In George R.R. Martin’s acclaimed hit series A Song of Ice and Fire, many characters are plagued by problems of their own caused by the game of thrones that each major character has a part in. In the center of game is Cersei Lannister, a woman with more power than most noble men, and she isn’t afraid of abusing it as she feels necessary. Behind this power though is one of the most psychologically complex and distraught characters in the book series. Through point of view chapters and her actions as seen by other characters, this paper will identify, characterize, and diagnose many of the psychological disorders and traumas Cersei Lannister has faced . Cersei Lannister was born a fraternal twin with her brother Jamie Lannister. Their father Tywin Lannister is one of the most powerful men in Westros , having just as much wealth in gold as in power as a commander in the battlefield. For the first 15 years of Cersei’s life, her father Tywin was Hand of the King, acting as the enforcer for the real king and often said to have been more influential than the true king of the time. This power meant that Cersei and her bother Jamie had the opportunity to grow up around and be involved with some of the most influential people in all of Westros, but also had to deal with the pressure to learn the proper etiquette and roles of their distinctive gender, such as wearing dresses and understanding that she would be married off to a prince one day. Though up to this point in her life, Cersei was relatively normal and lived a luxurious life, but the death of her mother Joanna was the first trauma that she faced. The death of Cersei’s mother Joanna was particularly scarring to her nine year old psyche, as Joanna died giving birth to her youngest ... ... middle of paper ... ...s to see improvement in her psychological symptoms than dosage could be progressively lowered to a point where she is no longer dependent on these medications. To deal with the issue of the loss of her children, she could receive treatment similar to people who experience PTSD. This type of treatment, specifically exposure therapy, could help Cersei come to terms with the loss of Joffery and the separation of her from Myrcella. Dealing with the incestuous relationship with her twin brother Jamie is a much more difficult issue as both Jamie and Cersei were the instigators that initiated the sexual contact with one another. There is no set type of therapy that has specifically been developed for persons with incestuous relationships aside from individual therapy and helping the person come to the realization that relationships like that are wrong and against the law.
Celie is a victim of mistreatment and isolation in a world that considers women inferior to men. To instill fear and obedience in women, men conduct themselves in a hostile manner towards women. They manage women similar to slaves and sexually dominate them. When Celie is barely fourteen her stepfather, causing her to become pregnant twice, violates her multiple times. In a letter to God, Celie writes “I cry. He start to choke me, saying You better shut up and git used to it” (Walker 11). Intended merely to satisfy Pa, Celie...
Though, acceptance of trauma can allow hindered development, eventually allowing full self-acceptance. Bernice, a once strong woman has been verbally, emotionally and physically abused since her childhood. Resulting in a loss of her sense of being. Within the beginning of the novel, when she is reflecting on her past memories, it becomes clear to the reader that in order for her to be able to accept herself, she needs to surface her past traumas. Bernice explains that, “In the tendrils, Bernice realizes there is remorse in her body and she is trying to kick it out. Her shell rejects remorse. Shame. Feeling bad over feeling good” (49). This mindset is negative and expresses her inability to share her emotions due to previous emotional abuse from her family and the many men that have taken advantage of her. This idea of disallowing happiness hinders her ability to accept herself and her past actions. However, through more time of self-reflection (over 200 hundred pages of her lying in bed with the author switching perspectives, confusing the hell out of me lol) Bernice realizes that she must learn to cope with these traumas and attempt to have a positive outlook on life. As Bernice is accepting the damaged part of herself, she comes to the realization that, “She can feel her body now, its loose and stiff at the same time. Her head, though will be the hard part. Part of her lost for so long that it is hard to enunciate what, exactly, she has found” (228). In comparison to when Bernice was unable to acknowledge her feelings and thoughts, it is now clear that she is slowly learning to manage her issues. By Bernice discovering that she is beginning to acknowledge her thoughts, this is the first step to being able to accept one’s self. In Total, It is shown that Bernice is deeply affected by the trauma within her life, however she is able to
Louise, the unfortunate spouse of Brently Mallard dies of a supposed “heart disease.” Upon the doctor’s diagnosis, it is the death of a “joy that kills.” This is a paradox of happiness resulting into a dreadful ending. Nevertheless, in reality it is actually the other way around. Of which, is the irony of Louise dying due to her suffering from a massive amount of depression knowing her husband is not dead, but alive. This is the prime example to show how women are unfairly treated. If it is logical enough for a wife to be this jovial about her husband’s mournful state of life then she must be in a marriage of never-ending nightmares. This shows how terribly the wife is being exploited due her gender in the relationship. As a result of a female being treated or perceived in such a manner, she will often times lose herself like the “girl
Rosenberg, S., Robin, and Shannon O'Neill. The Psychology of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Understanding Lisbeth Salander and Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy. BenBella Books, Inc., 2013. Google eBook. Web. 17 Feb. 2014.
Henry VIII did not set a good example in Elizabeth’s early years. Elizabeth was born to King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn on September 7, 1533. Henry had wanted a son so severely that he had had his previous wives beheaded since they gave him no sons (Eakins). Anne thought that she was expecting a boy, but sure enough, Elizabeth came out. This was somewhat of a disappointment to the King. In May of 1536 (Sparknotes), before Elizabeth was even three years old, Henry had Anne’s head cut off after he – possibly falsely – charged her with incest and adultery. Henry then remarried Jane Seymour who would soon expect a son. Jane died shortly after the birth of Edward VI. Katherine Parr was Elizabeth’s last stepmother as well as Henry’s sixth and final wife. Katherine had an older daughter than Elizabeth – Mary (Eakins). Henry VIII’s health was declining, however.
Geoffrey of Monmouth’s “Life of Merlin” is a text that makes its readers struggle with finding criteria for madness. What does it even mean to be “mad?” Madness seems to define a person only when he or she does something to stray from the normality of any given group of people. Breaking societal norms often leaves people open to criticism and suspicion. In order to be sane and mentally healthy, one has to abide by all explicit and implicit rules of society. “Life of Merlin” is about a man that abandons feudal society, and all of its rules, in hopes of finding a better place to live. A better place to live, for him, is one that is purely good. Violent and deceitful people are ultimately the factors that drive him away, causing him to be termed as “mad.” I argue that Merlin is a character with extreme extra worldly perception. Many would think extra worldly perception to be a privilege, but this essay serves to contradict the positive effects that extra worldly perception can have. I will show why he is perceptive, rather than mad, as well as explain why this type of perception can be detrimental to one’s life. When a person has too much perception he can often live in a world of fear and discontent, one that is only curable by the restructuring of an entire society.
Shakespeare’s exploration of madness begins with Ophelia’s forced repression of love. According to Robert Burton, “Ophelia suffers from hysteria, a malady often ascribed to upper class women who bide their time in their fathers’ homes while awaiting fulfillment of their culturally mandated roles ...
family servants until he died. Upon her father’s death, this early trauma is shown in her
Psychiatry is a medical field that deals with the diagnoses, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. The FDA is constantly approving drugs for psychiatrists to use that are supposed to help with in their practice. For example, Michael Levin-Epstein, who wrote the article “A New Way to Deliver Psychiatric Meds: Drugs for ADHD and Major Depression Now Can Be Delivered with Skin Patches,” shows how pharmacotherapy is continually being advanced by new ideas and approaches. However, Psychiatric drugs are not always the answer. Prescriptions are not a good remedy when it comes to the overcoming of a mental illnesses, because there is not enough information regarding the effects of the drugs, pharmaceutical companies are driven by profits,
madness—Ophelia due to the loss of all those dear to her, and Lady MacBeth from
Game of Thrones is a book series written by George R.R. Martin, HBO has turned the books into one of the most widely followed television series on cable today. The book is set in a fantasy world that somewhat resembles what we know as the medieval era. The story follows around a vast cast of characters as they all fight to gain the “Iron Throne” in order to rule over the land. This paper will follow Daenerys Targaryen’s story during season one as she tries to get back her family’s throne. A she goes on her journey we will analyze how her story conforms and later on resists common themes of gender.
Hamlet is considered a classic play that tells the story of revenge, written by, William Shakespeare. Before My Eyes is a novel, by Caroline Bock, that shows the truth behind believing what we want, not what we see. These two works have psychological illness in common. Hamlet and Barkley are both mentally ill; the Prince of Denmark is depressed and bipolar while the lonely and obsessive 21 year-old is schizophrenic.
Throughout William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, Hamlet’s behavior and actions cause readers to question his sanity. Hamlet’s character can be interpreted in many different ways. It could be said that he is indeed insane, or it can be disputed that he, as he made known, is simply putting on a good act. The complexity of knowing Hamlet’s true character derives from the fact that we, as readers, are unable to read Shakespeare’s or Hamlet’s minds. Therefore, judgments could be made solely by reading and interpreting his behavior and coming up with a satisfactory conclusion. Taking into consideration incidents such as Polonius’ murder and Hamlet’s contemplating suicide, it is natural for individuals who perform such acts to be categorized as crazy. Ignoring Hamlet’s actual actions, and paying keen attention to what altered his character, one can debate that Hamlet is not at all insane. It is important to consider the situations which triggered Hamlet’s different actions. By giving discreet thought to Hamlet’s position and what he endures, one will realize that he is not demented, but he is actually an angry, betrayed and emotionally devastated fatherless son.
Psychiatry has been a science and study, of and for, the treatment of mental illness. Since the 1900s, a cultural and social stigma has solidified the fear of men and women who have been touched by the unpleasant management of the treatment of those with these illnesses. The way we teach the individuals how to cope with and care for the loved ones that have a mental illness, seems to have fallen short of the way we show those how to care for loved ones with diabetes or heart disease. The average person’s response when they are frightened by something in the twenty-first century is that all answers can now be found on the world wide web. Unfortunately, the web can be a source of misinformation, miscommunication, and all sorts of ludicrous opinions
To begin, Celie, the protagonist resembles the perfect wife of this time she listened to what she was told; she cleaned, worked, and took care of everyone around her no matter what the circumstances. “Her strength, unlike that of Sofia or Shug is not physical or artistic, but it is the strength of integrity. She remains honest and compassionate, caring for everyone she comes into contact with” (Litnotes). Reader often become frustrated with Celie because she remains so loyal and loving for the people who mistreat her. For example, Celie was often beaten on days her husband, Albert, was in a bad mood; she did not even have to do anything wrong to be mistreated, but above all she would continue to work like his slave and never once complain. The problem of this novel is the woman have absolutely no power over anything, including themselves; therefore the women begin to bond together and have an uprising.