game Of Thrones'. [online] Starpulse.com. Available at: http://www.starpulse.com/the-20-best-cersei-lannister-quotes-from-game-of-thrones-1848570488.html [Accessed 28 Apr. 2017].

· Gallagher, J. (2015). 25 Powerful Daenerys Targaryen Quotes From 'Game Of Thrones'. [online] Starpulse.com. Available at: http://www.starpulse.com/25-powerful-daenerys-targaryen-quotes-from-game-of-thrones-1848479046.html [Accessed 28 Apr. 2017].

· Gallagher, J. (2016). 16 Badass Arya Stark Quotes From 'Game Of Thrones'. [online] Starpulse.com. Available at: http://www.starpulse.com/16-badass-arya-stark-quotes-from-game-of-thrones-1848570720.html [Accessed 28 Apr. 2017].

· Gallagher, J. (2016). 20 Noble And Badass Brienne Of Tarth Quotes From 'Game Of Thrones'. [online] Starpulse.com. Available at: http://www.starpulse.com/20-noble-and-badass-brienne-of-tarth-quotes-from-game-of-thrones-1848577170.html [Accessed 28 Apr. 2017].

· IMDb. (2017). Game of Thrones (TV Series 2011– ). [online] Available at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944947/?ref_=nv_sr_1 [Accessed 28 Apr. 2017].

· HBO. (2017). HBO: Game of Thrones: Cast & Crew. [online] Available at: http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew/index.html [Accessed 28 Apr. 2017].

· Ramírez, N. (2013). ¿Es 'Juego de Tronos' una serie feminista? | S Moda EL PAÍS. [online] S Moda EL PAÍS. Available at: http://smoda.elpais.com/moda/es-juego-de-tronos-una-serie-feminista/ [Accessed 28 Apr. 2017].