Game of Thrones Was Meant To Be A Tragedy

George R.R. Martin promised a “bittersweet” ending to A Song of Ice and Fire. Nothing about that promise suggested there would be a fairy tale ending where Daenerys and Jon lived happily ever after. And after reflecting on the finale of Game of Thrones, I am convinced of one thing: Game of Thrones was meant to be a tragedy.

In the Shakespearean sense, a tragedy is a story that leads to a disastrous ending brought on by the main character’s tragic flaw. The end for both Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow fits that definition to a T.

Daenerys Was Always Flawed

Two years ago, I began to question whether Daenerys was becoming the Mad Queen. She never was one for mercy, and she seemed to enjoy burning her enemies alive. Her full turn toward the dark side in “The Bells” may have shocked many viewers, but I’m not sure they had been paying close attention. She was always breaking bad, and Tyrion summed it up best in his dialogue with Jon early in the finale:

When she murdered the slavers of Astapor, no one but the slavers complained. Afterall, they were evil men. When she crucified hundreds of Meereenese nobles, who could argue? They were evil men. The Dothraki Kahls she burned alive, they would have done worse to her. Everywhere she goes evil men die and we cheer her for it and she grows more powerful and sure that she is good and right. She believes her destiny is to build a better world for everyone. She believed that. If you truly believed that, wouldn’t you kill whoever stood between you and paradise?

Daenerys believed she was destined to rule the Seven Kingdoms, and for several seasons now she’s been unyielding in her determination to have everyone bend the knee. If they don’t, like the men of House Tarley, they get Dracarys. Like many a historical conqueror who became a tyrant, Dany’s sense of destiny and her delusions of grandeur consumed her. Eventually, the ends—fulfilling that destiny—justified the means. Even if it meant killing everyone in King’s Landing. That was Dany’s tragic flaw. Her all-consuming sense of destiny blinded her to the suffering committed by her actions. And by the end, she had become a greater tyrant than Cersei ever was.

The Problem Was Pacing

Even though I saw Dany’s turn toward the dark side coming for a while, the showrunners could have done a much better job foreshadowing her transformation. One of the most significant problems was the shortened seasons 7 and 8. Each of these seasons easily could have been ten episodes long, and those extra episodes should have been spent on character development. The problem began when the show outpaced George R.R. Martin’s novels. Instead of building episodes off his rich storytelling, all the writers had to work from was an outline of major plot points. And that’s how the final two seasons played out—like a series of plot points without all the character development that made the first six seasons so beautiful.

All that said, Daenerys’ transformation is not some aberration. Had Star Wars began with the prequels, everyone would have been rooting for Anakin—until his character arc resulted in him becoming the dark lord of the Sith. And for those not used to tragedies, I hate to break it to you. They don’t end well. Ever.

Jon Was A Tragic Hero Too

Jon Snow has always struggled between love and duty. His duty toward the Night’s Watch ultimately led to the death of his love, Ygritte. Back in season one, Maester Aemon warns Jon that “Love is the death of duty.” In the finale, Tyrion turns that saying around, telling Jon that “Duty is the death of love.” Jon was ruled by his devotion to duty, and while that made him one of the show’s true heroes, it was his tragic flaw. Because of his unbending sense of duty, he knew he had to end the threat Daenerys posed. And in the end, he was forced to kill the woman he loved.

Even more, Jon, who was the King in the North and the rightful heir to the Seven Kingdoms, ends up exiled. His story ended in disaster, just the way tragedies are meant to end.

All Bitter And No Sweet?

While the story may have been—and always was—a tragedy, the writers (based on Martin’s plot points) left us with some happy endings. Sansa became Queen of the free North. Brienne, who miraculously survived despite my predictions she would not, became the leader of the Kingsguard. Tyrion once again became the Hand of the King. Sam became a Grand Maester. Arya set off to explore the unknown world, and even Bron got a new job.

So did Bran. I know it may have upset many viewers, and it surprised me at the time too when he became king of the Six Kingdoms. But then I remembered that the very first viewpoint character in Martin’s A Game of Thrones was Bran. The Bran of the books was always more likable than the Bran of season 7 and 8. Also, like Daenerys’ transformation, the show’s writers could have done more to develop his character—and improve his likeability—before the series’ final twist. But after reflection, I truly think that Bran was meant by George R.R. Martin to be king. But not a king on the Iron Throne. Drogon took care of that!

Finally, despite Jon’s tragic ending, I loved his denouement. Rather than staying with the Night’s Watch, he reunited with Ghost and went north with Tormund and the wildlings. In the end, Jon found freedom from his duties. And while some may forget, the only time Jon was truly happy was when he posed as a wildling and fell in love with Ygritte.  So maybe a new love awaits Jon beyond The Wall. After his bitter ending, that would be sweet.

* Images courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes.