A Game of Thrones Themes

Throughout A Game of Thrones, several characters claim they have a right to the throne. These include: Joffrey and the Lannisters, Ned (as protector of the throne), Stannis, Renly, Viserys, and Daenerys. Each character then makes strategic moves to try and ensure that they will have power when the chips fall and the game is over. The novel likens the machinations of politics and power to a game not because…

A Game of Thrones depicts a world riven by conflict and war. The Lannisters fight against the Starks, and the Baratheons are poised to enter the conflict. Daenerys sits on the outside of the action, but she represents the attempts of the Targaryen family to retake power from all those who are currently fighting each other in the Seven Kingdoms. The novel, though, opens not with a description of the warring families but with an…

Ned serves as a symbol of honor and integrity in A Game of Thrones. When faced with difficult decisions, he almost always chooses what is morally right rather than what is personally advantageous. Ned’s honor faces its ultimate test after Robert dies. At that point, Ned’s conscience dictates that he must tell the truth: Stannis is Robert’s next in line to the throne because he is Robert’s oldest brother and because Joffrey is not…

Several characters in A Game of Thrones do not conform to others’—or sometimes their own—ideas of who they should be. For example, because Jon Snow was born out of wedlock, he is not Ned’s “trueborn” son. As a result, Jon knows he will never be the heir of Winterfell or be of the same standing as his half-siblings, a fact that causes Jon considerable anguish. Similarly, because of her gender, someone like Arya faces…