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Profs and Pints presents: “The Real ‘Game of Thrones,’” a look at the medieval conflict that helped inspire the hit TV series, with Sabrina Baron, assistant research professor of history at the University of Maryland at College Park.
The HBO series Game of Thrones is one of the most popular in television history, drawing more than 30 million people weekly to watch destruction, debauchery, dragons, and the brutal fight for the Iron Throne.
Come learn the history from which the show draws. It might not feature real dragons or Khaleesi, but it does have nearly all the violence, treachery, and strange family relationships. It was called the Wars of the Roses because it involved a protracted fight for England’s throne between two branches of its royal family, one represented by a red rose, the other, by a white one.
Professor Baron has extensively studied and taught the Wars of the Roses as an expert in early modern English political history. Come hear her untangle the complicated genealogical roots of the wars that have inspired other writers, including Shakespeare, to take pen to paper.
You’ll learn about deadly wine, sex and politics, the finer points of infanticide, and sibling rivalry taken to a new level. Also part of the story are women plotting, brothers flip-flopping, a few too many surviving children, and a symbolic dragon, at least.
Among the questions she’ll tackle: What happens when a child is born with a full set of teeth? How could a horse save a kingdom? Did a hunchback sit on the throne? What actual historical events, or their parallels, can be found in the Game of Thrones series? You’ll have a royally fun time hearing the answers. (Advance tickets: $12. Door: $15, save $2 with a student ID. Listed time is for door. Talk starts 30 minutes later. Please give yourself time to place any orders and be settled into place.)
