Was This Rape?
The adaptation change to make the
wedding night of Daenery’s and Khal Drogo makes it confusing for the audience
to have a clear representation of the situation. I believe the creators should
have made a different adaptation to fit the actual role the book intended for
the audience. With the lack of detail in the tv series, it gives the audience,
the ones who have not read the books, an
absence of a very important piece of evidence to then have their own further
opinions of the matter.
The
adaptation makes it problematic to have the transformation of a sexual assault
to consensual sex. The fact that she was sold to Drogo never really made the
sex consensual, but like Drogo was not that bad to look at in the film so I
understand why the audience would be confused about the situation that Daeny is
in. I guess without the visual aid plus the vivid detail it makes it easier to
grasp the rape I guess in a way more seriously, as the readers should because
of the intense description.
Throughout the series, we get
completely invested into Daeny and Drogo, somewhat putting them on a pedestal
as the power couple. Once we see how Drogo has grown affectionate towards Daeny
and slowly falling for her in the smallest of gestures. While he is falling, so
is Daeny and then shows that Drogo is being more considerate of her opinion and
her values. He tends to compromise with her needs and wants since she is the
Caleesi now. With this being said, this also shows how Daeny has gained her
confidence in the way of which she didn’t have any in the beginning. Prior to
her a Drogo’s arrangement, Daeny was having nasty relations with her twin
brother.
Daeny was literally so innocent and
got the worst hand out of her past. The relationship that she had with her twin
brother was nothing near-normal or healthy for today’s time and in all honesty,
shouldn’t be right in any damn time. Yes, we know there was incest involved in
this era, but she also faced mental abuse from her evil brother. In the scene
where she and Drogo first set eyes on each other was definitely an interesting
turnout. Afterward, Daeny then expressed how she didn’t want to marry him and
that she wanted to go home. Then to make matters a bit more messed up her
brother then elaborates that he wanted to go home as well but to go home
they’ll need Drogo’s army. Once Viserys explains
that he’d let Drogo, his army, and even the damn horse rape her ass to get that
army along his side to reach their home. That statements its self would
mess any body's mindset. Like damn, that comment was so unnecessary and
disgusting to even think of, let alone project to her and have an audience
around.
Daeny’s brother always felt he had
the underhand in the “relationship” and he proves that with every action he had
in the film. Framing this with his words and actions, to groping her and
undressing her and verbal bashing her in any shape or form. He’s the true form
of being a complete butt cheek. It really works my nerves the way he acts, just
because you have stick between your legs he believes he has the upper hand.
Which is brought to light when he finally gets what’s coming to him. As he
wanted the crown so bad, it’s exactly how he died. I love how Daeny watched how
he died because in her defense, why wouldn’t she? All the pain he caused her
and she just had to endure it, as a woman. But since he showed his ass to the
right one, being her new husband, he surely got put into his place, six feet
under. Probably not even, maybe let him rot in the daylight.
After the time Drogo and Daeny got
married, it was time for them to have sex. Daeny was being taught
on how to please him and how to take charge throughout the time of intercourse. I considered this time practice for
Daeny because she being attentive and trying to get the hang of it before the
actual time came. Now, this to many people in the book was the rape scene but
in the tv series, it looked more like she was trying to redirect Drogo into
going along with what she was being taught. He was trying to take her from the
back, but, she practiced the ways of being on top so the “no’s” that are being
echoed are the one of her trying to redirect him into the position. She was
trying to achieve. If anyone has played any sports you know the saying
“practice how you play” so yes, she wasn’t practicing from the back so she did
what she had to do, take charge of the situation. This scene was the beginning
of Daeny taking charge of the situation grasping a snippet of the power she can
attain.
The evolution of falling in love
with one’s rapist is really a messed up scenario for me to grasp. This film has
definitely pushed us into being that it is a normal thing that happens and
should be considered somewhat normal. Like I’d assume someone would hate their
rapist in any time frame considering long term or short term. When one is raped,
there is something that is taken away from them that they can never get back,
period. So now thinking about this makes me want to know how the creators
wanted us to forget what had happened to Daeny throughout the film. Honestly,
until I looked back to get more information to write this, it did occur to me
that with all of the events that happened in between that initial rape scene to
now made me forget how horrible she was treated. Which made me feel like an
ass. I guess the way the film sugarcoated the scene and highlighted the good in
the rapist made it less memorable to past neglect caused to Daeny. The decision
to make the scene portrayed of rape impacts the relationship by trying to
normalize rape victims falling in love with their rapists. Which as an audience
member kind of makes me feel bad for the evolution of the relationship. Only
because Drogo is really all she knows and what she thought was going to be a
forever because it was going to be that until death, so she believes. So to
know that one is in a marriage knowing that the only way of leaving is death, I
totally understand how she would do everything to make her life with him as
pleasurable as possible. That’s why when she
found out that not only her son had died, Drogo was also passing away. Daeny
tried everything that she could do in her power and was so hurt when he was on
his death bed. But once he had finally passed she transformed into another
version of herself with new knowledge and confidence. He was all she knew and
he gave her the confidence she gained in his presence and that then pushes me
to believe why she “fell” so hard and quick for him. Pertaining to her first
rape, George R. R. Martin then makes it problematic by literally making the
next page of her next sexual encounter more in the pleasure sense instead of
another probable rape.
Overall, the adaption presented to the audience
in the film undermines the sexual encounter as consensual. I believe the
creators should have kept the intended script of the book because I do believe
in keeping the originality of the authors' intended vision. Once driven away
from the intended vision it makes it hard for the audience to expect the true
vision of what they read to come to life. That is why people always hear that
liked the book better than the movies time after time. There are few movies
that make the films of the book to the tee, and that is what makes the audience
want more films of their favorite book to come to life and enjoy them without
missing any details that they were intentionally of great value and evidence to
pull through with previous feelings of the book. In conclusion, the choice to
make the adaptation as rape instead of consensual interferes with the intended
dialogue of the author's primary vision.
First of all, how dare you make me question my love for Dany and Drogo’s relationship. It pains me to look back and imagine thousands of people watching that scene, the wedding scene, for the first time and not knowing that the real meaning was so much different. When I first read the books, I was a little grossed out that Dany had been sold to a man, but then over time it wasn’t so bad because Khal Drogo seemed to actually care for her and want to do better by her. I mean in that time period being sold for marriage wasn’t uncommon, so being in that world I was alright with the situation. But now I can’t stop thinking about how I would have felt about their entire relationship if I had just watched the show. The show takes the character of Drogo and makes him into a barbarian of a man. Yeah, he’s supposed to be a little less civilized than Dany, but not like he is shown. The khalasar do go around raping and ravaging cities, but Khal Drogo’s character is much more kind to Dany and without the initial rape scene, the viewers could have had a better experience, so yeah, I agree with you saying that the show should have stayed more in script with the novels for their storyline.
ReplyDeleteSo I think you are saying that the first sexual act between the married couple was rape and that the people who portrayed it in the show should have stuck to the book? If so, I totally agree. There is a lot to be said about Dany for "dominating" Drogo in an act that he would always take charge in. Do you think that the rape and the lady talking to Dany about how powerful women take over, has anything to do with her actions after Drogo passed?
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DeleteI'd like to say that girl whoever she is, she did give Daeny a new look out how she could very well be living her life. Since she was so used to being the one getting dominated she didn't really think she could have that choice of life. So yeah, I'd like to say that girl could very well have been a WELL needed mentor through her process of gaining/finding her true self. Whether we like her true self in the future... time will tell.
DeleteI definitely agree the creators of the show should have stuck to the book when filming this scene just like the scene we watched in class between Cersi and Jamie. I think the creators of the show have an idea of what they want the scene to look like and think they have given enough back story and information to make the scene be portrayed as it is in the book, but most of the time that is not the case just like this wedding night scene with Dany and Khal Drogo.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the filmmakers perceiving this as a rape scene. I also don't think we can forget the fact that this was rape just because they fall in love later. With what deb was saying about a women's power, I think she may end up using her power later in the show. With that being said, she has dragons, how much more power do you need.
ReplyDeleteThe whole relationship between dany and khal Drogo is strange especially in the show it's hard to know if the scene was adapted to add more emotion or weight to the scene but it comes off as a massive mistake shortcoming by the writers of the show. I think it seriously affect the audience perception of the relationship the two characters have because even though in the books it still not consensual the show depicts in a way that leaves no room for the audience to look at their relationship as no more than just a woman being sold to a man who has no real care for her and makes it strange when the two have a very good marriage.But I do also think that if they kept it the same as the book I would have been just as bad really especially if the character were not aged up.
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