WARNING: THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM SEASON FIVE OF GAME OF THRONES.
Between Sansa Stark’s rape and John Snow’s murder, season five pissed off a lot of Game of Thrones fans. But at least there’s a little good news. All that death and destruction became great fodder for meme creators who so perfectly summed up how we felt during season five.
1. Poor Jorah Mormont. Between catching grayscale, getting kidnapped, and his constant rejection from Dany, this guy can’t catch a break. 2. Sansa’s wedding night made us wonder if she wouldn’t have been better off with Joffrey. 3. When Lancel threatened Cersei and we felt like stabbing him in the throat for being a total hypocrite.
4. When Dany took Jorah’s hand and we’re glad he saved her…but wait. No, Dany! Grayscale!5. As soon as we saw her hug her kids, we knew she was going to die. Still, we hoped…6. When John got on the boat and this badass white walker resurrected everyone he just killed to make them a part of his corpse army…even that awesome warrior mom who just died.7. When Meryn Trant turned down several teenage sex slaves and we couldn’t help but wonder what he meant by “too old.”
8. When Shireen was burned and we became okay with George R.R. Martin killing a few more people as long as they were Stannis, Melisandre, Ramsay, and Roose.
9. When Dany abandoned pretty much everyone and we’re like WTF…
10. How we now feel about the Night’s Watch.11. And what we’re pretty sure George R.R. Martin does in his spare time.
WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM THE SEASON FINALE OF GAME OF THRONES!
The message boards are buzzing this morning after Cersei’s walk of shame on the season finale of Game of Thrones. Is it sexist to force a woman to walk naked through the streets for adultery, especially when no other men on the show have done the same? ABSOLUTELY! But readers and viewers should keep in mind the heavy influence of Medieval history on these politically incorrect plot points.
Penance of Jane Shore by Robert Scott Lauder
In 1483, a woman named Elizabeth “Jane” Shore suffered a similar punishment to Cersei Lannister. George R.R. Martin admits that his books were inspired by the War of the Roses, so I don’t think it’s a stretch to assume Cersei’s walk of shame was inspired by Jane Shore’s. While both women suffered similar punishments to atone for their promiscuity, any similarities between these two women stop here. Cersei Lannister uses sex as currency to pay men for murder and conspiracy. Jane Shore merely caught the eye of one king and the wrath of his successor.
In 1471, King Edward IV—a known womanizer—began an affair with married Jane Shore. Edward often grew bored with his conquests and set these women aside, but he kept Jane—whom he called “the merriest harlot in the realm”—until his death in 1483.
To make a long story short, Jane’s affiliation with Richard III’s enemies (William Hastings and Edward’s dowager queen, Elizabeth Woodville) angered the usurping king. On June 13th, Richard imprisoned both women on charges of witchcraft and beheaded Hastings. For some reason, Richard reduced Jane’s charges to “promiscuity” and sentenced her to walk through London barefoot and bare-breasted. The punishment backfired. Rather than ridicule the scantily-clad woman, her on-lookers pitied her and admired the dignity she summoned.
Cersei Lannister’s Walk of Shame by Marc Simonetti
While Cersei’s enemies certainly aided in her downfall, it was the church of the seven who sentenced her, not a king. Unlike Jane Shore, Cersei Lannister is certain to face a trial for greater charges, such as incest and possibly treason. The greatest difference, however, was in the walk itself. Jane was partially clothed, and her gawkers pitied her. Cersei’s had to make the walk naked while her on-lookers ruthlessly taunted her and flung refuse in her face.
I think everyone can agree that Cersei’s punishment illustrates sexism and misogyny in this make-believe world, but it has historical roots, and anyone schooled in history will know that women, like Jane Shore, have faced sexism and misogyny for centuries. I think those who say the series is sexist are missing the point. It’s important to recognize the atrocities committed against women in our past, even if that is through fiction. It shows how far women have come in the fight against abuse and discrimination.
Didn’t get to watch Game of Thrones last night? Watch a snippet of the epic scene below.
Andrea Cefalo is a Medieval fiction author and Medieval history blogger. Her debut novel, The Fairytale Keeper, was a quarter-finalist in Amazon’s 2013 Breakthrough Novel Contest. The next three books in The Fairytale Keeper series –The Countess’s Captive, The Baseborn Lady, and The Traitor’s Target—will debut later this year. She regularly posts about Medieval history on Facebook and Twitter.
George R. R. Martin says A Song of Fire and Ice is loosely based on The War of the Roses. I believe the series more closely resembles The Great Interregnum: a twenty year Game of Thrones taking place in the 13th century Holy Roman Empire. My five minute documentary, which compares The Great Interregnum to the Game of Thrones, posits who will end up on the iron throne. (Take a guess who it is before you watch it.)
3. When Lancel threatened Cersei and we felt like stabbing him in the throat for being a total hypocrite.
5. As soon as we saw her hug her kids, we knew she was going to die. Still, we hoped…
6. When John got on the boat and this badass white walker resurrected everyone he just killed to make them a part of his corpse army…even that awesome warrior mom who just died.
7. When Meryn Trant turned down several teenage sex slaves and we couldn’t help but wonder what he meant by “too old.”
10. How we now feel about the Night’s Watch.
11. And what we’re pretty sure George R.R. Martin does in his spare time. 
THE WRITER-LY WORLD OF ANDREA CEFALO 
