GRRM Master of Ancient Greek Writing Devices-Part 2

At the climax of the story arc, the Greeks recognized the importance of a shift in the thinking of a character. This was part of the cycle that became known as catharsis. Which is the justification or the purpose for telling the story. Through mimesis, we can identify with the characters in the story, and see ourselves. Unlike Plato who did not believe in telling fables, Aristotle pointed out, we can ONLY see our reality and ourselves when we look into the mirror of a story and superimpose our own problems into the trials, burdens, and grief’s of the protagonist.

Paripeteia or the “reversal”:

• Although Oedipus recognizes things are not going well, he still continues to have a false confidence in his own ability (after all, he is the hero who delivered Thebes from the monsters). He still believes that his determination will solve the problem of the plague. Each time he gets a report, he thinks the tide will change in his favor, when in reality the deeper he digs into the problem, the more damage he inflicts on his own house. Finally resulting in his wife’s suicide. 

• So too, does Stark continue to depend on his own honor and the tradition of the northmen. Each turn should be a sign for him to retreat, but instead of reading the signs of destruction he sees an overly optimistic view of his own fate. The last straw is when Renly offers him an out and Little Finger tells him the city guard can be bought. He views both solutions with disdain, but is convinced that things will finally work out okay for the realm only to discover that he is now a captive with NO power.

Anagnorisis or the “recognition”:

• Oedipus finally has that “aha” moment and wants to take back all that he has done but it is too late. He realizes that his own pride has blinded him to the facts that were obvious to all those around him. Sophicle’s does a magnificent job illustrating this through King Oedipus gouging out his own eyes. This is symbolic, that even with his physical eyes, he was unable to see how his arrogance caused his own destruction.

• Martin also shines a critical spotlight on this moment for Ned Stark, when he is in the darkness, and starving in the dungeon, with a broken leg. Stark is cursing Robert Baratheon and all the betrayals, when he realizes that the warning signs were everywhere, but he couldn’t see them. Varys exposes this when offering for Ned to to take the “Black,” in lieu truth and justice, which the realm may never see. The one time he decides to lie, (even though it is for a good reason) it results in him being executed. 

Catastrophe is the final piece of the puzzle and obviously both storylines end in the complete defeat of someone we all wanted to win. Somehow, we are consoled by this sad state of affairs. We hear sayings such as, “misery loves company,” but I believe we feel so bad for the hero in both of these stories, that we actually feel better about our own problems.

George R.R. Martin is clearly a student of Tolkien, Asimov, and dark ages history, but I am convinced that he has mastered the art of creating a Greek Tragedy, that Shakespeare would be proud of.  I might even compare him to Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, since these guys were actively pursuing a way to present thought provoking ideas five hundred years before the biblical New Testament was conceived. Each play was chock full of political debate, racism, sexism, irony, drama, comedy, sexuality, and of course tragedy these writers explored all the nooks and crannies of human morality, emotion, and thought, and Martin follows suite leaving no stone unturned.

GRRM Master of Ancient Greek Writing Devices-Part 1

Many times we think of the ancients as being brute, ignorant, cavemen. However, a quick study of ancient Greek plays will reveal most of the devices used by modern storytellers, were fully implemented by the fourth century B.C.

In fact, the Greek playwrights, Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides clearly had a grasp of how to maximize plot twists, irony, character development, scene, and many other tools that still evade contemporary writers. However, this is not the case with George R.R. Martin. On the surface, the Game of Thrones, A Song of Ice and Fire series may appear to be just another collection of fantasy fiction tales, but upon closer investigation, Martin has developed hybrid versions of the classics. Essentially, he has built a better mousetrap.

While time prevents me from covering each of these components, I have decided to focus this particular blog on comparing the hamartia and hubris of protagonist, Lord Eddard “Ned” Stark with the most famous protagonist in the Greek tragedies, Oedipus.

Hubris, is a unique kind of pride.  It prevents a person from seeing how selfish, actions can, (and often do) dictate the outcome of ones own destiny. Hubris blinds us from seeing our own arrogance to the point that we challenge the very will of the gods with our own flawed ideology.

Just as the arrogance of young Prince Oedipus grows during his separation from his biological family, so does the arrogance of Lord Stark grow, as he is isolated from his purpose of defending the north.

Hamartia or the “mistake”:

• Prince Oedipus fails to read the warning signs, when he is too proud to move aside for a traveling chariot. Unaware that the driver is his “true” father, he challenges him and kills him, even though he is aware of the prophecy. He cannot see how his own strengths have created a flawed thought process that will eventually be the first pebble to start an avalanche of problems affecting him and his children. This is not entirely his fault, since the gods seem to be setting the stage, but the result is the same.

• Likewise, Lord Stark, starts a downward spiral, when he refuses to consider what might motivate a rogue black brother to flee from the nights watch. Part of the strength of House Stark is their preparedness for dark times.  Even their words are, “Winter is Coming,” so, he of all people, should know that the long summer is coming to a close, but his sense of justice requires him to show no mercy and he refuses to back down from his ideas. This results in him beheading the guard, and eventually dooming his family.

Hubris or excessive “self-pride”:

• Although Oedipus goes through the motions of praying to the gods, he actually believes he has the solution. In his pride he rejects the counsel of his wife, and others, including a prophet when he is offered an escape route. Had he backed up and accepted a lesser fate, the damage might have been limited, but he refuses to back down from the problem of the plague and believes his contribution will make the difference.

• Stark goes through a similar process as Catelyn, Little Finger, Varys, Renly, and even Cercei all offer him some form of escape, but none of these suggestions seems noble enough, so he denies the opportunities each time they are presented.  He believes his own efforts will produce superior results, but instead his blindness results in his own downfall, and that of his house.

The Big Bad Wolf Is Not Always Who You Think It Should Be

Beyond a shadow of a doubt the one thing Martin is a mastermind about is, characterization. Each character exhibits strengths and weaknesses. In fact, by the end of the first book, I have no idea who the good guys and the bad guys are. I thought I knew, but I keep changing my mind. Here are some examples of how each of the POV’s in book one create a complex dichotomy:

• Ned Stark is portrayed as noble and honest, but he is incredibly arrogant and self-righteous to the point of bringing down his house around him. The book opens with him meting out justice to a deserter from, the Wall. He beheads the man without ever giving him a chance to share information about the dangers coming toward Westeros. The very pride of being a Northerner and a descendant of the first men causes him to miss all the warning signs around him, ultimately resulting in the death of his men and his own beheading without being given a chance to explain the truth of the matter.

• Catelyn Stark appears to be a protective mother, with limited forgiveness about Ned’s infidelity in fathering a bastard son. Since she showed no softening that may have resulted in Jon Snow staying at Winterfell during Ned’s summoning to King’s Landing, she is faced with the attempt on Brans life alone. This heartless approach results in her traveling to Kings Landing and capturing the dwarf, which was like removing the first card, at the base of a house of cards.

• Tyrion Lannister is an example of the opposite. Initially, he is presented as a pompous ingrate, almost like a spoiled brat, however we soon discover that he has a soft spot for bastards, cripples, and underdogs. Although his smart alec comments continually get him into trouble, his soft spot seem to also find an escape hatch, just in the nick of time.

• Jon Snow may be a younger version of Ned Stark. He seems humble and disciplined from the start, yet this mettle proves to be a ball and chain like his fathers honor. He is protecting the weak and bullied at Castle Black, but constantly faces decisions about his parentage and superior attitude toward others. This is reminiscent of his father and may prove to be the trait that keeps him from finding happiness in the end.

Martin does this with almost every character, and it shows me that people get attached, even to flaws.   

Neither Depth Nor Height Nor Principalities Shall Separate Us From the Love of Westeros

One of the things that sets Martin apart from other writers is his ability to give depth and diversity to his world. He gives exhaustive examples and illustrations of the land, traditions, politics, food, and culture. He regularly includes concepts about local religious practices and mythology into character dialogue, just as we would today when discussing Christianity, atheism, deism, and world leaders. He is not uncomfortable describing spicy dinners, intimate encounters, or vulgar discrimination, which adds another layer of depth into the books. Some examples are:

• Catelyn remembering her days at Riverun
• The tombs beneath Winterfell with the burial traditions
• The dedication of different character swearing and praying to different gods
• The course humor about the wildlings sleeping with goats
• The doubts Sam Tarley has about his own gods and converting with Jon Snow
• The Dothraki sexual practices
• The commonality of expecting and using ravens
• The magic and history in surrounding, “The Wall, Aegons Tower, and the Heart Trees.”
• The use of drugs, alcohol, vice, and poison to address problems

What literary devices will allow me to include this kind of detail in my own storyline. Should I compare each character to someone I know and add personal traits accordingly? Should I take modern political scenarios and modify them to apply to my kingdoms? These questions and more beg to be explored.

Great Links for Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire - a.k.a. ASoIaF

Martin's Facebook Page

ASoIaF Facebook Page

George R.R. Martin's Official Webpage

The Fine Line Between Mystery, Adventure/Thriller, and Intrigue

Currently I am trying to grasp how Martin is able to incorporate the element of mystery into his writing. He seems comfortable adding intrigue into each chapter. He either leaves a cliffhanger, or the discovery of a question that needs answered, or drops a bomb that leaves you reeling from the intensity of the situation. Here are just a few examples of how Martin raises the tension through foreshadowing and backstory:

• Who is John Snow’s mother?
• If Tyrion didn’t send the dagger to kill Bran, then who did?
• Is there something magical about Daenerys and the blood of the dragon?
• What are the Others?
• Is Benjen Stark still alive?
• What happened to Aryas direwolf?
• Where is Rickon?
• What kind of magic does Melisandre have, and can she be trusted?
• What did John Arryn discover and who killed him?
• Why did the dragons die off?
• What exactly happened to Daenerys and Drogo’s child?
• The death of Ned Stark
• What about the connection between the direwolves and their masters?
• Bran gets pushed from the window

These are all seem to elements of a mystery more than an adventure. So, I am posing the question to myself, how can I write mystery into my adventure?

Fantastic Interview with George R.R. Martin

This is a little bit lengthy, but well worth the view.

**BE ADVISED: THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS**