Power. Honor. Ambition. These are the driving themes of the popular HBO series Game of Thrones. However, Game of Thrones is not the only depiction of these themes.
The “Game of Thrones: Then and Now” course focuses on the popular HBO show, but also looks into the works of William Shakespeare, such as King Lear, Richard II, and Henry IV. In this class, students are focusing on the major underlying themes that are prominent in both, the TV show and Shakespeare’s plays. The course also focuses on the shift in the perception of women and their roles within the pursuit of power, and how it has changed over time.
As someone who is in this class currently, each class period is full of insightful and engaging discussions that flex your mental muscles first thing in the morning. The past few weeks, our class has been discussing Richard II. We delved into how there is a lot of scheming and plotting within King Richard’s inner circle, and we looked into the shift of power throughout the play. It is also really cool to hear everyone’s interpretations of the play and question whether a character’s actions were justified or not.