Fireside Fantasies

Remembering Doug

Doug describes his trip with his Father and draws on the parallels between the themes of Game of Thrones and Japan’s history. Also: Essos, otherness and Japanese culture.

The story of the Starks. Namely, Ned, Catelyn & Robb. The Red Wedding, the characters arcs, the North, resilience and survival.

We will talk about the powers behind the crown and unpack the significance of spy networks that exist within the show. With a real life comparison to Shakespeare’s depiction of scheming characters in his play Henry VI part 1 as well as the role of spies in Elizabeth I’s government. An analysis will also be done regarding what the Arthashastra (an ancient Sanskrit text often described as an Eastern version of Machiavelli’s The Prince) says about kingship, power and spying.

We traverse the frost bitten realm of the White Walkers. We then navigate the intricate labyrinth of villainy itself, the makings of a great antagonist in the realms of film and television dissecting the key elements that craft these formidable foes.

An episode to dive into filming and production techniques looking at how the showrunners have brought some of the most epic scenes and events to the screen. We will look at battle sequences, death scenes and more, highlighting why Game of Thrones was so genre defining and innovating in the world of TV, being the first show to really bring blockbuster energy to the small screen as Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings film trilogy did for Cinema. Each event and battle sequence will also be unpacked and compared to an example of history such as the Red Wedding of Game of Thrones with the Glencoe Massacre and Black Dinner that occurred in Scotland during the medieval period.

As the Lannisters were the richest family of Westeros and ultimately the power behind the throne, we will discuss the significance of economy in the medieval world and what power it held as opposed to the modern day. We will talk about the incestuous relationship of Cersei and Jaime comparing them to Lucrezia and Cesare Borgia. We will talk about the role of Tywin Lannister, comparing his own thinking and actions with that of Machiavelli.

Here we will tackle how George RR Martin inverts chivalric romances, and traditional stories of princesses and knights. And that although he displays examples of  romance, he makes a point of revealing the violence, rape and brutal realities of the medieval world. Douglas has prepared an analysis to compare the presence of tourneys and ‘trial by combat’ as a vehicle for showing how war and violence underpins all aspects of society within Westeros from leisure to the justice system. Ralph will then compare such a reality not only to the British medieval world but also warrior states such as Sparta and other examples of antiquity such as gladiatorial games in Rome.

Fireside Fantasies is a limited-series podcast exploring the world of Game of Thrones through history, television, and friendship. Join history teacher Ralph Willis Fleming and TV/Film/Pop Culture enthusiast Douglas Kowitz as they uncover the real medieval events that inspired George R.R. Martin's epic saga, examine how HBO brought Westeros to life on screen, and share two decades of friendship through thoughtful discussion, debate, and plenty of laughs. Whether you're a fantasy fan, a history buff, or simply fascinated by great storytelling, Fireside Fantasies invites you to see Westeros from a whole new perspective.