Medieval anarchy inspired ‘House of the Dragon’—and its themes resonate today

Students in my medieval history courses often wonder whether historical reality can be gleaned from medieval cinematic fantasy. I tell them that fantasy does not aspire to historical verisimilitude. But it can reflect medieval conflicts, values and norms. The first season of HBO’s “House of the Dragon” exemplified this. Its narrative, as noted by co-creator George R. R. Martin, drew inspiration from England’s Anarchy, a 12th-century civil war sparked by King Henry I’s effort to...