Game of Thrones…
So the class usually begins with a discussion of the content of the most recent Game of Thrones episode… I’m quite curious, I’ve not watched it yet, how does it tie in with our class? Like what sorts of things would make you consider it as myth-like? I’ve heard things about the show, I’ve read some reviews, but I need some first hand points; how is this relating to our class?
And to go a bit further on my Pocahontas post last week, and to feed off a comment I saw on another post, musicals are very much a form of myth in my eyes, yes even Disney movies. Musicals, with their catchy tunes and memorable characters, use those things to embed themselves into our memories; as do myths. When one tells a story, one usually wants this story to be remembered. We have evidence that Greek Tragedy was performed to music don’t we? Because songs stay in the brain better than dialogue in my opinion, a myth which is sung is more apt to be retold than a myth that is only spoken. So the Disney movies, and most all other musicals, are myths in that respect.
May 29, 2014 @ 6:07 am
We had a post a few weeks ago about GoT and this class: http://blogs.uoregon.edu/clas322chamberlain/2014/04/21/dual-post-by-alex-and-dawn-eve-on-game-of-thrones-and-mythology/
Also I think people enjoy watching it because the story is exciting and unexpected (the good guy doesn’t always win; the stories don’t end how they might “traditionally” end), some of the characters are total bad-asses, and there’s a interesting combination of legend, fantasy, and reality. The whole thing is shades of grey; there’s no clear black or white and you can’t predict the ending, because there’s no one “good” character whom you can say, “Oh yeah, that guy’s the hero and the hero will win,” and this draws you in and gets you invested to see what turn will happen next. Sometimes you don’t know who to root for and sometimes you just root for everyone.
Hm, that reminds me actually of classical mythology again. Often times we’re told who the heros are in Greek myths, but they’re flawed, complex characters. We know Odysseus is the hero, but he’s also the guy who goes and conquers a village on his way home just because he can, and slaughters an entire house full of unarmed men because they disrespected him – not exactly what we want our hero to do. So too are some GoT characters; flawed and complex. (And of course there’s slaughter and such too. Really, all the things that happen in the Odyssey happen in GoT – monsters, sex, slaughter, travelling, love, hope, honour, violations of honour, coming of age, confusion over rightful ruler, proximity to war.)