Summer is in full swing and Maester’s Ludwig’s diary comes hot from the press! This month I’m finally uploading the Joffrey leitmotif I had intended for a couple of months back plus some of more Iron Throne music. Let’s dig in!
The Lion in Stag’s Clothing
To start with a bang, here is Joffrey’s leitmotif titled the Lion in Stag’s Clothing (fig. a).
Joffrey is one of the most hated characters in the series, and for good reason. He is everything a villain should be and then some, so why did I make triumphant music for his leitmotif? Well, context.
This is not a villain’s leitmotif, I agree. And that’s because Joffrey is not a villain here. This is the first instance of a leitmotif that grows in time and exposes Joffrey’s true nature. It is meant to depict Joffrey as the reader first meets him in A Game of Thrones, through the eyes of Jon, Tyrion, and especially Sansa. No one can deny that he is a prince and he look the part. The reader is completely unaware of his true nature and so all we go by is that he is Robert’s son (right?) and that one day he will be king of Westeros. His leitmotif shouldn’t be too different from Robert’s and also include the Lannister leitmotif as well. For now, only the ending of the leitmotif gives the listener a closer look into his real nature, with a final minor chord accompanied by the death leitmotif.
The Iron Throne
The leitmotifs for the Iron Throne have been introduced before, but seeing how now we have Joffrey’s and Daenerys’ leitmotifs uploaded we can look at other versions of the Iron Throne. It might be categorized as an object, but the Iron Throne is closer to a character of sorts in some aspects, as it reflects the nature of the ruler in power at any point in time. Joffrey’s Iron Throne (fig. b) reflects his short reign as a tyrannical figure.
Then we turn to Daenerys’ Iron Throne (fig. c), albeit the idea of her as a ruler of Westeros, as she has a claim to the throne but she hasn’t sat upon it. The similarities with Aegon’s original Iron Throne leitmotif are very clear, but her version seems to hint at the question of what ruler might she be if she attains the throne for herself. She might be less idealistic than she once was when her journey began years ago, and closer to the Fire & Blood ways of the Targaryen. Only time will tell.
That’s been all for this month. I hope to see you in the next diary!
Music of Ice and Fire 