The Game and Playe of the Chesse

Despite its title, Caxton's Game and Playe of the Chesse does not, in fact, have much to say about a game or about playing it ... Instead, the work uses the chessboard and its pieces to allegorize a political community whose citizens contribute to the common good. Readers first meet the king, queen, bishops (imagined as judges), knights, and rooks, here depicted as the king's emissaries. They are then introduced to the eight different pawns, who represent trades that range from farmers to messengers ... Paired with each profession is a list of moral codes ... These pairings reinforce the idea of a kingdom organized around professional ties and associations, ties that are in turn regulated by moral law. - from the Introduction

Acknowledgments Introduction The Game and Playe of the Chesse 1. Preface and Table of Contents 2. Book One 3. Book Two 4. Book Three 5. Book Four Explanatory Notes Textual Notes Bibliography Glossary

Jenny Adams, Associate Professor, holds a PhD and an AM in English Literature from the University of Chicago, and a BA in English Literature and French Language and Literature from UCLA. She has taught a wide variety of courses including: Chaucer, Arthurian Legends, Major British Authors, Medieval Dream Poetry, Medieval Travel Narratives, Utopian/Dystopias, Old English, and Society and Literature.