Game at Chess, Vol. 1

This is a new edition of Thomas Middleton's A Game at Chess, a highly popular 1624 political drama that was closed by the government for its irreverent satire on contemporary court and international personalities. Throughout the years there have been many versions of the play, posing complex and thought-provoking problems for students and scholars of Renaissance drama. The Malone edition is a new diplomatic text of Middleton's autograph manuscript, adding much important evidence to the debate about Middleton's contribution to Shakespeare's plays.

Booknews

A fully-annotated edition of Middleton's notorious play that provoked a scandal when it appeared in 1624 London by veiling its satire of people in high places a little too thinly behind a metaphor of chess play. Its nine performances were so popular that the government closed The Globe Theatre. The new edition is based on the many surviving manuscripts and documents, and contextualizes the play with contemporary reports and proclamations. Includes an index to the annotations. Distributed in the US by St. Martin's Press. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

T.H. Howard-Hill is C. Wallace Martin Professor of English at the University of South Carolina.