If you are unaware of the series Game of Thrones or the
books (A Song of Ice and Fire Series) that inspired it you must have been living under a rock for the past
couple of years. The massively popular TV show on HBO has blasted into the pop
culture scene like flames from a dragon. The stories of characters living in
the mystical land of Westeros have captured people’s imaginations. And the
appeal of the series seems pretty simple. The entire show is nothing but shades
of gray.
When you look at the characters in Game of Thrones, be they Stark
or Lannister, there seem to be no clear-cut good or bad guys. No white or black
hats (though plenty of black cloaks). Most people think they are supposed to
route for the Starks since their family is the one we are first introduced to
at the beginning of the series. But as the stories progress there are so many
characters introduced that it is impossible to take a side. Each character has
their good and bad moments, making it impossible to completely hate or love any
character (though I know many female friends who will with no hesitation
declare their love for a single male individual). 
The main reason why none of the characters are really the
bad guys is because in reality none of them are. From the very beginning of the
series we are told “Winter is Coming.” While all the fighting and feuding
between the various houses and alliances is where much of the story lies, there
is a larger threat looming over all the characters. One of the mystical aspects
of Westeros is that seasons can last entire years, sometimes even decades.
While the citizens of Westeros revel in the warmth of summer, they all live in
fear of winter. Not just because of the cold and dying of crops but because
winter brings all sorts of other horrors, chief among them The White Walkers.
This is the real threat of the series. They are the ultimate enemy that all the
characters will have to confront when their summer ends. This makes it possible
for the author and the show runners to paint so many characters as ambivalent.
Even the least liked characters in the series have brief
moments of redemption. Tywin Lannister is supposed to be a cruel and greedy
man, lusting for power. But reading the books, and especially when watching the
TV series, you realize so much of his horrible actions are done out of love for
his family. He wants power not so much for himself but for his children and
grandchildren. And certainly the Lannisters can’t be all evil when you see that
most beloved character in the show is a Lannister. Tyrion Lannister is a favorite
among so many fans of the books. And Petter Dinklage’s portrayal of the
character just makes him more likeable.
Nor are the noble Starks completely pure hearted and good.
One of the Starks’ most trusted allies, Theon Greyjoy, betrays his adopted family
the first chance he gets. Robb Stark, the King in the North, jails his mother
after she goes behind his back. Robb uses his direwolf to bite off the fingers
of someone who disagrees with his war plans. The Starks are not perfect. Even
Ned Stark who is seen as the most noble man in Westeros fathered a bastard
child (Jon Snow) while he was off fighting a war. And even though he tries to
do the right thing and raise the child, his wife despises the young Snow, even
though the child of her husband has worked his hardest to endear himself to the
rest of his family. |
| Plus there's hot chicks and dragons. |
What rings so true about the characters in this series is
that everyone has an agenda. While people in the real world try to be
altruistic and selfless at times, in reality most of us have ulterior motives
for nearly everything we do. And that is why Game of Thrones are so relatable
despite it being set in a world of swords and sorcery. In many ways, Game of
Thrones is not fantasy but a political thriller. It certainly shares far more
in common with a series like Scandal than it does a show like Once Upon A Time.
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