You know how George R.R. Martin gets called the âAmerican Tolkienâ? That might not be the best literary comparison out there. Naomi Watts, star of the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel series Bloodmoon, made some flattering comparisons when talking to Nerdist. âGame of Thrones is a phenomenon,â she said. âItâs amazing how that has just swept up the entire world, every type of demographic you can imagine. People are obsessed with that show.â
And it does feel like it taps into the world of Shakespeare. Thatâs whatâs so exciting. We love to go back in history and even fantasy, and imagine how society evolves or has not evolved.
All of this is true. But thereâs also something to be said for how Martinâs choice of themes dovetail with the Bardâs.
Sure, we might not have a Cersei Lannister as a sibling, but family drama never goes out of style because itâs pretty common, in life and in art. Nerdist mentions Hamlet, which is about a nephew seeking revenge after his uncle murders his father. And what the perils of falling for the wrong person? Romeo and Juliet, or Jon and Daenerys? How about power? What does it do to a person, and what is the cost of obtaining it? Pretty much any of the contenders for the Iron Throne could find something to talk about with Macbeth.
We could go on, but you get the idea. We have a whole article about the Shakespearean ending to Game of Thrones. And like Martin, Shakespeare was not unpopular during his day. The upshot of all of this is that Watts isnât wrong about the Shakespeare comparison.
If youâre wondering what brought her comment on, Watts was talking about playing the duel role of Queen Gertrude and Mechtild, Gertrudeâs âwitchyâ twin, in Claire McCarthyâs Ophelia, a retelling of Hamlet due out this weekend. Sounds like good practice for Bloodmoon.
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