No, Game of Thrones is not a real historical story but a work of fiction. Game of Thrones is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D.B Weiss. The series first premiered on HBO in the United States on 17th April 2011 and concluded on 19th May 2019. Game of Thrones was broadcasted over the course of eight seasons, comprising of 73 episodes.
Game of Thrones is based on “A Song of Ice and Firebook” series of fantasy novels authored by George R.R. Martin. The book and the television series draw heavy inspiration from real medieval history, particularly European history, to ground the wars, political intrigues and betrayals in realism. However, the show features multiple fictional elements, including the continent of Westeros, White Walkers, magic and dragons.
Plot Summary
Noble families fight for the control of the Iron Throne, which rules the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. A brutal civil war or the War of the Five Kings erupts between the five houses of nobles. The chaos of the civil war is driven by assassinations, marriages, alliances and betrayals.
Across the narrow sea in Essos, the exiled Daenerys Targaryen marries a Dothraki warlord, hatches three dragons and builds an army to reclaim the throne. Her journey involves conquests, liberation of slaves and evolution into a powerful leader.
In the frozen North, the night watch guards a massive ice wall against wildings and ancient supernatural beings called White Walkers. Jon Snow, a bastard of the House of Stark, becomes a central character in this arc.
Key Historical Parallels
War of the Five Kings is loosely inspired by the War of the Roses which took place from 1455 to 1487. It was a feud for power between two rival factions of the English Royal family, the Lancastarians and the Yorkists. The two main rival houses in the Game of Thrones seem to mirror the belligerents in the War of the Roses.
The massive ice wall in the story is inspired by Hadrian’s Wall. It was a Roman fortification built in Northern England to separate the Roman territory of Britannia from the unconquered Caledonia.
Red Wedding massacre featuring in the series draws from Scottish history, particularly the Black Dinner in 1440 where nobles were invited to a feast and executed.
Other influences include the 100-year war, crusades and historical figures like Henry VIII.