A hero in her own mind... On Daenerys Targaryen (part 5)
This post is a continuation of my analysis of Daenerys Targaryen’s narrative arc in Game of Thrones (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4). Like the previous post, the focus is on her season 6 arc, which I’ve had to break up into several separate parts due to length. Season 6 marks a crucial moment in Daenerys’ journey and there are a lot of things to unpack from her scenes.
In the last post, I said that Daenerys burning down the Dosh Khaleen marked a symbolic rebirth for her. A rebirth that visually underscored her alignment with the elemental power of fire; an alignment she shares with her dragons, as they are Fire made Flesh. Thus, Daenerys the Dragon was awoken in the fires of the Dosh Khaleen. She is fiercer now, more ruthless and more determined than ever to do whatever it takes to reach her goal.
This becomes apparent in a scene from episode 6 where Daenerys are leading her new and improved Khalasar towards Meereen through a desert landscape. She discusses her plans for tavelling to Westeros with Daario, who says that “you weren’t made sit on a chair in a palace. You’re a conqueror Daenerys Stormborn”. I find this line interesting because it makes a distinction between conquering and governing. Daario is paying Dany a compliment but at the same time it reads as a bit of a backhanded one: she’s made for conquest, not governing. From his point of view it is absolutely a compliment because he doesn’t care about governing – he likes war and women. But Daenerys’ goal is not just conquest, it is also governing Westeros as its queen and she’s hasn’t been very successful in her attempts to govern Meereen.
This dialogue, however, isn’t the most important part of the scene but rather what follows after their little exchange. Dany stills her horse, sits quietly, scanning the landscape – as if she is sensing something that others cannot. Then she tells them to wait as she rides ahead alone. Daario and the khalasar wait. The horses become restless. Then we hear a loud shrieking and we see the shadow of a dragon gliding over the hills of yellow stone that surrounds the khalasar. Drogon flies into frame as the music swells triumphantly. Drogon lands before the men and we see Daenerys is sitting astride him, in complete control. Then she proceeds to give a motivational speech to her new khalasar.
What is important about this scene? Firstly, this scene establishes that Dany now has complete control over her Drogon, the most difficult of her dragons. Throughout season 4 and 5, she found it increasingly hard to control Drogon, to the point that he simply left her and ranged over various parts of Essos (Tyrion saw him in the ruins of Old Valyria). She had never ridden him until the last episode of season 5 and that only came about because of a state of emergency. Drogon was uncooperative when they landed in the Great Grass Sea. She couldn’t get him to obey her. Now Daenerys is in complete control of her dragon. She rides Drogon as if it is the most natural thing in the world – and she has a special bond with him. This is a demonstration of her power – a power that is every bit as otherworldly as walking unharmed out of a flaming inferno.
Then there’s the speech. Why include a motivational speech at this point in her narrative? The start of this scene has already established that the Dothraki now follow her and that she has decided to pursue her goal to conquer Westeros rather than continue to govern Meereen. On the surface of things, this speech offers no new information. However, I would argue that this scene has a very specific function in relation to the audience – and that it should be interpreted from a Doylist rather than a Watsonian perspective. That is, what is important about this scene is how it presents Daenerys and her ambitions to the TV audience.
This scene can be somewhat tricky to decode because it is, in a sense, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It presents itself as a conventional variation on The Rousing Speech Trope, which is a standard element in epic cinema, be it fantasy, period or action movies. This scene, however, isn’t standard at all. Rather, it inverts the trope but you have to pay close attention and you have to be conversant with the conventions of the trope. In order to spot the inversion of the trope, it is necessary to compare Daenerys’ speech with a couple of straightforward examples of the trope.
One of my favorite examples of The Rousing Speech Trope is from Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), where Aragorn gives heart to the soldiers before the Battle of the Black Gate in Mordor where they face overwhelming odds. It is a rather poetic speech and Viggo Mortensen is completely on point with the delivery. Interestingly enough, this speech is not from Tolkien’s books but an invention of the screenwriters. The reason for this invention can most likely be found in the conventions of the epic cinema. A rousing speech given by the hero before the final battle is standard operating procedure when it comes to this genre.
“Friends of Gondor, of Rohan – my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. The day may come when the courage of Men fails; when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship; but it is not this day – an hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the Age of Man comes crashing down – but it is not this day!!! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good earth – I bid you stand! Men of the West!”
Another favorite of mine is the bastardized and altered version of Elizabeth I’s famous Tilbury Speech that Cate Blanchett delivers in Shekar Kapur’s Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007).
“My loving people! We see the sails of the enemy approaching. We hear the Spanish guns over the water. Soon now, we will meet them face to face. I am resolved in the midst and heat of the battle to live and die amongst you all! While we stand together, no invader shall pass. Let them come with the armies of Hell! They will not pass! When this day of battle is ended, we will meet again in heaven… or on the field of victory!”
This scene is both visually and dramatically effective – with a flame haired Elizabeth who has donned armor like a latter-day Joan of Arc. Sitting a white horse, she is a dramatic sight as she delivers her rousing speech. However, this speech bears little resemblance to the original and very famous speech that Elizabeth I delivered at Tilbury in July 1588. Only a few lines from the original speech has been included (highlighted in black). Why is that? Elizabeth I’s Tilbury speech is very famous but it doesn’t really conform to genre conventions. It was written several centuries ago and thus it may not appeal to a modern audience.
The Rousing Speech Trope is most often deployed before a battle of some kind. (Top 10 Battle Speeches). The situation is dire, our heroes are on the defensive and the odds are overwhelming. Then the hero makes a speech to rally his men, reminding them of what they’re fighting for, etc. The music swells triumphantly as the soldiers cheer and then they are ready to fight. Such is the standard structure of a scene where this trope is used. What is particularly interesting about these speeches is the use of words such as we, us and our. The function of such a speech is to create a sense of fellowship, to create unity in the face of adversity. The aim is to stand united against a common foe by remembering the things that are worth fighting for, even worth dying for, whether that be family, country, freedom or even mankind itself. Within the narrative, the function of Rousing Speech is to give heart to the soldiers who are about to fight. However, such a speech can also evoke strong emotions in the audience and serve as a reminder of what we hold dear. Interestingly enough, the Rousing Speech Trope is almost always used in situations of defense. It is about motivating people to defend something precious. This is a very important point to keep in mind when we take a look at the speech Daenerys gives to her khalasar.
The scene with Dany’s speech to the Great Khalasar has roughly the same structure as most examples of The Rousing Speech Trope. However, the language and the message are quite different:
“Every khal who ever lived chose three blood riders to fight beside him and guard his way. But I am no khal. I will not choose three blood riders. I choose you all. I will ask more of you than any khal has ever asked of his khalasar. Will you ride the wooden horses across the black salt sea? Will you kill my enemies in their iron suits and tear down their stone houses? Will you give me the Seven Kingdoms, the gift Khal Drogo promised me before the Mother of the Mountains? Are you with me? Now and always?”
There is no real unity in this speech. Note how the key words: we, us and our aren’t present at all! Dany presents herself as an extraordinary ruler to the Dothraki – a Khal of Khals, so to speak. She asks a number of rhetorical questions? Questions that she doesn’t need any answer to. They just serve to rile up her troops into a frenzy. There is no us, no we; only you and I – there is no true fellowship between Dany and her army, only ruler and subject. She asks them to serve and they will serve her by giving her what she wants through violence. Daenerys paraphrases Drogo’s speech from season 1 (episode 7), leaving out the more unsavory bits about rape and slavery – though these things are not mentioned, neither are they expressly forbidden. It is understood that slaughter, pillage and rape will happen when she unleashes the Dothraki upon Westeros.
This speech highlights just how ruthless Daenerys has become in pursuit of her goal, especially when you compare it to the discussion she had with Jorah Mormont and Barristan Selmy when she arrived in Astapor in season 3 (episode 1). That was when she needed an army – and the reason she chose to acquire an army of Unsullied was because she didn’t want innocents to suffer in her war of conquest. She made that decision based on these words by Jorah Mormont:
“There’s a beast in every man and it stirs when you put a sword in it. But the Unsullied are not men. They do not rape. They do not put cities to the slaughter unless they are ordered to do so.”
The Daenerys of season 6 is a far cry from the kind-hearted young woman who was moved by the plight of innocents in season 3. That woman couldn’t bear the thought of her armies raping and pillaging their way through Westeros. Now she’s ready to unleash an army of Dothraki, whose entire culture appear to revolve around slaughter, rape and pillage! She may have told Yara Greyjoy that the Iron Islands has to stop reaving but she didn’t forbid the Dothraki their wartime “traditions”. Daenerys has definitely stepped onto a darker path and she is willing to compromise her own moral integrity to put her backside on the Iron Throne.
Since season 5 I have started to doubt whether Daenerys is supposed to be a hero in this story. She is undoubtedly one of the protagonists and she has done a number of remarkable things. Her crusade against slavery is a noble cause but the brutal way she handles opposition makes me wonder about her abilities as a ruler. So far, her intentions have been good but the road to Hell is often paved with good intentions. However, conquering a country because she thinks it is her birthright is a matter that very different from ending a cruel and inhumane system such as slavery. Daenerys’ quest for the Iron Throne is not an altruistic one. It is a selfish one – and the price will be paid by the people of Westeros.
He fiery “rebirth” marks a crucial change in Daenerys – a much more ruthless woman has emerged from the fire – and I think that her character is stepping onto a much darker path that may very well eclipse the heroic image she has enjoyed so far. This is the reason why I think the showrunners chose to write a scene for Dany that is typical for a traditional hero but where the significant part is the complete opposite of heroic. It is a speech that announces a war of aggression, not a speech that builds unity in the face of a stronger enemy – and heroes generally don’t preach slaughter and destruction in pursuit of conquest.
Incidentally, Jack Bender who directed this scene has some interesting thoughts on this particular subject:
“At the end of the scene, you should be somewhat roused by her and a little horrified. […] She’s not Hitler at Nuremberg, but she’s got the power.” (x)
The comparison to Hitler may be rather tasteless but Bender has a point. He articulates it better in an interview with Vulture:
“Historically, there are echoes of that kind of speech, seeing that kind of fervor for that kind of leader. Power is a seductive thing, and you have to decide whether to use if for good or bad. Every great leader has to know how to wield that sword, and she certainly has the charisma and power to get them back to her. Where it goes from here, who knows.” (x)
In this context, I find it very interesting that it is in season 6 that the show really begins to compare and contrast Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen in their roles as leaders. Until now, they have been on parallel journeys but now we begin to see the contrasts between them – and there are some very striking contrasts indeed. In my previous post, I noted the worshipful attitude the Dothraki exhibit towards Daenerys when she emerged unburnt from the fires of the Dosh Khaleen. Jon was met with a similar awestruck attitude when he emerged after his resurrection. But where Dany accepts and revels in the worshipful adoration, Jon quietly rejects it. When Tormund says “They think you’re some some kind of god, Jon simply answers: “I’m not a god” (episode 3).
Even the way the two scenes are shot reveals some interesting contrasts. When Dany exits the fire she remains standing on the steps that lead up to the burning building. There she stands while all the Dothraki prostrate themselves before her. When Jon emerges from the room where he had lain dead, Wildlings and Black Brothers stand in the courtyard of Castle Black, looking up at him. He descends the steps and walk among the men and he quietly defuses the awestruck atmosphere through his interactions with Tormund and Edd.
A similar comparison can be made between Jon and Dany with regard to the manner in which they recruit the Wildlings and the Dothraki to their causes respectively. I’ve already conducted an analysis of how Dany riles up the fervor of the Dothraki with a speech about killing her enemies. Jon Snow goes about his business in a markedly different manner (episode 7).
Jon Snow asks the Wildlings for their help – then he steps aside and let their leaders debate the question. When he steps into the debate, he stresses that they all need to stand together against the common enemy. The way the two scenes are filmed is also striking: Dany sits atop a huge dragon and looks down on the Dothraki whilst shouting at them whereas Jon is placed on equal footing with the rest of the Wildling leaders. He isn’t even in the centre of the shot – all of them actually stand in a circle! The difference between the two leaders couldn’t be more stark (pun intended). Daenerys secures the loyalty of the Dothraki through shock, awe and sheer charismatic presence whereas Jon secures the Wildlings through earnest cooperation and common goals. Both are strong leaders – but there’s a difference between military victory and governance, and strong military leaders are not necessarily good rulers.
