Tyrion Lannister From the Game of Thrones - Essay Example

Character Analysis of Tyrion Lannister from a Song of Ice and Fire Introduction A song of ice and fire is an epic series of fantasy novels authored by George Martin, an American screenwriter and novelist. The series is comprised of five volumes, and an additional two were planned to extend the series. The author presents the story in third-person, through the points of view of different characters, including Tyrion Lannister. The series has been adapted for TV production, and was aired under the name Game of Thrones in 2011. The events of the series take place in an imaginary world, at a continent by the name of Westeros. The course of events takes place at Essos, which is located to the eastern side of Westeros. The main story lines making the series include the dynastic war involving various families, which are contesting to control the continent; the increasing threat of outsiders, and the threat of a returning daughter of an overthrown king (Martin (a) 2). Tyrion Lannister is the youngest sibling, born to Joanna and Tywin; one of the families contesting for the control of the continent (Martin (a) 42). Tyrion is a dwarf, and that has made others call him the halfman or imp, irrespective of his education and his shrewd nature. This paper will explore the character of Tyrion, with the aim of exposing the cultural inclinations and the values of the then society. The revelation of the historical period, through Tyrion’s character Through the character of Tyrion, the author exposes the historical period of the story. The evidence of the historical context, which is primitive in nature, includes the fact that the Westeros’ continent was ruled under the kingdom and dynasty systems. The evidence of the traditional nature of society and rule is evidence by the adventures of Tyrion, including his journey to Winterfell, as part of the King’s royal possession and delegation (Martin (a) 42). The epic series, also through the eyes of Tyrion, tells of the clashes that involved different kings, including that Tyrion, together with Bronn and Shae, were the delegation sent to King Landing. The delegation had been sent to deliver an appointment letter that mentioned his appointment, in the event of the father’s death (Martin (c) 32). Through the character of Tyrion, the author tells a lot about the nature of society and the comparative position between the different genders. This historical information is told through the character of Tysha, Tyrion, Jaime and Lord Tywin, all-through the eyes of Tyrion. The social ill of sexual violence and rape are communicated, and the message is used to offer a comparative account between the modern societies, where the right of women are protected, by showcasing their position in the traditional society. The social ills of sexual violence and rape is told through the experiences of Tysha, who gets married to Tyrion, but Lord Tywin rejects it and plots to compromise the wedding, by compelling Jaime to gives the information that Tysha was only a harlot sent to Tyrion, for his comfort and pleasure. After compromising the marriage, Lord Tywin goes ahead and pays his guard men to rape Tysha, and also included Tyrion as the last of the men that violate her sexually. Through the character of Tyrion, the author communicates the cruel nature of the traditional society. Another traditional outlook of Tyrion’s society is the role played by tradition and superstition. The role played by superstition is depicted through the relations of Tyrion and Cercei, who believed in the prophesy made during her childhood that Tyrion would lead to her death. The revelation of the society’s culture through Tyrion The first cultural trait of Tyrion’s culture is that of a society that believes in superstition and magic. These cultural traits are evidenced through the relationships between Tyrion and his father and sister. The superstitious nature of the father (Lord Tywin) and sister (Cersei) could be traced from the fact that the mother of Tyrion died during his birth (Martin (a) 4). For that reason, the father considers him a cursed child; the hate is extended by his disabilities, including that he was a dwarf. On the other hand, the sister hated Tyrion for two reasons, including that he had led to the death of their mother, and also that she believed in a prophesy made that he would make her die. From the relations kept between Tyrion and the general society, the same cultural outlook is also evident, considering that many people had given him names due to his size. Tyrion’s engagement in war is also a signal about the culture of the society. His participation in the wars of his society showed that their traditional society believed in the role of violence, as the tool for gaining power and exercising power over others (Martin (d) 56). The construction of Tyrion’s character tells a lot about gender, sexuality and class. Firstly, through Tyrion’s life, the author talks about the higher position and regard offered to men, as compared to women – within the society. This situation is evidenced through the experiences of Tysha, who was married by Tyrion; Tysha was subjected to sexual violence by Tyrian’s father, after he paid his soldiers to rape her one after another (Martin (a) 42). Through the character of Tyrion, the author exposes the sexuality of men and women, and the theme is emphasized by the sexual violence and the rape of female characters. Through the experiences of men, who are depicted as enjoying sex in relationships and due to their desire for women, the women are depicted as victims of the sexuality of men. For example, Tysha was one of the victims of male sexuality; the story is told through the eyes of Tyrion. Through the experience of Tyrion, who is a member of one of the wealthy families contesting for the control of the continent, the author evidences a situation where the control of the continent was a rivalry between the members of a few powerful families (Martin (b) 67). The competition of the various families evidences the role of class in the affairs of the continent (Martin (e) 132). The series (a Song of Ice and Fire) falls under the fantasy genre, which is fictional in nature. This genre uses supernatural phenomenon and magic as the primary pillars for the plot, setting and the themes of the given work. Like many of the works that fall under this genre, “a Song of Ice and Fire” is created within the boundaries of a fictional/ imaginary world, despite the fact that magical creatures and magic are not the main determinants of the events of the series. In the light of the nature of the fantasy genre, the character of Tyrion is substantially fictional in nature, including that it presents him as the family’s black ship, especially in the eyes of the father and sister. However, in respect to the magical side of fantasy works, Tyrion fits the definition to a less extent, including that, he is not depicted as engaging in magic or magical creatures. However, there is the mention of the prophesy that, he would cause the death of the sister. The character of Tyrion does not reflect back to the genre of fantasy. This is the case, because the identifying characteristic of these works include the insertion of fantastic elements in a coherent setting, where the events of the work can be traced to folklore and mythology. However, this conditionality is met through the life of Tyrion, taking into account that a prophesy had been made that, he would lead to the death of the sister, during her childhood. However, taking into account that the character is created in the fantasy world and their role is taking place in the fantasy world, it is arguable that he fits and reflects his nature back to the genre (Martin (a) 43). Tyrion is not a typical character in this genre, due to the fact that he depicts a character and a nature which is relatively comparable to that of the real world, and not one which is conceived in an imaginary world. Unlike the typical characters of this genre, Tyrion does not show any connection to the world of magic and magical events. Through his character, the author introduces a new nature of character, where there is little reference to the world of magic. Through the character of Tyrion, the author projects the prejudice of natural disabilities, and that is a theme and areas that can trigger a critical response to the character and the work, which calls for more exploration (Martin (a) 9). The fact that the society around them expresses a lot of prejudice about his looks, the author appears to present the critical nature of society as a trigger event, to push the society to question the prejudices expressed about the disabled in the society. The role of Tyrian in the work, where it is arguable that the author was showing the value of disabled people, through the extreme intelligence of Tyrion, it is likely that the author wanted to start a debate about the value of all people in society (Martin (a) 221). Conclusion “A song of ice and fire” is an epic series comprised of five volumes, authored by George Martin, in an imaginary setting from a traditional society. Through the character of Tyrion, the author presents the historical themes of traditional rule and the place of women in society. Through the character of Tyrion, the author exposes the superstition of the society, the place of women in society and the role of sexuality in the society’s culture. The series falls under the fantasy genre, and is fictional in nature, despite the fact that there is less reliance on the themes of magic. The character of Tyrion does not reflect the genre of fantasy, mainly because there is little relationship developed with the magical aspect of the genre. The prejudice of the society about the size of Tyrion is evidently an area that warrants more exploration, and it is possible that the author aimed at exposing the issue. Works Cited Martin, George. (a) A Game of Thrones. A Song of Ice and Fire. New York: Bantam Spectra, 1996. Print. Martin, George. (b) A Clash of Kings. A Song of Ice and Fire. New York: Bantam Spectra, 1999. Print. Martin, George. (c) A Storm of Swords. A Song of Ice and Fire. New York: Bantam Spectra, 2000. Print. Martin, George. (d) A Feast for Crows. A Song of Ice and Fire. New York: Bantam Spectra, 2005. Print. Martin, George. (e) A Dance with Dragons. A Song of Ice and Fire. New York: Bantam Spectra, 2011. Print. Read More