Title: Middleton's "Vulgar Pasquin"
First published: 1995
Description: Thomas Middleton's A Game at Chess (1624) is the most remarkable play of James I's reign. A staunchly anti-Spanish, anti-Jesuit chess allegory, with touches of topical satire, its nine consecutive performances are an unexampled dramatization of contemporary political concerns following the breakdown of the Spanish marriage negotiations and James's reversal of his long-maintained foreign policies.

A Game quickly became notorious for its free treatment of forbidden topics: contemporary references to the play dealing with its suppression are exceptionally numerous. The essays in Middleton's "Vulgar Pasquin" are substantially revisionist and situate the play in critical, genetic, historical, and theatrical contexts.

. Four appendixes supply information valuable for the readers of the plays and editors.
Subjects: Allegory, Chess in literature, English Political plays, Historiography, History, History and criticism, Political and social views, Political plays, English, Politics and government, Politics and literature, English drama, history and criticism, 17th century
Places: Great Britain
People: Thomas Middleton (d. 1627)
Time periods: 1603-1625, 17th century
LC classification: PR2714.G33 H68 1995