Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight

by Clifford Geertz

"Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight" is an essay included in the book The Interpretation of Cultures by anthropologist Clifford Geertz. Considered Geertz's most seminal work, the essay addresses the meaning of cockfighting in Balinese culture.

Example of a cockfight in Bali circa 1958.
Cockfights were generally illegal in Indonesia when Geertz was doing his fieldwork there in the 1950s. The first cockfight that he and his wife viewed was broken up by the police. The experience of hiding from the police in the courtyard of a local couple allowed Geertz to break the tension between himself and the villagers, and perform all of the interviews and observation which make up The Interpretation of Cultures.

The essay describes how cocks are taken to stand in for powerful men in the villages, and notes that even the double-entendre sense of the word "cock" exists in the Balinese language as much as in English.[1]

The last half of the essay describes the rituals of betting and concludes that the cockfight is the Balinese comment on themselves, as it embodies the network of social relationships in kin and village that govern traditional Balinese life.

The title of the essay is explained as a concept of British philosopher Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832), who defines "deep play" as a game with stakes so high that no rational person would engage in it. The amounts of money and status involved in the very brief cockfights make Balinese cockfighting "deep play." The problem of explaining why the activity prevails is what Geertz sets out to solve in the essay.

Genres: Anthropology, Nonfiction, Sociology, Philosophy

Unknown Binding

About the author

Clifford James Geertz was an American anthropologist and served until his death as professor emeritus at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey.

Reviews

[Kristine Surmava]

,,Attending cockfights and participating in them is, for the Balinese, a kind of sentimental education. What he learns there is what his culture's ethos and his private sensibility ( or, anyway, certain aspects of them ) look like when spelled out externally in a collective text; that the two are near enough alike to be articulated in the symbolics of a single such text; and – the disquieting part? – that the text in which this revelation is accomplished consists of a chicken hacking another mindlessly to bits”.


Nothing beats ethnographic rapports. I love Geertz's writing style, I love his literary references and I loveeeeeeee interpretive anthropology.

(bodishi yvelas, visac xval amaze tvins wavugheb)

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

An anthropological essay both dry and fascinating. Dissects the rules and significance of the Balinese cockfight, trying to figure out what it means to both the Balinese culture and the human obsession with games and “deep play” in general. This essay features both many errors of the anthropologist and Geertz’s self-awareness of those flaws. He is both very knowledgeable about Balinese culture, detached from it, and very much biased towards it. If this essay is my introduction to anthropology, the mixed feelings it leaves do not make me like the discipline very much.

[Aena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cockfight is not merely a pastime for the Balinese but is a representation of themselves. It represent their status, masculinity, the narcissistic male ego, a symbolic expression of one's self. Cockfight defines as a sociological entity, as a matter of fact. The thrill of risk, the despondency of loss, the satisfaction of victory brings them to a different kind of joy associated with cannibalistic delight, moral satisfaction, and humiliation for the loss.

[Maartje de Bruin]

DNF

I have to read this for school. But ±10 hours in I've only reached page 15 and I'm understanding 10/20 %. ... The content is interesting but Dammmm can this man make his sentences any longer? And use more commas? OMG.
English is not my first language and this one is just too difficult for me.

Maybe I'll try again another time, but definitely not in the near future.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

this story hooked my attention. read this for fun so i don't know the academic picture, but i thought it was interesting to frame the cockfight as a text speaking in a vocabulary of sentiment, then to connect it to art forms like books, paintings, and plays. overall it was cool to learn from a disciplinary perspective i haven't read before.

[Sebastian Bolzan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surpassingly Good

[Yulietita · Rating 3 out of 5]

te amo clifford geertz cuántas toneladas pesa tu cerebro?

[Shivangi ☁️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anthropology 101

[Dusti Falgoust]

Read as part of an information science course. Super interesting!

[Charles Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helped put into words some things I was feeling about my Indonesian heritage and the legitimacy of different perspectives.

[Benni · Rating 4 out of 5]

kunne faktisk godt lide den her

[Viktoria Chipova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: 4/5 ⭐️
Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight – Clifford Geertz

Geertz’s Deep Play is a seminal essay in interpretive anthropology that brilliantly captures how something as seemingly trivial as cockfighting becomes a rich symbolic arena reflecting Balinese social structure, masculinity, and status dynamics.

His concept of “deep play” — where the stakes are irrationally high relative to material gain — opens a fascinating window into how culture is performed, internalized, and contested. The writing is intelligent and layered, blending vivid ethnographic description with deep theoretical insight.

Why 4 and not 5 stars? While the essay is intellectually stimulating, it does assume a certain familiarity with anthropological concepts, and at times the analysis becomes a bit too abstract or dense for general readers. Still, it’s a foundational piece that rewards careful reading.

In summary:
A sharp, symbolic dissection of ritual and meaning in Balinese society. Essential reading for students of culture, though perhaps best approached with some prior background. 4/5.

[Julia Deptuła · Rating 1 out of 5]

*lit theories*

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for a class. This was a surprisingly enjoyable read. I was prepared for a boring, long reading assignment but was taken with the descriptions of Balinese culture, the stories of the anthropologists experience, the incredibly detailed explanation of cockfighting and betting, and how it all related to an interesting psychological phenomenon. It got a little long and wasn't the easiest to finish, but it was good.