Will 'Game of Thrones' prove the sword mightier than the penis

01 July 2016 - 09:54 By Amy Blumsom

Has anyone else noticed something very special about Daenerys Targaryen's band of allies in Game of Thrones? It's not so much about what they've got as what they haven't. Aside from newly appointed Hand of the Queen Tyrion Lannister (who himself has the moniker of "half man"), none of them has a penis.Her council comprises two eunuchs and a woman. The noble houses that have joined her are represented by women and by Theon Greyjoy, who is also a eunuch. What's more, the bulk of Daenerys's army is made up of the castrated super-soldiers known as The Unsullied.They've got ships, military expertise, administrative nouse and a solid claim to the throne. They've got all the necessary tools - just not that one. And together this phallic-free force plan to take over Westeros, a land which is practically phallus-shaped.They've been joined by swashbuckling Yara, a fellow would-be queen.There's an important subtext at play, however, when it comes to the male contingent of Daenerys's supporters.The penis-less likes of Varys, Greyworm and Theon have been told they are lesser beings because they are lacking downstairs, but the Dragon Queen is restoring their sense of worth.George RR Martin has always subverted fairy-tale tropes. He's insisted that it's dishonest not to have dashing princes (like Robb Stark) die as easily as minor characters and villains. In an ordinary fantasy saga, we would have expected the Starks, honourable Ned included, to live happily ever after.Now, we're seeing a team of females and castrated men pool their resources against scheming Queen Cersei, another woman. The War of the Five Kings is over and done with, and now it's the ladies' and eunuchs' turn to prove they can tear things up. The disenfranchised of Westeros are coming to prove that you don't need a penis to rule a kingdom.- ©The Daily Telegraph..

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