Emilia Clarke responds to claims that ‘Game Of Thrones’ is sexist

Game Of Thrones earns rave reviews and is regularly decorated with various accolades - but it is not without its fierce critics.

The award-winning fantasy drama is often accused of being gratuitous in its depiction of female characters, with nudity and explicit scenes of sexual nature a regular motif of the show, along with its notoriously violent imagery. There has been particular criticism of the use of rape as a plot device in storylines that some find unnecessary and beyond the pale. Such brutal acts of violence towards women have led to accusations of sexism and misogyny. But one of the stars of the HBO production, Emilia Clarke, has made an impassioned defence of the drama series. Clarke plays Daenerys Targaryen, or Khaleesi, and believes that GoT is actually empowering to female viewers.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actress argues that rather than being sexist in its treatment of female characters, it is in fact a positive thing to see women of various classes and circumstances encountering all sorts of trying situations:

"There's so much controversy. Yet that's what's beautiful about Game of Thrones - its depiction of women in so many different stages of development.

"There are women depicted as sexual tools, women who have zero rights, women who are queens but only to a man, and then there are women who are literally unstoppable and as powerful as you can possibly imagine.

"So it pains me to hear people taking Thrones out of context with anti-feminist spin - because you can't do that about this show. It shows the range that happens to women, and ultimately shows women are not only equal, but have a lot of strength."

Game Of Thrones returns for a sixth season on April 24.