The Wildlings and Whitewalkers have quite the wall to get over, close in height to the Eiffel Tower.
Although history offers us a number of famous walls, Hadrian’s Wall is the closest to the wall the Night’s Watch gaurds.
Construction of Hadrian’s Wall began is AD 182 and was completed in 6 years stretching 72 miles in length.
The wall was built to protect the empire from the barbarians, or the ancestors of today’s Scotts. Sound like the Wildings? Perhaps.
Number 2: Edward of Lancaster
King Joffrey’s character seems to be closely patterned after Edward of Lancaster. Edward was the son of King Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou—and, and, like Joffrey, he was rumored to be of illegitimate birth.
They are both murderous madmen. The Ambassador of Milan once wrote of Edward, “This boy, though only 13 years of age, already talks of nothing but of cutting off heads or making war, as if he had everything in his hands or was the god of battle or the peaceful occupant of that throne.”
Sound familiar?
Number 1: The Red Wedding
The horror of the Red Wedding is not unlike several events in history. You decide which one best resembles the scene in GOT.
Black Dinner
In 1440 the 6th Earl of Douglas and his younger brother were invited to dine with King James II of Scotland. While they ate, a single drum was beat, and a black bull’s head, the symbol of death, was brought in and placed before the Earl. The two brothers were then dragged out to Castle Hill, given a mock trial and beheaded. The Clan Douglas then laid siege to Edinburgh Castle.
Glencoe Massacre
In the spirit of highland hospitality, Clan Campbell invited Clan MacDonald to rest at their camp in 1692. The MacDonalds, there to collect taxes were lured in with goodwill and then slaughtered in their beds.
Kojiki
In the Kojiki, Emperor Jimmu invited all of his enemies to a feast. After entertaining them with his own song he had all of his enemies executed.
Number 5: The Lannisters and The Starks
Number 4: Henry Tudor and Daenerys Targaryen
Number 3: The Wall
Why is Game of Thrones such a great show?
Great Actors? Yes.
Brilliant dialogue? Check.
Beautiful backdrops from around the world? Yup.
Killer costumes? Absolutely.
But it is the rich story lines that create the strong foundation for the show.
George. R. R. Martin is well read and his pull from the pages of history give GOT a rich balance to go along with the fantasy and magic. Here are the top 5 historical comparisons from the show. Enjoy!
Number 5: The Lannisters and The Starks
