Introduction

There has never before been a cultural phenomenon like Games of Thrones. As a show, it started out as a cult favorite in Season One, and then gradually gained steam to become the entertainment juggernaut it is today. Although the books by George R.R. Martin have been very popular, the show is now perhaps even bigger. 

The first several seasons of the show mostly followed the books, but now the writers of the show have moved beyond Martin’s original source work. The show has become so successful, that several spinoffs are now in development which will are following the conclusion of the show in Season Eight. Although the original show will eventually end, many of our favorite characters will live on.

The idea of exploring the “psychology” of the characters of Game of Thrones may seem odd. After all, the show's villains and heroes cope with their deep-seated emotional issues not with a session on the couch, but with alcohol, sex, murder, and conquest. And yet, the inner workings of their psyches are fascinating, and there are complex psychological forces at work in the mind of virtually every major character.