Clifford Geertz
Author and anthropologist, Geertz recounts the time he and his wife spent in Bali, Indonesia. He is one of America's most widely recognized anthropologists, famous for his use of symbolic anthropology, a method of cultural analysis which he established in his essay "Deep Play." During his time in Bali, Geertz ingratiated himself among the Balinese by attending cockfights, which were illegal. By risking his health and safety to observe the fights, he proved his trustworthiness to the locals, allowing him to receive firsthand insight into the symbolic significance of the fights in Balinese culture.
Hildred Geertz
Hildred Geertz is Clifford Geertz's wife and a fellow anthropologist. She accompanied him on his travels, assisting in his fieldwork. Geertz credits her with invaluable insight on this project in Bali.
Balinese Aristocracy
There is no royalty in Bali, but there is an aristocracy. Though few in number, these upper-class citizens enjoy many luxuries and are well respected by everyone in the villge. Despite their wealth, the upper class still competes in cockfights. Geertz argues that these matches – featuring aristocratic, wealthy members of the village – are some of the "deepest" ones, as the center bets are usually large and therefore have a greater effect on the side bets in the crowd.
Balinese Common People
These are the people with whom Geertz spent most of his time in Bali. He benefitted from the specific insights of many individuals while analyzing their culture. In the first section of the essay, Geertz recalls his arrival in Bali and notes how he and his wife were treated with marked apathy by the Balinese locals. It is only after they flee a raided cockfight that the villagers begin to accept them into their community.
Balinese Man and Wife
When Geertz and his wife fled the cockfight that had been raided by police, they followed a man back to his compound, looking for somewhere to hide. Neither the man nor his wife asked any questions. Instead, the man's wife pulled out a table and tea set, and they all sat down quickly to pretend they had been having tea. When the police arrived, the man defended Geertz and his wife. This interaction was the first in which Geertz felt accepted by the Balinese people.
The Umpire
In Geertz's elaborate description of cockfighting and its rules, he singles out one figure – the umpire – as playing an especially important role. For the Balinese, the cockfight umpires are revered and never challenged. Geertz even suggests that cockfighting umpires are treated with the same level of respect as judges, police officers, or even kings.
Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy Bentham was an English philosopher and jurist. He is also considered the founder of modern utilitarianism. It is from Bentham's work in A Theory of Legislation that Geertz pulls and adapts the concept of "deep play," or extremely high-risk gambling. While Bentham was philosophizing a theory of happiness, Geertz uses this concept to analyze cockfighting as a nuanced endeavor that encompasses the complexity of Balinese culture.
Erving Goffman
Erving Goffman was an American sociologist and psychologist. Geertz makes reference to Goffman's work in the article, especially when he discusses the difference between money wagers and status wagers. He quotes Goffman when he asserts that deep play cockfights are "status bloodbaths" (18).
The Prince
The prince is a revered figure in Balinese culture, and serves as a type of myth among the villagers. According to Geertz, this prince (also known as "The Cockfighter") was away at a high-stakes cockfight when his entire family was assassinated by usurpers. The prince returned to regain the throne and bring Bali into its most prosperous state. Geertz argues that, in the mythology of the prince, one can observe the values of honor, masculinity, and determination that the Balinese value so highly.
Aristotle
Aristotle appears at the end of the essay, as Geertz makes the interpretive leap from describing the intricacies of Balinese cockfights to ascribing them with symbolic significance. He pulls from the Greek philosopher in order to establish this more abstract way of thinking, alluding to the notion that symbolic structures are a means of communicating something about something else.
