Thomas Middleton drama “A Game at Chess”

The satirical comedy “A Game at Chess” by Thomas Middleton was first performed by the author and his actors in August 1624 at the Globe Theatre. Thomas Middleton’s A Game at Chess (1624) | Society for Renaissance Studies“] It is well renowned for its political nature, which attacks both the government of Spain and England. The audience quickly understood that the play was an allegory for the intense relationship between Spain (the Black piece) and England (the White piece), despite the fact that it initially seemed to be about a chess match between rivals and even included a real chess opening and characters like the Black Knight and White Knight (Black pieces). The play targeted leaders in both countries whereby the White King referred to England’s King James I while the Black King Spain’s King Philip IV. The other prominent name targeted in the play include Split Archbishop Marco de Dominis (the Fat Bishop) played by Middleton’s close associate William Rowley. De Dominis had left the Catholic Church and joined the Anglican then returned to Rome during that period. Diego Sarmiento de Cuna, Gondomar who was a former Spanish ambassador to the Great Britain was satirized in the play as the Black Knight. The Kingsmen even went ahead to purchase Gondomar clothing’s to play his role (”Thomas Middleton“). The play majorly focused on the tough negotiation of marriage proposal of the then Prince Charles (White Knight) and the Spanish princess, Infanta Maria. In this paper, the reactions of the English regarding the play ”game at chess“ during the Renaissance will be significantly discussed with its impact to the society from King James, the public, Thomas Middleton, the privy council, and Master of the Revels, Sir Henry Herbert.

The Public

The public in England loved the play so much since it was a razor-sharp satire in the politics of the country during the renaissance that criticized the leaders of both Spain and England. It greatly mocked the Spanish people, and this was as a result of the tensions of the war that was involving the two nations in 1620 thus increasing the hatred that Englanders had toward the Spanish people. Charles had traveled to Madrid on Palm Sunday for his projected marriage celebrations. However, he returned to London around October while still a bachelor. Londoners celebration was a great paradoxical celebration of a failure because the prince had gone to Spain to look for a wife but failed to succeed. They merely took defeat for victory against the Spanish. Eight months later, Middleton wrote the play ”A Game at chess“ that supported the opinions of most English people towards the Spanish and addressed some of the key political tensions between the two states (”Early Modern Spain: The Black Knight’S Festival Book?“). Moreover, the Protestants and the Catholics were not in a good relationship during that period too. England was a Protestant state since the accession of Queen Elizabeth I to the throne in the year 1558.

The Public was very much unease with the royal relationship that involved the then Prince Charles trying to propose marriage to the Spanish princess, Infanta Maria. The unease contributed greatly to the English Civil wars that started twenty years later after the incident (”A Game at Chess: The Most Controversial Play “). Englanders enjoyed scenes that depicted the Spanish being humiliated and defeated especially after the whites and blacks had finished their struggles with the white team winning and throwing the blacks into ”the bag,“ a hell that has a deep hole and hideous figures. For instance, during the conversation when White Night Charles said that ”there you lie again, and the game is ours“ he takes Black Night Gondomar, and Buckingham’s White Duke take Black Night King Felipe, who later shouts that he is lost and taken. A great flourish and shout are heard cheering the scene portraying the happiness the public have since the Whites are defeating the blacks and placing them in the bags (Taylor, 1881).

The King

After the Spanish ambassador to London, don Carlos Coloma, saw his predecessor conde de Gondomar being derided and mocked in the ”game at chess,“ he went to complain to King James on 7th August. After three days, the King wrote a letter to the Duke of Olivares to explain to him about the show. During the investigation, the show managed to be staged at the Globe Theatre for nine consecutive days excluding Sunday from 6th to 16th of August. After the King found out that the royal family including him had been represented in the play, he got amused thereby banning the opera, which had become a box office hit during that period. The reason behind the banning of the play was not based on the insult that the former dignitary received from it but the portrayal of the royals in the it, which was not allowed according to the law. If Gondomar was the Black Knight, which was proven due to his clothes being used by the Kingsmen, then definitely the Black King was King Philip IV who was his leader. And since Chess is always one of the games that require the participation of the opposites then undoubtedly the white King referred directly to King James I of England.

Thomas Middleton

The play writer was born in April 1580 in London, Newington Butts, and died on 4th July 1627. He was a late dramatist during the Elizabethan period who drew people close to his works that were full of irony and comic gusto (”Thomas Middleton Biography“). Middleton who was a staunch Protestant had the same feeling and sentiments with the public regarding the Catholics and the Spanish people on how they treated Prince Charles wrongly by letting him come back home without his bride from Spain. They all wanted to turn defeat to victory by all means; hence, being gifted as a play writer, he created a satirical comedy that explained the struggles of the relationship the Prince underwent and the stormy relationship between the two nations. The action can be widely seen throughout the play with the language employed in describing the characters especially the Black Knight and other Black pieces in the game. The simple alliteration use provides his speech an enthusiastic energy that drives his intentions and meanings forward. For instance, he describes the Fat Bishop as gluttonous, greedy, lecherous; former Catholic who converted to Protestant and now resides in the White House (Taylor, 1830). He also describes Gondomar as yonder, greasy gormandizing prelate (Taylor, 1849). The author also goes ahead to offer a bad character for the Blacks as being adulterous and liars. For instance, when the pawn of Jesuit Black Bishop demanded to sleep with the White Queen’s Virgin Pawn, the lady opted to report him to the White King whereby Jesuit Black Bishop agreed with his pawn to lie that the virgin was on the wrong side. The Black Bishop to his pawn ”she has no witness, “ and the response was ”none, none“ (Taylor, 1846). They later claimed that the pawn was outside the white house during the time of the event; hence, the virgin ended up being punished.

Sir Henry Herbert

Sir Herbert who was the Master of the Revels was the one in charge of permitting whether a play was good for public display or not. However, in Middleton’s play ”A Game at Chess“, he did not object to its content; hence, managed to permit its performance in the Globe Theatre. Sir Herbert failed to see anything offensive in the play. Even though he did license it on 12th June, but the play writer managed to display it to the public on August 6th-16th, a time when the King was out of England. Nonetheless, the play was forbidden by the King as Middleton together with his actors were reprimanded and fined. The Master of the Revels was also put under investigation and questioned by the King and the Privy Council.

The Privy Council

After Don Carlos Coloma reported the issue to King James whereby he started inquiring through other officials on the reason as to why they allowed the play to staged in the Global Theatre, the Privy Council that was in charge of legal matter stepped into action. The council opened its conviction against the author together with the actors involved in the play. During that period, it was illegal for any person to portray any Christian King in their work of arts, especially in plays. They were found guilty and fined on 18th August after the play had been banned.

Globe Theatre

The theatre was famous during the Renaissance period where many play writers managed to display their work for public viewing (Barton, Anne). It was visited by many people from the royals to the ordinary people, and the rich and the poor who could afford the plays. The owner of the theatre did not feel that the play was odious thereby allowing Middleton together with the actors to show it to the public. However, after it staged the play ”A Game at Chess,“ which was banned by the King, the center was also closed thus limiting the business operation of the owner.

Conclusion

Artists usually have the freedom to express their views in their arts for the world to view them. They typically represent a unique vision that only the authors can only see deep in their thoughts and memories; however, there are always faced with challenges that can interfere with their work. Laws do apply even in the current world. And when they go against them, it is unfortunate that they must face the consequences. Freedom too has the limit, and it is not boundless as many usually think. For instance, during the Renaissance period in Britain whereby there was a great tension between the English people and the Spanish people, the laws of the land dictated that no one should portray the Christian King in any play. Nonetheless, Middleton together with the actors managed to outmaneuver this legislation by staging their play in the Globe theatre. The repercussions of the show were both negative and positive to the society. On the public, it excited them thereby making it among the top hit plays during that era. Nonetheless, the King did not like it thus banning the show. The author together with his team was reprimanded and fined while the Globe Theatre was closed.

Works Cited

”Thomas Middleton’s, a Game at Chess (1624) | Society For Renaissance Studies.“ Rensoc.Org.Uk, 2017, http://www.rensoc.org.uk/news/thomas-middleton%E2%80%99s-game-chess-1624.

”Thomas Middleton.“ Biography.Com, 2017, https://www.biography.com/people/thomas-middleton-39631.

”A Game At Chess: The Most Controversial Play You’Ve Never Heard Of.“ Howlround, 2017, http://howlround.com/a-game-at-chess-the-most-controversial-play-you-ve-never-heard-of.

Taylor, Gary. A Game at Chesse: An Early Form. Oxford University Press.

”Thomas Middleton.“ Poetry Foundation, 2017, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/thomas-middleton.

”Early Modern Spain: The Black Knight’S Festival Book?.“ Ems.Kcl.Ac.Uk, 2017, http://www.ems.kcl.ac.uk/content/pub/b022.html.

Barton, Anne. ”LRB · Anne Barton · Plays For Puritans.“ London Review Of Books, 2017, https://www.lrb.co.uk/v02/n24/anne-barton/plays-for-puritans.