Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar in Martin’s ASoIaF

[Halkyon]

Nice references, I liked especially the part about Will and Gared. Could the nod to William Shakespeare explain your essay about the way he directly talks to the reader in the Prologue of AGoT? I'll have to read the other Prologues with potential literary tributes in mind. What makes you so sure about Gared being a reference to Edgar Allen Poe?

If you're also looking more generally for references to Roman mythology: I recently posted this connection to Roberts Rebellion in a "Will Jon be King"-Thread.

The story of Brutus and Lucius Tarquinius (Targaryen?) Superbus: The last Roman King (Tarquinius/Aerys), was put down by the Patricians, because his son and Prince (Sextus/Rhaegar) raped a daughter (Lucretia/Lyanna) of a Patrician (Spurius/Rickard) married to another Patrician (Collatinus/Robert). Lucius Iunius Brutus, related to Lucretia (Lyanna), lateron first consul and leader of the revolution, hid himself before from the wrath of the mad King Tarquinius by playing a stupid boy, leading to himself being named Brutus (dullard). Looking at his name, there is the negative connotated "family-name" Brutus as means of hiding beneath a king + Lucius (from Latin lux = light, or etruscian name for King) + Iunius (from, wikipedia, "Juno is an ancient roman goddess, the protector and special counselor of the state.") = Jon Snow? :-)