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Game of Thrones was and continues to be a cultural phenomenon; with its incredible fighting sequences, complex storylines, and memorable characters, it raised the bar for what adult fantasy could look like on the small screen. However, even to those who didn’t watch the show, it was well known for its tendency to kill off the most beloved and hated of characters. From minor characters to main characters, no one was safe. While death on the popular television show was common and expected, it was hard to anticipate who would be the next victim. The sense of anticipation and dread that stemmed from audiences was intense when it came to recurring characters. After a major character’s death, a question is brought up: did they deserve to die? A topic for debate for each character’s right to live, but when speaking about who deserved death more, it must be asked: who had the most undeserved death?
With a total of 118 notable character deaths ((Wittmer, Carrie, and Ahlgrim, Callie. “Every important ‘Game of Thrones’ death, ranked from least tragic to most tragic.” Insider, 20 May 2019)), there were certainly many innocents lost to the Many-Faced God in the world of Game of Thrones. From Myrcella Baratheon (Jaime and Cersei Lannister’s daughter) to Lyanna Mormont (“Little Bear” head of House Mormont), there were numerous innocents from both sides of the battle for the Iron Throne that suffered tragic deaths. However, none had a death more tragic and undeserved than Shireen Baratheon of House Baratheon. Of all the deaths on the show, Shireen’s was not only the most undeserved but also the perfect example of Game of Thrones‘ relationship with “shock value” and “narrative value.”
A Quick Synopsis Of Game Of Thrones (2011-2019)
Game of Thrones aired from April 2011 to May 2019 on HBO. It was based on the book series, A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. The show took place in a fictional world on the continents of Westeros and Essos. Sporting a large ensemble cast, the show follows multiple storylines and characters throughout the course of the show. Game of Thrones began by following a war of succession for the Iron Throne, of which the successor will rule over the Seven Kingdoms. It also followed the story of the exiled Daenerys Targaryen and her quest to return to Westeros and reclaim the throne in her family’s name. The third major story arc concerns itself with the men of the Night’s Watch as they work to defend the realm from supernatural threats that loom beyond the Wall of Westeros’s northern border.
When the show first started, it closely followed the storylines from the book series, A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin, taking creative liberties, forgoing certain storylines, and combining others where needed. The show had written ahead of what was published in the book series in specific storylines, such as Stannis’s story. At this time, Stannis’s story had not yet concluded, and by extension, neither has Shireen’s. She is alive in the books, and it is unclear how her story will end; however, it has been stated by Game of Thrones showrunners — David Benioff and D.B. Weiss — that Martin had told them about his plans for Shireen’s death in the books. Readers can expect something similar, if not identical, to what was shown in Season 5, Episode 9, A Dance With Dragons.
A Recap Of The Young Princess Baratheon (( The Tragedy of Shireen Baratheon. “Shireen Baratheon.” Game of Thrones Wiki, 2017. ))
Shireen was the daughter and only surviving child of Stannis and Selyse Baratheon. As a baby, she was afflicted with “greyscale,” a disease that leaves the skin stiff, dead, and colored grey. It is typically fatal. Her father refused to accept her death sentence and called upon healers to cure her. They succeeded, and all that was left of the disease was scarring on her face. She has a strained relationship with her mother, who resents her because she was the only child to survive after birth. Shireen is a living reminder of Selyse’s failure to give Stannis a male heir. However, Shireen is shown to adore her father and has a healthy relationship with him. She is also shown to have a close friendship with Davos Seaworth, who loves her as his own daughter.
Shireen is a cheerful child throughout the show who still maintains her childlike curiosity for the world and enjoys reading books. She is very well-read and educated and even extends her skills to teaching Davos how to read. As a princess, she lives relatively comfortably compared to other children seen on the show (e.g., Arya Stark). Despite being locked in her room most days, she maintains a positive and hopeful outlook on life.
For the majority of seasons three and four, she is seen with Davos, teaching him how to read while being locked in her room but eventually travels to the North to Castle Black with her parents. In Season 5, Shireen plays a more active role. She is seen teaching Gilly, a northern character, how to read and having more conversations with Stannis and Davos. After their brief time at the Wall, Shireen accompanies her parents on a journey south to Winterfell. During the march, the army is hit with a snowstorm that prevents them from moving forward. The storm increasingly worsens to the point where Melisandre, referred to as “The Red Woman” and was Stannis’s advisor, reminds Stannis that they need to sacrifice more royal blood if they want a better chance of winning the upcoming battle against Ramsey Bolton in the snow.
The Sacrifice Of The Young Princess Baratheon
With this, she suggests they sacrifice Shireen. Initially, Stannis is repulsed by the suggestion and won’t consider it. However, after a stealth attack by Ramsey, which resulted in a multitude of men lost and shortened food supply, Stannis reconsiders. After sending Davos away to the Wall to retrieve more men and supplies, Stannis speaks one last time with Shireen. He expresses that a man must fulfill his destiny, even if it’s something he hates. Shireen, having no idea about Stannis’s intentions, expresses to him that she wants to help in any way she can. The next time we see Shireen, she is taken from her tent, escorted, and tied to a pyre. Melisandre then sacrifices her to the Lord of Light, all the while the audience hears Shireen’s cries for help as they watch her mother collapse to the floor, unable to help her daughter, and a look on Stannis’s face that could only suggest that he regrets the decision to sacrifice his daughter.
Is It Shock Value…
After a major character’s death, especially one such as Shireen’s on a show like Game of Thrones, it raises a debate on whether a character’s death is narratively justified or simply for shock value. In such cases as The Red Wedding (( Memoriam, In. “Red Wedding.” Game of Thrones Wiki, 2017. )), the answer could be shocking in its gruesome and bloody nature and narratively justified. However, Game of Thrones has been accused of having scenes that only served to be shocking and not drive forward the narrative, Sansa and Ramsey’s wedding night as an example. The scene in which Ramsey forces himself onto Sansa while making Theon watch was not formerly in the books.
The scene was shocking and did not add to the narrative; it only told the audience what they already knew: Sansa and Theon were in a terrible situation, and Ramsey was a repulsive person. However, in many cases, major character deaths often do serve to drive forward the narrative. Ned Stark’s death, for example, was both shocking and narratively justified; Ned was in Joffrey and Cersei’s way of unobstructed control of the Seven Kingdoms, so he had to be removed. Likewise, Shireen’s death was both shocking and narratively justified in the show as well. While her death has yet to be written in the books, the show was building up to Stannis sacrificing his own daughter to the god he worshiped.
When Stannis was first introduced, he was burning people in sacrifice to the Lord of Light at the guidance of Melisandre. The Red Woman had been shown to sway Stannis in his decisions by claiming that if he does as she advises, the Lord of Light will be pleased and help him. He continued to burn people in sacrifice as the show went on and had yet to be led astray by Melisandre. Not only that, she had continuously spoken of royal and king’s blood as a sacrifice to the Lord of Light. Finally, with Stannis in a desperate situation to save his men, he is convinced that sacrificing his only child is the only way to save them all and help him in the future battle. With this action, the show had also accomplished setting up Stannis to fail. In sacrificing the innocent Shireen, he falls out of favor with the audience in show with his wife and men; this is perfect for him to lose his battle with Ramsey later on.
…Or Narratively Justified?
In a show where anyone can die, there will always be a discussion on whether a character deserved their fate or not. Many would argue that Shireen’s death was undeserved and unnecessarily gruesome, and hard to watch. The audience has to sit there and listen to a little girl screaming out to her mother for help, with spectators just standing there and doing nothing.
We discussed what type of person she was in the story: cheerful, hopeful, always willing to help, and loved her father. Someone like this, a young girl, certainly doesn’t deserve to be burned alive at the stake while her parents watch. Shireen didn’t deserve to die. She was an innocent child who loved to read and loved her father more. While her death may have been shocking and painful to watch for some, it was also narratively justified.