Jessica Appleby is hoping that by mixing a little “Game of Thrones” into her fall semester course on medieval epic and romance, she’ll help students engage on a deeper level with thousand-year-old texts such as “Beowulf.”

Appleby, a graduate instructor at the University of Colorado, plans to use the popular fantasy drama television series on HBO as a way to introduce undergraduate students to the Middle Ages and medieval literature.

Often, she said, there’s a misperception that medieval literature is irrelevant or outdated. But shows like “Games of Thrones,” based on a series of novels by George R. R. Martin, demonstrate society’s modern fascination with dragons, knights and magic, she said.

“If it’s not taught in a way that’s engaging, I think (students) might assume ‘Oh that’s so long ago, why would I care about that?'” she said. “The point of this class is to say ‘You guys are already liking the same kind of stuff, so let me show you where some of this is coming from.'”

In addition to “Beowulf,” Appleby plans for her class to read texts including “The Song of Roland” and “The Death of King Arthur.”

Suzanne Magnanini, chairwoman of CU’s French and Italian department, said this class will give students tools to get more out of the popular culture they consume everyday.

“This class, by using ‘Game of Thrones’ as a point of reference, shows students that they are already ‘doing humanities’ on a very basic level as they are discussing and analyzing the latest episode of ‘Game of Thrones’ with friends,” Magnanini said. “(Appleby) is going to provide them with a more sophisticated set of tools for such analyses by teaching them about the ways in which medieval epics engaged some of the same themes of power, honor, love and betrayal.”

Just like “Game of Thrones” today, many medieval texts were written at the time as entertainment. Both paint an inaccurate, idealized picture of the Middle Ages, which is an interesting theme to explore, Appleby said.

“They show us a certain view of chivalrous knights and knighthood, and that’s not necessarily what the reality was actually like in terms of war,” she said.

As a self-described “fantasy nerd” growing up, Appleby said she’s intrigued by how widespread the fan base for “Game of Thrones” has grown in recent years.

Though books and movies such as “The Lord of the Rings” and “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” have had their followings, Appleby said “Game of Thrones” has permeated popular culture.

“It’s unusual at this point that we’re seeing an interest in dragons and mythology being so mainstream,” she said. “I was often the only one of my friends that would be reading (medieval literature) but now it’s become such a big part of our culture.”

Contact Camera Staff Writer Sarah Kuta at 303-473-1106 or kutas@dailycamera.com