Daenerys and Khal Drogo’s wedding night in Game of Thrones ended with a triggering scene of assault, a crucial change from George R.R. Martin’s book, A Game of Thrones. As the couple consummated their marriage, Dany was seen crying as her new husband ripped off her dress, a clear sign that she wasn’t ready for what was to come.
Martin did not intend this scene to depict marital r*pe, and even he was frustrated with the change. The showrunners had their own reasons for making the alteration, noting that the pacing of the story and the time constraints did not allow for a consensual lovemaking to happen.
Daenerys and Khal Drogo’s Wedding Night in the Books Did Not End in Marital R*pe
Marriage bliss isn’t exactly the term one would use to describe Dany’s first few days as the wife of Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones. She was sold as a bride by her brother Viserys, and as soon as she was plunged into the savage world of the Dothraki, she was forced to submit to her husband’s pleasure.
A Game of Thrones depicted their wedding night differently. Before consummating their marriage, Drogo tried to comfort his new bride until he was able to seduce her. He even blatantly asks permission from Dany, and the latter would say yes.
Showrunner David Benioff explained via James Hibberd’s Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon that Martin’s version would not work on screen as they “didn’t have that amount of time and access to the character’s mind.” He said even actress Emilia Clarke did not think the book’s version makes sense.
Had the series followed Martin’s novel, it would have changed Dany’s character progression. In the show, viewers witnessed her slowly gaining confidence and finally living up to her title as a Khaleesi. Had it been the other way around, we would have seen a different course not only for Dany’s arc but also in her marriage with Drogo.
GRRM Didn’t Approve of Game of Thrones Changing This Crucial Scene
Martin made a scathing remark about this massive change in the same interview with Hibberd. He even went as far as saying it ruined the scene.
Why did the wedding scene change from the consensual seduction scene… to the brutal r*pe of Emilia Clarke? We never discussed it. It made it worse, not better.
The original unaired pilot episode closely followed the book, but when Tamzin Merchant was replaced by Clarke for the role of Dany, the scene was reshot.
The showrunners’ decision remains a controversial issue. While some fans thought it was a massive betrayal of the source material, others believe the author made a mistake in labeling it as consensual because, let’s face it, why would an abused 13-year-old girl, sold for marriage, willingly say yes, if not for fear?
| Rotten Tomatoes | IMDb | Metacritic |
| 89% | 9.2/10 | 86/100 |
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Game of Thrones is currently available to watch on HBO Max.
