Editor’s Note: The following are spoilers for Episodes 1-5 of the House of the Dragon.AT Dragon House’Episode 5, “We Light the Way”, takes some important steps towards the future of the Targaryen dynasty. The scene takes place between Viserys (Paddy Considine) and Corlis (Steve Toussaint), and they decide that their children, Rainier (Millie Alcock) and Leynor (Theo Neith), get married. However, there are details of the device that remind us that our world is not as different from this seemingly antiquated society as we may think. This scene proves that one decision by the king created a domino effect that destroys many other patriarchal rules.
We often talk about “breaking down the patriarchy” and all that goes with it, but we can recognize that it’s not about living in a society where you’re more likely to be forced to marry your younger brother. Dismantling the patriarchy is good, no matter what obstacles it puts in front of us, but that doesn’t mean we’re facing the same difficulties as Rainier…right? Dragon House The action does not take place in any real historical moment in time (there are too many references to dragons for that), but it is clearly modeled after real, ancient ways of life. With the treatment of women and talk of relationships that are hard to imagine, and some leech-laden moments that highlight the desperate lack of modern medicine, it’s clear that there’s a pretty significant division between society within. Dragon House and our own.
In an attempt to hold on to power and preserve the dynasty, there are conversations that are normalized in Dragon House it would be completely taboo and completely out of the question in our modern reality. For example, Reynira is supposed to be betrothed to her younger brother and then to her uncle, and ultimately the third party decides that she will marry her cousin. It is also highly recommended that Viserys marry the child. These ideas are as strange to most viewers as they should be, and it leads us to believe that this fictional society is outdated, barbaric, and far removed from ours.
However, in the context of the series, it is clear from these conversations that the preservation of their dynasty, both literally and symbolically, is paramount. When Viserys and Korlis meet to discuss a possible wedding between Reynira and Laenor, it initially appears to be an agreement that will suit both parties. An agreement that will satisfy everyone is welcome, especially since Viserys was not the one to make decisions that others seemed to easily agree to.
However, the essence of this scene, and the conflict represented by the potential arrangement, emerges when one seemingly innocuous detail comes up. Corlis wants to know whose surname the future children of Reynira and Laenor will take. Traditionally, of course, the couple took the name Laenor, Velarion, as women take their husband’s surname. However, there is nothing traditional about this situation, as Reynira is the first woman in line for the throne.
Of course, Corlis wants to stick to tradition, because it’s in his own interest. Viserys, on the other hand, asks if Corlis really thinks the Targaryen dynasty should end because of what is ultimately a pointless tradition. Reynira’s position as heir is unprecedented, and as a result, the question arises as to whose surname the future heirs will take. But what seems like a simple question is actually a complex one. In truth, the name dispute seems like a petty reason to ruin the agreed upon plan for two people’s lives. Although in reality it is not. Sometimes just because something is just a symbolic gesture doesn’t mean it’s not important, and for Viserys and Corlis, it clearly is. Their heritage and lineage should not depend on the family name of their children, but the dynasty does.
Most of us don’t worry about our family lineage, but of course the tradition that in a heterosexual marriage a woman usually takes her husband’s surname exists in our actual society. Of course, many people choose against it, but this is tradition. Although the stakes in the case of the Targaryens are very different from what is usually the case in reality, the differences are less than we might think. We were led to believe that there are so many elements that make the world Dragon House distant and distant from our own, but this view is broken by a tiny, almost insignificant detail of the agreement between Viserys and Corlis. Patriarchy is patriarchy anyway, and while most of our fathers aren’t locked in a room contemplating marrying us off to our cousin, there is still a little things that never seem to change.
Ultimately, traditions are always maintained by people who have ulterior motives for keeping them. People seldom care to uphold outdated traditions unless it is in their own interest to do so. We see this repeatedly in modern society, and we see it in Corlis’s desire to stick with tradition and allow Rhaenyra to take the name Velaryon.
That’s why having a leader like Viserys is as subtle as it is positive. Of course, this most recent ripple effect of the destruction of the Viserys tradition is also likely only happening because it is in the development stage. his best interest. He wants his own family name to remain in power for generations to come. At the very least, he seems to stand up for what he thinks is right, even if it isn’t. He didn’t choose an heir he didn’t believe in, just because it was traditional or because it was in his interest to appease those around him. He chose whom he considered a suitable heir to protect his people even after they were gone. Viserys’ position in power allowed him to break tradition, and as a result, the dominoes of tradition continued to fall. Now he not only has the first female heiress in history, but he is also fighting for her husband to take her last name. This is about as much destruction of the patriarchy as we could expect from someone who is a literal patriarch.
Source: Collider
