This week’s episode of Game of Thrones is one of my personal favorites of the season, aside from the finale. I believe the reason I enjoy it so much is because of how it handles the topic of gender and sexuality. The episode primarily focuses on how men are perceived and what this world considers an “acceptable” form of masculinity. I think Loras Tyrell and Renly Baratheon’s relationship examines this the most. When Renly explains how his family thinks less of him because of his aversion to war, Loras suggests that he learns to get used to violence in order to become eligible for the throne. It’s clear that Loras has experience doing just that when he talks about how hard he trained to be a master swordsman. This conversation was a clever way to establish that the people of Westeros believe being violent is a quality that makes a good king. Ned and Robert’s relationship proves this when Ned disagrees with Robert’s plan to kill Danerys. Ned remarks on how Robert has changed, implying that he would never do something like that before becoming king. Renly also mentions how he thinks the thought of killing Danerys even gives Robert some kind of sexual rush. Later on, it’s clear that Robert isn’t really as excited about it as everyone thinks. He only does it to please Cersei and be a “good king”. Overall, I think this episode did a good job explaining what role violence plays in Game of Thrones’ version of “acceptable’ masculinity.
After what I have seen so far, this episode has been one of my favorites. The scene between Loras Tyrell and Renly Baratheon was one of my favorite scenes because it is showing that not all men were the same in this hyper-masculine stereotyped time frame. Most medieval pieces of media or literature I have seen has not explored sexuality like this and if they did, it was supposed to be seen as "bad" or offensive, like when Lanval was accused by the queen that he was gay because he did not act on her sexual advances. This exploration and plot line of Loras Tyrell and Renly Baratheon interests me and I cannot wait to see how it all unfolds. This is a note to everyone, no spoilers aout what happens to these two please!
I really enjoyed this episode, too, and think your observation about the focus on masculinity is spot on! It’s interesting that violence is at the core of figuring out “acceptable” forms of masculinity. As you point out, Loras suggests a familiarity with violence as the key to eligibility for the throne. I found the development of Robert’s character especially intriguing, as he’s portrayed in such interesting lights between his different conversations with Ned and Cersei.
This episode is one of my favorites of the season too! I think your commentary on sexuality is very telling. People lovs to focus on the “masculinity” on male characters in shows both fantasy and modern. But masculinity is a spectrum, as you clearly defined, and cannot be confined to one definition. I think it is so important to focus on characters like Renley because it shows these diverging definitions in the GoT society. As everyone else has noted, I think it’s really interesting how the show tends to focus on violence, because there is more behind the metaphorical “game” and power than just strength and violence: it also requires intellect and cunningness.
Fantastic points! I love the connection you make between violence and toxic masculinity here (not to spoil anyone but I think this raising really interesting questions for the way the series ends). And your point about Robert raises key questions for me about the the lines around "acceptable" violence and masculinity. For example, as you point out Renly links Robert's choice to pursue Daenerys to the erotic; in this moment, he seems critical of that link, but how critical and why critical? Is it because he feels like the indulgence in violence has gone too far? What is an acceptable amount of violence, as Loras suggests, to pursue while competing for the throne.
*ear-marking this whole discussion though for this week, especially since we really didn't get to discuss it last Wednesday!
*ear-marking this whole discussion though for this week, especially since we really didn't get to discuss it last Wednesday!