Gameof Thrones
Gameof Thrones
Gameof Thrones
understand why media does what it does and says what it says
(Porter, 2017).
adults, and even some full grown adults. They spend hours of non-
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Game of Thrones is one of the most watched television shows
adaptation takes its name from the title of the first book in
cast but centers on three primary story arcs. The first story arc
from the throne. The second story arc focuses on the last
Game of Thrones has taken the world by storm and its growing
million viewers. The show also cleans up during awards season and
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it has been nominated for two Golden Globes in 2017. In 2016
(www.statista.com/topics/4187/game-of-thrones/).
The episode “The Dragon and the Wolf” of the seventh season
understanding.
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Figure 1 shows the television show Game of Thrones was
interpreted using Semiotic Analysis. Signs were identified from
the show were classified into various semiotic signs. Each sign
was decoded to interpret its meaning in the context of
connotation and denotation.
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The Interpretation
Iconic Signs
Iconic Signs
Sign Denotative Connotative Sub-theme
Meaning meaning
Member of Jon Snow Courage and
House Stark represents resilience
Character of Jon and the those who
Snow Night’s Watch. think low of
He is the themselves
secret son because of the
Rhaegar way they are
Targaryen and treated in the
Lyanna Stark society.
but was raised
a as bastard He is also a
of Ned Stark, symbol of
brother of loyalty.
Lyanna Stark.
Later on
became the
King in the
North.
Exiled Daenerys’ Power of women
princess of character
House shows us how Defiance of
Targaryen. strong women the norms
Daughter of are. She was
Character of the deposed first
Daenerys Mad King introduced as
Targaryen Aerys. She was a trembling
sold to the and terrified
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King of the woman. But in
Dothrakis, later seasons,
Khal Drogo and she built up
became the the courage
Khaleesi of and conquered
the Great many cities,
Grass Sea. She freed many
also had 3 slaves, and
dragons. She saved many
is known to people. Also,
have the she was both
title: “The the most
unburnt, Queen respected and
of the Andals feared rulers.
and the First
Men, Queen of
Mereen,
Khaleesi of
the Great
Grass Sea,
Breaker of
Chains, and
Mother of
Dragons.”
Claims to be
the rightful
heir to the
Iron Throne
Character of Cersei of Although Greediness and
Cersei Lannister House mostly being cruelty of
Lannister and known to be leaders
House merciless, she
Baratheon is was also known Genuine love
the current to be a mother of mother to
Queen of the who would do her children
Seven Kingdoms anything for
of Westeros her children.
and is married After losing
to the later Joffrey,
deceased Tommen, and
Robert Marcella, she
Baratheon. Her became more
children, ruthless as
Joffrey, she was trying
Tommen, and to seek
Marcella, revenge for
which all died their deaths.
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in the earlier Cersei reminds
seasons, were us all what a
results of her mother is
incestuous willing to do
affairs with to protect her
her twin children and
brother, her family.
Jaime. She is
known to be Cersei also
ruthless and serves as a
vain but her metaphor of
love for her some
children was politicians.
genuine.
Character of Tyrion of Tyrion Wisdom
Tyrion Lannister House symbolizes the
Lannister was oppressed and
the younger the bullied in
brother of the society.
Cersei and He is not
Jaime. He is a physically
dwarf; and his powerful and
mother died is always
during his underestimated
birth in which by the others,
his father, but Tyrion is
Tywin, blames known to have
him. He was a cunning mind
also wrongly and often uses
accused for this to his
Joffrey advantage.
Lannister’s
murder. He
then exiled to
Essos and
later on
became the
Queen’s hand
of Daenerys.
Character of Arya Arya Stark of Arya becomes a Vengeance
Stark House Stark is symbol of
the younger revenge and Loyalty to
daughter and strength. Her family
third child of strength
Lord Eddard amidst all the
and Catelyn challenges she
Stark. encountered
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Witnessed the also
beheading of represents the
her father and strength of a
was at hand woman to
when her endure pain.
mother and
brother were
killed in the
Red Wedding.
She fled to
Bravos and
started to
train with the
assassins
called “the
faceless men”.
She then
killed Wadder
Frey and Petyr
“Littlefinger”
Baelish.
Character of Sansa Stark of Symbolizes Readiness for
Sansa Stark House Stark is teenagers who the
the first were forced to responsibility
daughter and mature because
second child of the
of Eddard and responsibility Strength of
Catelyn Stark. handed to her. women
Former bride She also is a
of Tyrion symbol of the
Lannister and strength of
Ramsay Bolton. women,
She is considering
currently the what she had
Lady of been through.
Winterfell.
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Character of the The King of Represents the Evil
White King the White evil and death
Walkers. in this world. Death
Leading the
attack against
the living.
Symbolic Signs
Symbolic Signs
Sign Denotative Connotative Sub-theme
Meaning meaning
Iron Throne A throne made The Iron Power
of swords Throne
where the represents the
current ruler difficulty of
of the Seven ruling and the
Kingdoms sits brutality
on. needed to gain
power.
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red three-
headed
dragon. Often
associated
with their
house words:
“Fire and
Blood”
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Winter The coldest Symbolizes Death
season of the death of the
year that is living,
after autumn famine, and
and before dominance of
spring. the White
Walkers.
Dragons An imaginary Represents the Cruelty
animal that power of
can breathe Daenerys Power
out fire and Targaryen.
looks like a
very large
lizard with
wings, a long
tail, and
large claws.
Also refers
to the
children of
Daenerys
Targaryen.
Sword A weapon with Symbolizes Honor
a long metal both honor and
blade for cruelty. Cruelty
cutting or
thrusting.
Crown A decorative Symbolizes her Victory
object that triumph and
is shaped authority over
like a circle her enemies.
and worn on
the head of a
king or queen
for special
ceremonies.
Also refers
to the crown
worn by
Cersei.
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of thick ice protection
from death
Indexical Signs
Indexical Signs
Sign Denotative Connotative Sub-theme
Meaning Meaning
Arrival of The act of Depicts Power
Daenerys riding Daenerys Daenerys’ power
her dragon arriving at play. Her
King’s Landing showing off the
for their power that she
meeting riding possesses and
on her dragon that they
should respect
her.
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The fall of the The act of the Symbolizes the Death
wall wall crumbling dominance of
down evil and that
the end is
near.
Interpretations
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The episode “The Dragon and the Wolf” started with Bronn and
in the Dargonpit. This scene was followed by Jon Snow and Tyrion
Landing.
When they arrived, Tyrion, Jon, and the others were then
arrived soon after. They waited a while for Daenerys and she
When all houses were present, the meeting began. Tyrion and
momentarily stop the war between them to deal with the white
Hound, showed them the white walker that they have captured.
Jon, who have already bent the knee to Daenerys and who is known
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was pregnant and she then realized that she was wrong. So, they
came back and agreed to the truce and vowed to make his armies
how dangerous her sister Arya is. Then in the next scene, Sansa
his men before riding to the North, Cersei stops him and tells
him that she has no intention keep that truce. In that instant,
family. Bran tells him that Jon's real parents were Rhaegar
Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Sam reveals information from the High
was annulled and he married Lyanna. Bran views the wedding and
Jon's birth, learning the name Lyanna gave him: Aegon Targaryen.
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feelings for each other and the two have sexual intercourse,
when the Night King appears, riding Viserion, Tormund orders the
Iconic Signs
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Introduced as the bastard of Winterfell, the
Joined the Night’s Watch and soon became the Lord Commander.
Free Folk, the people beyond the wall, and for that he was
Melisandre.
With this, he gained the respect of other and was named the
having a title and acquired his titles only with his own
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Cersei, but he did not. He pledged to Daenerys and kept his
leader who has sympathy for her people. She asked for a
white walkers.
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Cersei Lannister is known to be ruthless and evil. This
she is as a mother.
the truce and told them that she will order all their
But later in the episode, she told her brother Jaime that
power and pride for her child’s safety. Her being still
of pursuing.
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Character of Tyrion Lannister
Daenerys.
humble.
proposed truce.
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mother and brother were killed in the hands of the Freys.
enough, she went back to Westeros and killed Wadder Frey and
With the anger and pain bottled inside her heart, she
death. She saw killing the people who wronged her family as
Baelish, who was also someone who she hated and had
of his death.
child of Eddard and Catelyn Stark. She was the former bride
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of Tyrion Lannister and was later sold to Ramsay Bolton by
her brother, Jon, and she was forced to protect her family
shoulders.
Nothing much has been said about the White King but he is
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Symbolic Signs
Aegon thinks that a king should not sit easily and should
Just based on how the throne was made, the Iron Throne
stop until the person who desires to sit on the throne sits
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leaders, using their dragons to spread fear and cause the
best.
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This is the symbol of House Lannister that shows a
power and the red field symbolizes the blood that spilled
Throne.
defeating Daenerys.
Winter
thing.
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Winter symbolizes famine. In winter, the amount of food
Dragons
looks like a very large lizard with wings, a long tail, and
Targaryen.
currently is.
Sword
cruelty.
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The sword symbolizes honor because owning and yielding
Crown
Lannister.
The Wall
The wall is the only barrier between the living and the
dead. But in the end of the episode, the white walkers, with
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the help of Daenery’s dead dragon, the wall finally went
Indexical Signs
for Daenerys and she arrived at the meeting riding on her dragon.
play well delivered by her. She wanted to show strength and power
over the others and what better way to do that than arriving on
the back of one of her fire breathing dragons. This was effective
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Meeting of House Lannister, Targaryen, and Stark in King’s
Landing
stop the war momentarily until the problem with the white
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The fall of Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish
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characters, his death brings the idea that loyalty still and
will prevail.
wall was down, the army of white walkers marches beyond the
wall.
among the living. This also means that evil will always find
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References
www.WordPress.com
www.statista.com/topics/4187/game-of-thrones/
www.gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/The_Dragon_and_The_Wolf/
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