Fair play
Fair play means honest conduct, respect for rules, and a reasonable chance for everyone; the phrase appears in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. It applies beyond games to any situation where people should avoid cheating, bullying, or taking unfair advantage.
Where it comes from
A question of honesty
The phrase appears in The Tempest during a chess game. The playful exchange connects fairness in a game with trust between two people.
Miranda accuses Ferdinand of cheating at chess, and he denies that he would deceive her. Their teasing conversation takes place when Prospero reveals the young couple together.
In The Tempest by William Shakespeare
Fairness beyond the game
Today, fair play can mean giving others a proper chance in sport, work, or an argument. A game with shifting rules offers a useful picture of its opposite.
In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice struggles to play croquet with live flamingos and hedgehogs while the Queen threatens the players. The disorder makes a fair contest almost impossible.
In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
How to use Fair play
- Use it when honesty or equal chances are at stake.
- Explain which rule or action makes the situation fair.
- Keep playful praise separate from serious complaints about unfair treatment.
Did Shakespeare invent the phrase fair play?
Its appearance in Shakespeare does not establish that he invented it. In The Tempest, Miranda uses the phrase while playing chess with Ferdinand, so the scene offers a clear literary example rather than proof of its earliest use.
What does fair play mean when someone says it as praise?
As praise, fair play means that someone deserves credit or respect for what they have done. In informal speech, especially in Britain and Ireland, it can acknowledge a good effort, an honest admission, or an achievement, even by a rival.
Related terms
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