On the Ethos, Logos, and Pathos of the Female Heroic Archetype in Epic Fantasy: A Critical Analysis of the Case of Daenerys Targaryen from the Perspective of Reception Aesthetics

Abstract

Daenerys Targaryen is one of the most iconic heroines in the epic fantasy genre; her journey was brought to the small screen, and her complexity captured viewers’ attention. However, due to the lack of source material, the series’ conclusion caused great dissatisfaction among the audience, as the narrative arc of the Mother of Dragons took an irreversible turn: from a chosen princess and liberator to a fascist monarch responsible for genocide. Given this, the aim of this paper is to offer an interdisciplinary analysis of the aforementioned character based on the parameters of the heroine’s journey proposed by Victoria Lynn Schmidt, and on the elements that, according to Aristotle’s rhetoric, constitute an eloquent discourse (ethos, logos, and pathos); Thus, I will analyze how the Targaryen queen performs within *Game of Thrones* through two speeches she delivers to her army, offering a reinterpretation that alters the reception of the character from the position of power she holds, with the aim of redefining her identity and importance within the fictional space, given that fantasy is recognized as a genre dominated by the male author and the male hero.