Ruler-Ship Ideologies: Daenerys Targaryen vs. King Arthur

There are many similarities and differences between the fictional character Daenerys Targaryen and King Arthur. Tales of heroism and justice are prevalent throughout ancient medieval texts. That is why I have outlined an argument for each of these individuals and their overall importance in relation to their methods of ruling and actions to retain order in their respective worlds. In the critically acclaimed novel and television series “Game of Thrones” Daenerys Targaryen is portrayed as being a young woman who grew up in the city of Essos which is located across the narrow sea. She knows no other life than one of exile resulting in her remaining dependent on her older more abusive brother Viserys. The innocent girl is quickly betrothed to the Dothraki lord Khal Drogo. This is done to ensure that her brother Viserys has an army to which he can return to Westeros and retake the Iron Throne. 

Upon engaging in the traditions of the Dothraki, Daenerys finds that life with her husband Khal Drogo has transformed her personality into a strong, courageous woman that is eventually fed up with her brother’s inability to become a just ruler. As a result, Khal Drogo kills Viserys ensuring that his wife the Khalissi is destined to recapture the Iron Throne for herself. Unfortunately, Daenerys loses her baby and husband, but luckily finds three dragon eggs that eventually hatch and regard her as their rightful mother. This provides her with a tactical advantage over her enemies in her pursuit of ruling over the seven kingdoms. Over time she acquires a skilled army that helps conquer the cities of Yunkai, As

tapor, and Merreen. She is disgusted over the concept of slavery which is why she kills every slave master she comes across throughout her journey. Despite her moral compass, she is capable of dealing with her enemies ruthlessly as she claws her way to conquering all those that oppose her rule.

King Arthur was a legendary British leader who, according to medieval historians defended Britain from the Saxons that were invading during the late 5^th and early 6^th centuries. The legendary Arthur developed as a figure of international interest through Geoffrey of Monmouth’s popular book, “History of the Kings of Britain”. His historical significance is still debated by modern historians today. Geoffrey depicted Arthur as a king that ultimately established an empire over Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, and Gaul. In the 12^th century Latin writings of Geoffrey of Monmouth, he dove into the detailed relationship between the mystical figure Merlin the Magician and how he helped King Arthur achieve the success that he is rewarded with to this day.

King Arthur and Daenerys Targaryen are very similar in their overall methods of ruling. They both embody characteristics that are seen by many as honorable and necessary to becoming a just ruler. Some of these include adoring his/her subjects, instructing ministers, exerting self-discipline, and respecting opinions. These two characters are almost as similar as they are different. In contrast, Daenerys seems to be a bit more ruthless when it comes to defeating her enemies as seen in Season 4 of “Game of Thrones” while King Arthur defends his people nobly and does not embody the harshness that Daenerys enacts against those that have wronged her entitlement to the throne. These traits defined how effectively these rulers were in their overall reign of their respective kingdoms which often dictate how their legacy will be remembered for generations to come.

The Emperor of Mankind and King Arthur

     The Emperor of Mankind from the tabletop game, video game, and book series Warhammer 40K shares many key features with the character of legend, Arthur, King of the Britons. While the only visual similarity is that both men seem to have an affinity for gold when it comes to their choice of armor, both do similar things and serve similar functions in their respective
stories. Just as King Arthur united Britain against the Saxon invaders and ended that crisis, the Emperor unified mankind in its darkest hour, an era in which the long standing Human Empire collapsed, leaving millions of colonized worlds and trillions of people defenseless against endless hordes of alien invaders, starvation as there are no longer trade fleets, or at the mercy of anarchy and civil strife. Both men saved their respective nations in their time of need.    
     Even comparable to King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table, the Emperor of Man had twenty sons known as Primarchs, who, gifted with the Emperor's superhuman
genetic legacy, served as the champions and generals of the armies of the Emperor's Holy Imperium. And speaking of Holy Imperiums, both men are often referred to in a religious context, where the Emperor is referred to as a literal God-Emperor of Mankind and that humanity itself is inherently holy, even going so far as to see the Emperor's sons revered as literal angels by the common people of the Imperium. While Arthur is in no way held to such an extreme degree of reverence, he is still regarded as a great exemplar of a good Christian king, favored by God, and upholding the principles of Christendom. In addition, both men are often depicted with halos about their heads in various illuminations and iconography of them.
      The two men even share similar figures in their individual retinues of followers. Where Arthur has his magician, Merlin, capable of seeing into and predicting the future, the Emperor has a man by the name of Malcador the Sigillite, who served as the Emperor's chief assistant, but also possessed the ability of foresight into the future as well as the ability to telepathically communicate with others thousands of light years away. Both are also depicted similarly, as a cloaked, wise, and mysterious wizard of sorts.
     Ultimately, both Arthur and the Emperor meet similar fates. Where Arthur is grievously wounded in battle by the traitor, Mordred, the Emperor is mortally wounded by his first and favored son Horus during the final battle of a long and bloody civil war known as the Horus Heresy. Similarly to how Arthur was brought to the Isle of Avalon to live out the rest of his days wounded, the Emperor was interred upon a machine known as the Golden Throne, a machine that maintains the Emperor's "soul" as his body slowly decays. Lastly, both men are fabled to return in the future to serve their nations. Where legend states that Arthur will return to lead Britain once again, the citizens of the Imperium await the return of their eternal God-Emperor, so that he may lead Mankind to a final victory against any that would seek to harm it.

ºCaptain America vs. King Arthur¾

When it comes to historically strong, flaxen-haired national leaders, two figures steal the show: the United States’s Captain America, circa 1941, and his slightly older 1136 British predecessor, King Arthur. As similar as the epic Anglos appear, however, they serve as foils, wielding a couple of differences that speak to their respective countries’ differing political outlooks.

At first glance, captain and king seem to share the same stellar story. From small beginnings rise a pair of improbable stars, lights for their people and harbingers of world change. For his part, Captain America starts out as Steve Rogers, a scrawny fine arts student so weak and sickly he cannot pass the physical standards requisite to join the army in the midst of World War II; Arthur Pendragon embraces the kingship at the experienced age of fifteen (Monmouth 212). Nevertheless, with the help of a pair of smart old mentors bringing superhuman attributes to the table, the rookies quickly soar to greatness. Professor Abraham Erskine, a U.S. scientist, injects Rogers with a “Super-Soldier Serum” intended to enhance the military and propels him to peak mental and physical condition, although the innovator perishes before he can repeat the process with others. Merlin, a supernaturally talented cambion, serves Arthur as adviser, prophet, and magician. More striking than their comparable initiations and helpmates, though, their personal characters present the attributes that set them apart.

Both Captain America and King Arthur embody bastions of morality. Rogers received his top-secret treatment in light of Erskine’s favorable judgment of his remarkably self-effacing qualities. Likewise, the author of The History of the Kings of Britain, the feat containing Arthur’s episodes, notes him as a hero “of outstanding courage and generosity … [possessing an] inborn goodness [that gives] him such grace that he [is] loved by almost all … people” (Monmouth 212). Furthermore, Rogers and Arthur demonstrate an interchangeable tenacity: Rogers’s indomitable catchphrase, commonly quoted in the 2011 Captain America: The First Avenger film—“I could do this all day”—mirrors the indignant anger his counterpart displays whenever an enemy manages to injure him. Noticing that “his leather cuirass and his round shield grow red” in the fight, Arthur “is roused to … fiercer anger” (Monmouth 224) and quickly crushes his opponent. Still, the links connecting the powerful authorities end there.

Ultimately, Captain America and King Arthur play completely opposite roles for their separate states. Captain America’s signature weapon, a shield, symbolizes the part he fills in the American mind. Created as an eponym, a defense against supremacist Nazis and subversive fictional Hydra agents, he protects his people and battles to free the planet from oppression. In contrast, King Arthur sets the scene with his invincible sword, Excalibur. Fittingly, he exchanges the democratic “America” in Cap’s title for the absolute dictation of “King,” and, rather than oppose white supremacy, he enforces it. In fact, knowing “that he [is] dreaded by all encourage[s] him to conceive the idea of conquering the whole of Europe” (Monmouth 222), a task he accomplishes via “cut[ting objectors] to pieces mercilessly” (Monmouth 219) and laying waste to their homes. Unsurprisingly, then, they conclude their tales differently.

Captain America and King Arthur, while fighting, undergo anachronism in pursuit of polarized purposes. Captain America, in the line of duty, gets shot down in the air, falls into the ocean, and enters a state of suspended animation as a consequence of his unique physique. King Arthur, on the other hand, suffers a terrible wound in a conflict partially contrived to exact revenge on his traitorous wife and “[is] carried off to the Isle of Avalon, so that [he] … might be attended to” (261). According to legend, King Arthur will return to restore Britain to its historic greatness at some point; meanwhile, Captain America, after someone discovered him as a popsicle, remains in American imagination as a revived patriotic superhero quashing injustice. He probably will not get along well with King Arthur once he reappears.

Captain America, a champion of democracy and equality, proves eerily like King Arthur, a proponent of absolutism and unquestioned reign. Little guys grown large in the public eye, they trace their success to sage guidance and courageous characteristics, but differ in one essential regard: whether they mean to shield or conquer.  

*Link to Captain America information: http://marvel.com/universe/Captain_America_(Steve_Rogers)