Hello, and welcome!  On this site you will find comparative literary analysis of Shakespeare’s works and A Song of Ice and Fire, as well as original Shakespearean verse inspired by the HBO television adaptation Game of Thrones.  

William Shakespeare may have lived over 400 years ago, but make no mistake–he is the great-granddaddy of modern Western literature, with a legacy that is pervasive and enduring.  George R. R. Martin counts himself as a huge fan of the Bard, so it makes sense when we find tons of character and plot parallels between ASOIAF and Shakespeare’s works, as well as common thematic motifs.  In the essay section of this blog, we’ll break down those parallels in depth and discuss not only why George utilizes them where he does, but also how he tweaks them to ask new and provoking questions about some of the oldest narratives in our literary subconscious.  The verse section of this blog is dedicated to imagining how some of the more well-known scenes and monologues from Game of Thrones would read if they were scripted in Shakespearean verse–including iambic pentameter and rhyming couplets.

This blog is a labor of love and intended for anyone who enjoys A Song of Ice and Fire or Game of Thrones or Shakespeare (though an interest in at least one of the first two is highly recommended!).  The first essay which explores Stannis Baratheon’s connection with Macbeth will be up tomorrow.  In the meantime, feel free to give me a shout in the comments section below or on Twitter!