Sansa's Wedding Night: Horror And Trauma

Sansa Stark's wedding night with Ramsay Bolton was one of the most controversial scenes in Game of Thrones. The scene depicts Ramsay raping and assaulting Sansa, forcing her surrogate brother Theon to watch. The scene was criticised for being gratuitous, demeaning, and artistically bankrupt, and for lazily indulging in rape as a plot device. However, others argue that the scene was an important turning point for Sansa's character, and that it was handled with more nuance than is often acknowledged.

The scene was criticised for being gratuitous and artistically bankrupt

The scene in which Ramsay Bolton rapes Sansa Stark on their wedding night was criticised for being gratuitous and artistically bankrupt. The scene was deemed to be horrific, predictable, and unnecessary, serving no real function other than to be disturbing. This was not the first time the show had depicted sexual violence, and the repeated use of female objectification grated on many viewers. The scene was also criticised for focusing on Theon's feelings, rather than Sansa's, and for diverging from the books.

The scene was defended by the episode's writer, Bryan Cogman, who said that Sansa was now a "hardened woman" who had made a "choice" to marry Ramsay in order to "reclaim her homeland". Cogman also clarified that the scene was not as extreme as the version in George R.R. Martin's book, in which Ramsay forces Theon to sexually interact with his bride. Cogman also stated that Littlefinger was ignorant of Ramsay's sadism.

Actor Iwan Rheon, who played Ramsay, described filming the scene as "the worst day of my career". He said that "nobody wanted to be there" and that "it was very, very hard watching".

It was criticised for being predictable

The scene of Sansa Stark's wedding night with Ramsay Bolton in *Game of Thrones* was criticised for being predictable. The criticism was that the scene was rote and obvious, with Ramsay's actions being exactly what was expected of him, undercutting the dramatic tension and rendering any suspense inert.

The scene was also criticised for being gratuitous and artistically bankrupt, with the show having already depicted an onslaught of violence, sadism, and rape, often directed at female characters. The repeated use of female objectification and the nonchalant attitude towards misogyny could sometimes be interpreted as the series itself taking a nonchalant attitude.

The scene was also criticised for focusing on Theon Greyjoy's feelings, rendering Sansa's suffering secondary. However, this criticism was rebutted by the argument that the scene was a form of shared abuse between brother and sister, with Theon knowing the endless parade of horrors awaiting Sansa.

The scene was criticised for being an unnecessary deviation from the books

The scene in which Ramsay Bolton rapes Sansa Stark on their wedding night in *Game of Thrones* was criticised for being an unnecessary deviation from the books. In the books, Sansa and Ramsay never meet, and Ramsay marries a different character, Jeyne Poole, whom he also rapes.

The show's writer and producer Bryan Cogman defended the scene, saying that it was an "important turning point" for Sansa's character, and that it was her "choice" to marry Ramsay as she saw it as a way to reclaim her homeland. Cogman also clarified that the scene was not intended to "blame the victim".

However, many viewers were still outraged by the scene, with some arguing that it was unnecessary to subject Sansa to yet another trauma, especially one that was not present in the books. The scene also sparked a broader discussion about the show's depiction of sexual violence and its use of rape as a plot device.

The scene was criticised for focusing on Theon's feelings rather than Sansa's

The scene in which Ramsay Bolton rapes Sansa Stark on their wedding night was criticised for focusing on Theon Greyjoy's feelings rather than Sansa's. The scene was adapted from the book series, in which the rape happens to a different character, Jeyne Poole, Sansa's best friend from Winterfell.

The episode's writer, Bryan Cogman, defended the scene, saying that the creators had decided to move Sansa back to her home in Winterfell, and that the scene was inevitable given the nature of the two characters. Cogman also argued that the scene was shot in a way that was respectful to Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa, as it was her first scene of that nature. Cogman acknowledged the criticism that the scene was about Theon and not Sansa, but said that it was played from Sansa's viewpoint for the most part.

The scene was criticised for being an example of the show's nonchalant attitude towards misogyny

The scene in which Ramsay Bolton rapes Sansa Stark on their wedding night was criticised for being an example of the show's nonchalant attitude towards misogyny. The scene was described as "horrific", "sadistic", and "an important turning point" for Sansa. The criticism was not only directed at the show but also at the writer of the episode, Bryan Cogman, who received threats on social media.

One criticism of the scene was that it served no real function other than to be horrific. The show had already depicted an onslaught of violence, sadism, and rape, often directed at female characters. The repeated use of female objectification—whether as props for exposition, titillating scene enhancement, or objects of assault—was seen as gratuitous and demeaning. The show's depiction of a nonchalant attitude towards misogyny could sometimes be interpreted as the series itself taking a nonchalant attitude.

Another criticism was that the scene was too predictable. By the time the scene aired, Ramsay Bolton had become a one-note character, always getting away with unspeakably cruel things. While the scene was expected, that was also where its power came from. The somber dread in the snow-dusted godswood and the sense of foreboding on Sansa's face added to the tragedy of the scene.

A third criticism was that the scene did not occur in the book series, *A Song of Ice and Fire*. In the books, it is Sansa's friend Jeyne Poole, being passed off as Arya, who marries Ramsay and is subjected to his monstrous whims. The book version is even more viscerally worse than the show, with suggestions that Ramsay coerces Theon to participate in his repeated rapes of Jeyne and that he forces her to have sex with his dogs.

Finally, the scene was criticised for making Sansa's assault about Theon's feelings. The episode ends with a close-up of Theon, trying not to cry as he witnesses Sansa's rape. However, a closer reading reveals the subtext of the scene. At this point in the story, Sansa still believes that Theon murdered her brothers, Bran and Rickon. She has no idea that they are still alive, so she despises Theon and lacks any compassion for his brutalisation at the hands of Ramsay. Ramsay is aware of this strained connection and is preying on it to torment both of them.

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