Chess and Dance
In the prologue of the play, the characters compare the game of chess taking place to a beautiful dance in which every person has a role to play. This metaphor showcases how political machinations (the game of chess) take tact, skill, and grace. The metaphor further suggests that political negotiations can and should be a subject of entertainment for the masses.
Emasculation
In the first act, a white pawn, the White Queen’s Pawn, expresses her desire to be with another pawn, the White Bishop's Pawn. Still, the White Queen’s Pawn has some doubts, given that the White Bishop's Pawn was castrated by a black chess piece. The castration of the White Bishop's Pawn is used here as a metaphor, suggesting the way the Jesuits stole the power from the Protestant Church and thus "castrated" them – stealing their power and strength.
Vineyard
In the play, the world in which the characters live is compared time and time again to a grand vineyard in which every person is a worker who has to do his or her part. This comparison also appears in the Bible, where Jesus Christ compares his followers to workers in a vineyard and the people who still have to learn about the Bible's truth with the grapes that have to be gathered. This metaphor is both a nod to the religious significance of the play – in which Catholics and Protestants vie for power – and another example of how political decisions often involve many different but necessary players.
The Bag
When characters or pieces are defeated, they are sent to "the bag." Critics believe there must have been a large prop bag on the stage for the original performances of the play. However, the bag is also a metaphor for punishment and for hell: those pieces that are sent to the bag are portrayed as immoral and even heretical, and the play suggests that they will be punished for their sinful behavior in the afterlife.
Fat Bishop
While the Fat Bishop is an allegorical representation of a real historical figure, he is also an important metaphor in the play. The fact that the bishop is fat should not be overlooked: his corpulence, in Middleton's view, is suggestive of his willingness to indulge himself, and it showcases his prioritization of himself above others. This is especially significant given his high position in the Church—expected to serve the people, the Fat Bishop instead serves only himself. In this way the character of the Fat Bishop comments on the perceived hypocrisy within the Catholic Church that many Protestants criticized.
