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Comparative LiteratureArticle 3 · Vol. 1, Issue 5, September 2026 · pp. 23–30
Feudal Power and Social Hierarchy: A Comparative Study of William Shakespeare’s King Lear and George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones
Vishnu Chandran
Assistant Professor of English, Sree Narayana College for Women, Kollam, Kerala, India
Abstract
Feudalism was a dominant socio-political system based on hierarchical relationships between rulers, nobles, and subjects, where power was determined by land ownership, loyalty, and military authority. Although the feudal system historically belonged to the medieval period, its structures and values continue to influence literary representations of power and society. William Shakespeare’s King Lear (1606) and George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones (1996) portray worlds deeply shaped by feudal ideology, where kingship, inheritance, loyalty, and political ambition determine individual identities and social relationships. This article comparatively examines how both works represent feudal institutions and their impact on human relationships. Through the analysis of monarchy, land-based power, vassal loyalty, succession conflicts, and social inequality, the study argues that Shakespeare and Martin expose the instability and moral failures inherent within feudal systems. While King Lear presents the collapse of feudal authority through familial betrayal and political disorder, A Game of Thrones depicts a complex feudal society where competing noble families struggle for dominance. Both works reveal that systems based on hierarchy and absolute power often produce conflict, injustice, and human suffering.
Keywords:
FeudalismKingshipPowerHierarchyLoyaltyShakespeareGeorge R. R. MartinPolitical Conflict
How to Cite
Chandran, V. (2026). Feudal Power and Social Hierarchy: A Comparative Study of William Shakespeare’s King Lear and George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones. Veritas: A Multidisciplinary Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 1(5), 23–30. https://doi.org/10.67788/veritas.2026.1.5.003
DOI: https://doi.org/10.67788/veritas.2026.1.5.003
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