Valar Morghulis (Even Joffrey)
3:23 PM
It would seem that Westrosi weddings are not as joyous as one might assume they should be. However, given the state of things, I suppose that this should not be that much of a surprise. Westeros is a place where nothing is stable nor is anything as it might originally seem.
So Joffrey has finally received his comeuppance. His nasty ways have lead to his untimely and poison induced demise. Like many fans, this death is a story-point in which I found myself celebrating both times that I watched.
Because this time through the show I am intentionally wearing my “scholar” hat, I could not help but think about my own culpability in the way in which shows like Game of Thrones both depict and capitalize on violence and gore. I was more than happy to enjoy the gruesome death of Joffrey and this feeling was made especially strong after the death of Catelyn and Robb Stark. Although I have written about the fact that the Starks are not quite as noble as they make themselves out to be, I have to admit that they are still leaps and bounds better than several characters on the show. As a result, of all the people in Westeros that I thought deserved to die, Catelyn and Robb were relatively low on my list. Seeing them die so violently made me yearn for someone who actually deserved it (i.e. someone like Joffrey) to get what was coming to them.
That thinking, however, is the exact crux of the problem. Who am I to say who does or does not deserve to die? If I, as a viewer, am behind my television screen cheering on a violent act, am I not just as culpable as media producers for the prevalence of violence and gore in media from which those producers seek to profit?
I realize of course that this blog is referencing the depictions within a show that are following a story-line set up in a book. As a result the television show is mostly just attempting to do justice to the book's narrative, but the degree to which certain story events, such as violence or gore, are displayed are somewhat up to interpretation and left to the discretion of the media producers. However, it is clearly to the benefit of those producing shows like Game of Thrones to produce material that will bring the most pleasure to their viewers. If I am behind my television cheering for a fitting (i.e. gruesome) demise of some character, why would show runners not want to give that to me (or the other viewers that, likely, feel the same)?
I can certainly understand why some are turned off by the level of violence portrayed in shows like Game of Thrones but I can also understand why such gruesome displays exist.
Although there is a part of me that is somewhat disappointed in my tendency to be pulled into a story that has me advocating for violence (albeit to fictional characters), there is another part of me that, in some ways, makes me admire Martin’s ability to draw me in and make me think in the same deranged way as the characters.
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8 comments
The problem of our identifying with the perpetrators of violent revenge is certainly not exclusive to Game of Thrones. But it's interesting to me how Martin plays around with the agency of the revenge. We don't really know who enacted the murder of Joffrey until well after the fact. It wasn't done by one of our favorite characters like Sansa, Robb, Tyrion, or Brienne, it was probably done by Lady Olenna in cahoots with Little Finger. By not seeing their process, we don't really identify with their actions--e.g. no suspense about whether they will be successful, no character revelation about why they are doing it, etc. Instead of exulting that Joffrey was gone, I found myself saying "Who did it?" It's a more complicated narrative strategy than it looks like on the surface.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of talk of the level of violence on this show, and whether or not it's too much, etc. Meanwhile, I'm over here like, "Meh." I just look at it as, "Hey, we can do all sorts of things on TV now with all the CGI and other technology, so why not." I guess I am just not as inclined to read too far into things. I absolutely cheered for Joffrey's death. (My dogs were very confused and worried for a moment.) I guess it's just that I know he's fictional, and I'm not cheering for the deaths of actual people I know. Am I the only one not in the least bothered by the violence gore?
ReplyDeleteThough, strangely enough, I freak out when animals die on the show. I cover my eyes and make loud noises until it's over.
DeleteMarilyn, I can definitely relate to the scene of Joffrey dying. I agree that the scene was a bit lackluster, but perhaps it was the only way it would be possible for him to go. He's retreated before in the battlefield so maybe poison was the next best option. It was an interesting scene and I'm curious to see where alliances truly stand moving forward.
ReplyDeleteI think that as a viewer we are given characters that we would like to have killed on purpose and it does not mean we are bad people. I think that viewers wanted Joffrey dead because he was acting cruel to everything and anything he could and it goes against the good nature that mot humans have. When we see injustice in the world, most will tend to try to correct it.
ReplyDeleteI feel like GRRM is constantly reminding us that anyone can die regardless of how noble or gracious they are to people around them. This realist view of the world completely undoes what we currently see in series as there is one antagonist who will escape death a bunch of times and culminate in a satisfying ending. I don't know where GRRM will end the series but I have a feeling it will be like much of these storylines and not have a "satisfying" ending.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how much of this is all based on individual POV. For instance, I was not a fan of Joffrey (honestly, who could be?) and yet in no way was cheering as he died. In some ways I was relieved (one less character to give me the creeps) - but not once have I found myself hoping some fictional character in this show could be killed by another. I have a few ideas of why (one of which is the way Game of Thrones is semi-intriguing to me but very rarely actually pulling me into the story) - but it's still an interesting concept. The responses we can have to fictional characters is crazy. No wonder storytelling has been so present throughout history.
ReplyDeleteLove the title! As far as Joffrey's death goes, I refer to it as "horribly amazing." Throughout the years, I've caught myself rooting for deaths in TV shows and you're right, it does kind of perpetuate this love for violent acts. I know I put on the "hell yeah Joffrey's dead" cap but that scene was actually pretty hard to watch (even the second time.)
ReplyDelete