GOT Actor Shares Spicy Opinion on LOTR Chivalry
A central distinction between The Lord of the Rings and GOT can be illustrated by a famous observation from the GOT author. “How did Aragorn handle taxes?” Indeed, Aragorn reigned for a century after the events of Tolkien’s novels, but the details of his governance remain unexplored. Such questioning fuels Martin’s personal fantasy world, often plunging his protagonists into moral ambiguity in a way the LOTR hero never would.
Exploring Knighthood in Two Realms
The upcoming GOT spinoff, The Hedge Knight, aims to dive into this moral mud through the fan-favorite tale of Dunk (Peter Claffey) and Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). They encounter a series of dangerous exploits in an era when the Targaryen line continues to occupy the Iron Throne but their mighty beasts have gone extinct. During a recent panel, the actor reflected on one major contrast between GOT and The Lord of the Rings: the very definition of knighthood.
“The universe that Martin has built, there are a lot more dark and adult themes that are presented. Much treachery and backstabbing, and it’s challenging to navigate,” Claffey stated. “For a lot of individuals in Westeros, it pays off; it did for Petyr Baelish for a considerable period. For somebody to have the actual chivalric honor in that realm is something to genuinely admire, particularly in the land of the Seven Kingdoms. I deeply appreciate Dunk’s need to uphold the morals that chivalry has largely abandoned in Westeros through his journey in the tourney. In my view it requires a lot more to be a knight than it does in Tolkien’s world.”
Following the panel, Claffey tried to soften that statement, concerned it might ignite a conflict between the two fan communities and put him right in the crossfire. Naturally, it prompted a follow-up interview to further explore his perspective on how chivalry differs between the worlds of Game of Thrones and LOTR.
Divergent Themes in Fantasy Worlds
As per the star, a major part of the distinction comes down to the contrasting styles between these two iconic fictional settings.
“You find so much more integrity present [in Middle-earth] due to the adult themes in GOT and Martin’s creation,” he explained. “Characters get so far in positions and status by doing hideous things and betraying others, both physically and metaphorically. With the glorious trilogy that is The Lord of the Rings, you see so much more honor, and aside from Morgoth or Sauron, those absolute villains, [LOTR] is a lot more like storybook villainy.”
Instead of thinking knighthood is more difficult, the actor argues that in the Seven Kingdoms it’s more difficult to navigate while attempting to remain a decent warrior.
The Weight of Knighthood in Westeros
“A knight with a certain rank must have mental confusion,” he said, pointing to the morality-clouding stress that comes from attempting to survive the scheming of Westeros from the perspective of a low-born fighter. Viewers have seen the stress of chivalry across the series, with characters like Ser Criston Cole in House of the Dragon and Jamie Lannister in Game of Thrones exploring how people under oath are forced to betray their morals, and what it does to them internally.
However, although being a knight in the Seven Kingdoms may be more difficult than in Middle-earth, Claffey is still willing to concede that his character in The Hedge Knight is no match against the best that LOTR has to offer.
“Aragorn defeats Dunk’s ass any day of the week,” Claffey said, “I’d say George probably agrees.”
