A Game at Chess is a comic satirical play by Thomas Middleton, first staged in August 1624 by the King's Men at the Globe Theatre. The play is notable for its political content, dramatizing a conflict between Spain and England.
The plot takes the form of a chess match, and the play includes some genuine chess moves. Instead of personal names, the characters are known as the White Knight, the Black King, and so forth. Yet the play unmistakably alludes to Anglo-Spanish diplomacy under King James I of England, especially the failed marriage negotiation between Prince Charles and the Spanish Infanta Maria Anna of Spain. The play is satirical of King James, and it was shut down after only nine days.
Historical context A Game at Chess satirises historical events and figures of the early seventeenth century.Heinemann 1975, pp. 232–250 Those depicted include members of the English court, the Spanish court, and prominent religious figures. James I, who reigned as King of England and Ireland from 1603 until his death in 1625, is depicted as the White King by Middleton.Taylor 2007 His son and successor, Prince Charles or Charles I, reigned after the play was written and is depicted as the White Knight. Elizabeth of Bohemia, James I's daughter, is also represented in the play as the White Queen. From Spain, Middleton depicts Philip IV, who reigned as King from 1621 to 1665, as the Black King. His sister Maria Anna of Spain is represented by the Black Queen.Beneš 2016, pp. 18–52 Don Diego Sarmiento de Acuña, Conde de Gondomar, the Spanish ambassador who was deeply unpopular in England, is depicted as the Black Knight.Howard-Hill 1991, pp. 274–285 Religious figures depicted include Archbishop of Split, Marco Antonio de Dominis, or the Fat Bishop, who left the Roman Catholic Church to join the Anglican Church, later returning to Rome.
The play takes place at a time of heightened tension between England and Spain, and it alludes to negotiations between the two countries to wed Prince Charles to the Spanish Infanta Maria Anna.Gurnis 2018 The royal families hoped that the Spanish match would at the very least resolve some of the conflicts between England and Spain that still lingered after the Thirty Years' War.Redworth 2003 Additionally, James I hoped that a marriage alliance would restore his daughter Elizabeth to the Bohemian throne. Protestant English citizens were antagonistic toward the prospect of a marriage between their prince and the Catholic Infanta. Many feared for the safety of Prince Charles and the Duke of Buckingham when they travelled to Spain in February 1623 for the negotiations, and some feared that Charles would convert to Catholicism. Charles and Buckingham, who travelled in disguise, were unprepared to negotiate effectively with the Spanish, and they agreed to Spanish terms in order to return to England unharmed. The marriage did not go ahead, and the English public largely saw Charles's safe return and the failure of the negotiations as a victory against Spanish Catholics.
The play was stopped after nine performances (6–16 August, Sundays omitted), but not before it had become "the greatest box-office hit of early modern London"."Middleton" 2018 The Privy Council arrested Thomas Middleton and questioned the actors of the King’s Men. James I invoked a royal “commandment and restraint” prohibiting mocking living royalty in stage plays. However, no such statute has been found (cf ENGLISH DRAMATIC COMPANIES 1558-1642, JOHN TUCKER MURRAY, M.A., 1910, page 160). The Globe Theatre was shut down by the prosecution, though Middleton was able to acquit himself by showing that the play had been approved by the Master of the Revels, Sir Henry Herbert.Dutton 2014 After James I's death, the play was printed in multiple editions, but Middleton never wrote another full play.
Characters
Opening sequence Prologue Ignatius Loyola — Ghost of the founder of the Jesuits Error — An allegorical personification of religious heresy
White House White King — Alludes to King James I of England. Protestant leader of the White House. White King's Pawn — A spy for the Black House, most often identified as alluding to Lionel Cranfield, Earl of Middlesex. White Queen — Alludes to Elizabeth of Bohemia, daughter of King James White Queen's Pawn — A young virgin, former fiancée of the White Bishop's Pawn. White Knight — Alludes to Prince Charles, son of King James White Duke — Alludes to George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, favourite of King James and companion of Prince Charles Fat Bishop — Alludes to Marc Antonio de Dominis, Bishop of Spalato, a former bishop of the Black House who has recanted to join the White House. A comic role, written for the actor William Rowley. Fat Bishop's Pawn — A servant. White Bishop — Alludes to the Archbishop of Canterbury. White Bishop's Pawn — A Protestant minister, former fiancée of the White Queen's Pawn who has been castrated by the Black Knights's Pawn White Pawn — A servant pawn of unspecified allegiance.
Black House Black King — Alludes to King Philip IV of Spain. Catholic Leader of the Black House. Black Queen — Alludes to Maria Anna of Spain, proposed bride of the White Knight Black Queen's Pawn — A Jesuitess. Black Knight — Alludes to Diego Sarmiento de Acuña, conde de Gondomar, who was the Spanish ambassador to London. Black Knight's Pawn — A suitor of the White Queen's Pawn and castrator of the White Bishop's Pawn. Black Duke — Alludes to Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares, a favourite of Philip IV Black Bishop — Alludes to the Father-General of the Jesuits. Black Bishop's Pawn — A Jesuit. Black Jesting Pawn — A comic pawn of unspecified allegiance who teases a White Pawn. Does not appear in all versions of the play. Black Pawn — A servant pawn of unspecified allegiance.
Synopsis
Prologue and Induction The Prologue explains that the forthcoming stage play will be based on a game of chess, with some chess pieces representing men and states.
The Ghost of Ignatius Loyola (founder of the Jesuit Order) expresses surprise at finding a rare corner of the world where his order has not been established. His servant, Error, wakes up and says that he had been dreaming of a game of chess where "our side"—the Black House/Catholics—was set against the White House/Protestants. Ignatius says that he wants to see the dream, so he can observe his side's progress. The actors, as chess pieces, enter. Ignatius expresses contempt for his own followers and says that his true aim is to rule the entire world by himself.
Act I
The Black Queen's Pawn, a Jesuitess, launches an attempt to convert and corrupt the virginal White Queen's Pawn. Faking tears, she says she pities the White Queen's Pawn, who she says will be "lost eternally", despite her beauty. The Jesuit Black Bishop's Pawn enters and continues the attempted conversion of the White Queen's Pawn, but is also struck by her beauty. He encourages her to confess her sins to him. The White Queen's Pawn confesses that she considered entering into a relationship with the White Bishop's Pawn, but he was castrated by the Black Knight's Pawn. The Black Bishop's Pawn questions the White Queen's Pawn closely about whether she experienced sexual desire, but she insists she did not. Hoping to seduce her, he gives her a book on the virtue of obedience, and she exits.
The Black Knight's Pawn and his castrated victim, the White Bishop's Pawn, exchange insults. The Black Knight Gondomar enters and notes that the "business of the universal monarchy" (i.e. the goal of world dominion by the Catholic Church) is going well, primarily because of his ability to trap souls through charm and deception. The White King's Pawn— a spy employed by the Black House— enters and issues a report. The Black Knight Gondomar calls the spy a fool after he leaves.
Act II
The White Queen's Pawn enters reading the manual given to her by the Jesuit Black Bishop's Pawn. As she reads to herself, the Black Bishop's Pawn enters and finds a letter addressed to him from the Black King. The Black King thanks the Jesuit for his work in corrupting the White Queen's Pawn, but states his desire to seduce the White Queen herself. The Jesuit Black Bishop's Pawn says he will help the King, but only after he has satisfied his own desire.
The White Queen's Pawn greets the Black Bishop's Pawn and begs him to give her an order to prove her virtue through obedience. He commands her to kiss him. When she refuses, he grows insistent, then attempts to rape her. A noise from offstage provides a distraction, and the White Queen's Pawn escapes.
Soon after, the Black Queen's Pawn re-enters and confronts the Black Bishop's Pawn about allowing the White Queen's Pawn to get away. Then, the Black Bishop enters with the Black Knight Gondomar. The Black Bishop scolds his pawn, claiming that news of the attempted rape will cause scandal for the Black House. The Black Knight makes plans for a coverup. He orders the Black Bishop's Pawn to flee and says he will falsify documents that make it look as though the pawn was not there when the incident took place. After the pawn flees through a trapdoor, the Black Knight Gondomar orders the burning of all of the pawn's files. The files contained records of various seductions and misdeeds that would implicate the Black House if discovered. Later, the Black Knight's Pawn enters and expresses remorse for castrating the White Bishop's Pawn.
The Fat Bishop of Spalato enters, gloating about his life. He has left the Black House and is now greatly favoured by the White House for writing books against his former faith-- but he complains the high offices he has been given are not enough. The Black Knight Gondomar and the Black Bishop enter. They curse the Fat Bishop and plot to convert him back to their side so they can take vengeance.
The White Queen's Pawn tells the White King that the Black Bishop's Pawn tried to rape her. The Black Knight Gondomar calls her a liar and produces the falsified documents. The White King finds the White Queen's Pawn guilty of slander. He rules that the Black House may discipline her as they see fit. The Black House decree that the White Queen's Pawn must fast for four days and kneel for twelve hours a day in a room filled with erotic images.
Act III
The Fat Bishop expresses dissatisfaction with the White House; he wants more titles and honours.
The Black Knight gives the Fat Bishop a (fake) letter from Rome. The letter suggests that the Fat Bishop could become the next Pope if he switches back to the Black House side. Excited by the letter, the Fat Bishop decides to burn all of the books he has written against the Black House, write a few books against the White House, and rejoin the Black House immediately.
The Black Knight's Pawn enters and tells the Black Knight that his plot has been foiled: upon investigation, the White Bishop's Pawn discovered that the Black Bishop's Pawn was, indeed, in town when the attempted rape of the White Queen's Pawn took place. She is acquitted and released.
Angling to regain trust, the Black Queen's Pawn praises the White Queen's Pawn's virtue, corroborates her account of the attempted rape, and claims responsibility for creating the distraction that enabled her escape during the attempted rape. The White Queen's Pawn is grateful.
The Black Knight reveals that the White King's Pawn is a spy and "captures" him.
The Fat Bishop reveals his change to the Black side and says he will immediately begin writing books against the White House. In an aside, the Black Knight says he will flatter the Fat Bishop for a while and betray him as soon as he outlives his usefulness.
The (recently captured) White King's Pawn asks the Black Knight how he will be rewarded for his service. Gondomar answers by sending him to "the bag" (a giant onstage bag for captured chess pieces, symbolic of Hell).