To Mikayla Beaudrie

Gothic on the Tube Challenge: Game of Thrones

   
 The word Gothic can be defined in many ways because almost everything in the world can be considered Gothic. I don’t believe Gothic has to be something dark and dreadful but that’s how most Americans define it. For instance, people that wear black attire with chains are considered “goth”. The United States is a fairly young country compared to those in Europe and Asia. The culture we grew up surrounded by put the word Gothic into the same category as horror. Movies that contained vampires are usually filmed in areas that had Gothic architecture so that’s probably why we relate Gothic to scary things.

 The Game of Thrones is a HBO television series is about conflict and tension within the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and other realms in the show. Conflict in the storyline comes from noble families of the realms fighting to control the Iron Throne. The Iron Throne is a symbol of power and authority in all the Kingdoms. The King who resides on the Iron Throne oversees the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros by enforcing the law, and maintaining peace.

 As my challenge, I have decided to analyze the Gothic characteristics of a teenage character from the Game of Thrones. Joffrey Baratheon’s was extremely cruel and disrespectful towards everyone including his own mother who was Queen. Later in the series, Joffrey Baratheon was appointed to the Iron Throne and became ruler of the Seven Kingdoms due to the death of his father. Before Joffrey’s father passed away, King Robert Baratheon wrote that he didn’t want his son to take the throne after he was gone. King Robert saw Joffrey as a disappointment because his son was spoiled as a kid and didn’t really retain any type of manners. His son did not have much sense between right and wrong so would just act according to what he was feeling. In one of the episodes, Joffrey became intrigued by the site of a pregnant cat and decided cut it open to see the babies. What he does here really describes his overall character and foreshadows his actions later on.

 New to the Iron Throne and all the power that comes with it, young King Joffrey did everything that a respectful king wouldn’t do. He enjoyed that sight of pain and suffering of others which fit the definition of cruelty. Unlike his father who treated the Queen with great respect, Joffrey humiliated his wife whenever he was given the opportunity. Lord Eddard Stark was King Robert’s best friend, right hand man, and had the right to the Iron Throne before he was betrayed. Lord Eddard Stark was also father to Joffrey’s wife, Sansa Stark. Strong willed and irrational, Joffrey sent his wife’s father and his father’s best friend to be beheaded in front of the people of Westeros. Joffrey was annoyed by the actions of his wife’s father and therefore decided to just get rid of him.

 Joffrey’s character in the series has an uncontrollable temper that can’t even be mediated by his own mother. During a rant about how he viewed women as an object to use for personal pleasure, his mother slapped him across the face. With an evil sneer, Joffrey told him mother that if she ever did that again he would give her the same fate as Eddard Stark, having her beheaded. As time went on, Joffrey Baratheon became known throughout the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros as the worst King in history. Joffrey’s grandfather said, “We’ve had vicious kings, and we’ve had idiot kings, but I don’t know if we’ve ever been cursed with a vicious idiot for a king!”

 The Gothic portrayal of men as tyrannical throughout history is because they are physically stronger than women. Unlike the modern era, men throughout history have been known to do as they please and use strength to get what they want. Women were viewed as hapless probably because they had less strength and given specific roles such as caring for their family. Whether or not individuals are Gothic really depends on the culture and perspective of the viewer. What’s Gothic to Americans may not necessarily be Gothic to Europeans.