Why Game of Thrones Matters: Storytelling in a Globalised Context

Game of Thrones was the most-watched TV show in history – and even though it finished in 2018, the global pandemic saw many new viewers and rewatches. Why did it matter so much to viewers in 207 countries? This lecture will examine the themes and impact of the show,  the genres that it drew upon, its political implications and the moral and ethical questions that it raised.

Carolyne Larrington is Professor of medieval European literature at the University of Oxford and Fellow and Tutor in medieval English literature at St John's College. She researches into Old Norse-Icelandic literature, European Arthurian literature and medievalism. Her current writing project is a study of emotions in Middle English literature. She has written two books and edited a forthcoming essay collection on George R. R. Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series, and HBO's 'Game of Thrones'.