Beyond the Battle
Content Warning: the author wishes to express that the topics discussed in this article may be triggering or emotional for some readers. This article discusses ableism and discrimination. If any of these topics are sensitive to you, please read with consideration and care if you choose to continue. This article also discusses events in Game of Thrones, including spoilers.
Based on George R. R. Martin’s novels, Game of Thrones is a TV action drama that centres around the power struggle for the fictional Seven Kingdoms centering around Westeros. Throughout the show, we witness changes in leadership and watch as parties cheat, covet, and backstab their way to power. Although the show focuses on the strife between the rulers of the Seven Kingdoms, its plotline also addresses ableism, reconceptualization of self, and the intersectionality of privilege and disability. The show has resonated deeply with disability communities for its ability to portray different minds, bodies, and abilities authentically.
One of the most transformative scenes in the series for me is Tyrion’s admission at the trial for King Joffreys' murder. Tyrion did not kill King Joffrey, but while he is on trial for the murder, he confesses his guilt for a far worse crime: he was guilty of being a dwarf. Tyrion claims he wishes he had poisoned King Joffrey so he would deserve the treatment he faces being born a monster. Tyrian poignantly releases the suppressed anger and frustration he has been harbouring since the moment he learned he was different. This scene offers viewers a glimpse into the experience of those whom society views as other, causing them to reconsider the impact their words and actions can have. Tyrian’s confession reminds us of the message he gave to Jon Snow, the bastard son of Lord Eddard Stark, in the pilot episode stating, "never forget what you are, the rest of the world will not. Wear it like an armour and it can never be used to hurt you." The trial allowed Tyrian to defend himself against a charge he has faced throughout his life. We know and love Tyrion for his wit, self-deprecation, and ability to drink and know things, but this scene reveals a vulnerable side he hid from the world – initiating conversations and likely resonating among people with disabilities and able-bodied viewers: learning to recognize biases, develop understanding and empathy toward other life experiences.
Another theme Game of Thrones effectively portrays is the reconceptualization of self after experiencing a debilitating injury. In the first season, we witness the story of Stark’s second youngest son, "Bran the Broken." Bran is pitied and overlooked throughout the series after he is pushed out of a window by the Lannisters. While the rest of the characters strategize, cheat, and kill throughout the series, in the show finale Bran ultimately, and unwittingly, wins the Game of Thrones, without having played it. After his fall, Bran became the Three-Eyed-Raven: the living memory of the world's past, present, and future. Having the Three-Eyed-Raven’s foresight, Bran Stark holds the answer to the sole question no one else in Westeros can answer: what did the Night King want? The end of the world.
Many GOT disputes centre around the writers' decision to crown Bran King of the Seven Kingdoms. Why is Bran the chosen one: the best fit for the throne? When considering the genesis of religions, nations, and identities, they are established and perpetuated through stories – often of people overcoming adversity. The story of Bran the Broken will replace those of Aegon the Conqueror, the Iron Throne, and Bran the Builder (Bran Stark’s namesake): Bran lost his ability to walk, but he learned to fly.
Further, another character who had to reconceptualize his identity was Jaime Lannister, who was adjusting to losing his right hand. Jaime seemingly had it all: he was charming, successful, and lauded as the Kingslayer after committing regicide against the King he had sworn to protect. Jaime lost his hand after being taken as a prisoner while Brienne of Tarth was escorting him back to King's Landing. Their captors wanted to leave a lasting impression on Jaime by chopping off his sword hand. Jaime's famed right hand committed his most monstrous acts: committing regicide, pushing a young Bran out of a window, and strangling his cousin to death. After losing his hand, Jaime experiences a loss of identity. Hailing from the continent’s wealthiest family, between his wealth, charm, and physical strengths, life had been kind to Jamie. Following his injury, however, Jamie wallows, unable to move forward until Brienne admonishes him. She is angered that Jaime, in the face of his first adversity, loses his will to live. He accepts treatment for his severed flesh, then agrees to return to King's Landing with Brienne.
Jaime's transformation illustrates the intersectionality of privilege and disability. When Tywin Lannister learns of Jaime's injury, he orders that Jaime be removed from the Kingsguard and returned to rule their homeland, Casterly Rock. Whereas an individual from a lower social class may have been exiled or left to fend for themself, paradoxically, since Jaime can no longer lead the Kingsguard, his "punishment" is to become lord of the wealthiest kingdom in Westeros. As Tyrian mentions in Season One if he had been born a peasant, he would have been left in the woods to die, but given his social standing, things are expected of him. Tyrian knows he will never be part of the Kingsguard but understands that a sharp mind can be used as a weapon. Both brothers experience disability from a position of privilege and have some awareness of the advantage they hold. Moreover, early on, when commiserating with Jon Snow about Bran’s injury, Tyrian remarks that “at least he would be a rich cripple,” acknowledging the path for Bran will be easier than that of a person from a lower standing.
Game of Thrones generally presents disability as a reality of life; characters are portrayed organically and benevolently. One of the most universally devastating deaths on the show was that of Hodors. Hodor endured expressive aphasia, a neurological condition affecting his speech. Throughout the early season, Hodor is portrayed as Bran Stark's protector; however, in Season 6, we see Bran taking advantage of Hodor by warging (entering) his mind.
Viewers saw that Hodor was cognitively and emotionally sound and understood what was being said around him, yet many berated and belittled him. Through Bran’s Three-Eyed-Raven, the show offers a glimpse back into Hodor's childhood and juxtaposes that view with Hodor’s impending sacrifice and death. As Bran warged (enters the mind of and is able to see the world through their senses, while also gaining control over their actions) into Hodor's past mindset as a young stableboy, Hodor is forced to witness and relive his death for the rest of his life, continually repeating his cause of death - holding the door.
Another character with a physical disability who meets a devastating fate is Princess Shireen. Shireen is hidden from society after being exposed to Greyscale disease. The Greyscale illness is a plague that kills victims by ashing their skin and hardening their muscles and organs. Despite the writers’ efforts to avoid adopting familiar fates for those with disabilities, we see Shireen and Hodor succumb to the tendency to sacrifice characters with disabilities. A redeeming fact, however, is that in a show known for killing off beloved characters. Hodor and Shireen are both sacrificed for those they are trying to help. GOT does make efforts to develop the circumstances leading to their deaths as viewers learn that Hodor spent his whole life repeating the phrase that led to his death: holding the door, while Shireen is burned at the stake by her parents’ consent to ensure her father wins a war. Hodor and Shireen are pure, kind-hearted individuals; it is a shame to see them written out of the story.
Ultimately, as a series George R. R. Martin and the show's writers have taken important strides toward making the film industry more inclusive towards people with disabilities. Game of Thrones' ability to develop and humanise characters reveals the fragility of human nature and just how vulnerable we are to changes in our circumstances and livelihood. The Game of Thrones writers created characters with diverse abilities that are complex and central to the story. Despite the fantasy genre of the series, the series presents individuals that are under and misrepresented and addresses relevant issues around individual abilities that deserve to be recognized in the media.
Illustration: Brigita Brumend
