Game Of Thrones By Karl Marx Analysis

George R. R. Martin’s epic fantasy saga Game of Thrones transcends the traditional boundaries of the fantasy genre, representing the harsh reality of class exploitation in feudalism and its dichotomous social structure: high birth (nobility) and low birth (peasant). Throughout the series, the interpersonal strife of the noble houses dictates the lives of the peasants. Family is the principle institution through which power is acquired, sustained, and imposed on others. The conflict and subterfuge that occurs in the interest of political gain between houses in this feudalistic society sows the seeds of its own destruction; as a result of war, thousands die in battle, countless villages are pillaged and raided, and the aristocracy falls into

The means of production in Game of Thrones most clearly resembles a feudal society. As opposed to operating on the market principles of capitalism, where the means of production are privately owned, investment is privately controlled, and labor is bought and sold as a commodity, the feudal society in Game of Thrones operates according to tradition and custom. The nobles gain their primary means of wealth, or surplus, from the peasants, who, as the main producers, are expected to surrender a majority of their labor to their lord. In the coming seasons of Game of Thrones, the feudal system that defines the show will crumple in the face of immense debt incurred by the aristocracy, widespread peasant revolts, and an uprising of the capitalistic bourgeoisie

Westeros has existed for thousands of years, enduring constant civil wars, massacres, and dynastic shifts in a ceaseless battle for the Iron Throne. The noble houses of Westeros are at constant odds, forming alliances and conspiring against one another over a wide array of dynastic disputes. Following the death of King Robert Baratheon, the manipulative, dishonorable, and extremely wealthy House Lannister gains control of the Iron Throne, leaving four other houses that believe they possess legitimate claims to the Iron Throne—Stark, Greyjoy, Baratheon (Stannis side), and Baratheon (Renly side). Referred to as the War of the Five Kings, this ongoing fight for the Iron Throne that animates the series only intensifies as civil war rages on, consisting of violent battles, the deaths of thousands, and the complete destruction of entire noble families. Throughout the series, characters evolve and battles ensue as families compete, form alliances, and conspire for control of the Iron Throne. The mysterious political advisors Littlefinger and Varys—individuals who, without the name of a noble family, were able to climb the political ranks through manipulation and guile—often surround the holder of the Iron Throne and are responsible for much of the chaos throughout the