Gender Roles in George RR Martin's a Song of Ice and Fire

Home , Girly girl, Renly Baratheon, Theon Greyjoy

A Dance with Men and Women - Gender Roles in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire

Masterarbeit

zur Erlangung des Grades eines Master of Arts

an der Geisteswissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz

vorgelegt von Kerstin Trattler

am Institut für Anglistik Begutachter: O.Univ.-Prof.Mag.art.Dr.phil. Werner Wolf

Graz, 2017

Table of Contents:

Introduction 1

1. Gender Studies – A Brief Description 3 2. The Issue of Gender in Fantasy Literature 4 3. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 8

3.1 Gender Roles in The Lord of the Rings 9 3.1.1 The Representation of Masculinity in The Lord of the Rings 9 3.1.1.1 Frodo and Sam 10 3.1.1.2 Aragorn 11 3.1.1.3 Gandalf 12 3.1.2 The Representation of Femininity in The Lord of the Rings 13 3.1.2.1 Galadriel 14 3.1.2.2 Arwen 15 3.1.2.3 Èowyn 16 3.2 The Representation of Gender in The Lord of the Rings 17

4. Gender Roles in A Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan 19 5. Gender Roles in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire 24 5.1 A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin 24 5.2 The World of Westeros 26 5.3 Family Matters 29 5.3.1 House Baratheon 30 5.3.1.1 Robert Baratheon 31 5.3.1.2 Stannis Baratheon 34 5.3.1.3 Renly Baratheon 36 5.3.1.4 Joffrey Baratheon (Lannister) 38

5.3.2 House Greyjoy 41 5.3.2.1 Asha Greyjoy 42 5.3.2.2 Theon Greyjoy 45 5.3.3 House Lannister 47 5.3.3.1 Tywin Lannister 47 5.3.3.2 Cersei Lannister (Baratheon) 49

5.3.3.3 Jaime Lannister 54 5.3.3.4 Tyrion Lannister 57 5.3.4 House Stark 61 5.3.4.1 Eddard Stark 62 5.3.4.2 Catelyn Stark 65 5.3.4.3 Sansa Stark 68 5.3.4.4 Arya Stark 71 5.3.5 House Targaryen 74 5.3.5.1 Daenerys Targaryen 75 5.3.5.2 Viserys Targaryen 78 5.4 Additional Characters 80 5.4.1 Brienne of Tarth 80 5.4.2 Khal Drogo 83 5.4.3 Ygritte 85 5.5 Sex and Sexual Abuse in A Song of Ice and Fire 88

Conclusion 95 Bibliography 98

Introduction

“I regard men and women as all human - yes there are differences, but many of those differences are created by the culture that we live in, whether it's the medieval culture of Westeros, or 21st century western culture.” – George R.R. Martin

A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin is a high fantasy novel series, which has gained a tremendous fanbase over the last couple of years. Its treatment of women is currently one of the most debated issues in popular culture. This is due to the adaptation of the novels for a TV series, but even beforehand, the books were highly popular among fantasy fiction fans. Therefore, those books play a valiant role in shaping the views of readers and their interpretation of female and male gender representation. The issue of gender studies has gained influence since the 1970s and has become a recognized discipline in the field of the humanities and beyond. A Song of Ice and Fire has been called feminist by their readership from early on, and quite a few authors have concerned themselves with the depiction of female characters in those books. This paper will look at the portrayal of female character roles, but the description of male characters as well. Considering that gender studies are trying to evaluate the differences and equality of gender in society, it is necessary to look at the representation of both, male and female gender depiction. Martin himself stated in an interview that “to me being a feminist is about treating men and women the same” (Salter, 2013: April 1). In chapters 1 and 2 of this thesis, a short history of gender studies and its emergence will be presented. Further, an overview on how gender representation in fantasy fiction was dealt with in the past, will be presented. Chapters 3 and 4 will showcase two specific examples of how gender representation is portrayed in other fantasy literature works. The classic depiction of gender roles in fantasy fiction will be disclosed via the example of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, as this work is probably the most well-known fantasy literature narrative in the world. On the other hand, the example of A Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan will be used to show that not all fantasy fiction has to conform to traditional stereotypical gender roles. Further reasoning why this series was chosen as an

1 introductory item for A Song of Ice and Fire is the fact that George R.R. Martin and Robert Jordan were friends and cherished each other’s work. The main part, starting with chapter 5, will consist of a detailed analysis of A Song of Ice and Fire and its characters. As the series is not yet finished, the books used for this analysis are: A Game of Thrones (1996), A Clash of Kings (1999), A Storm of Swords (2000), A Feast For Crows (2005) and A Dance With Dragons (2011). A necessary outline of the novels, including the geography and societal hierarchy within the world of Westeros, will be provided, as the representation of gender is connected to the characters background and upbringing. Accordingly, brief family histories are imparted. The characters chosen, are for most parts members of the main families in the book series. The aim is to establish that George R.R. Martin breaks with traditional gender roles, as well as male and female character traits, as opposed to classic traditional fantasy literature. In order to accomplish this goal, main characters will be singled out and analyzed. The character portrayal of the TV series will not be taken into account. The reasoning for only considering the book version of the characters is due to the discrepancy in depiction, as well as the fact that the TV series has advanced the plot of the published novels. The book version of the characters is the one originally intended by George R.R. Martin, and thus offers more validity in the field of fantasy literature.

1. Gender Studies – A Brief Description

The issue of Gender Studies is nowadays an omnipresent topic, which influences almost every aspect of official life. Originally, the term gender referred to the distinction between male and female sex, as well as the grammatical differentiation concerning noun classification into masculine and feminine. Gender is also used to depict the differentiation between men and women within a socially constructed context (cf. Yule, 1985: 222 – 23). The antonym for the concept of ‘gender’ would be ‘sex’, which describes the anatomical differences between men and women. Sex can be congruent with gender, but does not have to be. For example, a woman, physically female, can claim traditionally male gender roles for herself. The differentiation between those two terms, allows the distinction between gender roles as being determined by nature and physical features, and gender roles as a social construct (cf. Schößler,2008 :10). The notion that gender roles have developed due to physical differences between men and women has its own validity, but the focus with Gender Studies lies on the socially constructed idea of gender. The distinction between sex and gender and the accompanying debates and discussions, emerged in the early 1980s and originated from the feminist movements in the 1970s. Since then, the term gender has experienced a tremendous semantic expansion. Firstly, the term was used to raise awareness for the social as well as cultural construction of gender identity, but it soon shifted into a fundamental critique on the perception of characteristics of biological sex and identity in general (cf. von Braun et al, 2006: 3). Gender Studies emerged in the German speaking part of Europe in the early 1990s. Those studies focus on the socially constructed meaning of gender which describes the predisposition of gender roles according to society, which are enforced by prohibition, punishment and rewards. Therefore, Gender Studies concern themselves with gender as a social construct, as opposed to biological differentiation, because mainly what makes a man a man and a woman a woman, is constructed by social expectations and rules. Such expectations are concerned with dress codes, facial expressions, gestures, social behavior or work and therefore create the representation of what is feminine or masculine. Every

3 culture defines gender or gender restrictions differently (cf. Schößler,2008 :10), which emphasizes the theory that gender is a social construct. Furthermore, the field of Gender Studies accentuates that femininity and masculinity are not mutually exclusive, but one defines the other, meaning that masculinity derives its definition from what femininity is and vice versa. Considering this, Gender Studies should also focus on the construction of what is masculine, but the fact remains that the focus of Gender Studies lies with femininity. This fact correlates with the still problematic issues of gender equality in our society (cf. Schößler, 2008 :11). Taking into consideration that Gender Studies engages gender as a central category of social, cultural and individual aspect of human life, it is not surprising that gender and sexuality has taken over aspects of cultural and theoretical production, and therefore also has become a major issue in the field of Literary Studies. The issue of gender in Literary Studies is a complex one, as numerous variables exist, such as who is talking to whom, was the author male or female, from which point of view is the story told, which genre is depicted, for whom was the text intended, which historical context is given, etc. (cf. Hotz- Davies, 2004: 119f). Considering all those factors, it is not likely to reach an easy answer when it comes to gender in literature, especially, when it must be taken into account that male authors can take feminine positions or the other way around. To describe all possibilities would exceed the limitations of this paper, therefore only the genre of fantasy will be discussed, as the main literary work reviewed in this thesis is categorized as high fantasy literature.

2. The Issue of Gender in Fantasy Literature

In order to discuss the issue of Gender in fantasy fiction, it must firstly be defined which qualities are associated with the genre of fantasy literature. Generally speaking, works of fantasy fiction usually consist of the following ingredients: description of relatable, common characters of both sexes, an alternative reality to the real world, supernatural or magical elements, the fight between good and evil and the storyline follows a quest, which commonly ends in the hero

4 overpowering the evil forces (cf. Timmermann,1983: 4). Those features are reminiscent of the classic medieval chivalric romance, which draws upon the images of a “knight errant with castles, distressed damsels, and dragons” (Lewis, 1964:9). Technically, those characteristics would define the genre of fantasy, but fantasy literature gives the reader additionally the opportunity to immerse themselves in an alternative reality. Even more so, this alternative reality inherits a faint but clear reminiscence of the real world and therefore gives the reader the possibility to distance themselves from reality while at the same time providing them with a new perception of the real world (cf. Timmermann, 1983: 1). It could be argued that fantasy literature has a tendency towards pop culture and is therefore prone to reflect cultural mainstream and social issues. It delivers the opportunity to reflect on reality and its complications, and thus the depiction of important issues such as gender become more and more important. Cliché portrayals of men and women do exist in fantasy literature but have changed over time. The world of fantasy is traditionally seen as a masculine dominated area of literature, which generates from the medieval chivalric romance tradition of including elements of danger, fighting, conquering, defending one’s land etc. Basically, all those elements exclude female character as protagonists, due to traditional gender conventions. Those highly masculine elements did not only serve as an excuse to render female characters less important, but also supported the purpose of emphasizing an androcentric society (cf. Merrick, 2003:241). Female characters in fantasy fiction often take the place of the passive role, while males are always the active characters. Some texts even went so far as to omit female roles altogether, holding the argument that technology and physical combat were mainly male responsibilities. Again, such notions serve the purpose of emphasizing the androcentric worldview of Western civilization. Men are supposed to be the active hero, while women are confined to passive roles (cf. Merrick, 2003: 241). It is only natural that fantasy fiction, as other genres as well, transport received cultural assumptions about the world order as well as sociocultural ideologies, including gender roles. Speculative fiction tries to answer questions such as “What will happen”, “How does our world evolve?” or “How can one re- imagine our society?” Considering that most science fiction authors are male it

5 seems natural that an androcentric world view is portrayed. Male characters have dominated this genre ever since fantasy fiction arose, although there have been some attempts to involve female characters as well, and therefore creating a more equal gender system which resulted in the so called “androgynous solution” (cf. Merrick, 2003:242). This term basically describes the deconstruction of the binary gender system, by ignoring gender categorization in general or by creating a range of genders and thus rendering the binary opposition of gender invalid (cf. Merrick, 2003:242). Providing a detailed description of those alternative genders would go beyond the scope of this chapter, and therefore we will remain within the traditional male/female depiction of fantasy fiction. In the early days of fantasy literature, an androcentric worldview was dominating the genre. The most prominent example of embodied masculinity in early fantasy fiction cumulated in the invention of Super-Man. A man superior in every aspect, hence the name. In all fairness, it has to be mentioned that he was superior to other males in that universe as well, while the female counterpart in the story could be described as the medieval chivalric “damsel in distress”, who has to be rescued. This story could be seen as the classic fantasy fiction story, where the male character has to rescue the female one. Over time though, the female character started to enter the mainly masculine world of speculative fiction. As literature is closely linked to reality and its society, female characters changed during the sexual liberation of the 1960s, and the feminist movement of the 1970s to the present. Female characters were not yet given the same status as the male ones, but were rather confined to characters such as the seductive alien, the ultimate representation of the ‘other’ (cf. Merrick, 2003:244), or the love interest of the male character. Therefore, females were reduced to their sexuality, which led to the argument that sex had no raison d’être in the world of fantasy fiction and thus, women could rightly be excluded (cf. Merrick, 2003: 244). As it so frequently happens, every convention evokes a counterpart. This also occurred with androcentric fantasy literature. A number of narratives emerged, evolving around female characters. In those stories, androcentric gender hierarchies were overturned and from that point on became matriarchies. Those texts depict the anxiety and fear accompanying the change of conventional roles of gender. While they try to portray a more equal gendered society, they seem to fail in doing so, mainly because the female characters who fight for

6 equality, do so by developing traditional male character traits, such as hunger for power or dominating others. Therefore, those matriarchal societies may be ruled by women, but those women show definite character traits which are traditionally associated with male characters (cf. Merrick. 2003: 243f). Other writers have tried to deal with the battle of the sexes in a different way, by trying to depict both genders as equals. The novel The Disappearance (1951) by Philip Wylie, is an example for such gender depiction. In this text, females and males are separated from each other’s worlds. In the end they are united again, but it is apparent that the women have dealt with the situation in a superior way. Matriarchal societies are often portrayed as, and compared to, a beehive. While women rule, they do not develop sexual relations with each other. The author Robert Heinlein used to portray female characters as independent, competent and intelligent and capable of maintaining a functional society. However, while his female depictions are superior to the male ones, in the end, they still seek male appreciation and succumb to their desire, therefore remaining, at least sexually, dependent on men (cf. Merrick, 2003: 245). A lot of different aspects of gender roles have been explored within the genre of fantasy fiction. Basically, every version of gendered scenarios has been played out, because this genre is the perfect playground to take this notion and use it in the conventional way, as well as change it completely. Fantasy literature tries to answer the “What if” questions and therefore is able to depict various scenarios and versions of the real world, gender representation being one of them. This genre knows no restrictions and boundaries, because it is not tied to the real world but can develop alternative universes with fictional technology, creatures, societies, etc. and therefore also alternative gender roles and depictions. It is still obvious that this genre favors the male superiority because in the world of fantasy, societies are mostly male dominated, due to men’s physical superiority, them being charismatic leaders or kings. The world of fantasy literature is furthermore still populated with mainly male authors as well as a largely male audience, which rather identify with main male characters, than female ones (cf. Merrick, 2003: 244ff).

3. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, an English writer and poet, is one of the most recognized and impressive representatives within the genre of fantasy literature. It is commonly categorized as high fantasy literature, similar to The Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. The Lord of the Rings portrays masterfully the never-ending battle between good and evil, the importance of community and friendship, the natural order of our surroundings, as well as the individuality of a single person. (cf. Chance, 2001: 1). The trilogy follows the general recipe for a fantasy novel, namely including relatable, interesting characters, supernatural elements, battle between good and evil forces and, most importantly, a seemingly impossible quest for the main protagonist (cf. Timmermann,1983: 4). Tolkien created the story evolving around Middle Earth as a response to a world in which the individual person was seemingly immobilized while facing the horrors of totalitarian regimes and World War II in Europe. Considering the Lord of the Rings trilogy was technically an afterthought to another novel, The Hobbit, it is even more impressive how much influence this story about the individual’s power and capability has captured its intended audience (cf. Chance, 2001: 1). The Lord of the Rings was first published in 1954-55 as a three-volume novel, containing two books in each volume. The singe volumes were named The Fellowship of the Ring (1954), The Two Towers (1954b) and The Return of the King (1955). The books have been translated into 38 languages and soon came to being accepted as a masterpiece of its genre. Since then, the popularity has not faltered. Generation after generation is exploring the world of Middle Earth, which reflects on the genius of J.R.R. Tolkien to depict the voice of the seemingly powerless (cf. Chance, 2001: 1f). Taking into account how popular the Lord of the Rings novels still are, and how many readers of various generations are still being influenced by this narrative, it makes it a perfect example of how gender roles are, or more accurately were, depicted in fantasy literature in the middle of the 20th century. Since the release of the screen adaption of the novel, its popularity has even been amplified, thus still influencing the audience’s perception of gender in

8 today’s world. Taking into consideration that this trilogy was written in stages between 1937-1949, it is quite obvious that Tolkien depicted his male and female characters in his novel according to the standard gender roles of his time. These portrayals of traditional gender roles do not necessarily agree with a post feministic movement world view.

3. 1 Gender Roles in The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien has been categorized as an epic, myth, fantasy or even fairy tale, all of which testifies to the complexity of this trilogy. The story line is set in an alternate universe called Middle Earth. Within this reality, various races, including humans, elves, dwarves, wizards and hobbits, exist. Most of those races introduce male and female characters, with the exception of the wizards. Four hobbits are chosen to join a fellowship, consisting of five other members, each one representing one of the races, in order to defy an evil force which wants to conquer Middle Earth. Frodo and Sam, two of the hobbits, are burdened with the mission of destroying a ring of power, which can only be achieved by throwing it into the same fires which created it in the first place. The Fellowship serves the purpose of protecting Frodo, so he can succeed in his mission. Other members of the Fellowship include Gandalf the Grey, a wizard, Aragorn, a human, Gimli, a dwarf, Legolas, an elf, Boromir, another human and two more hobbits. Themes of this trilogy include, among others, heroism, good vs. evil, love, freedom and friendship (cf. Madill, 2008: 44). All of those themes invite the depiction of male as well as female characters and therefore the portrayal of gender.

3.1.1The Representation of Masculinity in The Lord of the Rings

The world of Middle Earth is obviously a male dominated society. To talk about masculinity and the male gender in The Lord of the Rings is therefore a rather complex issue and comprises a lot of aspects. In order to give a satisfying overview, a few specific characters will be chosen and described, concerning the

9 issue of male identity. It is worth mentioning that The Lord of the Rings sometimes blurs the line between what are purely masculine features or feminine ones. Masculinity and femininity are not always natural opposites, but either term is used to describe certain characteristics, and those can sometimes be attributed to men as well as women. This is shown in both, Tolkien’s male as well as female characters (cf. Madill, 2008: 47). After all, the idea of gender roles and the accompanying attributes are a constructed body of rules made by society, and sometimes it does said society a favor to break those rules.

3.1.1.1 Frodo and Sam

Frodo and Sam are two hobbits from Hobbington, who live a quiet life. This changes rapidly when the plot of The Lord of the Rings evolves. Frodo becomes the ringbearer and therefore the main protagonist of the trilogy. He has to carry the burden of the Ring. This would suggest that he would transform into the lone hero, but to talk about Frodo is to talk about Sam. The friendship between those two characters is one of the main themes in the novel. Sam is a loyal servant to Frodo who would sacrifice his own life in order to save Frodo’s. Those two little hobbits go on their dangerous journey, through deceitful landscapes which are filled with enemies and manage to overcome all those obstacles. This journey would suggest the epitome of masculinity and the definition of male gender, if it weren’t for the deep affection those two male characters have for each other. Especially Sam repeatedly emphasizes his fondness of Frodo through his actions and emotional expressions. Showing emotions and affection openly and in public, would be a characteristic attributed to the female gender and not necessarily with male heroic characters. Moreover, Sam also uses physical gestures to show his concern and feelings towards Frodo. On more than one occasion, Sam takes Frodo’s hand. Either to show his allegiance, like in Rivendell after Frodo volunteers to take the ring, or when he comforts Frodo in the Orc tower. Nearing the end of the journey on Mount Doom, Sam even kisses Frodo’s hand. Some readers would argue that Frodo’s and Sam’s friendship consists of erotic elements, and that the two of them indulge in a homosexual relationship, but it is more likely that Sam’s actions and nurturing gestures, imply that male friendship

10 can be more complex, than just protecting each other. Two men can find intimacy and emotional support with each other without implying sexual motifs (cf. Madill, 2008: 45). The friendship between the two highlights the feminine part of the two hobbits, which could also be seen in their description. They are very small, have hairy feet, but no chest hair. The lack of chest hair could be also interpreted as a feminine quality, or it could just be a physical aspect of hobbits, which emphasizes that they could be mistaken for children. Either way it does not stand for masculinity as such. Yet, both of them have traits, traditionally associated with male gender qualities. Both of them show immense bravery throughout their journey. Even when faced with the fact that they might not make it back home, they carry on their mission for the greater good, willing to sacrifice their own lives. The strength, willpower and bravery to succeed in their quest, are the traits of true male heroes. It is clear though, that the main focus of their masculinity lies within their friendship and their affection for each other, and in the end, Frodo would not have been able to succeed without the help and friendship of Sam.

3.1.1.2 Aragorn

Aragorn is the representative of the human race within the realms of Middle Earth. He, the future king, is one of the members of the Fellowship. Due to his natural authority, the rest of the characters come to follow him and accept him as their leader. He bears the burden of saving Middle Earth from the dark powers on his shoulders and could therefore be categorized as the romantic hero. Taking into account that heroism is commonly equated with masculinity and maleness, Aragorn definitely qualifies as the best representative for the depiction of male gender in The Lord of the Rings. It could be argued that Aragorn is a hero larger than life. He is a leader, a fighter, lover and a healer. Having the ability to heal could be seen as a female quality in Aragorn, but it is also a trait attributed to kings, as is emphasized in the following passage: “The hands of the king are the hands of a healer. And so the rightful king could ever be known.” (Tolkien, 1955:127f). Aragorn faces various obstacles, all of which he overcomes

11 masterfully and without fear. In the end, the dark powers are defeated and Aragorn becomes king (cf.Bogaert, 2015:27f). He is additionally the second part to the only love plot of the trilogy. The one desired by Arwen, an elven princess who will be discussed later on. Arwen’s father is not happy about the relationship and thinks Aragorn beneath his daughter (cf. Bogaert, 2015:28). Considering this, the fight for Middle Earth and Aragorn’s journey to becoming king, also could be seen as a way of proving himself to Elrond as being worthy of his daughter. Aragorn has to prove his value and his masculinity, in order to be with his beloved. A very classic romantic storyline for the prince to overcome many obstacles so he can be with his princess. Aragorn does prove his masculinity impressively, and of course the father of the princess approves in the end, because there is no one more able to protect Arwen than Aragorn, because he is the man among men (cf.Bogaert, 2015: 29). Aragorn stems from a royal lineage of men who have failed in the past to resist the power of the One Ring. He carries that burden with him, because he does not want to fail like his ancestor before him. He is tested but he proves to be strong enough to not desire the power of the ring. This also brands him as the ultimate strong male lead who cannot be corrupted by power, like other men before him and even with him. Aragorn is the perfect example of the ideal male hero representing masculinity with character traits of strength, power, honor, faithfulness and determination.

3.1.1.3 Gandalf

Gandalf is introduced in the trilogy The Lord of the Rings as a wizard who has magical powers. He is described in the book as follows: “[…] his long white hair, his sweeping silver beard, and his broad shoulders, made him look like some wise king of ancient legend” (Tolkien, 1954: 249). By this description alone it is made clear that Gandalf is a character who demands respect. Although he seems to be old, he is not frail, but vibrates power. The qualities attributed to him are traditionally male characteristics, such as broad shoulders, wisdom and the ability to rule over others. He is a masculine and empowered figure within the universe of Middle Earth. He is also a part of the Fellowship, and by far the oldest one. All

12 members of the Fellowship treat Gandalf with respect and come to him for advice. They trust his judgement and never question him, not even when they are seemingly lost in the mines of Moria. Allegorically spoken, Gandalf represents the ideal father, who everyone looks up to and respects (cf. Zimmer -Bradley, 2004: 77f). In short, the personification of masculinity and what male role models are supposed to be. The character of Gandalf is actually one of the lower gods, which is not mentioned in The Lord of the Rings but in one of the complementary works by J.R.R. Tolkien, namely The Silmarillion (1977). There it is stated that Gandalf is one of the Istari, who are described to be wizards. To men of Middle Earth it is not quite apparent who they are, but the elves suggest at one point that they were sent by the “Lords of the West”. What is interesting about the Istari, is the fact, that they were able to choose their own appearance and gender, and they decided for old men (Tolkien, 2006: 277). Considering that the world of The Lord of the Rings is an androcentric one, it becomes clear why the wizards picked the appearance of older men over the appearance of younger ones or even women. Older men demand respect and sometimes only because of their age. In Western society children used to be taught to be respectful of the elders because of their age. But this is not the reason why it does make sense to appear as elderly men. With age comes experience and therefore wisdom and authority. As mentioned earlier, all of the Fellowship treat Gandalf like a father figure, maybe with the exception of Pippin, another hobbit, who acts like a rebelling teenager towards Gandalf (cf. Zimmer -Bradley, 2004: 78), but this also amplifies his role as a father figure. Gandalf is the perfect example for male gender qualities represented in The Lord of the Rings. He is wise, powerful, able to physically fight and he is a natural born leader. Gandalf is not the primary hero of the story, but he is the leading force that pushes the story to unfold in the way it does.

3.1.2 The Representation of Femininity in The Lord of the Rings

The portrayal of female characters in The Lord of the Rings trilogy is commonly perceived as difficult, at least when looked at from a modern-day perspective. The verdict varies from old-fashioned and misogynistic to the representation of

13 women stem from the status of women at the time when the book was written. In short: A product of its time. It can be argued that Tolkien merely reflected women’s role in society which were mainly dominated by a patriarchal system (cf. Neville, 2005:101). Either way, the fact remains that the entire trilogy only mentions three female characters frequently, none of whom are part of the central story of the fellowship. All three of them are positioned in a traditionally female role and only few exceptions are made to the expected position, and even those are only brief glimpses into what a woman could do if allowed to do so. However, although the number of females in the narrative is limited, the roles they play could be seen as important archetypes which are necessary in an epic such as The Lord of the Rings (cf. Madill, 2000: 46).

3.1.2.1 Galadriel

Galadriel belongs to the elven race, moreover she is one of the high elves. She is introduced in the Fellowship of the Ring, ruling Lothlórien together with her husband, and is referred to as the Lady of Lórien or the Lady of Light. She is further described as the greatest of elven women and it is known that she is also one of the most powerful. When the Fellowship comes to Lórien, she is tested by Frodo who offers to give her the One Ring. Knowing of its corrupting power, she refuses. This refusal portrays her as a very strong character. She was able to do what a lot of men in the history of Middle Earth were not capable of, thus depicting her as stronger than men. According to Madill (2008; 46), Galadriel is portrayed in a most ambiguous way, as she possesses both, traditionally female as well as male characteristics. The first description that is being given about Galadriel is at the same time the description of her husband: “Very tall they were (…), and they were grave and beautiful” (Tolkien, 1954: 388). The ambiguity becomes clear, taking into account that the adjective “grave” is traditionally used to describe a masculine trait, while “beautiful” is more often used as a feminine attribute. This description suggests that both marital partners are equals and both of them share traits that could be described as either feminine or masculine. One does not eliminate the other (cf.

Madill, 2000, 46). Either Galadriel is elevated to the same status as a man within the realm of The Lord of the Rings, or in order for men to take her seriously, she has to acquire male traits. The same equivocation is used by Tolkien when describing Galadriel’s voice. It is “clear and musical” but at the same time “deeper than a woman’s” (Tolkien, 1954: 389). Again, the characteristics of her are juxtaposed by using female and male traits. Within the character of Galadriel, it becomes clear that femininity and masculinity are sometimes not mutually exclusive (cf. Madill, 2008:46). She is in general a very powerful and pure character, but she acts rather passively throughout the book, meaning she does not actively join the fight for Middle Earth. She could be seen as a very strong female character within the book who has taken over a leading position in a male dominated society. Yet, the information is given that she is the one who tends to Gandalf’s wounds and provides him with new clothes. Although she is depicted as powerful and wise, she is pushed into a stereotypical female role. Healing and nurturing wounds are typical female traits in fantasy literature, and by attributing Galadriel those abilities, she is again put into the nurturing mother role, opposing the one as a leader.

3.1.2.2 Arwen

Arwen is the daughter of Elrond and belongs to the elven race as well. She can be foremost described as the main and only love interest of the novel. When she is introduced she is already known to be in a relationship with Aragorn who is a human and therefore mortal, as opposed to Arwen herself. In the events of the novel, as far as the battles are concerned, she takes no active part. Like her father, she remains at Rivendell, but she appears to Aragorn on various occasions of need. Although not physically present, she comforts and assists him, offering inspiration (cf. Bloom, 2008:175). Those occasions emphasize the role of women in The Lord of the Rings. Women are not supposed to be leaders, but support their men by being loving, kind and nurturing, therefore, occupying passive motherly roles and not the ones of independent leaders. This is also emphasized by her sacrifice in order to be with Aragorn. She shows a devotion

15 to Aragorn, which could be seen as very brave in itself. She waits for him, not knowing whether he will return or even survive the events of the narrative. In the end, she makes the ultimate sacrifice for love. She has to renunciate her own immortality in order to be with Aragorn. This sacrifice entails the loss of her family as well as experiencing every aspect of being mortal (cf. Bloom, 2008:175). Admittedly, making sacrifices is not a female trait per se, as the male characters in the trilogy are also willing to sacrifice their lives, but they do so in order to save their world. Arwen sacrifices everything in order to be with a man. This action brands Arwen as a stereotypical female character who thinks, nothing is more important than being with a man and spending the rest of her life with him. Every other aspect of her life is therefore rendered meaningless by herself. This is a rather difficult portrayal of a female character who could have had the potential to be strong and powerful herself. After all, she belongs to the elven race, moreover she belongs to a high family of the Elves, Elrond being her father. Yet, this character remains within the restrictions of an archetypical female role, namely the princess who wants to find her prince and spend the rest of her life with him happily ever after. Out of the three characters who are female in The Lord of the Rings, Arwen is probably the most stereotypical of them all. The focus of her description lies with her beauty and how enchanting every male character finds her, and of course, the importance of her love for one of the leading male characters.

3.1.2.3 Éowyn

Éowyn is the representative of the human race within the realm of Middle Earth. Her lineage would suggest her ability to become a heroine in the course of the narrative. Her mother was a princess, sister to Theoden, King of Rohan. Éowyn and her brother are taken in by the king after their parent’s death. Like her brother, she has been trained in swordfight and to rule, furthermore she has learned to ride a horse, probably due to the fact that the Rohan people are known for their horsemanship. Although she has experienced the same education as her brother, she is expected by society to stay behind when a battle presents itself. She has been taught how to fight, and she is capable of ruling her people, but when it

16 comes to apply her education, she is left behind with the other women and children. Theoden himself has indulged Éowyn’s interest in boyish things such as fighting or riding, but still, he feels the need to protect her, simply for she is a woman. (cf. Porter, 2005:94-95). At one point, she describes herself as someone who “cannot lie in sloth, idle, caged.” (Tolkien, 1955: 231). This line emphasizes her character as someone who prefers action rather than waiting patiently and passively while the men go to war. This is especially emphasized by the story line of her disguising herself and riding into battle. She is not discovered or killed, which highlights her skills as a warrior, moreover she kills the Nazgul King and consequently becomes a battle-tested heroine. Of course, Tolkien had his little twist, by mentioning that the Nazgul King cannot be killed by a man. Éowyn can though, because she is no man (cf. Porter, 2005:93). Looking at those characteristics and plot lines involving Éowyn, she has the makeup of a true independent and self-efficient heroine. And she truly would be, if she had continued on this path, but in the end, she does not. After killing the Witch King and returning victoriously from the battlefield, she could have become anything she wanted. Yet, she chooses to marry Faramir, with whom she has bonded over family issues. In the end, she embraces the classic female role as a wife and mother, nurturing and caring for her husband. In spite of that, Éowyn is by far the most layered and independent female character in the The Lord of the Rings trilogy. As Lynette Porter (2005: 93) mentions quite correctly:

She is only being herself, and she plays many roles within the story. Some of the roles are more traditionally held by females in medieval-type fantasies; others are more traditionally held by males. Éowyn becomes a hero not because of or in spite of her gender. She is heroic because of her actions and her desire to serve and save others, which she does in many different ways. (Porter, 2005: 93)

3.2 The Representation of Gender in The Lord of the Rings

Having looked at some of the major characters in The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien it has become obvious that male as well as female character traits are portrayed in a rather stereotypical way. The men are allowed to be heroes, kings,

17 fighters and leaders, in short participate as the active characters of the narrative, while the women are mostly confined to their motherly, nurturing roles, if they are represented at all. In a universe as vast and complex as the one of Middle Earth, it is almost tragic that only three women are mentioned and serve the plot. In the Shire, the home of the hobbits, no women even appear, until the end of the trilogy when Sam desires to marry one. The race of the dwarves is represented by Gimli alone, but he talks about his forefathers and their accomplishments in the mines of Moria, but no females are mentioned. The Kingdom of Rohan has the privilege of calling an army of accomplished riders their own, all of whom are male as no women are allowed to join this army. The exception here is Èowyn, who joins them in secret for battle. The kingdoms of the elves are ruled by their male representatives, only Galadriel is mentioned as one of the rulers, but she is married. In Rivendell, no other women are mentioned, except for Arwen, and she has the sole purpose of being the love interest of the main male romantic hero, that is Aragorn. It is self-explanatory that none of the evil forces are female. One could argue that being evil is reserved for the male gender, but being evil and acting as such is another way of demonstrating power and independency. Apparently only male traits, when it comes to The Lord of the Rings. Jennifer Neville (2005:101) mentions in her critical essay on the trilogy that Tolkien underestimates the roles of women in historical texts, such as Beowulf, and therefore continued to write his female characters as a “powerless, voiceless, and hopeless woman who can do no more than weep” (Neville, 2005: 101). The portrayal or depiction of the male characters however, is much more complex throughout the novel. Referring again to the examples chosen, Sam and Frodo are no typical male heroes but show feminine qualities as well by emphasizing the importance of their friendship. Gandalf functions as the fatherly and wise leader, and Aragorn is the typical male hero who gets the princess who has been passively waiting for him, in the end. Other male characters include the very efficient and well-trained Legolas, the brave dwarf Gimli, the all-powerful Sauron and his minions, the honorable king of Rohan, Theoden, and many others. After this short excursion into the realms of Middle Earth it has become clear, that those fictional lands are very much governed by an androcentric worldview, where men are trained to lead and rule, and women embrace the roles

18 of wives and mothers. Even those women who show ambition and talent to fight and rule are, in the end, happy with being married and having children. It should also be mentioned that one of the most striking absences in Tolkien’s trilogy is the absolute lack of sexuality. This could also be attributed to the very few female characters in the novel, but the notion of sex does not even exist between lovers or married couples. There is obvious affection between Arwen and Aragorn, but no sexual tension. Sexuality per se does simply not exist within the realms of Middle Earth. In summary it can be said, that The Lord of the Rings does not provide a very progressive view on gender representation and everything it entails, but probably the view represented by real society at the time it was written by a male author.

4. Gender Roles in A Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan

The trilogy The Lord of the Rings was chosen because it is probably the most popular and well-known representative of fantasy literature in the world. Also, it depicts a rather traditional gender role system, which has been mostly used in fantasy literature. Contrary to Tolkien’s trilogy, the fantasy series A Wheel of Time is a rather new edition of high fantasy literature. The fact that George R.R. Martin and Robert Jordan were friends who cherished each other’s work, contributes to the justification for using A Wheel of Time as an introductory item for A Song of Ice and Fire. According to George R.R. Martin himself his own “ICE & FIRE series might never have found its audience without the cover quote that Jim was so kind as to provide, back when A GAME OF THRONES was first published” (Martin, 2007: September 16th). The book series published under the name of A Wheel of Time is a high fantasy novel series written by American author James Oliver Rigney Jr., better known under his pen name Robert Jordan. The series spans over 14 volumes, although it was originally planned as a six-book series. The first book The Eye of the World was initially published in the year 1990. Sadly, Robert Jordan was not able to finish the series himself, as he died in 2007. Luckily for the fans of the series though, he left extensive notes and records on the pending volumes,

19 therefore a fellow author named Brandon Sanderson was hired to complete the series according to Jordan’s wishes. The sheer length of the works invites the possibility to incorporate many themes and various elements of the real world. The series explores aspects of European and Asian mythology, as well as drawing upon the ideas found in Buddhism and Hinduism, concerning the cyclical nature of time (cf. Baron, 2010: October). The book series A Wheel of Time was at times clearly influenced by J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, at least when it comes to structuring his characters. Jordan’s version of Frodo is a young adult, listening to the name of Rand al-Thor, who has two best friends, named Mat Cauthon and Perrin Aybara, who remind the reader of Sam and Merry. In The Eye of the World, the first novel of the series, a Gandalf-esque figure called Moiraine Damodred, leads the heroes away from home, just before dark forces arrive (cf. Baron, 2010: October). Further characters in the book have been modelled after traditional fantasy archetypes, who appear almost in every fantasy literature work. Rand acquires the knowledge that he himself is destined to die in order to save the world, thus branding him as the Jesus character of the novel, the savior of them all (cf. Baron, 2010: October). To explore the world of A Wheel of Time, according to gender representation by means of character analysis, would exceed the limits of the following chapter, therefore, only one aspect of the series will be chosen to serve as the means of gender depiction within the 14 novel book series. For this purpose, the facet of the novel picked, is the wheel of time itself. Considering that the wheel serves as the title for the entire series, it seems fitting to use it as a representative for gender roles and their representation according to Robert Jordan’s A Wheel of Time. In order to use the wheel of time for the analysis of gender representation, it is necessary to clarify what the wheel of time is. This is best done by using Robert Jordan’s (cf. Jordan and Patterson, 1997: 65) own words:

Imagine a great cosmic loom in the shape of a seven-spoked wheel, slowly spinning through eternity, weaving the fabric of the universe. The Wheel, put in place by the Creator, is time itself, ever turning and returning. The fabric it weaves is constructed from the threads of lives and events,

interlaced into a design, the Great Pattern, which is the whole of existence a reality, past, present, and future. (Jordan and Patterson, 1997: 65)

The eponymous Great Wheel of the book series by Robert Jordan is the center of all time. In order to maintain itself, it needs to be powered. The source of power is provided by the ‘True Source’, which consists of two opposite yet complimentary parties. Those two parties are named saidin and saidar. Saidin represents the male half, while saidar provides the female half of the power. Both are needed in order for the wheel of time to maintain its patterns and itself. Those two parts are complementary yet conflicting, but by working together as well as against each other, the energy for the True Source is provided and thus turning the wheel of time (cf. Jordan and Patterson, 1997: 86ff). Given the information above, it becomes clear that the wheel is described as the heart of all life and what it entails. It is remarkable that such a powerful instrument depends on both, male as well as female ‘channelers’, which is the name for the characters who are able to access the power, in order to maintain its purpose. This is a wonderful analogy which can be translated into real life. Female powers and attributes are equally important as male ones, even though or because they differ in many aspects. Those powers or attributes are not mutually exclusive, and although they sometimes work against each other, they complement one another, and the True Source, as Jordan calls it, can only be accessed with both of them. Jordan emphasizes that a purely male or female led world would not be truly functional, moreover, he basically acknowledges that males and females are dependent on one another and are therefore equals. This theory furthered when exploring the properties of the saidin and saidar. Both parts consist of separate characteristics and properties and at some times those properties work against, and at some times, with each other. While men can only access saidin, women can only touch saidar. None of the opposing males or females are even able to sense the complementary half of the other source, except in the event of absence (cf. Jordan and Patterson, 1997: 106). This can also be interpreted of how men and women see each other in real life. It is a beautiful way of showing, that neither of the genders is truly able to understand the other, they even fight each other regularly, it is only when they are completely gone or non-existent, that something is missing and life is not running as smoothly

21 as it should. Jordan describes relations between men and women with a twinkling eye and still hits a truth with it. Further properties of saidin and saidar are that the practices of accessing the True Source are entirely different from each other. So much so indeed, that it is neither possible for women to teach their ways to men, nor the other way around (cf. Jordan and Patterson,1997: 106). This wonderfully depicted property portrays again the relationship between men and women. Both have their unique way of doing things and none of them could be dismissed or replaced, because their abilities cannot be transferred to the other, thus, both parties are necessary for life. None is better than the other, but they are both equally important. Another attribute that emphasizes the importance of both genders is the distribution of talents. It is described in the novel that men are usually stronger in using the True Power than women, while women show higher dexterity than men. The possibilities of accessing the True Power functions through five different threads, which are named according to the five elements, namely Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Spirit. The ways of accessing those five threads shall not be described in detail as it has no purpose in the portrayal of gender, the single elements though, are attributed to the male power and the female one, or at least, men are said to be more talented with Earth and Fire, while women exhibit higher ability with the use of Water and Air. There are exceptions to the rule, but they were so few, that this aforementioned stereotype evolved (cf. Jordan and Patterson,1997: 128). It is very interesting that Jordan separates the elements into female and male ones, and even the choice of which is which, is not necessarily the predictable one. It is interesting though that Jordan seems to support the classification of elements into male and female according to the ideas of Hildegard von Bingen. She also argues that Earth, usually attributed to females, and Fire are male elements, while Air and Water are female ones. Von Bingen supports her arguing with the use of biblical sources. She emphasizes that Adam was made of clay and therefore Earth has to be a male attribute, as opposed to Eve who was not made of clay but rather made of Adam’s rib. She is airier and lighter, more artistic than Adam and thus the element of Air is attributed to females (cf. Meyer,1999: 61-62). Let’s take this connection further, if Jordan uses Hildegard von Bingen’s distribution of male and female elements, he may also share her opinion on a hierarchy between men and women. In her opinion, women are not the weak sex, but they

22 incorporate a softer variation of strength. His masculine strength must be regulated by her gentle touch, otherwise his strength would develop into savagery. Hildegard von Bingen does not differentiate between the abilities of men and women, but she emphasizes the dependency of the sexes on each other. Women were not created for men, they both were created for each other (cf. Meyer, 1999: 62). Jordan seems to acknowledge a similar view when it comes to attributes of female and males. He too considers Earth and Fire more male powers, while women show their greatest strength through Air and Water. Within the realm of A Wheel of Time a popular saying developed among female ‘channelers’: “There is no rock so strong that water and wind cannot wear it away, nor fire so fierce that water cannot quench it or wind snuff it out” (cf. Jordan and Patterson, 1997: 128). This maxim does not only emphasize the powers of women but even raises them to the status of being more powerful than men. Women are the ones who control the powers of men, and not the other way around. This invites the conclusion that Jordan did not portray a stereotypical or traditional depiction of female and male characters in his fantasy literature series, but rather a very progressive and even feministic one. Having taken the example of the wheel of time and how its powers are accessed, readers could come to the conclusion that the portrayal of women in A Wheel of Time is one of independence and self-sufficiency. At the very least, they are portrayed as equally important as men. Looking at the list of characters appearing in the book series, this theory is definitely supported, as the male/female ratio seems to be balanced out, as opposed to e.g. Lord of the Rings. A Wheel of Time has been written during a time where the issue of gender representation was already present, but it is still worth mentioning because its portrayal of gender in a more modern way, cannot be taken for granted just yet. But it becomes apparent that A Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan is conceptually closer to A Song of Ice and Fire than Lord of the Rings, though Jordan does not seem to have the same emphasis on sexuality in his novels as George R.R. Martin does have in his works. The Lord of the Rings and A Wheel of Time, two extremely representative works in the field of fantasy literature, are two worthy examples to depict the issue of gender roles in fantasy fiction. Keeping those two examples in mind, the issue

23 of gender roles and its representation in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire is now possible within the context of other high fantasy literature works.

5. Gender Roles in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire

The main part of this master thesis will be concerned with the depiction of Gender roles in A Song of Ice and Fire. The focus being that not only female characters will be analyzed but male characters as well. To look at one is to look at the other. First of all, a brief introduction of the novel series will be given in order to understand the complexity and vastness of the material at hand. After this introductory subchapter, the depiction of gender will be analyzed, this will be done by categorizing the characters into their respective Houses.

5.1 A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin

The fantasy literature book series called A Song of Ice and Fire was first intended to only be a trilogy, but has now expanded to five books, with two more in the making. The first novel, A Game of Thrones was released in 1996, followed by the second installment, A Clash of Kings, in 1999, the third, A Storm of Sword, in 2000, the fourth, A Feast For Crows, in 2005, and currently the last one, A Dance with Dragons, in 2011. Two more installments of this series are not yet released, namely The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring. The plotline of A Song of Ice and Fire takes place in a medieval scenery set in a fictional world called Westeros. Westeros is a vast place which has been divided into Seven Kingdoms, each one with their own warden representing one of the higher Houses. The narrative draws inspiration from the Wars of the Roses, hence political agendas are one of the main themes of the series. The references to the Wars of the Roses might also be the reason why the world of Westeros is reminiscent of a medieval Europe (cf. Martin, 2011, July 22). As aforementioned, A Song of Ice and Fire was originally intended to be a trilogy. In order to understand why this is no longer a true statement, one has to investigate the background to the series. The average fantasy novel of the early 1990s usually included, as aforementioned, a male hero who, with the help of a

24 few friends, and/ or magic objects, faces great evil, and over the course of a trilogy, said evil is eventually defeated. One popular representative of this narrative model would be Lord of the Rings. Consequently, the genre of fantasy literature was a rather predictable one. In the early 90s though, this straightforward storytelling was broken by Robert Jordan’s A Wheel of Time, which was discussed earlier in this paper. Following the footsteps of Robert Jordan, George R.R. Martin created with A Song of Ice and Fire a complex and vast world, in which every character has to fight for their survival. To call Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire a high fantasy novel, does not truly do it justice, since the series combines fantasy with historical elements and thus fits the description of a “fantistorical” novel. Those novels construct a fantasy world, but do not solely rely on magical elements to further the plot, but rather emphasize on politics and interpersonal relationships. In the case of A Song of Ice and Fire this results in a highly complex spider web of connected characters, all of whom have their own motives, agendas and alliances (cf. Kaiser, 2017: pos. 373f). Another aspect of the series, which makes it so appealing, is the usage and putting aside of traditional fantasy tropes. The most obvious example of this would be the character of Eddard Stark. He obviously is the main character of Game of Thrones (1996), as most of the plot is told from his point of view, and yet, at the end of the novel he loses his head at the Sept of Baelor. This does not usually happen to the main character of a story. At the same time, the characters Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen feel like the classic fantasy heroes who should have their happy end. The construction of the tale itself is told through a selection of various point-of-view characters. This is a very smart way of handling such a complicated narrative. By using the perspective of single characters of the novels, the reader automatically knows in which area of Westeros they find themselves and which plotline of which House is moving along. This tool simplifies the story for the reader immensely. Further, Martin always uses the prologue as well as the epilogue to depict other aspects of the fictional world with the help of random characters. Those features of the novel make them so accessible to readers with an affinity for fantasy literature, but probably the most prominent deviation from other high fantasy novels, such as, for example, Lord of the Rings, is the notion that actions in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire do have severe consequences.

They do have consequences in Tolkien’s tale as well, but Martin manages to create an atmosphere of constant threat, even for his main characters, and he does not shy away from killing them. It is not the classic tale of good versus evil where in the end the good succeeds. This is a tale in which the honorable die and the wicked succeed. This notion complicates the genre of fantasy literature in a completely new way (cf. Kaiser, 2017: pos. 373f). George R.R. Martin raised the following questions during an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine when asked about his power wielding characters (Gilmore, 2014, April 23):

Ruling is hard. This was maybe my answer to Tolkien, whom, as much as I admire him, I do quibble with. Lord of the Rings had a very medieval philosophy: that if the king was a good man, the land would prosper. We look at real history and it’s not that simple. Tolkien can say that Aragorn became king and reigned for a hundred years, and he was wise and good. But Tolkien doesn’t ask the question: What was Aragorn’s tax policy? Did he maintain a standing army? What did he do in times of flood and famine? And what about all these orcs? (Gilmore, 2014, April 23)

Martin himself seems to be quite fond of answering those questions, and this is probably most clear when looking at the plotline of Jon Snow in the fifth installment of the series, A Dance with Dragons (2011). After winning the war against the wildlings and becoming Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, Jon is confronted with constant threats to holding the peace. He is undermined by his Night’s Watch, while he faces coercions from the north as well as from the south of the Wall (Martin, 2011). The point George R.R. Martin is probably trying to make is that holding peace is more difficult and complicated than winning a war (cf. Kaiser, 2017: pos. 420). A Song of Ice and Fire is without a doubt, currently the most influential fantasy book series in the world, thus it is well worth examining a little closer and it is only natural to combine the notion of gender depiction with such an influential novel that inspires people all over the world to read it.

5.2 The World of Westeros

In order to understand the various ways of gender representation within the world of A Song of Ice and Fire it is necessary to give an overview of the world of

Westeros. George R.R. Martin created an entire new world and not just an alternate view on reality. The world of Westeros is so vast that it could be compared to not just one country, but a continent with different countries, each one with their own morals, religious views, lifestyle and different gender roles. The geographical scope of Westeros stretches for about 3,000 miles from north to south and for nearly 900 miles from east to west. Recognizing the magnitude of this alternate world, it becomes clear that the issue of gender, be it male or female, is consequently, highly dependent on where the characters originally come from. The World of Westeros is divided into Seven Kingdoms, which are ruled by the King or Queen on the Iron Throne, situated in the capital of Westeros, King’s Landing. The Seven Kingdoms were united under Targaryen rule, but they remained a melting pot of distinct cultural influences and ethnicities. The peoples of Westeros remain as diverse as the scenery of the continent. The landscape stretches from frozen tundra in the north to the arid deserts of Dorne, and everything it entails in between. Furthermore, the lands beyond the Wall are not part of the Seven Kingdoms, neither is Essos, the lands beyond the narrow sea in the south. Both of those lands do not conform to the rules of the Iron Throne. The inhabitants of those lands have their own laws and are referred to as the free folks. For most of the history of Westeros, the Seven Kingdoms were ruled independently, and it was not until King Aegon unified the Kingdoms, that they were governed under the rule of the Iron Throne. Yet, due to the magnitude of Westeros, Aegon installed a feudal system, which allowed the great houses of Westeros to continue to rule their own land as long as they swore loyalty to the crown and consequently answered to the King. Henceforth, the north was ruled by House Stark, The Riverlands were under the control of House Tully, the Greyjoys were given the Iron Islands, The Tyrells took the Reach, the Arryns remained in control over the Vale, while House Baratheon was appointed the rule of the Stormlands. Each of those Houses were granted autonomous rule over their lands and their bannermen, as long as they acknowledged the authority of the Iron Throne and the King. This translates into every kingdom practicing their laws based on the local custom of the individual territories. The king holds the final authority, but each Lord is responsible to keep peace and quiet in the name of the Iron Throne (cf.Martin, 1996).

The fragility of this system becomes apparent in the first novel A Game of Thrones (1996). Everything is fine as long as King Robert rules the Seven Kingdoms, but as he dies, and the legitimacy of his children becomes an issue, the feudal system is overthrown and suddenly, among others, the North wants to become independent of King’s Landing. This fragility shows that the issues of cultural differences, different value systems and ethnicities cannot easily be dismissed, and considering the issue of gender roles within Westeros, those factors are highly influential on gender depiction. Another factor which influences the lives of the people in Westeros would be the environment of the Seven Kingdoms, which alternates from a hibernal wilderness beyond the Wall to dry deserts in the south. The middle of the continent is, dependent on the season, more temperate. Those seasons however, are unpredictable in their length and can last years at a time. When introduced to the narrative of A Song of Ice and Fire an unusual long summer is at large, but winter is looming and the consequences of a long winter will affect most of Westeros, as the larger part of the world lies in the north (cf. Martin, 1996). Given the various differentiating factors each part of the country has to deal with, and thus every family, it is natural that cultural differences emerge. Those variances affect every aspect of their respective lives, and it therefore also affects the way people are educated in the various areas, according to the challenges they face in their lives. They have to adapt to their surroundings in order to survive. People who live in the north face other problems and challenges than someone who lives in the far south or in the capital. Considering those factors, it becomes clear that the depiction of gender issues is dependent on the area and cultural context, the characters have been raised. It is important to understand where someone comes from in order to understand their behavior. For that reason, the topic of gender roles in A Song of Ice and Fire will be categorized according to their respective family Houses. This serves the purpose of providing depth to the characters as well as simplifying the process of analyzing the depiction of gender roles in the novels.

5.3 Family Matters

As aforementioned, each Kingdom of Westeros has been appointed to wardens who keep the peace in their respective areas. Those wardens are representatives of one house or family to which the other families of the area are sworn to. Commonly, the oldest son of a warden inherits his position and the entire estate in the event of his death, while the younger male children may choose to work for their older brother(s) and remain at the estate or select a different path, either as knights or part of the staff in other houses. Female children usually are denied those privileges and are not considered in the family hierarchy, nor are they trained in combat or other male activities. A woman is only able to obtain a powerful position through marriage, and even then, she is reliant on her husband’s willingness to let her wield power (cf. Sandqvist, 2012: 11). It is possible however, in the event of the husband’s death, that his wife inherits his title. As seen with Lady Lysa, who becomes the Lady of the Vale (cf. Martin, 1996). The various houses each have their own words or mottoes, which echo their family values as well as their living circumstances. Additionally, every family has their own banner or sigil, which ranges from animals, to flowers, or even ways of execution, like the flayed man of House Bolton. Men are expected to keep their family mottoes as well as sigil, while women, if they are married off, are expected to adapt to the words, traditions, rules and even religion of their new house. It is common politics to arrange political or financial alliances through marriage. Every house consists of a rather large household, including stewards, maesters, who could be compared to physicians, septas, who are responsible for female education, cooks, blacksmith, stablemen and many more. Those household members are expected to be loyal to the ruling family. Usually, the members of the household consist of common people, who are not part of a higher family and therefore have no higher name to them. Still, the same hierarchy within a family applies to them, meaning that only the male heir can inherit the family’s fortune. Children born outside a marriage, have no right to the inheritance of their fathers, be it the child of a lord or a common man. Those children do not even inherit the name of the father, but are given a bastard name, which complies with the region they live in. For example, the surname of a bastard child in the north would be

Snow. This does not only emphasize the fact that they will not be able to inherit their father’s legacy, but everybody immediately knows that they are born outside a marriage, because of their name and are therefore branded as someone less worth than others. Most bastards are children of prostitutes and both of those stigmas belong to the lowest class of social life within the realm of Westeros (cf. Sandqvist, 2012: 12). Every house with their unique family history, has cultivated distinct values and even religions. The houses of the north pray to different gods than the houses of the south. The identity developed by each character is strongly influenced by their families and therefore also their values, beliefs and ideologies. A strong connection is formed, feeling of community and loyalty is built, and not easily abandoned. Therefore, every character, be it male or female, should be analyzed with the family ties taken into consideration. Upbringing and family history are as important when looking at the males and females of A Song of Ice and Fire as their evolving behavior throughout the narrative itself. The following analyses of the characters will be done according to their families. Those families represent the main houses of A Song of Ice and Fire and are ordered alphabetically and not according to importance to the plot.

5.3.1 House Baratheon “Ours is the Fury” (Martin, 1996)

House Baratheon is one of the great houses of Westeros, which rules over the Stormlands. Strategically speaking, the Stormlands are among the more important locations in Westeros, situated in the center – east of the southern half of Westeros. Bordered by the Reach, the Riverland as well as Dorne, the Stormlands have great strategic value, and their army has always been considered as one of the most ferocious (cf. Martin et al, 2014: pos. 6388ff). House Baratheon came into being when Orys Baratheon charged against the knights of Storm’s End, which is the seat of the Stormlands, and slew their king Argilac the Arrogant, of House Durrandon. Ensuing those events, the King on the Iron Throne, Aegon the Conqueror granted Storm’s End and the

Stormlands to House Baratheon, and so the Baratheon’s joined the ranks of the great houses. Since Aegon Targaryen granted Orys Baratheon the honor of naming him Lord Paramount of the Stormlands and the Hand of the King, the relationship between the Baratheons and the Targaryens was always a loyal one. There have been rumors that Orys Baratheon was a bastard son of King Aegon, but those gossips were never verified (cf. Martin et al, 2014: pos. 6544ff). However, this loyal relationship between the two houses came to an abrupt end during Robert’s Rebellion. The House Baratheon acquired the house words of House Durrandon, namely “Ours is the fury” but they created their own sigil. The sigil of the Baratheons shows a black and crowned stag on golden background. Members of the Baratheon family share the following physical attributes: Commonly, they tend to be tall and muscular, have dark hair and blue eyes and are known for their capricious behavior. Generally speaking, the people of the Stormlands have been described by Martin (2014, pos. 6422) himself as tumultuous, brutal, irreconcilable and unpredictable. At the beginning of A Game of Thrones (1996) the reader is introduced to the Baratheon family through Robert Baratheon I. At this point, House Baratheon is not only responsible for the Stormlands and Storm End, but further, Robert sits on the Iron Throne. After Robert’s Rebellion, which caused the fall of the Targaryen dynasty, House Baratheon split up into three branches: King Robert created House Baratheon of King’s Landing, his younger brother Stannis took seat at Dragonstone, thus creating House Baratheon of Dragonstone, while the youngest brother Renly remained at Storm’s End and therefore continued the Baratheon house of Storm’s End. (Martin, 1996)

5.3.1.1 Robert Baratheon „I swear to you, I was never so alive as when I was winning this throne, or so dead as now that I've won it “– Robert Baratheon (Martin, 1996: 291)

Robert Baratheon was the first-born son of Steffen Baratheon and heir to Storm’s End. Robert sports the typical Baratheon look, meaning he has dark hair, blue eyes and a tall and strong frame. Eddard Stark describes him once as “tall and handsome […] his Warhammer in hand, sitting his horse like a horned god.”

(Martin, 1996: 576). At least this description fitted Robert in his youth. Before he won the Iron Throne he had been “clean shaven, clear – eyed, and muscled like a maiden’s fantasy” (Martin, 1996: 44), the classic hero, handsome, strong and very able to defend his people. Further he is described as a man with immense physical strength who could use weapons others were not even able to lift (cf. Martin, 1996: 44). He is the physical incarnation of masculinity and the stereotypical male hero in fantasy literature. This physical strength is probably the most obvious attribute of male power and this supremacy is also what wins Robert the Iron Throne in the end (cf. Emig, 2014: 90). According to R.W. Connell (2001, 143) the construction of gender identity for men is not simply constructed by social ideologies or discourses, but for men, the construction of gender is an active process by using the resources provided within a social setting. A strong, tall body exudes physical health and the power to protect. Robert Baratheon embodied this aspect of masculinity par excellence. His physical strength though, was not the only embodiment of masculinity he transpired. It is known that Robert started his rebellion because the love of his life, Lyanna Stark, younger sister to Eddard Stark, was allegedly kidnapped by the King’s son, Rhaegar Targaryen. This action of risking everything, even the peace of the realm, for the woman he loves, makes Robert the classic romantic hero of fictional literature. His actions are even reminiscent of the Trojan War, which was also triggered by the kidnapping of a woman. Yet, as opposed to the story of a classic romantic hero, he does not get the woman in the end, as she dies. He is victorious in his rebellion though and does win the Iron Throne and therefore ends the reign of the Targaryen dynasty. It is a bittersweet victory. Fifteen years later, Robert describes it as follows: “The gods be damned. It was a hollow victory they gave me. A crown ... it was the girl I prayed them for. Your sister, safe ... and mine again, as she was meant to be. I ask you, Ned, what good is it to wear a crown? “(Martin, 1996: 116). This quote emphasizes that Robert, after all those years, still has not forgotten his love and he rues that he became king. Being king would be the ultimate symbol of masculinity and strength, even more so, considering Robert won the throne by force, not by genetic succession, yet, he is not satisfied. There is no happy end for this male hero. This fate would be a wonderful explanation on why Robert transformed from an attractive, desirable and powerful king to an adipose ruler within only a couple of years. The moment Robert was seated on

32 the Iron Throne and all the battles were fought, he was stripped of his own definition of masculinity. A man of the Night’s Watch told Jon Snow that “Robert was never the same after he put on that crown. Some men are like swords, made for fighting. Hang them up and they go to rust” (Martin, 1999: 99). Robert’s identity and consequently his masculinity was stolen from him by wearing the crown. Suddenly, he is no longer able to fight in the fields, because now he is confronted with politics, in order to keep the peace. Such politics included his marriage to Cersei Lannister, the daughter of Tywin Lannister, the richest man in the lands of Westeros. A marriage not out of love, but simply for political reasons. Robert had to search for a new way to celebrate his masculinity, he did so by finding comfort with wine and prostitutes. His heart was never with the crown and he even admits this openly to Eddard Stark. “Let me tell you a secret, Ned. More than once, I have dreamed of giving up the crown. Take ship for the Free Cities with my horse and my hammer, spend my time warring and whoring, that’s what I was made for.” (Martin, 1996: 291). As he is not able to do so, he found another way to regain his masculine power. He could not fight actively in battles anymore, but he could father children. Robert fathered various bastards with different women over the course of his reign and even before. All of those children show the typical Baratheon traits, they have dark hair and blue eyes. Jon Arryn, the Hand of Robert, even chose his last words to be “The seed is strong” (Martin, 1996: 450), meaning that Robert’s genetic code is the one which succeeds in passing on its traits. Opposing the looks of his bastard born children, Robert’s legitimately born children with his wife Cersei, do not show the classic Baratheon characteristics, but all of them display Lannister traits. This might be another aspect of Robert’s physical demise. Fathering children is the only masculine ability he has left in his life, but when looking at his children, he does not see himself in them. He wants to leave a legacy behind, built his own dynasty of kings, but he is disappointed in his children. “My son. How could I have made a son like that, Ned? “He’s only a boy,” Ned said awkwardly. He had small liking for Prince Joffrey, but he could hear the pain in Robert’s voice.” (Martin, 1996: 291) He does not see himself in his heir, and this breaks him. Interpreting this scene from a gender perspective, this could be translated as Robert seeing himself fail as a man, by not being able to produce a son, who has little to nothing in common with himself. Moreover, he sees the influence of Cersei in his son and not his own. Of course, it is later

33 revealed that Cersei’s children are not fathered by Robert but by her twin brother Jaime. Even his legacy is taken from him in the end, but at least, Robert does not find out about the betrayal of his wife before his untimely death. In the end, Robert is the victim of a premeditated accident, planned by his wife. He is killed by a boar during one of his hunts. “Killed by a pig,” he muttered. “Ought to laugh, but it hurts too much.” (Martin, 1996: 467). The great Robert Baratheon, first of his name, who was once described as “the fiercest warrior of the realm, a giant among princes” (Martin, 1996, 54) was in the end defeated by a common boar. The pain he talks about could mean the actual physical pain of his wounds, but more likely, he is talking about his disappointment in himself of what he has allowed himself to become. Robert Baratheon is, in the end, a fallen hero. He started out as someone who had nothing to lose and everything to gain, an embodiment of physical strength and masculinity, but in the end, he has lost everything. His legacy, his strength, and probably most important of all, his masculine identity. Robert’s early death in A Game of Thrones (1996) is the first indication of Martin trying to relativize traditional gender roles.

5.3.1.2 Stannis Baratheon “Kings have no friends,” Stannis said bluntly, “only subjects and enemies.” – Stannis Baratheon (Martin,1999: 474)

Stannis Baratheon is the younger brother of Robert. He, the middle child of the family, was therefore never thought off to be the one who would follow Robert on the throne. Like Robert, Stannis is tall and broad-shouldered as well, but he was never considered to be as handsome as his older brother. The relationship between the two brothers was a difficult one. Robert could never truly relate to his brother and the other way around. Stannis, as opposed to his older brother, never felt the need to prove his masculinity by cheating on his wife or drinking too much wine. Quite on the contrary, Stannis is what Martin describes as a “truly just man” (Martin, 1996: 581). Stannis always felt cheated out of Storm’s End, as Robert gave the seat to his youngest brother Renly, but he grudgingly took the seat at Dragonstone and conformed to his king. Stannis draws his masculinity from his honor and duty, which is quite contrary to Robert, who never thought much of both qualities. Stannis’s role in the novels is expanded after Robert’s

34 death. He is convinced that Robert’s children are not his and therefore Stannis himself is the true heir to the Iron Throne. It becomes apparent to the reader that Stannis is not a man who lets himself be guided by his emotions, but by his honor bound principles. “I never asked for this crown. Gold is cold and heavy on the head, but so long as I am King, I have a duty” (Martin, 2000: 866) This is the most noticeable difference between him and Robert, the lack of emotions in Stannis. He rules his people with just force and not with despotism. His honor does not only affect his political views, but also his private life. Stannis is married to a woman he does not love and who has not yet blessed him with a male heir, they do have a daughter though. Stannis loves his daughter and would even make her his successor if he does not get a male heir. Yet, the lack of said male heir does not quite agree with him. It pains him that he has not yet been able to father a boy with his wife, how much so indeed becomes clear when Melisandre, a red priestess who is able to perform magic, offers him the chance of a male heir. Melisandre promises him not only a child, but a son. Stannis cannot refuse this offer, and so the man who has never cheated on his wife, lets himself being seduced by Melisandre (cf. Martin, 1999). Although Stannis seems to be quite satisfied with his masculinity, the prospect of a male heir makes him overthrow his own principles, which are so important to him. This emphasizes that even in A Song of Ice and Fire the male gender is considered to be worthier than the female one, at least when it comes to the Great Houses of Westeros. Analyzing Stannis Baratheon and how he fits into gender representation in A Song of Ice and Fire, it is clear that Stannis wants to be remembered in history and he wants to build a legacy for himself. When Melisandre tells him that he is the “prince that was promised” (Martin, 2005:742), he is flattered and believes her. He was always the second best, and someone else was always better than him. Stannis was always overshadowed by his brothers, and even overlooked by them. Given the chance of being someone special who does some good in the world, makes him forget his principles, he even converts to a new religion (Martin, 1999). Still, Stannis seems to be quite comfortable with who he is. He does not have the immanent need to prove himself, but he wants to leave something behind after he dies. This is what, in Stannis’ point of view, a true man should do. Be just and honorable, doing the right thing and leave something to be remembered by. Compared to Robert, Stannis is the more reasonable one of the two of them. He

35 once states that “We all know what my brother would do. Robert would gallop up to the gates of Winterfell alone, break them with his warhammer, and ride through the rubble to slay Roose Bolton with his left hand and the bastard with his right. I am not Robert” (Martin, 2011:644). These words are truly spoken. Stannis is nothing like Robert. Stannis is by far more deliberate and not close to being so impulsive as Robert was. In conclusion, it could be stated that Stannis draws his masculinity from his authority and his justice, and not from his physical strength.

5.3.1.3 Renly Baratheon

“Why the oldest son, and not the best-fitted? The crown will suit me, as it never suited Robert and would not suit Stannis “- Renly Baratheon (Martin,1999: 480)

Renly Baratheon is the youngest brother of Robert and Stannis. When Robert became King on the Iron Throne, he left Storm’s End with Renly, rather than Stannis. Renly served his brother Robert on the small council as the Master of the Laws. Renly has been romantically involved with Ser Loras Tyrell for many years, but kept his homosexuality a secret, as the predominant religion of the Seven Kingdoms condemns homosexuality as a sin. After the death of his brother Robert, Renly desires to claim the Iron Throne for himself, although he would only come second in succession to his brother Stannis, not counting Prince Joffrey (Martin, 1996/1999). At first look, the character of Renly could function as a positive representation of a homosexual male in power, but through closer examination one realizes that Renly’s motivation stems from false reasoning. Still, the fact that Renly is gay man in a fantasy novel is quite remarkable, as the genre of fantasy is traditionally aimed at a male readership and therefore tends to stick with heterosexual characters (cf. Attebery, 2002:5). Renly is by far the most charming of the Baratheon brothers, beloved by many. While Robert was strong and impulsive, Stannis dutiful, Renly is more flamboyant, and he enjoys life. The Baratheon family is a dynasty of warriors and strong stereotypical men, but Renly does not quite follow this tradition. His character shows feminine traits which are not obvious with Robert or Stannis. It is known that Renly appreciates expensive clothing, Lord Baelish once mocks him because of that foible: “Lord Renly spends

36 more on clothing than half the ladies in the court”. (Martin, 1996: 185) This mockery implies that Renly shows more feminine features than some women. It also furthers the idea that Lord Baelish is aware of Renly’s liking to men, but Renly is not bothered by that. It is an open secret that he prefers the company of men, although he would never admit to it. Renly presents himself in public as a charismatic charmer, but in private his true colors show. Taking the example of his treatment of Brienne of Tarth, a rather masculine woman. Publicly, he shows kindness towards her, appreciating her loyalty to him, but in private he mocks her appearance and her lack of femininity. Being kind to one’s face while stabbing them in the back, would classically be considered a female attribute, rather than a male one. In this aspect, he is depicted as a stereotypical gay man, who has acquired many female attributes. The fact that he calls his personal guards, the Rainbow Guards is, taking into account that the symbol of the rainbow is the icon of the modern LGBT community, an open statement towards his own sexuality. One could argue that he embraces his identity as a gay man, but he is constricted by the patriarchal society around him, as well as his warrior family. On the other hand, Renly shows traits of true cruelty and masculine desires. When discussing the rising threat of Daenerys Targaryen his solution to the problem is rather simple. “The matter seems simple enough to me. We ought to have had Viserys and his sister killed years ago, but His Grace my brother made the mistake of listening to Jon Arryn.” (Martin, 1996: 329). He would have killed an innocent child and baby in order to ensure the stability of the Iron Throne, an act his brother Robert was not willing to do, although he was the revenge driven brother at the time. Renly’s cold and rational thinking shows his Baratheon upbringing and his desire for power at all costs. These traits are indicated again when he proclaims himself king after Robert’s death. Acknowledging that Robert’s children are not truly his, his older brother Stannis has the stronger claim to the throne, and Renly is aware of this, but he considers himself the better choice, simply because he is the one beloved by the people. Examining the quote at the beginning of the chapter, Renly considers himself best suited for being king of the realm, simply because of his charms and looks. Those charms provided him with the largest army of Westeros in A Clash of Kings (1999) and this fuels his own conviction that he should be king. This army was also due to his marriage to Margaery Tyrell, sister to his boyfriend Loras. This marriage shows his masculine drive for the

37 throne. He is aware that he has to play a political game in order to become king, even if this means sacrificing his true identity by marrying a woman. Although it never comes to that, Renly would have let other men die for him to win the throne. He himself was never much of a fighter himself, he left this for his brothers. Probably the biggest flaw of Renly is his vanity, which in the end, is his stumbling block. After his mysterious death, his men join the forces of Stannis, and Renly is soon forgotten. Even his Tyrell allies join forces with the Lannisters after Stannis fails conquering King’s Landing. His vanity and his charms provide his only motivation for the Iron Throne, but eventually this is not enough, or as Lady Olenna Redwyne put it: “He knew how to dress and he knew how to smile and he knew how to bathe, and somehow he got the notion that this made him fit to be king.” (Martin, 2000: 81). Ultimately, Renly is the one Baratheon who combines male and female character traits most obviously. Next to Loras Tyrell, he is the only male character with a leading part in the narrative who has been depicted as homosexual. It is quite interesting that George R.R. Martin chose House Baratheon for gay male gender representation, as House Baratheon being portrayed as one, which values masculine traits, such as physical strength and war skills, as highly important. Renly possesses neither of those traits. One can only guess why Martin made this choice, but taking into account the absence of a Baratheon born female character, Renly’s character could function as the missing link to female character traits of House Baratheon. Although some of his features are truly stereotypical, such as his affinity for an assorted wardrobe, Renly remains a highly interesting character, and one of the few positive representations of male homosexuality in fantasy fiction.

5.3.1.4 Joffrey Baratheon (Lannister) “Joffrey is truly a little shit. [Jon Snow]” (Martin, 1996: 76)

Joffrey Baratheon is allegedly the oldest son of Robert Baratheon and Cersei Lannister. After the death of his father he claims the Iron Throne and rules the Seven Kingdoms. It is revealed that Joffrey is actually the son, born out of an incestuous relationship, of his mother with her twin brother Jaime Lannister,

38 though Joffrey himself remains ignorant of this fact. Because of his ancestry, his rule is challenged by Stannis and Renly Baratheon, as well by the then King of the North, Robb Stark. Joffrey is depicted from the beginning as spoiled, arrogant and sadistic. Those traits are amplified by him becoming king. Originally betrothed to Sansa Stark, he tosses her aside in favor of Margaery Tyrell in order to strengthen a newly found alliance between the Lannisters and the Tyrells. At his wedding though, he is poisoned and dies (cf. Martin, 1996,1999,2000). Joffrey’s appearance is described as being rather tall for his age, as he is twelve years old when he is first introduced, with blond curly hair. He has bright green eyes and full lips, in short, he is rather handsome, he does not have the Baratheon looks, but the ones of Lannister House. Growing up, Joffrey was spoiled and indulged, but developed a cruel streak at an early age, one his legal father Robert did recognize and admits to Eddard Stark: “It would not trouble me if the boy was wile, Ned. You don’t know him as I do” (Martin, 1996:291). Robert is disappointed with his son, who on the other hand, seeks the approval of his father, which he never receives. Joffrey’s main role model is his mother Cersei. Looking at Joffrey from a psychological point of view his behavior correlates with basic patterns of parent – child relationships. Especially the ones of a sadistic male child, like Joffrey. To simplify the theory, male children with sadistic tendencies fear that they will never live up to their fathers and thus develop negative and aggressive attitudes towards their mothers. A jealous identification with their mother manifests itself, rather than one with their fathers. This “femininity complex” will later in life be compensated by showing aggressive behavior and male superiority towards women (cf. Gurfinkel, 2013:21). The character of Joffrey does comply to this theory. His lack of approval by his legal father, manifests into aggressive behavior towards his mother and also towards other women in his life. He idolizes Robert Baratheon, or at least the long-lost version of him. In one scene, his grandfather tries to teach Joffrey how a true king should behave, but Joffrey is not willing to learn, but refers to the great achievements of Robert:

[Tywin] when your enemies defy you, you must serve them steel and fire. When the go to their knees, however, you must help them back to their feet. Elsewise no man will ever bend the knee to you. And any man who must say “I am the king” is no true king at all. Aerys never understood that,

but you will. […] [Joffrey] My father won all the battles. He killed Prince Rhaegar and took the crown, while your father [Tywin] was hiding under Casterly Rock. (Martin, 2000: 715f)

This dialogue signifies with which family Joffrey wants to be identified with. He wants to be a Baratheon and not a Lannister, hence he wants to be identified with his father, and not with his mother. He has been under the influence of his mother all of his life and barely had a relationship with his father, but as he is king now, he wants to oust his mother. Even after Robert’s death, he tries to get his father’s approval by praising him and putting his grandfather into his place, knowing that Tywin Lannister was not especially appreciated by his father. Emphasizing this notion of Joffrey, is the fact that the phrase “hiding under Casterly Rock” is directly taken from Robert’s mouth. In Joffrey’s eyes, the way to live up to his father is by ruling with authority. He does not care about being a just king, he just wants to be king and everything that goes along with that power. On more than one occasion, Joffrey demands respect and loyalty of his subjects by blurting out in anger “I am the king” (Martin, 2000: 715). By repeating this phrase, he wants to be put on the same pedestal as his father, not realizing the lesson his grandfather tried to teach him. Joffrey is overcompensating, due to him being a thirteen-year-old boy, and probably also because he realizes that he will never be seen as a Baratheon, who are real men with physical strength and born natural leaders. Joffrey is aware he has not inherited such masculinity and consequently he recourses to reminding everyone that he is the king, identifying with his alleged ancestors. Another aspect of Joffrey’s character seems to be lack of sexual interest. Opposed to his legal father, He lives his masculinity through cruel and sadistic acts and does not try to gain sexual experience. This could be due to his age, he is only thirteen when becoming king, but it speaks to his antisocial character. His relationship with Sansa changes drastically after her father’s execution. Joffrey has her frequently beaten by his staff, once even trying to strip her in public while he ordered his knight to “beat her bloody” (Martin, 1999: 488). Though he shows such cruelty towards Sansa, he never abuses her physically herself, especially not in a sexual way. He prefers to show his masculine superiority with mind games and ordering other people to do his deeds. The most obvious demonstration of his superiority over women happened at Eddard Stark’s

40 execution. “My mother bids me let Lord Eddard take the black, and Lady Sansa has begged mercy for her father. […] But they have the soft hearts of women” (Martin, 1996: 664). Joffrey sees mercy as something feminine and not as something a true king should oblige to. He, the king, is the only one who knows how to treat traitors, and frail women should not be in his way. In the end, Lord Eddard loses his head, and Sansa her love for Joffrey. He does not realize at that moment, that his actions, made out of spite towards his mother and proving his masculinity to Sansa, unleashes a civil war in the Seven Kingdoms. Eventually, Joffrey pays for his crimes towards women, as one of them eventually kills him. The character of Joffrey could be seen as the main male antagonist of A Song of Ice and Fire, a book series which lacks the simple black and white categorization of good versus evil, but Joffrey is one of the few characters who lack a pleasant side to them. This is highlighted by the fact that not even his genetic father Jaime mourns his son’s death. When asked why he wants to protect Joffrey’s alleged murderer, he clarifies what he thought of him: “Joff was no more to me than a squirt of seed in Cersei’s cunt. And he deserved to die.” (Martin, 2000:1009). Joffrey personified the villain of the story and he is depicted as the most negative male gender representation in the books, exhibiting character traits reminiscent of psychopathic patterns. His behavior might have resulted from the absence of a masculine idol and the poisonous influence of his female role model, or maybe he is just evil. Either way, Joffrey represents a negative example of how a male character uses his social superiority to exercise power over others, but mainly over women.

5.3.2 House Greyjoy “We Do Not Sow” – (Martin, 1996: 752)

House Greyjoy belongs to the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms, which rules over the Iron Islands, a barren conglomeration of islands off the west coast of Westeros. Their castle is built on the island of Pyke and the head of the Greyjoys is named the Lord Reaper of Pyke. Alike the other Great Houses of Westeros, the inheritance of the title Lord Reaper of Pyke is traditionally given to the oldest

41 son of the current Lord. Members of the Greyjoy family tend to be attractive, strong and have black hair. Their family sigil shows a golden kraken on a black field. The inhabitants of the Iron Islands are known as ‘ironborn’ or ‘ironmen’. They live a tough live, which leaves little room for empathy with others. They are cold and determined people, who are proud of their traditions. They adapted to the character of their surrounding bleak islands. They do not grow their own food supplies, but instead, raiding the lands of Westeros, and taking from others what they need. Even if this means paying the ‘iron price’, which means killing others for their own gain. Historically speaking, the rule of the Iron Kings extended their power beyond the Iron Islands, but after the perish of Harren and his sons, Aegon Targaryen granted the Riverlands to House Tully, but allowed the lords of the Iron Islands to remain there and even choose their own leader. They chose Lord Vickon Greyjoy of Pyke. In the narrative of A Song of Ice and Fire, Lord Balon Greyjoy is the current Lord Reaper of Pyke. His two elder sons were killed during the Greyjoy rebellion, which was downcast by Robert. Balon’s youngest son Theon was taken by House Stark as a warden, and raised in Winterfell. His only daughter, Asha, remained at the Iron Islands. House Greyjoy carried on the tradition of raiding others and also kept their own religion, the one of the ‘Drowned God’ (cf. Martin, 1996: 752f).

5.3.2.1 Asha Greyjoy “I am Asha of House Greyjoy, aye. Opinions defer on whether I’m a lady “– Asha Greyjoy (Martin, 2011: 960)

Asha Greyjoy is the only daughter of Lord Balon Greyjoy, Lord Reaper of Pyke. When she was a child, she was skinny and her face was covered in pimples, but she has grown into a young lean woman with black hair and strong hands. Asha is a true ironborn and lives her family traditions. When first introduced in A Clash of Kings (1999), she is described through her younger brother’s point of view. The first meeting between the two of them is awkward, as her brother Theon does not recognize her for who she is, but rather sees in her another sexual conquest, which he can put aside later. Theon behaves in a very sexually aggressive way towards her, and she plays along, even referring to herself (cf. Frankel, 2014: pos. 932f) as “a woman wed, and new with child.” (Martin, 1999: 380). Asha

42 pretends at this moment to be vulnerable and quite smitten with Theon, though she knows who he is. It almost seems like she is trying to find out what sort of man her brother has become. She is testing his character by pretending to be married and with child, therefore saying she is not free for him. It could be argued that Theon fails this test, as he selfishly persists. The little confusion is soon dissolved and Theon is embarrassed he did not recognize his sister. Beforehand, he boasts that he is the prince of the Iron Islands and he will be king, but as Asha reveals her true identity to Theon, she does so in an extremely masculine way. “Asha snatched the axe from the air and slammed it down into his mantle with drippings. “There’s my lord husband.” His sister reached down inside her gown and drew a dirk from between her breast. “And here’s my sweet suckling babe.” (Martin, 1999: 392). This action puts Theon in his place. Asha has become the man of the family Greyjoy, and her father considers her as his heir, rather than Theon, the only male successor left. Asha definitely falls into the category of the warrior women, who can take care of herself and does not need a man on her side to protect her. Yet, even a strong and independent warrior woman feels, according to Valerie Estelle Frankel (2014) occasionally the need for companionship, but those relationships rarely last.

The warrior’s lover may compete with her and feel jealous of her success. But even if they remain in accord, they are too similar. […] she may regard him fondly, even love him, but he offers her no potential for growth. Each constantly mirrors the other, offering support and acceptance, but no change. (Frankel, 2014: pos. 970)

Frankel furthers this train of thought, by stating that warrior women types search for sensitive scholars, who are fulfilling the missing aspects of a warrior woman’s life (cf. Frankel, 2014: pos. 970). This is also supported by Asha’s choice of companion in A Dance with Dragons (2011). She chooses “Qual the Maid” (Martin, 2005: 395) to be her lover, a man, nicknamed because of his lack of beard and of his “pink cheeks” (Martin, 2005: 395). She enjoys his company but also mocks him constantly, calling him “beardless boy” (Martin, 2011: 390). It is apparent that Asha loves Qual, but she keeps him for her own pleasure, rather than pleasing others with her choice. While Asha is physically aggressive, her choice of lover is gentle. Those actions speak for her being an extremely independent and self-sufficing woman. She knows who she is, and does not need

43 a man to establish her identity. In the fifth book, A Dance of Dragons (2011), Asha contemplates her options to acquire some allies and Stannis Baratheon is on her list. She thinks about offering her “fair young body” (Martin, 2011: 392) to Stannis, but in the end, she decides not to. As opposed to other female characters in A Song of Ice and Fire, Asha does not resolve to convincing men with her sexuality. She values herself too much (cf. Frankel, 2014: pos. 960) and is too convinced of herself, that she does not feel the need to use her body, but rather wields her axe and therefore chooses the male way of convincing others. Asha is part of a highly androcentric system, meaning Westeros itself, but moreover, the Iron Islands. A world always reigned by a cruel and harsh landscape. She is accepted among the ironborn, but not so far as to make her their queen. After her father’s death, Asha wants to face the kingsmoot, the ironborn’s way of choosing a new leader. Her uncle tries to put her down easy by telling her “No woman has ever ruled the ironborn. […] You are Balon’s daughter, not his son. And you have three uncles.” (Martin, 2005: 235). Asha points out the inequity of being accepted by men to lead them into battle, and being captain of a ship, but they will not accept her as their queen. Aware that by tradition she does not stand a chance, her confidence tells her otherwise. “I have the best claim. I am the heir of Balon’s body.” (Martin, 2005: 236). The use of words here is quite interesting. She, not referring to herself as his daughter or son, but as his heir, points out that being male or female should not be taken into account on who sits on the throne. Of course, a feudal system is not necessarily the best choice on deciding who becomes king or queen, but neither should be the sex you are born with. Eventually, Asha is not chosen to be the queen of the ironborn. Asha has been compared by Frankel (2014, pos. 970) to J.R.R Tolkien’s Èowyn, and some parallels could easily be drawn, but Asha is a true representation of female gender according to modern standards. She is independent, rebellious, does not let men tell her how to reach her goals, and she can take care of herself. According to Elizabeth Beaton (2016, 199), Asha matches the description of the “emergent Machiavellian military type”, which fits literary characters whose leadership is proven through martial acts. Asha Greyjoy does conquer to this character categorization as she could be seen as one of the true feminist characters in A Song of Ice Fire, who does not compromise herself

44 even once. It will be interesting to see what fate George R.R. Martin has in store for Asha, as she is still alive at the end of A Dance with Dragons (2011).

5.3.2.2 Theon Greyjoy

“Theon. My name is Theon. You have to know your name” – Theon Greyjoy (Martin, 2011: 961)

Theon Greyjoy is the youngest, as well as only surviving, son of Lord Balon Greyjoy. He was taken hostage and brought to Winterfell as a ward to Lord Eddard Stark, after his father’s rebellion against King Robert Baratheon failed. Theon’s character starts out as a cocky handsome young man, who lives a promiscuous live, which serves his vanity and his arrogant appearance. The Starks have been kind to him and he considers the eldest son of Eddard Stark, Robb, to be his brother. He is not so much liked by the other Northerners and his status as a hostage is clear. Yet, he offers the ironborn’s help, during A Clash of Kings (1999), to Robb Stark, who allows him to return to the Iron Islands. He thinks his father will be happy to see his son returned, but the welcome is more than cold. Theon realizes he has been replaced by his sister Asha, who has become a warrior, manlier than himself (cf. Frankel, 2014: pos. 932). He understands he has been upstaged by his sister. “I have no place here, he thought, and Asha is the reason, may the Others take her!” (Martin, 1999: 390). When he tries to take his place at the table, his sister tells him that his “place is at Winterfell” (Martin, 1999: 391). Theon Greyjoy’s character is truly looking for his own identity. He wants to impress his father, who does not seem to care very much for him, and in order to do so, he betrays his friend Robb Stark. His rash actions do have severe consequences, as he is captured and horrifically tortured, until his spirit and identity as Theon, is completely broken. In the novels, he is absent from book three and four, but reappears as Reek in book five. Theon’s character is a rather interesting one, speaking from a gender representation perspective. Rather than representing a stereotype, he is trying to find his own identity and tries constantly to prove his masculinity, either by seducing a lot of women, or by taking Winterfell by force. Usually, such a character would be one of the main male heroes in a fantasy novel, but not in his case. He suffers the fate of being constantly emasculated by others. He, never a true Northerner,

45 admitted once to hoping that Lord Eddard “might marry him to Sansa and claim him for a son, but that had only been a child’s fancy.” (Martin, 2011: 194) This shows that Theon dreamed of becoming a Stark, being a real part of the family, not just a ward. He searches for his identity in the North, but is disappointed, always outranked by others. In his original home, the Iron Islands, he is emasculated by his own sister and even his father. Both of them see him as one of the Starks, not as a Greyjoy. Though hurtful, those emasculations were psychologically. The cruelest, was his physical emasculation by Ramsay Bolton. The bastard of Lord Roose Bolton keeps Theon as a prisoner and tortures him nearly into complete madness. Bolton breaks Theon’s spirit. It is hinted in A Dance with Dragons (2011, 582) that he has not only lost a few of his toes and fingers, but also his genitals. The ultimate and literal emasculation. Theon’s story is reminiscent of the fallen woman character in nineteenth century novels. Like them, he has to be punished because of his actions. He is captured, because he betrayed House Stark, and led a promiscuous life, therefore he is castrated. Theon treats women with disrespect and sees them only as objects for his pleasure. Emphasized by the scene of him meeting Asha for the first time after years. He obviously wants to sleep with her, and tries to persuade her to oblige him because he is a prince and she is only a commoner. Even after she tells him she is married with child, he responds with “The gods are good. […] No chance I’d give you a bastard that way.” (Martin, 1999: 378) This shows that Theon has no respect for woman, but Asha puts him in his place soon after that. Even after learning who she is, he does not show kindness to her, but thinks of her as the sole reason that he cannot take his place on the Iron Islands. Theon’s attitude towards woman had to be punished, and George R.R. Martin decided to do so by allegedly physically neutering him. Drawing again upon the image of the fallen woman of the nineteenth century, it has to be mentioned that they had to pay with their life in the end. One could argue, Theon has already lost his life, though physically alive, mentally he is no longer Theon but Reek. It is even a little ironic that a character who has been searching for his true identity, never finding it, gets his identity taken from him and replaced with something quite submissive and fearful. At the end of A Dance with Dragons (2011) it is hinted that Theon might reappear, but Reek is still within him. “Theon Greyjoy smiled. They know my name, he thought.” (Martin, 2011: Excerpt from The Winds of Winter, 16).

5.3.3 House Lannister “Hear me Roar!” (Martin, 1996)

House Lannister of Casterly Rock is one of the Great House of Westeros. They are the warden family of the Westerlands, with their seat in Casterly Rock. The great advantage of Casterly Rock and some of the other area’s in the Westerlands, such as Castamere of the Pendric Hills, are their goldmines. Those mines have made the Lannister family the wealthiest in all of Westeros. Due to their money, they have also become one of the most influential Houses of the Seven Kingdoms, as almost everyone important owes them gold, including the king himself (cf. Martin et al, 2014: 1702ff). Thus coining their unofficial house motto “A Lannister always pays his debts” (Martin, 1996: 422). The Lannisters take themselves rather important and they do have pride, which is easily offended. “Pride? […] Arrogance, some might call it. Arrogance and avarice and lust for power.” (Martin, 1996: 344). Lannisters do lust for power, and nearly every family member tries to exercise power over someone. Having never been on the Iron Throne themselves, always being overshadowed by the Targaryen House, it is their ultimate goal to take the Throne and build their own dynasty. They are not willing to accomplish that objective by force, but with the help of politics. The physical features of the family members are described as being tall and handsome, fair haired and with green eyes. Their family sigil is a golden lion on a field of crimson and their official house motto reads “Hear me roar!” (cf. Martin, 1996).

5.3.3.1 Tywin Lannister

“Some battles are won with swords and spears, others with quills and ravens” – Tywin Lannister (Martin, 2000: 62)

Tywin Lannister is the current Lord of Casterly Rock, and therefore the head of House Lannister. He is the most powerful Lord in all of Westeros, due to his riches and his political skills. He fathered three children with his wife, namely Cersei, Jaime and Tyrion. Tywin has dedicated his life and efforts towards building the prestige of House Lannister, ensuring that his House is treated with respect, or

47 at least, feared. Tywin was the youngest hand of the king under Aerys II. and it was then, that he proved his political as well as strategic skills. Although the land prospered under his lead, Tywin was never one to be loved by many. He is described as “humorless, unforgiving, unbending, proud, and cruel.” (cf. Martin et al, 2014: pos. 3343). Tywin, a power-hungry patriarch, despises his own father for being weak and disrespected, and he tries to ensure that he and his family are respected, and even feared (cf. Martin et al, 2014: pos. 3343). His uttermost motivation origins from his urge to position his family members, and himself, into powerful places, ultimately having someone of his own kin on the Iron Throne. He does succeed, as his daughter was married to the king of Westeros, which made her the queen. Ironically, Tywin himself married out of love, but he still uses his children to form alliances through marriage. He does seem to love his children, or at least, Jaime and Cersei, he does not concern himself much with Tyrion, but even his relationship with his twins could not be described as a warm one. He treats them more like figures in his chess game for power. As long as they do as he pleases, he is fond of them, but when they defy him, his anger has no boundaries. He always saw Jaime as his sole heir to Casterly Rock and he is proud of him, until Jaime decides to join the Kingsguard, which meant he could no longer marry, nor be Tywin’s heir. Those actions by Jaime disturb his plans and continuity of his family lineage. “You are not my son […] You say you are the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, and only that. Very well, ser. Go do your duty.” (Martin, 2000: 856). Tywin could have replaced Jaime as his heir by his son Tyrion, but his pride would not allow him such actions. Tyrion always was a thorn in his eye, and although he would not actively kill him, he does obviously hope that Tyrion might die sometime. Tyrion’s birth causes Tywin’s wife her life, and on top of that, Tyrion is born a dwarf. “They have plucked a fair flower from his hand and given him a monster in her place, to teach him some humility at last.” (Martin et al, 2014: pos. 3421). Tywin is ashamed of Tyrion, and is scorning Jaime, his beautiful son, for joining the Kingsguard. Yet, Tywin does not believe that his lineage will end with his children, as he continuously tries to bribe Jaime, though unsuccessfully, into leaving the Kingsguard and taking his rightful place at Casterly Rock. He is using his children to claim power, but is blind to their true characters. He sees Jaime and Cersei as his two great children, who will bring

48 honor to the Lannister name, not realizing the two of them lead an incestuous relationship and therefore, if this would ever be revealed, would shame the family. Meanwhile, he ignores Tyrion, not giving him any credit for his clever feats. Tyrion is a dwarf, not worthy of the Lannister name, though Tyrion is the one who resembles his father the most, at least when it comes to wit. Ironically, Tywin despises Tyrion for frequently employing the services of prostitutes, thinking he brings shame to the family by doing so, but at the same time, Tywin does visit prostitutes as well. Even sleeping with the same woman as Tyrion (cf. Martin, 2000: 1071). This renders him a hypocrite, but also emphasizes the fact that Tyrion, out of all of his children, has most in common with Tywin. The common people call Tyrion “Lord Tywin’s Bane” (Martin et al, 2014: pos. 3421), which eventually comes true, as Tyrion kills his father (cf. Martin, 2000: 1073). Tywin Lannister always defined masculinity by inspiring fear in others and guarantying the survival of the family name. It seems that he has failed in both aspects in the end. To sum up, it can be said that Tywin exercises his masculinity through political power and by forcing others, including his children, to bend to his will.

5.3.3.2 Cersei Lannister (Baratheon) “I am a lioness. I will not cringe for them” - Cersei Lannister (Martin, 2011:993)

Cersei Lannister is the only daughter and oldest child of Tywin Lannister. She is the twin of Jaime Lannister and is a strikingly beautiful woman, with golden hair and green eyes. When she is introduced, she is clearly the most powerful woman in the realm of the Seven Kingdoms, as she is married to King Robert. She is presented as “the Lannister woman” whose “pride is said to grow with every passing year” (Martin, 1996: 33). It is quite fascinating that Martin chose to present her in this way, as it immediately reveals her character, and thus, the reader is already suspicious of her (cf. Jones, 2012: 14). The reference to her as “Lannister woman” points to the direction that she has established her reputation as a woman of House Lannister. Though, she has been married to Robert for many years at this point, she is not seen as a Baratheon. As afore mentioned,

49 women are expected to adapt to the Houses they marry into, but Cersei seems to not have done that. She is not once referred to as Cersei Baratheon, but always as Lannister. She must have taken her husband’s name, though it is never explicitly said. Her refusal to be seen as a Baratheon speaks for her independence as a woman, but also immediately establishes the complicated relationship to her husband. This relationship is the first aspect of Cersei’s character depiction. The first encounter with Cersei is described at Winterfell. In this scene, it is made clear that the marriage between Cersei and her husband is not a loving, or even a respectful one. After arriving at Winterfell, Robert wants to see the crypts. “The queen had begun to protest. They had been riding since dawn, everyone was tired and cold, surely they should refresh themselves first. The dead would wait. She had said nor more than that: Robert had looked at her […] and she said no more.” (Martin, 1996: 45) Their relationship is established by that scene. Robert exercises his dominance over his wife publicly, while she has to submit. She is publicly insulted by her husband, and put in her place. Although she is the queen, it is apparent, that being a woman, results in her not having any power in a male dominated world, despite her social status. Robert’s treatment of her only furthers her hatred for him, a hatred which continuously grew over the years. For all her power, she is still dominated by men, and she resents this fate. Robert in particular, demonstrates his physical dominance over her frequently. One time he hits her, after she points out that she is more of a man than he is. “By all rights, you ought to be in skirts and me in mail” (Martin, 1996: 397) Roberts reacts with physical abuse. He seems to regret it afterwards, but he does so by pointing out, that she provoked him into hitting her. “You see what she does to me, Ned.” (Martin, 1996: 398) This reaction does reflect upon modern society’s inclination to, at least partly, blame the abused party for provoking physical abuse, rather than seeing an abused woman as the victim (cf. Jones, 2012: 15). Her hatred for Robert might also explain why she never truly accepts his House as hers, but rather prefers to be known as a Lannister. Although Cersei was always put in her place by Robert and she never could exercise political power at his side, she found a way to exact vengeance on him. She takes away his chance for a true born heir. It is known, in A Game of Thrones (1996), that Cersei’s children are not Robert’s, but her twin brother’s. Not only does she deceive Robert into raising the children of another, but Cersei admits to actively

50 preventing giving birth to a true born child of Robert. “Your Robert got me with child once”, she said her voice thick with contempt.” My brother found a woman to cleanse me.” (Martin, 1996: 451). Deceiving Robert, by denying him an heir, is the only true power she can exercise over her husband, and she relishes in this power. Eventually, her battle with Robert ends in her favor as she orchestrates his death. The second aspect of Cersei’s character is her depiction as a mother. Cersei is extremely protective of her children, especially of Joffrey, her oldest son. When he is injured by one of the Stark’s direwolves, she demands that the wolf is killed for “Joff will carry those scars for the rest of his life.” (Martin, 1996: 152). It is apparent that Cersei does love her children, as she sees herself and her brother Jaime in them. They are living proof of her power over Robert, as well as heirs of House Lannister. She will do anything to protect her children and their secret, even if it means killing others. The relationship to her children is most established via Joffrey. She sits him on the throne after Robert’s death, believing she will rule through him, but she soon realizes Joffrey has a mind on his own and does not listen to his mother. She, dominated by a man once more, continues to defend him, although she knows him to be cruel. “Joffrey has always been difficult. Even at his birth.” (Martin, 1999: 760). The motherly behavior of Cersei serves the purpose of giving her a human side. Caring for one’s children is comprehensible and something readers can relate to. This trait shows her feminine side like no other, as Cersei incorporates masculine qualities in order to reach her goals. Cersei does not necessarily realize Joffrey’s domination over her, until he openly denies her wishes, and decapitates Eddard Stark. It is remarkable, that Cersei only becomes one of the point of view characters in the books, after her husband, her oldest son and her father are dead. In the first three novels, she is only depicted through the eyes of other characters, but in A Feast For Crows (2005) she suddenly is rewarded with her own voice, and her own viewpoint. This gaining of a voice only appears after all her male oppressors have gone. Her father sells her into marriage, her husband oppresses her via physical dominance, and her son does not acknowledge her because she is a woman. After the oppressing males in her life are gone, her power expands and finally she can truly develop her own voice. Cersei is

51 described by Jaime as someone who likes “to think of herself as Lord Tywin with teats, but she was wrong. Their father had been as relentless and implacable as a glacier […] She does not lack for wits, but she has no judgment, and no patience.” (Martin, 2005: 334). She wants to be like her father, in her opinion she is just like him, but her own brother and lover does not see those aspects in her. Rather than with pen and paper, Cersei likes to use her own sexuality to win her wars. Which brings us to Cersei’s third trait as a character in A Song of Ice and Fire: the use of her femininity and sexuality as a weapon. Cersei uses her sexuality to reach her goals or to persuade others of her schemes. In Robert’s case, she denies him her sexuality as an act of exercising power over him “I have not let him inside me for years.” (Martin, 1996: 450). Usually though, she uses her womanly gifts to manipulate others and to get her will. It is known that she has various lovers, including her cousin Lancel Lannister, whom she entertains for her own pleasure, but some scenes make it clear that she knows how to manipulate men. She even tries to seduce Lord Eddard Stark, after he discovers the truth about her children.

Her fingers brushed lightly against his thigh, the gentlest of promises. “The realm needs a strong Hand. Joff will not come of age for years. No one wants war again, least of all me.” Her hand touched his face, his hair. “If friends can turn to enemies, enemies can become friends. Your wife is a thousand leagues away, and my brother has fled. Be kind to me, Ned. I swear to you, you shall never regret it. (Martin, 1996: 451)

In her opinion, all men can be silenced with the offer of a sexual encounter, and it has to be mentioned that most of the time she is right. With Eddard Stark, this specific art of war does not work. He remains strong and instead of falling into her arms, he mocks her, thus belittling her, like other men before him have done so often (cf. Jones, 2012: 16). Cersei does seem to genuinely love her brother Jaime, but even with him she uses his sexual attraction to her advantage. After Joffrey’s death, Jaime goes to comfort Cersei and she is grateful for that. During the conversation, she tries to persuade Jaime to kill Tyrion, whom she believes to have killed Joffrey. Jaime is reluctant, as he loves his brother and does not believe him capable of such a thing. As Cersei senses his reluctance to kill their brother, she immediately reminds him of where his true allegiance lies, by seducing him in the sept. “my brother, sweet brother, yes, like that, yes I have

52 you, you’re home now, you’re home now, you’re home.” (Martin, 2000: 851). Cersei’s advantage over Jaime, is her capacity of separating feelings from intentions. When it comes to Cersei, Jaime cannot separate the two. She uses her power over him for her own agenda, therefore empowering herself by offering her body. In book four, A Feast For Crows (2005), Cersei explores for the first time the bodily pleasures of another woman. This woman, a girl named Taena, who Cersei has employed to platonically share her bed with her, as she suffers from nightmares. After Cersei had a little bit too much to drink she comes back to her chambers to find Taena in her bed.

Cersei wondered what it would feel like to kiss another woman. […] She wondered what it would feel like to suckle on those breasts, to lay the Myrish woman on her back and push her legs apart and use her as a man would use her, the way Robert would use her when the drink was in him, and she was unable to bring him off with hand or mouth. (Martin, 2005: 685)

Cersei’s thoughts are quite telling, as she definitely wants to play the male part during this sexual encounter, thus it becomes clear that her interest in Taena does not stem from affection, but rather from dominance (Frankel, 2014: pos.414). She wants to experience what it would be like to be a man, dominating a woman. The last sentence of this excerpt is rather concerning, as it implies that Robert used to sleep with Cersei against her will, thus raping her. This hint is immediately confirmed on the next page, as Cersei reminisces on her sexual experience with Robert. He did rape her, always drunk, always pretending the next day he did not remember it (cf. Martin, 2005: 686). Cersei wants to be the dominator in bed just for once, as she always was the dominated one. She does not have an easy path on her way to power, and one could argue that she is corrupted and made cruel by her male dominators. This probably enhanced her greed for power and her ruthlessness, but she must have had those urges insider her, even before her sufferings. This theory can be deducted from her treatment of other women, specifically of Sansa Stark. She does envy Sansa of her youth, but continuously belittles her. She does nothing when she witnesses Joffrey’s treatment of Sansa, but rather prepares her for her future.

“Joffrey will show you no such devotion […] You might never love the king, but you’ll love his children.” (Martin, 1999: 760) Cersei is aware that Sansa will have the same fate as she did. Being married to a man whom she does not love, and who is even crueler than Robert. Yet, she is willing to let Sansa experience this cruel fate. It is clear, that she belittles other woman as she has been belittled by men. Her treatment of other women, specifically women who could take her place, shows that Cersei was predisposed to her character traits, and not all of them were caused by men. Cersei is the most powerful woman of the Seven Kingdoms and her power continues to grow over the course of five novels. It will be interesting to see which fate awaits her. To sum up the character of Cersei Lannister, one last quote will be used, which depicts her character beautifully:

I waited half my life. She had played the dutiful daughter, the blushing bride, the pliant wife. She had suffered Robert's drunken groping, Jaime's jealousy, Renly's mockery, Varys with his titters, Stannis endlessly grinding his teeth. She had contended with Jon Arryn, Ned Stark, and her vile, treacherous, murderous dwarf brother, all the while promising herself that one day it would be her turn. If Margaery Tyrell thinks to cheat me of my hour in the sun, she had bloody well think again. (Martin, 2005: 490)

5.3.3.3 Jaime Lannister “There are no men like me. There’s only me.” – Jaime Lannister (Martin, 1999:791)

Jaime Lannister is the oldest son of Lord Tywin Stark and twin brother, as well as lover, to Cersei Lannister. He is a tall handsome man, with golden hair and green eyes. When Jon Snow first sees him, he remarks that Jaime is “what a king should look like” (Martin, 1996: 54) Jaime is the most able fighter in the Kingsguard and he is first depicted as arrogant and extremely confident. Jaime, part of the Lannister House, should have served as the male heir to Casterly Rock, but all changed when he became the member of Robert’s Kingsguard. His father thought he did this to spite him, but his true intentions were to be close to Cersei. Which leads the way to the main motivation of Jaime and his actions: Love.

One of the first scenes with Jaime in A Game of Thrones (1996) depicts the lovemaking of him and Cersei seen from a young boy’s [Bran] point of view. This scene ends with Jaime throwing the boy out of the window. “The things I do for love,” he said with loathing.” (Martin, 1996: 87). Jaime points out that he commits this crime out of love for Cersei. He wants to protect their secret, more for her sake, than for his. He hates his action, pointed out by the loathing in his voice, but he will do anything for Cersei. He is, and always has been, in love with her. Jaime shows an extreme devotion for Cersei, a devotion that is not met by her, though he does not know this. When Cersei repeats the events of Joffrey’s birth, she tells Sansa that “I had my brother. When they told Jaime he was not allowed in the birthing room, he smiled and asked which of them proposed to keep him out.” (Martin, 1999: 760) Jaime behaves like a husband to Cersei, as her real husband is not present at the time. This shows his utter commitment to his sister. Jaime confesses to Catelyn Stark, that he has a relationship with his twin, while he is being held hostage by the Starks, but what he additionally reveals is far more interesting. “I’ve never lain with any woman but Cersei” (Martin, 1999: 799) Jaime claims that he has been faithful to Cersei all his life. The man who charms every woman with his looks, and always shows his arrogant Lannister side, has always remained true to his one love. If he wanted to, he easily could have had affairs, but he did not. He is faithful and extremely loyal to the ones he loves, though he could never show his true colors. After Robert’s death, he even suggests to Cersei that the two of them could marry. “The Targaryens wed brother to sister, why shouldn’t we do the same? Marry me, Cersei” (Martin, 2000: 850). This shows that Jaime does not care about image or his role in life, he only wants to be with his sister, who, of course, denies him his wish, as it would mean to give up all her power. He already gave up his rightful inheritance for her, but she is not willing to repay the favor. Considering stereotypical portrayals of men and women in fantasy literature, Jaime is by far more feminine in his behavior than Cersei. She is power-hungry, while Jaime wants to be happy, and being with his sister would make him happy. “My brother, Jaime, thirsts for battle, not for power. He’s run from every chance he’s had to rule.” (Martin, 2011: 327). This is how his little brother Tyrion sees him, and he gives a more wisely insight into Jaime’s thinking than Cersei ever could.

Jaime is motivated by love, and this applies not only to Cersei, but also to his little brother Tyrion. Jaime is the only one in his family who has treated Tyrion kindly. He feels love for his brother and accepts him for who he is, which differentiates him from the rest of his family. When Tyrion is accused of killing King Joffrey, and faces execution because of it, Jaime decides to save him, and therefore defies his sister (cf. Martin, 2000: 1063f). This proves that Jaime’s love for Cersei does not completely blind him, at least when it comes to his own family. Further, it demonstrates that Jaime is, in his heart, a good person who wants to do the right thing. He considers his dwarf brother to be his true family, unlike any of the other Lannisters, which renders him to be a truly good person of House Lannister. Jaime does not care about the things his father cared about, such as lust for power and the importance of the family lineage. Cersei in comparison does, causing Jaime to be the more feminine of the twins. In public, he exhibits his role as the arrogant knight who cannot be challenged by anyone. He is aware that his comrades and others call him “Kingslayer” (Martin, 1996) as he killed the mad king Aerys II, although he was sworn to protect him. “Kingslayer”, he pronounced carefully. “And such a king he was” (Martin, 1999: 796). Jaime did what he did in order to save King’s Landing and with-it thousands of lives, but he is only remembered as the one to betray his king. In deciding to kill his king, he very well knows that it would destroy his reputation, but he still does it, because it is the right thing to do. This again shows Jaime’s true identity. He is not the ruthless knight that people see in him, but he is truly good. When asked how he can still call himself a knight, after he has broken so many vows, he responds:

they make you swear and swear. Defend the king. Obey the king. Keep his secrets. Do his bidding. Your life is his. But obey your father. Love your sister. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Respect the gods. Obey the laws. It’s too much. No matter what you do, you’re forsaking one vow or the other.” (Martin, 1999: 796)

His point being, that some of those vows will at some point betray another one. In his particular case, by protecting the innocent, he betrays and kills his king. Jaime exercises his masculinity with his fighting skills. He is proud to be one of the best fighters in all of Westeros, and this status is obviously part of his

56 identity as a knight and as a man. It is a harrowing moment when this identity is taken from him. Jaime’s hand is cut off by a sellsword. “Sunlight ran silver along the edge of the arakh as it came shivering down, almost too fast to see. And Jaime screamed.” (Martin, 2000: 297). With his hand, his identity as an unmatched knight, is taken from him. Further, his livelihood, being part of the Kingsguard, a lifelong commitment, is taken from him as well. With this act, Martin emasculated Jaime. Moreover, for the first time in Jaime’s life, he is met with pity. “It was one thing to slay a lion, another to hack his paw off and leave him broken and bewildered. [Brienne of Tarth]” (Martin, 2005: 98). Then again, the loss of his hand forces Jaime to look for a new purpose in life, and he does so by undertaking strategic and political functions at King’s Landing. Jaime is by far not the black and white character he is made out to be in the novels. He is portrayed as one of the villains in the first books, and while it would be not quite correct to call him a hero, he is not a villain either. Jaime is the perfect example of a well-established character, who cannot be categorized as good or evil. It fits perfectly well into the world of Westeros, that the character who is famous for breaking his vows across the realm, is secretly, the most faithful of them all.

5.3.3.4 Tyrion Lannister “Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.” -Tyrion Lannister (Martin, 1996: 60)

Tyrion Lannister is the youngest son of Lord Tywin and the younger brother to Cersei and Jaime. Born a dwarf, he is the only Lannister character who is not described as beautiful. He has stubby legs, an oversized head and mismatched eyes. He is born into the Lannister family, and therefore is given all the advantages which come with being part of the richest family in Westeros. He enjoys a good education and has access to the family riches. The importance of Tyrion is emphasized, by him being the only one of the Lannister family, who is a point of view character from the beginning. Because he enjoyed the privileges of being a part of House Lannister, he is expected to conform to his father’s expectations of leading a life that serves to the Lannister name, and not doing

57 anything that would put shame to the family. Tyrion has a propensity to not do that. (cf. Martin, 1996) Upon first encountering his character he remarks to Jon Snow, who is portrayed as the bastard son of Eddard Stark, that “All dwarfs are bastards in their father’s eyes. […] yet not all bastards need be dwarfs.” (Martin, 1996: 60) This is a wonderful insight into Tyrion’s character. He is comforting a bastard-born son, by giving him advice at the same time. Tyrion has come to terms with his own existence. He realizes, that if he wants to succeed in the world of Westeros, where masculinity and strength seem to be the most important traits for men, he needs to find his own identity. He does so, by educating himself. “My mind is my weapon. My brother has his sword, King Robert has his warhammer, and I have my mind... and a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge. That’s why I read so much, Jon Snow.” (Martin, 1996: 122). Tyrion’s way to establish himself in this androcentric system, is his mind. He is smart, and he keeps outwitting those, who are around him, taking especially pleasure in outsmarting his sister Cersei. She never liked him and would rather see him dead than alive, and further, she thinks herself superior to Tyrion in every aspect, but Tyrion keeps proving that she is not. In A Clash of Kings (1999), Tyrion proves to be a great strategic mind at the battle at King’s Landing, and without him, the city would have fallen. (cf. Martin, 1999) But no one gives him credit for his plan. “What is it you would have of me? Lands, castle, some suffice? [Tywin] A little bloody gratitude would make a nice start.” (Martin, 2000, 63). All Tyrion wants, is some recognition of his accomplishments, but he does not get it, at least not from his immediate family, especially not his father. Tywin seems to be completely blind to the fact that that Tyrion is, out of his three children, the most like him, at least when it comes to strategic and political thinking. “Jaime, sweetling, I have known you since you were a babe at Joanna’s breast. […] but Tyrion is Tywin’s son, not you. I said so once to your father’s face, and he would not speak to me for half a year. [Genna Lannister]” (Martin, 2005: 717). Tyrion is not the son Tywin wanted. He does not conform to the image of a Lannister heir, who should be tall and handsome, not dwarfed. But by looking only onto what is on the outside, Tywin completely fails to see the potential his second son has. A potential that is missing in Jaime. Tyrion is the perfect example why one should not judge a book by its cover. Yet, people in Westeros seem not to be able to disregard physical features, even more so, when they are the complete opposite

58 of what is considered to be the norm. Tyrion is by far the smartest Lannister, and it is also clear, that he does have a hunger for power (cf. Martin, 1999), but on the inside, all he wants is to be loved. This notion becomes apparent when looking at Tyrion’s interaction with women. Tyrion was once married to a young woman named Tysha. This marriage came to a cruel conclusion, as Tyrion is made to believe that his wife is a prostitute, paid by his brother Jaime, to play the part of loving Tyrion. (cf. Martin, 2000: 1064) This severe experience convinces Tyrion that the only love he will ever receive from women, is the one he pays for. (cf. Larsson, 2016: 28) In A Storm of Swords (2000) it is revealed to Tyrion, that his wife is no prostitute, but just a low born girl. His father Tywin would not have one of his sons be married to someone below the Lannister social status. “She was not a whore. I never bought her for you. That was a lie that Father commanded me to tell. Tysha was . . . she was what she seemed to be. [Jaime Lannister]” (Martin, 2000: 1064). This revelation to Tyrion leads to the event of killing his father. Tyrion clearly was in love with Tysha, and as traumatizing as it was, believing she only married him for money, the truth is so much more hurtful. Before killing his father, he confronts him with Tysha. “What did you do to Tysha? […] The girl I married” (Martin, 2000: 1072) It is clear that Tyrion has not overcome this experience, and he would gladly give up his family for the first kind woman he loved. After finding out that she is not dead, he begins to look for her. In A Dance with Dragons (2011) he frequently mentions her. “Tysha might be in there even now, with tears tattooed upon her cheek.” (Martin, 2011: 336). This devotion is testament for Tyrion’s notion that he does not care about social standings, like his father does, but he only cares whether someone loves him or not. Obviously, his first experience of love has changed him and deeply influences his behavior towards women. In A Game of Thrones (1996) he buys the company of Shae.

I am a Lannister. Gold I have in plenty, and you’ll find me generous . . . but I’ll want more from you than what you’ve got between your legs, though I’ll want that too. You’ll share my tent, pour my wine, laugh at my jests, rub the ache from my legs after each day’s ride . . . and whether I keep you a day or a year, for so long as we are together you will take no other men into your bed. (Martin, 1996: 623)

Tyrion does not buy a prostitute, he buys himself a girlfriend, as, in his opinion, buying a girlfriend is the only way he will acquire one. He falls in love with Shae, and it seems that she does too, or at least he hopes she is in love with him. In the end, this relationship does not end well either, as Shae is forced to betray him. Tyrion is hurt by her betrayal, and so he strangles her in the end. ““Did you ever like my touch?” “More than anything” she said, “my giant of Lannister.” That was the worst thing you could have said, sweetling.”” (Martin, 2000: 1071). The words that once were appreciated by him and made him feel loved, now sound like mockery, as he finds her in his father’s bed. His solution for this betrayal is to kill her (cf. Martin, 2000: 1071). Tyrion’s liking for prostitutes is not well received by his father, and Tywin means to set an end to this behavior by marrying Tyrion to Sansa Stark, a marriage the two of them do not approve. They do have to get married, but Tyrion, sensing Sansa’s dislike towards him, chooses to not claim his marital rights, but he tries to comfort her.

I am malformed, scarred, and small, but […] abed, when the candles are blown out, I am made no worse than other men. In the dark, I am the Knight of Flowers. […] I am generous. Loyal to those who are loyal to me. I’ve proven I’m no craven. And I am cleverer than most, surely wits count for something. I can even be kind. Kindness is not a habit with us Lannisters, I fear, but I know I have some somewhere. I could be... I could be good to you. (Martin, 2000: 392f)

As uncomfortable the situation for both of them is, Tyrion appeals to Sansa’s kindness by emphasizing his own compassion. He is well aware of his looks, but he points out that character and inner values are much more important than appearances. He seems a little desperate, but also caring. Sansa and Tyrion never consummate their marriage, but Tyrion’s kind treatment of her left a mark. ““I am still a maid” “Was the dwarf incapable?” “No. He was only …he was....” Kind?”” (Martin, 2000: 943). Sansa thinks him kind, while others perceive him not man enough to perform his marital obligations. Considering that dwarfs have been used for ridicule, comedic figures or symbols of evil, Tyrion is quite a remarkable character within the genre of fantasy fiction. Dwarfs are not usually allowed to develop a full-grown complex character. Therefore, Tyrion is quite a powerful choice for one of the main characters. Living in a world in which it is necessary to be able to physically defend oneself, being

60 a dwarf is a huge disadvantage. In the course of the story, Tyrion appears to be a tragic character, as his father severely dislikes him, for his mother died giving birth to him, and yet Tyrion does not evoke pity. Due to his actions and behavior, the character of Tyrion demands a lot of respect from his readers. He does not fulfill the classic characteristics of what masculinity should be, but he manages to change the perception of it (cf. Larsson, 2016: 28). In his case, Martin toys with the convention of what a true male hero should look like. Instead of Jaime becoming the hero of the Lannisters, he chooses the malformed little dwarf with the great character to be the main focalizer of the family, thus giving a new definition of masculinity in fantasy fiction. “When he opened the door, the light from within threw his shadow clear across the yard, and for just a moment Tyrion Lannister stood tall as a king.” (Martin, 1996: 60).

5.3.4 House Stark “Winter is Coming” (Martin, 1996: 67)

After the unification of the Seven Kingdoms, following the events of Torrhen Stark bending the knee to the Targaryen king, House Stark was named the Wardens of the North. Thus, House Stark became one of the Great Houses of Westeros, giving up their status as Kings of the North, by pleading loyalty to House Targaryen, an act which was never completely forgiven by the people of the north. Their seat is the greatest castle in the north, Winterfell, which is said to have been built by Brandon the Builder, after a generation long winter known as the Long Night. House Stark has a strong connection to the north, as they are believed to be descendants of the First Men, and is one of the remaining Houses of Westeros praying to the Old Gods. Their House motto “Winter is coming” is one of the few mottos not praising the House tradition, but rather serves as a warning. (cf. Martin et al, 2014: pos. 4053ff). The physical features of the Stark family members are described as having a long face, lean figure, dark brown hair and grey eyes. Their family sigil depicts a direwolf on a white field. The Stark family members are the main focalizers of the first novel in the series A Song of Ice and Fire. Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell, is the main character of A Game of Thrones (1996). House Stark quickly adapted to the harsh living conditions in the north and

61 provided other families and their bannermen with food provisions. Ruling over them and enforcing the law, House Stark has become one of the most beloved Houses of the Seven Kingdoms. They perform their duties with a fair but strong hand, while remaining honorable. This honor eventually becomes their Achilles heel.

5.3.4.1 Eddard Stark “The blood of the First Men still flows in the veins of the Starks, and we hold to the belief that the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man’s life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die.” - Eddard Stark (Martin, 1996: 23f)

Lord Eddard Stark is the head of House Stark and the Lord of Winterfell, and therefore Warden of the North. Eddard was only the second son of his father, and thus he was not supposed to inherit his father’s title and estates, but due to the death of both, his father and his older brother Brandon, he became the heir of Winterfell. Not only did he inherit the title Warden of the North, but also his brother’s betrothed, Catelyn Tully, who he married in order to maintain an alliance with House Tully. Lord Eddard is the major point of view character in A Game of Thrones (1996), as he is given a total of 15 chapters in the novel, more than any other focalizer, making him the main hero of the first book (cf. Martin, 1996). Eddard is described as being less handsome and shorter than his brother Brandon, but with a “good sweet heart beneath [his] solemn face” (Martin, 2000: 624). Eddard is the only main character in A Song of Ice and Fire whose sole motivation is his untiring sense of honor. This honor eventually results in his death (cf. Martin, 1996). Eddard is introduced as the Warden of the North, who leads the north with a firm but fair hand. He is devoted to his family and his wife, who he deeply loves. He is content with his position and he has no desire to leave his home, not even for power, but he is not allowed to remain there. King Robert I. recruits him as Hand of the King and he has to leave for King’s Landing. As Hand of the King he takes the position of the second most powerful man in Westeros, though he does so reluctantly. This decision leads to his downfall, as it becomes apparent that Eddard does not do well in the world of politics. A testament to his honor bound

62 character becomes his dealing with Cersei, upon learning the truth about Robert’s children’s true identity. He gives her the chance to go into exile. “When the king returns from his hunt, I intend to lay the truth before him. You must be gone by then. You and your children, all three, and not to Casterly Rock.” (Martin, 1996: 452). Eddard wants to give Cersei and her children a chance to survive. Upon learning the truth, he knows that the king would kill all four of them. This action speaks to his honor as a father. He is not willing to sacrifice the lives of three innocent children, even if they are the product of incest. This is the third time Eddard opposes the killing of children. The first time occurs after Robert’s Rebellion, when he is contrary to the event of killing the offspring of Prince Rhaegar. ““When he had protested that the young prince and princess were no more than babes, his new-made king had replied “Is see no babes. Only dragonspawn.” Ned had named that murder; Robert called it war”” (Martin, 1996: 112). Eddard also defies the king, when Robert wants to assassinate Daenerys Targaryen. ““Nonetheless,” Ned said, “the murder of children…it would be vile…unspeakable…”” (Martin, 1996: 113). In Eddard’s eyes, the murder of innocent children is nothing a rightful king should contemplate. As he would never commit such a crime, especially not via assassination. He believes “that the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. […] you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die.” (Martin, 1996: 23f). Robert’s plan, to assassinate the Targaryen children, is not congruent with Eddard’s notion of what is honorable. Maybe it is this knowledge of Robert’ temper, which leads Eddard to the decision to warn Cersei before he tells him the truth. He does not defend Cersei’s actions, but he is not willing to be the one responsible for the deaths of children. By giving Cersei the option of leaving, he transfers the responsibility for the children’s fate to her, while simultaneously signing his own death sentence. He underestimates Cersei’s lust for power, as he has none himself, and therefore, he did not reckon with her not leaving, but planning the king’s death instead. Eddard is not good at playing the game of thrones, as he is not in it for power, but for the good of the realm. He is a truly just man who will not compromise his honor for anything. “You are an honest and honorable man, Lord Eddard. […] I [Lord Varys] have met so few of them in my life. […] When I see what honesty and honor have won you, I understand why.” (Martin, 1996: 580). His honor and

63 rightful behavior have made him a beloved Warden of the North, but he has no place, and no friends in King’s Landing, surrounded by people whose only motivation is to gain more power, no matter the cost. It is not completely truthful that Eddard would not compromise his honor for anything, as he has done it once, to protect his family. Lord Eddard supposedly fathered a bastard during the events of Robert’s Rebellion. His wife never truly forgives him for bringing back a child from another woman. She is never able to love Jon Snow like one of her own. It seems odd that he would betray his wife, as it appears to be something Robert would do, but not Eddard. It is not yet revealed in the books, but it is almost a certainty, that Jon is not truly Eddard’s son, but his nephew. Jon is believed to be the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen, and Eddard is protecting and raising him as his own. He knows, if Robert would have been aware of Jon’s true identity, he would have killed him. He makes the choice of pretending to have fathered a bastard, rather than sacrificing the child of his beloved sister. He stains his own reputation in order to protect the one of Lyanna. “Promise me, Ned.” (Martin, 1996: 47) are the last words of Lyanna. And promise he did, and he has kept his word ever since. Eddard is one of the very few characters in the books series, who does not want to be on the Iron Throne, nor even desires to be in a place of power. All he requires, is to live his life in the north, with his family and his bannermen. Going to King’s Landing meant dealing with people who did not share his notion of honor. In the end, his conviction to do the right thing, is his downfall. George R.R. Martin decided to kill the one truly honorable character at the end of A Game of Thrones (1996), which is reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) in which the main character was killed off thirty minutes into the movie (cf. Kapp, 2014 :112). The character of Lord Eddard Stark evokes the image of the classic male knight of chivalric romance. He is the good, honorable main character, who goes on a quest to King’s Landing. The reader is certain that Eddard will be part of the story for a long time, but Martin, by killing off his male lead, breaks literary conventions, shocks the reader and establishes the fact, that an honorable chivalric knight has no place in the world of Westeros. It seems, the ones who are ruthless and are willing to do anything for their power, succeed in their endeavors.

5.3.4.2 Catelyn Stark “I want to weep, she thought. I want to be comforted. I'm so tired of being strong. I want to be foolish and frightened for once. Just for a small while, that's all … a day … an hour” – Catelyn Stark (Martin 1999, 334)

Catelyn Stark, born Tully, is the wife of Lord Eddard Stark and therefore Lady of Winterfell. They have five children together, namely Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon. Catelyn is a beautiful woman with brown hair and blue eyes. When it comes to her family, she is a fiercely protective mother, but she tends to follow her heart rather than her head. She marries Eddard, after her first fiancée, Brandon Stark, was murdered by the mad king, Aerys II. She was in love with Brandon, but she grows to love Eddard as well, after she finds the “good sweet heart beneath Eddard’s solemn face” (Martin, 2000: 624) Even after marrying her husband, Catelyn keeps her independency, as she never abandons her own house’s religion in favor of the Old Gods of House Stark, a decision which her husband respects. Catelyn is allowed to keep her own identity and without having had to sacrifice her own family’s traditions. Moreover, she still lives by her old house motto Family, Duty Honor, thus putting family first. Eddard does trust his wife, and he entrusts her with Winterfell when he has to leave for King’s Landing (cf. Martin, 1996). Though Catelyn seems to be quite emancipated, she sees her main duty in providing children for her husband.

Ned rolled off and climbed from her bed, as he had a thousand times before. […] Her loins still ached from the urgency of his lovemaking. It was a good ache. She could feel his seed within her. She prayed that it might quicken there. It had been three years since Rickon. She was not too old. She could give him another son. (Martin, 1996: 61)

Catelyn wants to give Eddard another baby, being not too old. It is interesting though, that in her thoughts she favors the birth of another son, as opposed to another child. This emphasizes that sons are more worth than daughters, even in the eyes of their mother. This reflects upon the androcentric system within Westerosi families. Sons are more appreciated than daughters, as they are the ones who can serve as the heir to a family and carry on the family name. This notion indoctrinates the minds of men and women alike. Wives want to fulfill their duties by providing male heirs, which usually puts a lot of pressure

65 on these women. Catelyn does not feel this pressure, as she has already birthed three sons, and fulfilled her womanly duties. She serves as the representation of the mother character in the novels, who would do anything to protect her family, especially her own children. Though, she could never bring herself to truly accept her husband’s illegitimate son. “She had come to love her husband with all her heart, but she had never found it in her to love Jon.” (Martin, 1996: 68) Jon is living proof that Eddard betrayed her, and the fact that he remains in Winterfell, being raised among her own children, does hurt her. He is a constant reminder to Catelyn that she did not suffice as a woman to Eddard. According to herself “he looked more like Ned than any of the trueborn sons she bore him.” (Martin, 1996: 68). This might be a projection on Catelyn’s part, as it is likely that Eddard is not Jon’s father. Yet, this quote highlights her feeling inadequate when looking at Jon, thinking that another woman produced more of a son to Eddard than she herself was able to do. This is of course not supported by Eddard’s behavior towards Catelyn, but it shows her insecurity even in her position, as the wife of a high lord. She finds her true calling in protecting her own children, even sacrificing her life in order to so. This is explicitly shown in A Game of Thrones (1996) as she fights off a man with her bare hands, who tries to kill her son Brandon. “Her fingers were slippery with blood, but she would not let go of the dagger” (Martin, 1996: 131). Risking her own life, she manages to protect her child from a murderer, which enforces her portrayal of a fierce mother. She urges Eddard to not refuse the offer of becoming the Hand of the King, by pleading for the safety of their children. “If you refuse to serve him, he will wonder why, […] Can’t you see the danger that would put us in?” (Martin, 1996: 61) This moment between Eddard and Catelyn exposes the strength of their relationship, as she is asked for her advice by her husband, thus he acknowledges her as his equal. Moreover, the scene depicts the love Catelyn bears for her children. She chooses to rather not have her husband by her side, if this means securing the safety of their offspring (cf. Jones, 2012:17). She continues to fight for her children throughout the books. After Eddard’s death, she wants to do everything possible to safe her daughters from Cersei. She is pleading with her son Robb, who has become the King of the North by then, to trade Jaime Lannister, a hostage at the time, for the two girls, but her son refuses. ““I might have been able to trade the Kingslayer for Father, but …” “…but not for the girls? […] Girls are not important enough, are

66 they?”” (Martin, 1999: 114) Although Catelyn realizes that Robb’s hands are tied, she is angry with her son because she loves her daughters and she wants to rescue them, as any mother would. It is not in his power to rescue his sisters, as the bannermen who follow him would not understand why he would give up a valuable prisoner for two girls. (cf. Martin, 1999: 114) This is another example of what social standing and value, girls and women hold in the world of Westeros. Yet, Catelyn decides to free Jaime herself to save her daughters, defying the androcentric system and her son. “Swear that you will compel your brother to honor his pledge to return my daughters safe and unharmed.” (Martin, 2000: 20) She chooses her daughters over her son, but from a mother’s perspective, at this point her two daughters are in danger, while her son remains safe. It further emphasizes that Catelyn, like any mother, does not differentiate between her male and her female children. All of them are her blood, regardless of their gender. There are a few similarities between Catelyn and the second mother in the novels, namely Cersei. Both of them raised sons who ended up with the title king. While Cersei raised a cruel and selfish son, Catelyn raised Robb to be wise and just. Yet in both cases, the two sons, after claiming the power which comes with a kingship, choose to ignore their mothers afterwards, and do not concern themselves with their council. Catelyn and Cersei are the two most powerful women in Westeros, but by name only. They are overshadowed and dominated by their male children. While Cersei decides to follow her own agenda, Catelyn is strong for her family and her children, however, she is fallible when it comes to their safety and wellbeing. She is far from perfect, but she could be labelled a mother hosting a warrior spirit, fighting for the ones she loves (cf. Jones, 2012: 17). In the end, she meets her own death, knowing that she failed protecting her children and, as far as she knows, all of them are dead. “Our children, Ned, all our sweet babes. Rickon, Bran, Arya, Sansa, Robb […] please Ned, please, make it stop hurting.” (Martin, 2000: 704). In her eyes, she failed in her most important task: Ensuring the safety of her children.

5.3.4.3 Sansa Stark “There are no heroes […] In life, the monsters win” – Sansa Stark (Martin, 1996: 681)

Sansa Stark is the oldest daughter of Lord Eddard Stark and his wife Catelyn. Sansa, matching the beauty of her mother, truly wants to be a lady and a princess. She enjoys being tutored by her Septa in traditional womanly activities, such as dancing and sewing. She is the perfect girly girl as “she did everything prettily” (Martin, 1996: 72). Sansa represents the essence of a chivalric princess. The notion that she wants “things to be nice and pretty, the way they were in the songs.” (Martin, 1996: 141) is the sort of idealism that causes characters misery in A Song of Ice and Fire. Accordingly, Sansa’s misconceptions, concerning Joffrey, eventually result in her betraying her father before his death. Her character is reminiscent of classic female stereotypes in fantasy novels, who passively await the men’s return from battle or being rescued by said men (cf. Jones, 2012: 17). Sansa fits the archetype of a fairy tale princess or ingénue. Those innocents have the believe that they will be cared for by the universe and or other people, because they think themselves special and deserving. In the beginning, Sansa is unthreatening and a passive character, who wants to accommodate others and expects to be saved in return (Frankel, 2014: pos. 1626). But opposed to the fairy tale princesses, Sansa does not get rescued, but is forced to awaken to the harsh reality surrounding her. She has to acknowledge the fact, that reality, is far viler than the one in the songs and fairy tales. Her story is a coming of age plotline, as Sansa is forced to leave her childhood innocence behind. Starting out as the perfect young girl, even naming her direwolf Lady, she slowly realizes, that she has to be strong in order to survive the patriarchal system of Westeros (cf. Jones, 2012: 17). When she is introduced, Sansa is portrayed as a girl who is naïve and who trusts superficial beauty and social status, rather than actual character. She is charmed by Joffrey’s appearance and is not able to see beyond his looks. She is thrilled that she is going to be his wife, because he fulfills her concept of the perfect handsome prince. Her devotion to him goes so far, that instead of protecting her sister Arya, she lies for him, because her allegiance lies with the prince she fancies. This action is immediately punished, as her direwolf Lady is executed (cf. Martin, 1996: 152ff), and with the wolf, her

68 belief, that all princes are perfect, dies as well (cf. Frankel, 2014: pos. 1758). According to Valerie Estelle Frankel (2014: pos. 1758), Sansa’s direwolf represents her “inner magic and fierceness”, which is forced to diminish very early in the story. However, her infatuation with Joffrey holds, until her perfect little prince calls for her father’s head. “The girl was wet with love. She would have done anything for Joffrey, until he cut off her father’s head and called it mercy. [Cersei Lannister]” (Martin, 1999: 59). At this very moment, Sansa loses her childish love for Joffrey and her feelings for him are replaced with disgust. (cf. Jones, 2012: 18) In her perception, he changes, from him being handsome, to him having an “ugly face” (Martin, 1996: 681). Immediately after the beheading of her father, she wishes that “some hero would throw him down and cut off his head. But a voice inside her whispered, There are no heroes,” (Martin, 1996: 681). This serves to show that her education and her notion of what a woman should or can do, are carved into her identity. She wishes to actively hurt him, but at the same time hopes for a man to do her bidding. She still anticipates for a prince to come and save her. Deep inside her, she still wants life to be a song, though she grows stronger. At the end of A Game of Thrones (1996) there is a moment when she considers throwing Joffrey over a parapet, even if it means she would go down with him. “Do it right now. It wouldn’t even matter if she went over with him. It wouldn’t matter at all.” (Martin, 1996: 685). Her intentions reveal the evolution of Sansa’s character. She is changing from a passive good girl into a young woman, who considers active self-sacrifice to take revenge. She is starting to take matters into her own hands, or at least, she is contemplating it. It takes a little longer, before she actually becomes an active character. For now, Sansa starts wearing a mask, realizing that if she is to keep her head, she has to deceive Joffrey and everyone at court. This is what differs the character of Sansa from the typical ingénue, as those stereotypes would not be able to accomplish such a feat (cf. Jones, 2012: 18). Although Sansa’s eyes are opened concerning Joffrey, she later on falls again for the Prince of Flowers, Loras Tyrell, based on his looks. Almost every other character in the books seems to realize that Loras would make a bad husband, as he prefers the company of men, Sansa is smitten. She sees in him her true prince that finally came to rescue her from a horrible situation. Of course, her romantic perspective is destroyed as she is forced to marry Tyrion Lannister.

Both of them are opposed to the wedding and he even offers to refuse to marry her, as she then could marry Lancel Lannister. “I don’t want any Lannister, I want Willas […] and sons named Eddard and Bran and Rickon.” (Martin; 2000: 385) This quote emphasizes Sansa’s hatred for the Lannisters and therefore is literally blind to Tyrion’s kindness. The fact that she only thinks of sons, also shows that Sansa still believes the proper part of a woman in the androcentric system of Westeros, is bearing sons. Sansa and Tyrion get married, but she gets one moment of defiance during the wedding. Tyrion is supposed to cloak her, but as a dwarf he is not able to do so without her kneeling. Sansa refuses, forcing Tyrion to step onto a fool in order to complete the ritual.

He wants me to kneel […] I was not supposed to be this way. She had dreamed of her wedding a thousand times, and always she had pictured how her betrothed would stand behind her tall and strong, sweep the cloak of his protection over her shoulders, and tenderly kiss her cheek as he leaned forward to fasten the clasp. […] I won’t. Why should I spare his feelings, when no one cares about mine? (Martin,2000: 386)

This one moment of defiance gives Sansa the first chance to stand up for herself. By refusing to kneel, she is demonstrating that she is not agreeing to this wedding, and although she cannot stop it, she is not going to make it easier for anyone. She chooses to protest this alliance by refusing to participate in it, therefore enjoying one little moment of empowerment and strength. This marriage causes Sansa to surrender her childhood dreams of wedding a handsome young prince who is able to protect her. Tyrion, not being able to cloak her properly, leads her to the conclusion that he will not be able to protect her, either. Tyrion does shield her though, by not forcing her to physically consummate the marriage. He does not want to completely destroy her spirit (cf. Frankel, 2014: pos.1821). Out of all the point of view characters in A Song of Ice and Fire, Sansa is probably the weakest of them all, at least in the beginning, but she starts to transform from a romantic ingénue hoping for her prince, into a woman who has been taught by reality, that live is not like a song or a story, but it is cruel and she has to adapt, if she wants to survive.

5.3.4.4 Arya Stark

“Swift as a deer. Quiet as a shadow. Fear cuts deeper than swords. Quick as a snake. Calm as still water. Fear cuts deeper than swords. Strong as a bear. Fierce as a wolverine. Fear cuts deeper than swords. The man who fears losing has already lost. Fear cuts deeper than swords.” – Arya Stark (Martin, 1996: 495)

Arya Stark is the youngest daughter of Lord Eddard and Catelyn Stark. She is introduced to the reader as a tomboy. She looks like her father, as she has a long face and grey eyes. As opposed to her sister, Arya is considered to be plain, and is often mistaken for a boy, but sometimes she is compared to her late aunt Lyanna, who was beautiful. Arya’s direwolf is named Nymeria, after a warrior queen (cf. Martin, 1996). Like Sansa’s direwolf, Arya’s is also her spirit animal, and by naming her direwolf Nymeria, she is foreshadowing her own path. Arya is the opposite of Sansa in every way. While Sansa is the chivalric embodiment of traditional feminine roles, Arya conforms more to a modern feminist standard for women. She actively fights for equality among boys and girls and she is not interested in being a lady, but rather wants to be allowed to do what men do (cf. Jones, 2012: 18). The “one thing Arya could do better than her sister was ride a horse. Well, that and manage a household. Sansa had never had much of a head for figures.” (Martin, 1996: 73). This description of Arya establishes her being associated with masculine traits, such as riding and math, both things connected to boys, rather than girls. At the same time, Arya is incompetent concerning everything feminine. Her yearning for doing male activities is not always received well by her family, especially not by Sansa, but not even by her father. Eddard does realize that Arya is not like Sansa in any way, but he still wants to push her into female roles (cf. Jones,2012: 18). He thinks it an “impossible task of making [her] a lady.” (Martin, 1996: 212), to which Arya replies that she does not want to be one. Arya does have a clear grasp of who she is and she does not want to pretend to be someone else. Jon Snow is the only one in the family who truly accepts Arya’s personality. This becomes apparent when he gives her a skinny sword as a goodbye gift, which he had especially made for her. ““First lesson,” Jon said. “Stick them with the pointy end.” (Martin, 1996: 98). This lesson will prove most convenient in Arya’s future. In a world where empowered women such as Cersei or Catelyn are

71 not allowed to carry a sword, little Arya now has one. This is empowering in itself, but she has to keep it a secret, which makes it even more exciting. Jon and Arya do have a special relationship. They bond over their similar looks, both having the Stark’s long face, and both of them feel left out, though due to different reasons. ““The woman is important too!” Arya protested. […] Besides, if a girl can’t fight, why should she have a coat of arms?” Jon shrugged. “Girls get the arms but not the swords. Bastards get the swords but not the arms.”” (Martin, 1996:75) By drawing this comparison, the similarities between the discrimination of women and bastards is demonstrated. Both of them find themselves as outcasts in society. The way Arya treats Jon is one reason why she is such a loveable character. She loves Jon and sees him as her brother, not caring about the fact that they do not share the same mother, as opposed to her sister Sansa. Also, unlike Sansa, Arya has no illusions about life. Neither does she judge people based on their looks or social standing. She does not discriminate against others, unless their actions ask for it. Thus, Arya immediately dislikes Joffrey and Cersei, as she thinks them cruel (cf. Jones, 2012: 18). Her father does accept Arya’s true personality eventually. When he finds her sword, he does not take it away from her, but arranges for sword lessons. (cf. Martin, 1996: 214) Arya is excited, but annoyed when her new “dancing master” calls her boy. ““It was the third time he had called her “boy”. “I am a girl,” Arya objected.”” (Martin, 1996: 215). All the desire to be able to learn the things a boy is allowed to learn, Arya is not willing to deny her gender. She is more than once mistaken for a boy, but she always corrects the ones who do not recognize her as a girl (cf. Jones, 2012: 18). As much as she wants to behave and be treated like a boy, she does not actually want to be one. She only wants equality. Still, her dancing master responds to her correction: ““Boy, girl, “Syrio Forel said. “You are a sword, that is all.”” (Martin, 1996: 215). According to Rebecca Jones (2012: 19) aforementioned statement serves to emphasize that gender “does not matter in reality, so it should not matter in society”. Arya is the perfect equalizer to Sansa’s extreme femininity, as she is a girl who relishes in masculine activities and shudders at the perspective of being married off at some point. Yet, no matter how much she enjoys fighting and riding, she never compromises her own femininity, until it becomes necessary for her survival. After her father’s death, she escapes King’s Landing with the help on one of her father’s friends from the Night’s Watch. He

72 cuts her hair and keeps calling her boy. ““I’m not-” she started. […] “- not a smart boy, that what you mean to say?”” (Martin, 1996: 666). Arya realizes at that point, that from now on she truly has to become a boy, in order to survive, according to stereotypical warrior woman manner. (cf. Jones, 2012: 19). The warrior woman is another stereotype in fantasy literature. She is usually career driven, not married, without children and she is entirely independent, as well as seemingly immune to romantic feelings. Such a woman casts aside her feminine qualities (cf. Frankel, 2014: pos 762), and so does Arya at the end of A Game of Thrones (1996). In her case, the disguise as a boy is necessary, because otherwise she would be the subject of rape or being killed. She further is in danger of being captured, as she would be a political pawn. At first it seems that Arya’s new identity as Arry is determined by others, but Arya starts to thrive. She is seen as a boy and finally can act like one (cf. Frankel, 2014: pos. 794). While Sansa’s direwolf was killed, and with it, Sansa’s spirit, Arya’s direwolf lives in the woods. “They say the pack is led by a monstrous she-wolf […]no trap nor snare can hold her, that she fears neither steel nor fire, slays any wolf that tries to mount her and devours no other flesh but men. [Septon Meribald]” (Martin, 2005: 531-32). The life of Nymeria mirrors Arya’s, as she begins to plot revenging her family and becomes a killer herself. She is determined to succeed in killing everyone on her list, without anybody knowing her identity, thus she leaves for Braavos, to become one of the Faceless Men. She is accepted by the House of Black and White to become a trained assassin. Arya has to abandon her old personality, including her belongings, but far more important, she has to give up her identity, boy or girl. (cf. Martin, 2005). Arya has completely transformed into a warrior woman, without friends or family, only left with her quest to kill her enemies. In the books, she has arrived at a point, where she becomes more like the Faceless Men, who are shadows in the world rather than active players in the game of thrones. (cf. Frankel, 2014: pos. 813) Arya deserts her femininity, but her masculinity as well. She has to become no one, in order to reach her goals. The storyline of Arya renders physical gender completely irrelevant for her goals. In the House of Black and White, the notion of shedding one’s identity, seems to be the most important goal. Yet, Arya’s conviction, to becoming a Faceless Man, is not strong enough to make her forget who she truly is.

““Who are you? He would ask her every day. “No one,” she would answer […] but not for true, not in her heart of hearts. In there she was Arya of Winterfell, the daughter of Lord Eddard Stark and Lady Catelyn […] In there she was someone…but that was not the answer that he wanted.”” (Martin, 2005: 446). Arya remains faithful to her true identity, which she is not willing to abandon. She is Arya of Winterfell, a girl, who is able to fight and protect herself. A warrior woman who does not need a man. Further, Arya’s plotline seems to convey that gender does not comprise one’s identity.

5.3.5 House Targaryen “Fire and Blood” (Martin, 1996: 756)

House Targaryen is the only one of the Great Houses of Westeros which descends from the high lords of Valyria. The Targaryens are said to be the “blood of the dragon” (Martin, 1996: 364), as their ancestors were able to domesticate real dragons. Their physical features are described by some as almost inhuman as they are beautiful with violet or indigo eyes and platinum white hair. The sigil of the House portrays a three-headed dragon and their house motto says “Fire and Blood” (cf. Martin, 1996, 756). House Targaryen was the only one surviving the Doom of Valyria, as they fled their home before it was destroyed. Ancestors of Aegon I. escaped the Doom of Valyria by fleeing to Dragonstone, an island in the narrow sea. After the fall of Valyria, Aegon, his two sisters and their dragons, set sail to conquer the Seven Kingdoms, which they did and therefore started the reign of the Targaryen dynasty, which fell after Robert’s Rebellion. In order to preserve their purity of blood, House Targaryen furthered the Valyrian tradition of marrying brothers and sisters. Aegon himself, married his two sisters and had children with both of them. Over time, the dragons of House Targaryen became extinct, but their rule was never challenged. Their reign over the Seven Kingdoms ended after the death of Aerys II. It had lasted for nearly 300 years. During Robert’s rebellion, all the family members of House Targaryen were killed except for two of Aerys’ children, namely Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen. Allegedly, one of his grandchildren is also still alive. (cf. Martin, 1996, 756f)

5.3.5.1 Daenerys Targaryen “I am khaleesi, heir to the seven Kindgoms, the blood of the dragon […] It is not for you to tell me what I cannot do” – Daenerys Targaryen (Martin, 1996: 613)

Princess Daenerys Targaryen, one of the last remaining family members of House Targaryen, is the younger sister of Viserys Targaryen and youngest child of the late King Aerys II. Her appearance is in accordance with the typical Valerian features. She has violet eyes and pale skin, with long silvery hair. (cf. Martin, 1996) She is one of the major point of view characters in A Song of Ice and Fire. After their father was killed, Daenerys and her brother were forced to flee into exile. She grew up with her brother Viserys, who constantly reminds her that they have to return home and claim their right to the Iron Throne. He is trying to acquire an army, and in order to do so, he is plotting to sell Daenerys into marriage. “I’d let his whole khalasar fuck you if need be, sweet sister, all forty thousand men, and their horses too if that was what it took to get my army.” (Martin, 1996: 43). Daenerys is dominated by her brother in every way. He sees her as his means to reach his goals and he does not consider her feelings. This trade of women for male purposes does occur frequently throughout the novels, as for “women, definition comes through abduction, forced marriage and rape.” (Jones, 2012: 19). She is sold to Khal Drogo, a leader of the Dothraki people, and consequently pushed into the stereotypical female role of being a wife in a male dominated world. The two of them get married, and although in the novel their first intercourse seems to be consensual, the continuing physical relationship between the two of them, becomes more violent. “Yet every night […] Drogo would come to her tent and wake her in the dark, to ride her as relentlessly as he rode his stallion.” (Martin, 1996: 218). Her only purpose seems to be to fulfill her husband’s sexual needs and to bear his children. However, Daenerys is provided with a source of empowerment and strength, her dragon eggs. In the novel A Game of Thrones (1996), she has frequent dreams about her eggs and the dragons inside them, whose fire burns and strengthens, as well as purifies her (cf. Martin, 1996: 218). Those dreams provide her with the power she needs to endure her current life, but also give her the strength to actively change her situation. She grows more accustomed to the way of living of the khalasar,

75 adapting to their lifestyle. Her brother does not. Her first act of rebellion goes against her own brother. She slaps him after he hurts her, and she further shames him, as she takes away his horse and forces him to walk. In this moment, she realizes that she is fiercer than her brother and that he is no “true dragon” (Martin, 1996: 222f). Her true emancipation though, follows the next night. She does not allow Drogo to take her like every night, but she leads her husband outside and mounts him, instead of the other way around. “She rode him as fiercely as ever she had ridden her silver, and when the moment his pleasure came, Khal Drogo called out her name.” (Martin, 1996: 226). By taking charge of her own sexuality and dominating Drogo, as opposed to him dominating her, she feels empowered for the first time. Through this act of empowerment, she finds her true self and her strength as a woman. She grows bold, accepts her role as khaleesi, she loses her fear of her brother, and moreover, the relationship between her and Drogo becomes a loving one (cf. Jones, 2012: 19). Her falling in love with Drogo could be seen as problematic from a feministic point of view. She is only thirteen at this point, and she did not originally consent to their wedding, less even so to the sexual acts happening within their marriage, and yet, she falls in love with him. (cf. Frankel, 2014: pos. 2492). She trades a brother who oppresses her, for a husband who initially dominates her, but comes to love her. She grows fiercer with every day and takes pride in being the khaleesi of a khalasar. The khalasar are a tribe of raiders and pillagers, raping women and killing men for sport. Daenerys does not conform to this tradition and she actively tries to prevent the men of her khalasar to rape women. On one particular occasion, she claims, after a successful raid, all the women for herself.

“You cannot claim them all, child,” Ser Jorah said the fourth time they stopped, while the warriors of her khas herded her new slaves behind her. “I am khaleesi, heir to the seven Kingdoms, the blood of the dragon,” Dany reminded him. “It is not for you to tell me what I cannot do” (Martin, 1996: 612)

In this very moment, Daenerys does not only assert her power and authority over her own men of the khalasar, but Ser Jorah alike. She is truly emancipated in this instant, fighting for other women. A few moments later though, her husband Drogo claims credit for her fierceness. “It is my son inside her, the stallion who mounts the world, filling her with his fire.” (Martin, 1996: 614).

He attributes her newly found strength to her being pregnant with a son, simultaneously Drogo denies her womanly power of her own. This action belittles Daenerys’ strength. Her actions of defiance are credited to another man, rather than herself (cf. Jones, 2012: 19). Daenerys’ true emancipation takes place after she loses her husband and her son. After Drogo’s death, she is abandoned by the khalasar, as their male leader is dead, and her status as khaleesi only holds as long her husband is alive. On her own, she is nothing to them, because she is a woman. Daenerys decides to burn Drogo’s corpse, with him her dragon eggs and herself. “She was naked, covered with soot, her clothes turned to ash, her beautiful hair all crisped away …yet she was unhurt.” (Martin, 1996: 735). Daenerys walked into the fire as a woman who has lost her family, and she came out of the flames as the mother of dragons, and the first female leader of the remainders of a khalasar. “Dany had only to look at their eyes to know that they were hers now, today and tomorrow and forever, hers as they had never been Drogo’s.” (Martin, 1996: 735). Daenerys has lost all of her shackles made by men. She first had to defy her brother, had to win the love of Drogo, but now she was her own. From this point on, Daenerys is the most independent woman in the novels. She “wakes the eggs, turning them and herself from potential sources of power to living, fiery ones prepared to reclaim her royal birthright.” (Frankel, 2014: pos.2563). Her three dragons have awoken her emancipated feministic side and thirst for power. She will never be dominated by men again. She changes from wife and potential mother, to become a powerful conqueror queen. Daenerys is the only female character in A Song of Ice and Fire who cannot be defined by a single literature archetype. She starts her journey in the novels as a child bride who is defenseless, but she evolves into a warrior woman, and finally, a conqueror queen. She does embody the role of a mother for her dragons, and for the people under her protection. She is a very well-rounded character and not just the stereotype of the pretty princess (cf. Frankel, 2014: pos. 2656). She is expecting to be rescued, but she saves herself. She does compete with her male pendants, Stannis or Joffrey, but as opposed to her male competitors, Daenerys decides to win her people over, not by force, but by freeing slaves and becoming their mother. She uses her charm to warm people to the idea of a queen, but she also cautions people that she is the last dragon, and she can be dangerous. Daenerys takes the place of a man in a man’s world by leading with the charms

77 of a woman. A woman with dragons. They are her identity. They remind her that she is a Targaryen, the blood of the dragon runs through her veins, therefore she has to be fierce. “I am the blood of the dragon, she thought. If they are monsters, so am I.” (Martin, 2011: 185). According to Tasker and Steenberg (2016: 188), Daenerys is portrayed in many ways as a Lady-Object, surrounded by chivalry and courtly love. She is no such person, as she exercises considerable power and shows herself to be willing to commit violence against those who disobey her.

5.3.5.2 Viserys Targaryen “That was all I wanted,” he said. “What was promised. “– Viserys Targaryen (Martin, 1996: 462)

Viserys is the oldest living son of Aerys II. Like his sister, he had to flee into exile after their father’s death. He sees himself as the rightful heir of the Iron Throne, and he calls himself “Viserys of the House Targaryen, the Third of His Name, […] King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm” (Martin, 1996: 41). To the rest of the world he is known as the “beggar king” (Martin, 1996: 114). Like his sister, Viserys looks like a true Targaryen, with lilac eyes and silvery hair. He is a living representation of the patriarchic system. He is selfish and thinks himself entitled to be king, but the only one he can exercise any power over, is his little sister. His main character traits are being greedy, ambitious and short tempered. He is reminiscent of a child who wants back what was taken from him, but he has no idea how to lead or even rule (cf. Frankel, 2014: pos.2531). He keeps threatening Daenerys to not “wake the dragon” (Martin, 1996: 36), meaning his own temper. He prides himself with being the last remaining dragon, but it soon becomes clear, that he only pretends to be. He rules over Daenerys and is quite frustrated that no one else will treat him like a king. When he sells Dany to Khal Drogo, he does not realize that he has sold his only treasure. Whily she grows at ease with being part of a khalasar, and therefore becomes increasingly empowered, Viserys continuously loses his own power and faces emasculation. ““You dare!” he screamed at her. “You give commands to me? To me? […] Have you forgotten who you are?”” (Martin, 1996: 220) Viserys, who was always the one who gave commands to Daenerys, is not

78 able to comprehend that she is now the one in power. He wanted to gain an army by selling her to the Dothraki, but instead, he gave the Dothraki a queen, and his sister an opportunity to thrive. As she is the wife of the leader, Daenerys is now the one with the army at her command. After Viserys attacks her in front of some of the khalasar, one of the riders asks Daenerys if she wants him dead, but she denies to let him be killed. At that moment, Daenerys’ eyes are opened concerning her brother. She realizes, that he is no dragon. Viserys at that moment realizes, he has not only lost his power over his sister, but everything he ever lived for. Viserys starts to drift towards mental illness. In one last attempt to claim what he traded Daenerys for, he makes his final mistake.

“I want what I came for,” he told her. “I want the crown he promised me. He bought you, but he never paid for you. Tell him I want what I bargained for, or I’m taking you back. You and the eggs both. He can keep his bloody foal. I’ll cut the bastard out and leave it for him.” The sword point pushed through her silks and pricked at her navel. Viserys was weeping, she saw; weeping and laughing, both at the same time, this man who had once been her brother. (Martin, 1996: 461)

Daenerys used to protect her brother, but her sisterly love dies the moment he threatens her unborn child. It is apparent that Viserys has grown more and more desperate. Weeping and laughing at the same time could be a hint that he not only lost the little power he once had, but his sound mind as well. He dies soon afterwards, when Drogo gives him the golden crown, Viserys has always craved so much. He was truly his father’s son. The idea that he was betrayed out of his kingdom festered in him and turned him mad. His greedy and selfish behavior, as well as his tendency for cruelty, cost him his life in the end. “He was no dragon, Dany thought, curiously calm. Fire cannot kill a dragon.” (Martin, 1996: 462). Viserys uses physical force to exercise his masculinity and dominate his sister, as he is no natural born leader, but thinks himself to be. He does not consider the possibility that his sister might be a dragon, simply because she is a woman. In his chauvinistic mind, he is the last male heir of House Targaryen, and therefore he must be the one, who wields power. Viserys is punished for his androcentric behavior, by a gruesome death. Once more, Martin rids the story of a character, who thinks himself superior, simply because he is male.

5.4 Additional Characters

Not all of the characters in A Song of Ice and Fire belong to one of the great houses of Westeros, but nonetheless, some of them are worth examining within the topic of gender representation. The vast reality of the world in Westeros becomes apparent through the characters depicted in the novels, and the following chapters will look at some of these characters, which are not necessarily part of the social system portrayed within the context of the patriarchal structure of Westeros.

5.4.1 Brienne of Tarth “Young or old, a true knight is sworn to protect those who are weaker than himself, or die in the attempt” - Brienne of Tarth (Martin, 2005:665)

Brienne of Tarth is the only living child of the Lord of Evenfall and House of Tarth. She is often mocked for her appearance, as she is not considered to be a beautiful woman by Westerosi standards. She is quite masculine, with broad shoulders, muscular body and abrasive features. Her nose has been broken more than once, but she has large beautiful eyes (cf. Martin, 1999). Brienne becomes one of the point of view characters of A Song of Ice and Fire in A Feast For Crows (2005). She does not belong to one of the High Houses in Westeros, but she is the daughter of a Lord. Brienne is a female character which could be described as an “Artemis woman” (Frankel, 2014: pos. 813). Those women represent feminine values and fight for equality, trying to defy a patriarchal system and its orders. At the same time, they tend to sacrifice and diminish characteristics, which are conventionally considered feminine by society (cf. Frankel, 2014: pos. 813). Brienne learns early that she is not one of the women in songs, and she chooses the path of a knight, rather than being married off to someone, who does not love her. ““Men will always underestimate you,” he [Ser Goodwin] said, “and their pride will make them want to vanquish you quickly, lest it be said that a woman tried them sorely” (Martin, 2005: 203) This shows that even Brienne, with all her masculinity is still not taken seriously by men, because she is a woman. This makes it difficult for

80 her in both worlds. She is not seen as a true female, because of her appearance, but at the same time she is not taken seriously as a knight, because of her gender. Thus, Brienne’s life is not an easy one, but she continuous to go her way. Her father seems to be fine with her becoming a knight, which comes to show his love for his daughter and his respect for her feelings. Yet, despite her father’s support, or maybe because of it, Brienne does feel inept. “I am the only child the gods let him keep. The freakish one, not fit to be a son or daughter.” (Martin, 2005: 672). This portrays beautifully Brienne’s inner dispute with herself. She is not quite comfortable with herself, due to the fact that she suffered ridicule all her life, whether she tried to be a woman or a knight. Brienne is not yet at ease with herself, and is searching for a purpose in her life. She is looking for this resolve by pledging her sword to people of higher status. She is introduced as part of Renly Baratheon’s Kingsguard, but with his death, she, additionally to her love, also loses her employment. After that, Brienne pledges her sword and her life to Catelyn Stark, and later to her daughters Sansa and Arya, therefore becoming the protector of only women in the novels. Although she seems to fight for femininity, she abandons every feminine side in herself. She has been hurt all her life by men. As a young woman, she tells her suitors she would only marry a man who could best her in combat. No man succeeds, but all of them mock her for her masculinity. Those experiences let to her suppressing of her feminine side. Metaphorically speaking, her armor does not only shield her physical body from harm, but it also shields her from her own feminine feelings and her softer side. She truly conforms to her masculinity, at least in the eyes of those surrounding her (cf. Frankel, 2014: pos. 833). Brienne is equipped with an immense sense of honor, while she remains a little naïve in her own way. When first introduced, she has never actually killed someone, and when she eventually does, it affects her emotionally. She is not filled with pride in this moment, but she recognizes what is required to take another’s life. This differentiates her from the other knights in the novels, as they are seen to kill frequently and without remorse. Brienne does not. Her honor commands her to protect those, to whom she has sworn her allegiance in any way possible. “I will find her my lady, […] I will never stop looking. I will give up my life if need be, give up my honor, give up all my dreams, but I will find her.” (Martin, 2005: 200). This honor and determination is what makes Jaime Lannister admire her. The two of

81 them meet after Lady Catelyn orders Brienne to bring Jaime back to King’s Landing, defending him. This in itself is rather peculiar, as Jaime is the best swordfighter in all of King’s Landing, but Brienne is ordered to protect him. He is amused by her, continuously insulting her, but over time, the two of them start to bond, as they confide in each other, and start to realize that they are both outsiders from society, but in their own respective way. Jaime begins to admire her conviction and sense of honor. “In this light she could almost be a beauty, he thought. In this light she could almost be a knight.” (Martin, 2000: 610) Jaime is the only one who begins to see both of her identities, thus accepting her for who she is. When they first meet, Brienne’s sense of justice is absolute, there are no grey areas. She despises Jaime, for he has broken his vows frequently, but through him, she learns that not everything, especially morality, is always black and white. On the other hand, Jaime’s moral compass is affected by Brienne, because of her deep conviction to her covenants and her ability to fight for her status in life, as nothing ever was given to her because of her birth or gender. The two of them further each other, and they are able to develop their personality by understanding one another’s position in life. (cf. Frankel, pos. 864). Brienne’s categorization as an Artemis figure, establishes her as a woman, who does not have physical relationships with men, but rather sees them as competition or comrades. In the case of Jaime, a sort of friendship evolves between the two of them, but it lacks the involvement of romantic feelings. “The queen [Cersei Lannister] remembered the Maid of Tarth, a huge, ugly, shambling thing who dressed in man’s mail. Jaime would never abandon me for such a creature.” (Martin, 2011: 845). These thoughts of Cersei Lannister upon hearing that Jaime was with Brienne, address perfectly, how Brienne is received, even by other women. Cersei does not once refer to her as a woman, but as “Maid”, “thing” and “creature”. She is not perceiving her as competition when it comes to Jaime, as she is so much more beautiful than Brienne. In other women’s minds, Brienne does not qualify as a true female, who evokes desire in men, because of her physical appearance. Moreover, she chooses to fight for herself, rather than letting men fight for her purpose, which again, repulses the men of Westeros. In many ways, Brienne could be compared to Arya, but Arya is comfortable in her role and does not completely abandon her feminine side, while Brienne probably would have been much more comfortable in her skin, if she were born a man.

Brienne represents the inner struggle between masculinity and femininity. While Arya seems to embrace both aspects, Brienne is not comfortable with either one, as she does not conform to the rules of masculinity, nor to the rules of femininity.

5.4.2 Khal Drogo “what a handsome man the khal was, so tall and fierce, fearless in battle, the best rider ever to mount a horse, a demon archer.” (Martin, 1996: 38)

The Dothraki are nomadic warriors who live in hordes, known as khalasars, across the narrow sea. They are not under the rule of the Seven Kingdoms. Drogo is an undefeated warlord and the leader of one of the khalasar. The title khal is given to the leader of a horde who has proven to be the strongest man among them, never been defeated in battle or combat. Thus, Khal Drogo is the toughest and fiercest man among his khalasar. He is introduced, in A Game of Thrones (1996), as the man Daenerys has been sold to, by her brother. Drogo is not one of the point of view characters in the novel, as he is only characterized and depicted by Daenerys Targaryen. Before he appears, he is talked about by Viserys. He is wondering whether or not Daenerys will satisfy Drogo’s taste. “She has had her blood. She is old enough for the khal,” (Martin, 1996: 39). It becomes apparent how the Dothraki pick their women. Once they are physically able to have children, they are seen fit for marriage. Consequently, the role of women within the society of the Dothraki is to get pregnant, and birth sons. Khal Drogo picking a woman like Daenerys Targaryen, with her silver hair, lilac eyes and white skin, emphasizes his own status as khal. He, the independent leader, picks Daenerys as a trophy wife, for she looks nothing like a Dothraki woman. She is different and therefore special. The khal thinks he is entitled to have a special wife, separating himself, once more, from the rest of his men. Drogo himself is the epitome of masculinity, within the context of the Dothraki people.

Drogo’s braid was black as midnight and heavy with scented oil, hung with tiny bells that rang softly as he moved. It swung well past his belt, below even his buttocks, the end of it brushing against the back of his thighs. “You see how long it is?” Viserys said. “When Dothraki are defeated in combat, they cut off their braids in disgrace, so the world will know their shame. Khal Drogo has never lost a fight. (Martin, 1996: 42)

Drogo is the most skilled and powerful man in his khalasar, and that, within the context of the Dothraki being tribes of fighters and raiders, makes him the most masculine male among men. His depiction through Daenerys’ point of view changes as their relationship evolves. In the early stages, Daenerys is afraid of him. “Her brother hurt her sometimes, when she woke the dragon, but he did not frighten her the way this man frightened her.” (Martin, 1996: 42). Her perception of him changes over time, as Daenerys grows to love him, and he grows to love her. At the beginning of their marriage, Drogo ignores her during the day and visits her at night, only to conceive a child with her. Eventually, she is pregnant with his child, and he takes pride in his wife and his unborn offspring. “Her pregnancy only seemed to have inflamed Drogo’s desire for her, and of late his embraces left her exhausted.” (Martin, 1996: 363). The value of a child, especially a son, is highly important to Drogo. He begins to appreciate Daenerys because of her pregnancy. He begins to learn her language, as Drogo is only able to speak the Dothraki tongue and communication with Daenerys proved to be difficult, until she starts to speak his language. His learning, of her mother tongue, also gives Drogo a voice in the novels, as he is never shown speaking before. Or at least, Daenerys does not convey his utterances, and therefore the prejudice of him being a savage, is furthered. As their plotline evolves though, it becomes apparent that Drogo is not just a raiding savage, but also a man with feelings and fears. Learning her language renders him able to voice those emotions, thus showing his human side to Daenerys and the reader. His respect for her is additionally shown by the nickname he uses for Daenerys. He calls her “moon of my life” (Martin, 1996: 456), and considering that the Dothraki believe, that everything important in a man’s life has to be done under the moon, this nickname represents extreme value for his wife. He is willing to break with his own tradition because of his spouse. The prospect of someone threatening his wife and even almost succeeding in killing her, leads to his decision to cross the narrow sea. This has never been done by any of the Dothraki hordes before. This shows how deeply he loves her, and he appreciates Daenerys being at his side. As much as he values his own wife, he is not as compliant with other women. He lets his men rape and kill them without a second thought. “This is the way of war. These women are our slaves now, to do with as

84 we please.” (Martin, 1996: 613). The way he is treating his wife is special, and has nothing to do with his respect for women in general. He is a child of his tribe, where only strength and physical power is respected, and those, who do not possess those powers, are meek. Eventually, Drogo does not survive the plot of the first novel. He is injured by an arrow, and a woman who has been enslaved, is ordered to heal him, but instead she purposely worsens his infection. After he falls from his horse, most of his khalasar abandon him, as they only follow strength. “A khal who could not ride could not rule, and Drogo had fallen from his horse.” (Martin, 1996: 646) Drogo, the man among men, who has been portrayed as invincible by his wife, the embodiment of true masculinity and physical power, loses his strength. The mighty khal, who has not been defeated by any other man, is defeated by a slave woman in the end. One could argue that the death of Drogo, is another way of George R.R. Martin to show the obvious weak spots of patriarchal systems. Drogo’s way of dying is definitely an argument for A Song of Ice and Fire being a fantasy series incorporating feministic elements. The mighty khal has been defeated by an oppressed woman. Of course, Drogo’s fate was clear the moment Daenerys’ path became apparent. Although, the two of them loved each other, Drogo had to die, in order for Daenerys to truly emancipate herself and be free of any man.

5.4.3 Ygritte “You know nothing, Jon Snow.“ – Ygritte (Martin, 2000: 412)

Ygritte is a wildling, as well as a warrior woman who is introduced in the second novel of the series, A Clash of Kings (1999). The wildlings, or free folk, are people who live beyond the Wall and are not part of the feudal system of the south. They pride themselves of being free, nor having to obey any king or queen. On one hand, they are free to do as they please, while at the same time they struggle to guarantee their survival. They pity the people living south of the Wall, using the expletive “kneelers”, meaning they are not truly free, as a ruler decides their fate. The people of the south on the other hand, see the wildlings as savages and primitives (cf. Martin, 1999). Ygritte is eighteen when she is first introduced. She is not given her own point of view, but is depicted through Jon Snow. Her character falls into the

85 category of a warrior woman, but in a different way as Brienne’s or Arya’s. Those two struggle for their right to be seen as equals to men, while Ygritte seems to be motivated by her love for Jon Snow (cf. Frankel, 2014: pos. 1060). It is apparent that Ygritte does not have to fight for equality. She is a wildling woman, and the laws of the wildlings are different from those of the Seven Kingdoms. Ygritte is able to defend herself and stand her ground, therefore she is respected by her peers. The wildlings do not differentiate according to gender, but conferring to strength. Ygritte is strong and accordingly has no problem with her being a woman. She owns her character traits, as she is depicted as aggressive, brash and sexually experienced, all of which are traditionally male characteristics in fantasy novels. Yet, she does not fight for honor or duty, as those are not issues the wildlings concern themselves with. They need to survive (cf. Frankel, 2014: pos. 1060). Upon reading the scenes in which Ygritte appears, it seems, as if her sole function is to influence Jon Snow. The two of them meet during a fight, which ends in Jon being supposed to kill Ygritte. “Something about her made him think of Arya, though they looked nothing alike.” (Martin, 1999: 742). Looking upon Ygritte, Jon is reminded of Arya’s spirit, emphasizing the similarities those two women share with each other. He lets her live, and thus the start of their romantic evolvement is marked. In many ways, Ygritte is depicted as the masculine part of their relationship. She is older than Jon, and moreover, more sexually experienced, as he is a virgin. In picking Jon as her mate, she conforms to the warrior woman archetype, who, like Asha Greyjoy, chooses a gentle man, rather than a typical masculine stereotype (cf. Frankel, 2014: pos. 1069). She is the one who protects Jon, and not the other way around. When Jon’s true allegiance is questioned by the wildlings, she lies for him, by telling the other wildlings that the two of them are sexually involved.

“I never asked you to lie for me.” “I never did,” she said. “I left out part, is all.” “You said-” “-that we fuck beneath your cloak many a night. I never said when we started, though.” […] “Find another place for Ghost to sleep tonight, Jon Snow. It’s like Mance said. Deeds are truer than words.” (Martin, 2000: 219)

Ygritte is the one who initiates a physical relationship, moreover, she is the one who first thought of sleeping with Jon and not the other way around. This

86 confirms that she has appropriated the true masculine role in their relationship, though for Ygritte, this seems nothing unusual, but something she has done before. The further their love story progresses, the more Ygritte seems to conform to her feminine side. They become equals, and it comes to the point where Jon needs to rescue Ygritte, while climbing the Wall. “Jon grabbed Ygritte and pulled her down to shield her,” (Martin, 2000: 410) Thus, he becomes the one to protect her. Further, Ygritte truly falls in love with Jon. ““Jon Snow,” she told him […] “don’t move now, sweet. […] Let’s go down inside, and join up with Gendel’s children. I don’t ever want t`leave this cave, Jon Snow. Not ever.”” (Martin, 2000: 366). Ygritte is willing to leave her tribe to be with Jon. Her feminine side comes through, as she is considering giving up her life in order to be with her love. Jon is not so willing to abandon the Night’s Watch, forcing him suddenly into his masculine role. Although Jon is in love with Ygritte as well, he chooses to remain with the Night’s Watch and leaves Ygritte. Something she repays him with an arrow in his leg. The fact that Jon leaves her and not the other way around, forces Ygritte even more into her feminine role. Women get left and not the other way around. In the end, Ygritte dies in Jon’s arms. ““You’ re not going to die, Ygritte. You’re not.” “Oh.” Ygritte cupped his cheek with her hand. “You know nothing, Jon Snow,” she sighed, dying.”” (Martin, 2000: 754). After succumbing to her feelings for Jon, she regains her power by reminding him that she is the one who taught him. Everything he has become is due to her. She dies in battle, like a true warrior. Her role is to teach Jon the way of living of the wildlings, thus eradicating his view of the wildlings as being savages. Her purpose is to humanize the wildlings and she succeeds. Moreover, Ygritte teaches Jon the merits of being in a relationship with a woman, showing him how wonderful it can be to love and care for someone, and be loved back. She toughens him up, while at the same time, making him more vulnerable. Although, Ygritte is feminized through her storyline, she remains the warrior woman until the end, dying a warrior’s death. She embodies a true empowered woman, who is accepted for who she is, while not having to fight for her rights. She simply takes what she desires. Her gender has no role in her way of life or her society. She is one of the few truly free characters in A Song of Ice and Fire.

5.5 Sex and Sexual Abuse in A Song of Ice and Fire

The issue of sex and sexual violence are major themes in A Song of Ice and Fire. Almost every female character faces at least once, sexual threat in their daily lives, while every single male character is shown to have regular sex with someone, with the sole exception of the male characters who have been physically neutered. Whether it be consensual, rape or in order to manipulate someone, sex is one of the main components in the game of thrones. Most commonly, sex is equated with violence, especially against women. A depiction of a truly consensual sexual act between two parties, rarely appears. On the other hand, sexual seduction is a way for women to assert their power over men, but this only occurs with women in high social positions. Either way, it cannot be denied that sex plays a major part in the world of Westeros, and therefore it is worth being examined. Generally speaking, the world of A Song of Ice and Fire created by George R.R. Martin is definitely a war-ridden, brutal one. Characters are being flayed alive, decapitated, tortured and burned to death. Life in Westeros is brutal and harsh, and sometimes short. One of the most common threats to women, and sometimes men, is the omnipresent danger of sexual assault. An issue so prominent in the books, that it has become the most criticized one by readers and critics alike, being referred to as gratuitous. Martin himself addressed such critics and readers by saying that “if I’m guilty of having gratuitous sex, then I’m also guilty of having gratuitous violence, and gratuitous feasting and gratuitous description of clothes […] because very little of this is necessary to advance the plot.” (Brown, 2011: July 11). Martin defends his choices, by saying that they do not advance the plot, but it expands the realism of the world he is portraying. Interestingly enough, in the novels exist distinctions between various types of sexual assault. The physical assault within a marriage, the physical assault as an act of war and the verbal threat to women. Rape within marriage is most prominently represented with Cersei and Robert as well as with Daenerys and Drogo. Both women suffer by the hands of their respective husbands. Cersei was frequently raped by Robert during their marriage, and although he seemed to regret the act itself, he continued to do so. ““You hurt me,” she complained. He

88 had the grace to look ashamed. “It was not me, my lady, […] It was the wine. I drink too much wine.”” (Martin, 2005: 868) Robert, apparently ashamed of the act of raping his wife, takes no responsibility for it and rather blames it on his drunken state, meaning he was not himself. Although Cersei is one of the most powerful women in the books, she is helpless against her bodily abuse. She cannot defend herself physically against her husband, and he is never punished for the act. The same goes for Drogo raping Daenerys, during the early stages of their marriage. He takes advantage of his wife, and he goes unpunished for it, further, it seems to be expected of him to act in such a way. As opposed to Cersei, Daenerys decides to take matters into her own hands, and she changes her nightly encounters, by showing her husband, how the physical act of sex is supposed to be, between husband and wife. In both cases, the men are not punished or even called out for their brutal behavior, rendering marital rape normal, or even the husband’s right, within the world of Westeros. Rape as an act of war is another major depiction of sexual assault in the novels. The Dothraki riders maintain a culture of raiding and raping. When Daenerys sees those acts committed against women, she is appalled. ““Princess,” he said, “you have a gentle heart, but you do not understand. This is how it has always been. Those men have shed blood […] Now they claim their reward.”” (Martin, 1996: 611) The raping of women from other tribes is a reward for the Dothraki and not a crime. Moreover, the raping of conquered tribe women is seen as tradition, which even the women of the Dothraki seem to approve of. “She is nothing, Khaleesi. The riders do her honor.” (Martin, 1996: 611) The act of rape is elevated to honor the victims. Looking upon that aspect of the Dothraki people, they truly are savages roaming the free cities. In Westeros, the Dothraki equivalent are the inhabitants of the Iron Islands. They believe that the “Drowned God had made them to reave and rape” (Martin, 1999: 169). By presuming the right to reave and rape is god given, the iron born consider both malpractices as something justified, and the right of the conqueror. In their minds, sexual assault is not something criminal but a privilege of the strong. This attitude opposes the common law of Westeros, as rape is considered to be a crime, and is punished by law. ““Rapers,” Yoren said with a cold look at his charge. Tyrion understood. Life on the Wall was said to be hard, but no doubt it was preferable to castration.”” (Martin, 1996: 119). This example shows that

89 men raping women can be punished by law. They are faced with the choice of joining the Night’s Watch and commit to a life of chastity, while at the same time being hidden away in the north, disconnected from society. The other choice consists of being physically maimed to ensure they are not able to commit such a crime again. Those choices though, only apply to low born people in Westeros, because on the other hand, not all known rapists are prosecuted. The character of Gregor Clegane is well known for raping and consequently killing the wife of the late Targaryen heir to the Iron Throne, Rhaegar. Clegane was ordered to kill the children of Rhaegar, by Tywin Lannister, but he was not ordered to kill his wife. “The rape . . . even you will not accuse me of giving that command, I would hope.” Tywin is still shaken by the sheer brutality of his hangman. Almost everybody in the kingdom condemns Clegane for his action, but he is not prosecuted for his crimes, as he is a knight in the service of House Lannister. Condemned among the high houses of Westeros, sexual assault is not considered a right, but little is done to confine such acts. In Caroline Spector’s essay Power and Feminism in Westeros (2012: 184), she suggests that rape and sexual violence are omnipresent threats to the women in Westeros. Whether it be marital rape or verbal threats of sexual abuse, as the characters of Sansa, Arya and Brienne are repeatedly confronted with. According to Spector (2012), this imminent danger of sexual abuse creates an environment of sexual oppression. At the same time, this issue is rarely addressed by the female or male characters in the novel, which comes to depict just how established sexual violence is within the culture of Westeros (cf. Spector, 2012: 184). Although rape seems to be frowned upon among the high houses, the concept of the “lord’s right to the first night” (Martin, 2011: 500) has not completely vanished among the lords of Westeros. Especially not with one particular cruel example of such a lord: Roose Bolton.

“This miller’s marriage had been performed without my leave or knowledge. This man had cheated me. So I had him hanged, and claimed my rights beneath the tree where he was swaying. If truth be told, the wench was hardly worth the rope. […] A year later this same wench had the impudence to turn up at the Dreadfort with a squalling, red-faced monster that she claimed was my own get.” (Martin, 2011: 500)

The tale of how he conceived his bastard born son is testament towards his evaluation of women. He does not see them as human beings, but as something he has a right to. Moreover, the tale of Ramsay’s conception does make a statement: Nothing good can come from rape. Ramsay is one of the most deranged and cruel characters in the books, and he was conceived by his father, by raping an innocent woman. This furthers the conclusion that sexual assault leads to destruction and it can produce psychotic “monsters” which can destabilize cultures and societies (cf. Frankel, 2014: pos.245), and thus, it should be acknowledged that Martin does not glorify sexual assault, but uses it to refine the portrayal of his society. The physical act of rape is mostly used by men against women. The use of sexuality to assert power however, is used by both genders alike, though in different ways. While most of the times, men engage in sexual acts with women, they do so in order to exercise their physical superiority over women. They remind them that they are the ones who have the power and can do as they please with their women. The two male characters who are known for treating women like pieces of meat, would be Gregor Clegane, as well as Ramsay Bolton. It has already been established that Gregor Clegane is known to be a rapist, but Ramsay enters whole new levels of cruelty towards women.

“He is a great hunter,” said Wyman Manderly, “and women are his favorite prey. […] When Ramsay catches them he rapes them, flays them, feeds their corpses to his dogs, and brings their skins back to the Dreadfort as trophies. If they have given him good sport, he slits their throats before he skins them. Elsewise, t’other way around.” (Martin, 2011: 456)

Ramsay uses sex as a punishment and to degrade women. He uses social status and male superiority to exercise power over women. Of course, Ramsay is an extreme example. Other men, like Robert or Drogo, use their male superiority to get what they want of their women, but they do not additionally torture them. While men narrow themselves to get sex by using their strength and masculinity, some women in A Song of Ice and Fire have discovered their sexuality as a means of succeeding in their own agenda. The most obvious example of such a woman is Cersei Lannister. It is well established that Cersei will do anything to gain influence and power, even using her own body to

91 accomplish her goals. She does so with her brother, but also with other men. She seduces her own cousin, Lancel, in order to make him obey her. By seducing him, she puts him in a very difficult position, as she is the woman and he is a man. If he confesses that he slept with the queen, everyone would see him as the perpetrator and not her. Eventually, Cersei uses his submissiveness towards her, to make him play a part in Robert Baratheon’s death. “Have you given any thought what Joffrey will do when I tell him you murdered his father to bed his mother? [Tyrion Lannister]” (Martin, 1999: 446). He is completely dependent on her will. This particular relationship between two characters takes an interesting turn, when in A Dance with Dragons (2011), Lancel becomes the one who wields power over Cersei, by confessing their incestuous relationship to the High Sparrow, and Cersei is imprisoned. Lancel Lannister is not the only example of Cersei’s use of sexuality but he is the most striking one, as he obeys her wishes to kill the king. Daenerys Targaryen is another instance of a woman who starts to use her sexuality in order to emancipate herself. Like Cersei, she is oppressed by her husband, at least at first. Daenerys soon realizes the secret to winning her husband’s heart lies in the bedroom. The moment she starts to initiate their sexual encounters and decides to be the one who takes charge, her relationship changes from being abusive to being caring and loving. “This night I would look on your face.” (Martin, 1996: 226). The act of looking into each other’s eyes while sleeping with one another, is the first step in Daenerys’ marriage towards empowerment, and forces her husband to accept her as a woman with needs, and not just a wife to bear children. The discovery of her own sexuality empowers Daenerys and leads her way to becoming an independent and fierce woman. George R.R. Martin uses sexuality as both, empowerment as well as oppression, though the empowerment seems to lie with his female characters and oppression with his male ones. Both of those applications are saying more about the male mindset than the female one. Men oppress women by using sexual assault, women use sexuality to empower themselves over men, thus men can easily be influenced by the prospect of having sex, and women transform this weakness of men to their advantage. Besides the typically male and female characters, there are some portrayals in the novel which, in the context of the current time, would be coded

92 as queer characters. This categorization does not necessarily mean that these characters are homosexual, but they are not heterosexual in the common sense. Queer, in this context, does refer to not conforming to the norm (cf. Frankel, 2014: pos. 2861). One of the characters fitting this description is Lord Varys. He was born in the free cities and sold as a slave. He worked his way up the social ladder, to become a member of the small council in King’s Landing. He is a rather feminine man, who likes to dress himself in fine silks. He is the master of whispers, and seems to be omniscient due to his spy network of children. The most common trait of him though, is the fact that he is a eunuch. “No, I am what I am. The king makes use of me, but it shames him. […] such a manly man has little love for sneaks and spies and eunuchs.” (Martin, 1996: 301). Eunuchs are mistrusted, so is Varys. No one is able to assess what his true intentions are, and this simply seems to be for his lack of genitals. He is no true man in the eyes of the ones surrounding him, thus, they do not perceive him as reliable. A real man is vulnerable to bribery, due to his physical desires, while Varys does not have such a weak spot. Martin appears to say that a man who is not in possession of his manhood, is in some ways superior to a man who is physically intact. Varys is one of the distinguished characters in A Song of Ice and Fire, manipulating many people around him, but his true intentions of why he is playing the game of thrones, are never truly revealed. He claims to “serve the realm” (Martin, 1996: 582) and his actions confirm this claim, but because he is a eunuch, no one believes him. This leads to the conclusion that a man without genitals is not trustworthy, at least within the context of the androcentric system of Westeros, because no one ever knows what he truly wants. Lord Varys seems to have realized this, and turns this common distrust towards him, into his advantage. Lord Varys is not the only eunuch in the books, as Martin has created a whole army of them: The Unsullied. They are eunuch slave soldiers, who start their brutal training, when they are five years old, including castration at a young age. “A eunuch who is cut young will never have the brute strength of one of your Westerosi knights, this is true. […] The Unsullied have something better […] they have discipline.” (Martin, 2000: 315). The slave soldiers are sold to new masters for war and defense. Daenerys Targaryen comes to buy an Unsullied army, but is unwilling to do so, after she discovers what they are. “They sell eunuchs, not men.” (Martin, 2000: 326). In Daenerys’ point of view, eunuchs are not men,

93 because what makes them men, has been taken away. She does not trust this army. Interestingly enough, it is a man who speaks out for the Unsullied and explains why they are preferable to any other army of unmaimed men.

There is a savage beast in every man, and when you hand that man a sword or spear and send him forth to war, the beast stirs. The scent of blood is all it takes to wake him. Yet I have never heard of these Unsullied raping, nor putting a city to the sword, nor even plundering, save at the express command of those who lead them. Brick they may be, as you say, but if you buy them henceforth the only dogs they’ll kill are those you want dead. (Martin, 2000: 329)

The Unsullied have lost their sexuality by force, but this loss has turned them into obedient fighters, who will do as they are commanded. They will not start to claim their fruits of war, like other men would. Again, being eunuchs is described to have some advantages, at least for their owner. Basically, what is uttered in the description above, is that men are slaves to their hormones, while eunuchs do not have this disadvantage. The use of sexualization is again used against men. In the books, men are portrayed as being easily influenced by their fleshly desires. Of course, there are exclusions, like Stannis Baratheon or Eddard Stark, but those exceptions seem to confirm the rule. Sexualization in A Song of Ice and Fire is one of the means to convey realism in the novels, but it is further used to humanize or dehumanize its characters. As in real life, sex per se, is neither good nor evil, but it can be used to exercise power over someone. This power is used by men and women alike, but in different ways of thinking and acting. Endorsed upon gender representation, the issue of sex is not restrained to male or female characters, but applies to both.

Conclusion

A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin is a highly complex medieval fantasy narrative, which establishes conventional fantasy tropes, only to destroy them in the process. He does not confer to the narrative structure of traditional fantasy literature, but uses normative believes of how certain characters are supposed to be, and then changes the rules. If a knight is supposed to be gallant, loyal and trustworthy, Martin undermines this image by presenting the reader with a knight, who has broken every vow he has ever taken. In fantasy literature, women are typically supposed to be virtuous and submissive to men, like the character of Arwen in The Lord of the Rings, yet, Martin describes most of his women as independent and strong, even adapting masculine traits, in order to survive in a patriarchal system (cf. Spector, 2012: 170). It becomes apparent, that all of the characters, whether they are male or female, are entrapped in their traditional roles, which are predefined by their society. They face significant predicaments, while trying to conform to their expected behavior in society, but some are able to find a way to defy, what is expected of them. The ones, who have the most trouble to conform to their social environment, are those, who do not fit into the predominant gender roles. Whether it be a masculine female, who struggles to be accepted in society, or a girl, who fights for her right to be treated equally to boys, or even malformed little men, who do not conform to traditional masculine gender roles. The most striking aspect of the character’s depiction in A Song of Ice and Fire is though, that the main characters in the books are not static, but they grow with their experiences, and are forced to adapt to their surroundings. While in other fantasy literature, such as Lord of the Rings, gender roles are depicted in a very traditional sense, meaning the hero is always noble and honorable, while the women are waiting for their men to return, George R.R. Martin chooses a different path. It is apparent, that he reflects upon the real world and its western society, whether it be historical or contemporary. Martin does not use the classic good versus evil narrative. He does not only explore the option that all individuals can incorporate both, but further, he allows them to choose between the two. Thus, characters who are introduced as

95 morally questionable, can transform into honorable ones and vice versa. He does the same with traditional gender expectations, by blurring the lines between the traditional beliefs of what is masculine or feminine. Martin himself describes the variety of his characters as follows:

The pitfalls of lots of other fantasy texts, he says is when writers stray into writing in stereotypes. But because Martin has a sprawling world with thousands of characters (and five books to do it in), he has the luxury of developing each one fully. “Male or female, I believe in painting in shades of grey,” he says. “All of the characters should be flawed; they should all have good and bad, because that's what I see. Yes, it’s fantasy, but the characters still need to be real.” (Salter, 2013: April 1)

This is exactly why the text is so appealing to its vast readership. The breaking of traditional stereotypes, as well as the use of it, makes the narrative so compelling. Readers are able to identify themselves with the characters, because they represent humankind, with all its implications. It is a new means of writing high fantasy fiction and hopefully, it paves the way for other authors to take some risks with their own works. A Song of Ice and Fire essentially plays with the prejudices of the readership. People expect certain characters to behave in a particular way. Martin does sometimes conform to those prejudices, but he also seems to enjoy to contradict them, by, for example, killing off main characters. He further destroys stereotypical archetypes for gender depiction, known in traditional fantasy fiction, such as Lord of the Rings. It has to be mentioned though, that Martin’s female characters are the appealing ones. They are more complex and show more colors than his male individuals. The leading women of A Song of Ice and Fire are carrying the narrative and pushing it forward, while most of the main males, react to the events in the novel. Martin’s women actively try to change their fate, which renders them more dynamic than their male counterparts, which is unusual, as it is traditionally, the other way around. The question remains, why George R.R. Martin did choose to write his characters and his story the way he did. Unlike Lord of the Rings or even A Wheel of Time, Martin surprises his readers by killing the heroes of his story, seemingly letting the evil forces win. Further, he establishes sexuality and female empowerment, as major themes of his medieval fantasy series. Both of which are completely absent in Lord of the Rings. Of course, we live in a world where sex

96 sells, and maybe Martin had this in mind, when he wrote his story, but it is more likely that he tries to truly provide the reader with a more realistic representation of a medieval fantasy world, in which incest, marital rape and sexual assault exist. It has been established that Lord of the Rings is a child of its time, considering the representation of gender roles, known and lived by its readers at the time. Robert Jordan started to write his A Wheel of Time in the early 1990, a time where Gender Studies gained influence, and his work began to incorporate more balanced gender roles. George R.R. Martin takes the issue of gender representation in his novels even further. Not only does he portray females and males as equals, but one could argue that his women are even more powerful than his men. Therefore, it is no surprise that his work has been called “feminist” (Salter, 2013, April 1). In conclusion it can be said, the book series is a new way of writing fantasy literature, in which the characters are no longer restricted to their traditional patterns or their conventional gender roles. Knights are allowed to fail, true heroes can die, ingénues are allowed to transform into strong females, and women play active roles within an androcentric system. The tale of A Song of Ice and Fire is, as of this day, not yet finished, but hopefully George R.R. Martin continues to surprise his readers with the portrayal of his male and female heroes.

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