"Cloak and dagger" was a fighting style common in the Renaissance involving a knife hidden beneath a cloak. The term later came into use as a metaphor, referring to situations involving intrigue,
secrecy
Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret.
Secrecy is often controvers ...
,
espionage, or mystery.
Overview
In "
The Knight's Tale
"The Knight's Tale" ( enm, The Knightes Tale) is the first tale from Geoffrey Chaucer's '' The Canterbury Tales''.
The Knight is described by Chaucer in the "General Prologue" as the person of highest social standing amongst the pilgrims, t ...
", published around 1400, English poet
Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer (; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for ''The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He wa ...
referred to "The smiler with the knife under the cloak".
Taken literally, the phrase could refer to using the cloak and dagger in
historical European martial arts. The purpose of the cloak was to obscure the presence or movement of the dagger, to provide minor protection from slashes, to restrict the movement of the opponent's weapon, and to provide a distraction. Fencing master
Achille Marozzo taught and wrote about this method of combat in his book, ''Opera Nova''. Fighting this way was not necessarily seen as a first choice of weapons, but may have become a necessity in situations of self-defense if one were not carrying a sword, with the cloak being a common garment of the times that could be pressed into use as a defensive aid. Both Marozzo and other masters such as
Di Grassi
Di Grassi is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Giacomo di Grassi (16th century), Italian fencing master
* Lucas di Grassi
Lucas Tucci di Grassi (born 11 August 1984) is a Brazilian professional racing driver who competes ...
also taught the use of the cloak with the rapier.
The metaphorical meaning of the phrase dates from the early 19th century. It is a translation from the
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
''de cape et d'épée'' and
Spanish ''de capa y espada'' ("of cloak and sword"). These phrases referred to a genre of
swashbuckler drama in which the main characters wore these items. In 1840,
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, "In the afternoon read ''La Dama Duende'' of
Calderón – a very good comedy of 'cloak and sword'."
Charles Dickens subsequently used the phrase "cloak and dagger" in his work ''
Barnaby Rudge'' a year later as a sarcastic reference to this style of drama.
The imagery of these two items became associated with the archetypal spy or
assassin: the
cloak, worn to hide one's identity or remain hidden from view, and the
dagger, a concealable and silent weapon.
In contemporary culture
The sword fight in
Peter Martins' ballet of ''
Romeo + Juliet'' culminates in Romeo stabbing Tybalt repeatedly in the back with a dagger, having flung his cloak over the latter's head.
Cloak and Dagger are also the names of two
Marvel Comics characters debuting in 1982.
SEAL Team ONE's unit logo features a seal wrapped in a cloak, holding a dagger, referencing the nature of their clandestine missions.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cloak And Dagger
English-language idioms
Historical European martial arts