"A
Fair Quarrel" is a tragicomedy by Thomas Middleton and William Rowley, published in 1617.
This is a brief summary
of the play. The play is supported y a sub-plot but the main story is in Captain Ager's
moral dilemma.
The sub-plot involves the wealthy Russell, the nephew of Captain Ager and brother of Ager's widowed mother, Lady Ager. Russell has an only child, Jane, being courted by a young man, Fitzallen. The couple want to marry but Russell is uncomfortable about it because of his potential son-in-law's lack of fortune and push in life. Fitzallen is a close relative of the Colonel of the troop of soldiers returning to England. Captain Ager serves in the same troop.
To the main plot: In the course of word exchanges, the Colonel happens to insult his mother, Lady Ager, by calling Captain Ager as the "son of a whore." Captain Ager will not tolerate this insult of virtue on his mother and challenges the Colonel to a duel. When the captain confronts his mother to ensure the fight is justified, at first she's indignant but when she finds out about the duel, she admits of a past indiscretion to protect her son from the duel. Captain Ager then withdraws. When the Colonel calls him a coward, he pushed through with the challenge now that he has a ground for the duel.
Captain Ager and the Colonel fight with the latter wounded. They eventually reconciled, a comfort to her cousin, Jane, and to Fitzallen, the Colonel's relative. Turns out to be a
fair quarrel.