The Game of Love and Chance

The Game of Love and Chance, or Le Jeu de l’Amour et du Hasard, is a three-act comedy written by the eighteenth-century French dramatist and prose writer, Pierre Marivaux. First staged in 1730, the play turns on the classic plot device of false identities. When young Parisians Silvia and Dorante are matched for marriage by their wealthy fathers, they both swap places with their servants to vet one another unawares, as they’ve never met. Servants and masters alike then grapple with romantic sentiments that seemingly transcend social ranks, eliciting speculation that personal merit may prevail over one’s class.

At the upper-class, Paris home of the Orgons, Silvia and her maid, Lisette, discuss the marriage Silvia’s father has arranged between her and Dorante, the son of his longtime friend. Lisette remarks that Dorante is reputedly charming and handsome, but Silvia has reservations. Recently, she has discovered that a certain man who appears amiable and polite when out in society, is cold and mirthless with his wife and servants. Suspecting that many upper-class men publicly mask their vain, arrogant natures, Silvia fears Dorante might, as well. She tells Lisette she values good character in a husband more than charm.

Monsieur Orgon, Silvia’s father, notifies her that Dorante will arrive shortly to meet her. As Silvia’s happiness is important to him, he will let her decide if Dorante is a worthy match for her. Silvia expresses her wish to determine if Dorante is two-faced. She proposes that she and Lisette switch roles, allowing her to observe how he treats others, not just his betrothed. Monsieur Orgon quickly agrees to the ploy.



While Silvia and Lisette trade clothing, Monsieur Orgon tells Mario, Silvia’s brother, that according to a letter from Dorante’s father, Dorante has hatched the same scheme as Silvia. He will appear in the guise of a valet, Bourguinon, and his actual valet, Arlequin will pose as Dorante. Orgon and Mario agree to keep the twin ruses a secret, allowing events to unfold as they will.

When Silvia and Dorante meet, disguised as their servants, they feel an immediate attraction. This is a troubling development for both, as each believes the other is of inferior rank. Try as they might to feign lower class demeanors, they cannot conceal the sophistication of their minds and manners. Silvia unwillingly admires Dorante’s intelligence, and Dorante, surprised by her grace, wonders, “What kind of maid are you with your princess-like air?”

Meanwhile, the false Silvia and Dorante – Lisette and Arlequin – are similarly intrigued and beguiled by one another. Arlequin, presenting himself as Dorante, relishes his new, powerful position, displaying such exaggerated aristocratic airs that he comes off as a rude buffoon. Because Lisette, a maid, lacks taste and sensitivity, she fails to discern how vulgar “Dorante” appears and is rather impressed by him. As she banters and flirts with the false Dorante, Lisette also falls short of genuine upper-class refinement, but she fools Arlequin.



Concerned that her mistress’s fiancé is falling in love with her, Lisette warns Orgon that Silvia should unmask her identity to “Dorante.” As he knows that “Dorante” is actually Arlequin, Orgon gives Lisette his blessing to follow her heart. Lisette and Arlequin declare their love for each other. Both are eager to unite in marriage, partly because both mistakenly assume the marriage will elevate them to the upper class.

Silvia, witnessing the crude behavior of the man she believes to be Dorante, is repulsed. Pulling Lisette aside, she presses Lisette to dismiss him, saying, “You can clearly see that this man doesn’t suit me at all […]. I hate him.” Lisette declines, claiming Orgon wishes him to remain.

“Bourguinon” (the true Dorante) then draws Silvia aside, and, although under the impression she is a maid, professes his love for her. While she reciprocates his feelings, Silvia cannot bring herself to admit this to a man she thinks is a servant. Silvia equivocates, saying she doesn’t love him but doesn’t hate him. The sudden appearance of Orgon and Mario interrupts the pair’s intimate exchange.



Speaking privately with his daughter, Orgon suggests she is losing her heart to Dorante’s valet, Bourguinon. Silvia rejects this notion but is secretly in turmoil over the unexpected consequences of her disguise. She decides it is time to end the masquerade, but Orgon advises her to continue a while longer.

Alone with Silvia once again, Dorante confesses that he is not Bourguinon, but Dorante. While Silvia is delighted and relieved to learn the servant is really the master, she chooses to maintain her charade as a maid. As she tells her father and brother after “informing” them of Bourguinon’s real identity, she “want[s] a battle between love and reason.” If Dorante’s love for her is sufficiently strong, he will disregard her supposedly low rank and betray “his fortune and his birth” to marry her.

To force Dorante’s hand, Silvia enlists Mario to pretend he is Dorante’s rival for her affections. Mario confronts Dorante, proclaiming he loves “Lisette,” regardless of her lowly birth. Jealous, but still torn between “love and reason,” Dorante departs in despair.



Love triumphs, however, and Dorante soon returns to tell “Lisette,” “There is no rank, birth, or fortune that does not disappear before a soul like yours; […] my heart and hand belong to you.” She joyfully accepts his proposal, revealing she is truly Silvia. Meanwhile, Arlequin reluctantly divulges his actual social condition to “Silvia,” whose initial anger quickly turns to laughter as she admits she is really Lisette, Silvia’s maid. Their mutual love and pledge to marry endures, despite the deception.

The Game of Love and Chance showcases “marivaudage,” a type of dialogue Marivaux developed. Characterized by refined, witty wordplay, marivaudage appealed “to French audiences of his time” and “is also integral to the continuing popularity of his works today.”