The Faerie Queene

The Faerie Queene is an English epic poem by Edmund

Spenser. Books I–III were first published in 1590, and
then republished in 1596 together with books IV–VI. The
Faerie Queene is notable for its form: it is one of the
longest poems in the English language as well as the
work in which Spenser invented the verse form known as
the Spenserian stanza.[1] On a literal level, the poem
follows several knights as a means to examine different
virtues, and though the text is primarily an allegorical
work, it can be read on several levels of allegory,
including as praise (or, later, criticism) of Queen
Elizabeth I. In Spenser's "Letter of the Authors", he states
that the entire epic poem is "cloudily enwrapped in
Allegorical devices", and the aim of publishing The Faerie
Queene was to "fashion a gentleman or noble person in
virtuous and gentle discipline".[2]
Spenser presented the first three
The Faerie Queene
books of The Faerie Queene to
Elizabeth I in 1589, probably
sponsored by Sir Walter Raleigh.
The poem was a clear effort to
gain court favour, and as a reward
Elizabeth granted Spenser a
pension for life amounting to £50 Title page of The

a year,[3] though there is no further Faerie Queene, circa

1590
evidence that Elizabeth I ever read
any of the poem. This royal
patronage elevated the poem to a Author Edmund
level of success that made it Spenser
Spenser's defining work.[4]
Country Kingdom
of
Summary England

Language Early
Modern
English

Genre Epic
poem

Publication
Holiness defeats Error: an illustration from date 1590
Book I, Part l of an 1895–1897 edition

Book I is centred on the virtue of holiness as embodied

in the Redcrosse Knight. Largely self-contained, Book I
can be understood to be its own miniature epic. The
Redcrosse Knight and his lady Una travel together as he
fights the monster Errour, then separately after the
wizard Archimago tricks the Redcrosse Knight into
thinking that Una is unchaste using a false dream. After
he leaves, the Redcrosse Knight meets Duessa, who
feigns distress in order to entrap him. Duessa leads the
Redcrosse Knight to captivity by the giant Orgoglio.
Meanwhile, Una overcomes peril, meets Arthur, and
finally finds the Redcrosse Knight and rescues him from
his capture, from Duessa, and from Despair. Una and
Arthur help the Redcrosse Knight recover in the House of
Holiness, with the House's ruler Caelia and her three
daughters joining them; there the Redcrosse Knight sees
a vision of his future. He then returns Una to her parents'
castle and rescues them from a dragon, and the two are
betrothed after resisting Archimago one last time.
Book II is centred on the virtue of Temperance as
embodied in Sir Guyon, who is tempted by the fleeing
Archimago into nearly attacking the Redcrosse Knight.
Guyon discovers a woman killing herself out of grief for
having her lover tempted and bewitched by the witch
Acrasia and killed. Guyon swears a vow to avenge them
and protect their child. Guyon on his quest starts and
stops fighting several evil, rash, or tricked knights and
meets Arthur. Finally, they come to Acrasia's Island and
the Bower of Bliss, where Guyon resists temptations to
violence, idleness, and lust. Guyon captures Acrasia in a
net, destroys the Bower, and rescues those imprisoned
there.

Book III is centred on the virtue of Chastity as embodied

in Britomart, a lady knight. Resting after the events of
Book II, Guyon and Arthur meet Britomart, who wins a
joust with Guyon. They separate as Arthur and Guyon
leave to rescue Florimell, while Britomart rescues the
Redcrosse Knight. Britomart reveals to the Redcrosse
Knight that she is pursuing Sir Artegall because she is
destined to marry him. The Redcrosse Knight defends
Artegall and they meet Merlin, who explains more
carefully Britomart's destiny to found the English
monarchy. Britomart leaves and fights Sir Marinell.
Arthur looks for Florimell, joined later by Sir Satyrane and
Britomart, and they witness and resist sexual
temptation. Britomart separates from them and meets
Sir Scudamore, looking for his captured lady Amoret.
Britomart alone is able to rescue Amoret from the wizard
Busirane. Unfortunately, when they emerge from the
castle Scudamore is gone. (The 1590 version with Books
I–III depicts the lovers' happy reunion, but this was
changed in the 1596 version which contained all six
books.)

Book IV, despite its title "The Legend of Cambell and

Telamond or Of Friendship", Cambell's companion in
Book IV is actually named Triamond, and the plot does
not center on their friendship; the two men appear only
briefly in the story. The book is largely a continuation of
events begun in Book III. First, Scudamore is convinced
by the hag Ate (discord) that Britomart has run off with
Amoret and becomes jealous. A three-day tournament is
then held by Satyrane, where Britomart beats Arthegal
(both in disguise). Scudamore and Arthegal unite
against Britomart, but when her helmet comes off in
battle Arthegal falls in love with her. He surrenders,
removes his helmet, and Britomart recognizes him as the
man in the enchanted mirror. Arthegal pledges his love
to her but must first leave and complete his quest.
Scudamore, upon discovering Britomart's gender,
realizes his mistake and asks after his lady, but by this
time Britomart has lost Amoret, and she and Scudamore
embark together on a search for her. The reader
discovers that Amoret was abducted by a savage man
and is imprisoned in his cave. One day Amoret darts out
past the savage and is rescued from him by the squire
Timias and Belphoebe. Arthur then appears, offering his
service as a knight to the lost woman. She accepts, and
after a couple of trials on the way, Arthur and Amoret
finally happen across Scudamore and Britomart. The two
lovers are reunited. Wrapping up a different plotline from
Book III, the recently recovered Marinel discovers
Florimell suffering in Proteus' dungeon. He returns home
and becomes sick with love and pity. Eventually he
confesses his feelings to his mother, and she pleads
with Neptune to have the girl released, which the god
grants.

Book V is centred on the virtue of Justice as embodied

in Sir Artegall.
Book VI is centred on the virtue of Courtesy as
embodied in Sir Calidore.

Major characters

Britomart Redeems Faire Amoret by William Etty, 1833. Tate Britain,

London.

Acrasia, seductress of knights. Guyon destroys her

Bower of Bliss at the end of Book 2. Similar characters
in other epics: Circe (Homer's Odyssey), Alcina
(Ariosto), Armida (Tasso), or the fairy woman from
Keats' poem "La Belle Dame sans Merci".
Amoret(ta), the betrothed of Scudamour, kidnapped by
Busirane on her wedding night, saved by Britomart.
She represents the virtue of married love, and her
marriage to Scudamour serves as the example that
Britomart and Artegall seek to copy. Amoret and
Scudamor are separated for a time by circumstances,
but remain loyal to each other until they (presumably)
are reunited.
Archimago, an evil sorcerer who is sent to stop the
knights in the service of the Faerie Queene. Of the
knights, Archimago hates Redcrosse most of all,
hence he is symbolically the nemesis of England.
Artegall (or Artegal or Arthegal or Arthegall), a knight
who is the embodiment and champion of Justice. He
meets Britomart after defeating her in a sword fight
(she had been dressed as a knight) and removing her
helmet, revealing her beauty. Artegall quickly falls in
love with Britomart. Artegall has a companion in Talus,
a metal man who wields a flail and never sleeps or
tires but will mercilessly pursue and kill any number of
villains. Talus obeys Artegall's command, and serves
to represent justice without mercy (hence, Artegall is
the more human face of justice). Later, Talus does not
rescue Artegall from enslavement by the wicked slave-
mistress Radigund, because Artegall is bound by a
legal contract to serve her. Only her death, at
Britomart's hands, liberates him. Chrysaor was the
golden sword of Sir Artegall. This sword was also the
favorite weapon of Demeter, the Greek goddess of the
harvest. Because it was "Tempred with Adamant", it
could cleave through anything.
Arthur of the Round Table, but playing a different role
here. He is madly in love with the Faerie Queene and
spends his time in pursuit of her when not helping the
other knights out of their sundry predicaments. Prince
Arthur is the Knight of Magnificence, the perfection of
all virtues.
Ate, a fiend from Hell disguised as a beautiful maiden.
Ate opposes Book IV's virtue of friendship through
spreading discord. She is aided in her task by Duessa,
the female deceiver of Book I, whom Ate summoned
from Hell. Ate and Duessa have fooled the false
knights Blandamour and Paridell into taking them as
lovers. Her name is possibly inspired by the Greek
goddess of misfortune Atë, said to have been thrown
from Heaven by Zeus, similar to the fallen angels.
Belphoebe, the beautiful sister of Amoret who spends
her time in the woods hunting and avoiding the
numerous amorous men who chase her. Timias, the
squire of Arthur, eventually wins her love after she
tends to the injuries he sustained in battle; however,
Timias must endure much suffering to prove his love
 when Belphoebe sees him tending to a wounded
woman and, misinterpreting his actions, flies off
hastily. She is only drawn back to him after seeing how
he has wasted away without her.

Britomart viewing Artegall by Walter Crane from Book III, Part VII of an
1895–1897 edition

Britomart, a female knight, the embodiment and

champion of Chastity. She is young and beautiful, and
falls in love with Artegall upon first seeing his face in
her father's magic mirror. Though there is no
interaction between them, she travels to find him
again, dressed as a knight and accompanied by her
nurse, Glauce. Britomart carries an enchanted spear
that allows her to defeat every knight she encounters,
until she loses to a knight who turns out to be her
beloved Artegall. (Parallel figure in Ariosto:
Bradamante.) Britomart is one of the most important
knights in the story. She searches the world, including
a pilgrimage to the shrine of Isis, and a visit with
Merlin the magician. She rescues Artegall, and several
other knights, from the evil slave-mistress Radigund.
Furthermore, Britomart accepts Amoret at a
tournament, refusing the false Florimell.
Busirane, the evil sorcerer who captures Amoret on
her wedding night. When Britomart enters his castle to
defeat him, she finds him holding Amoret captive. She
is bound to a pillar and Busirane is torturing her. The
clever Britomart handily defeats him and returns
Amoret to her husband.
Caelia, the ruler of the House of Holiness.
Calidore, the Knight of Courtesy, hero of Book VI. He is
on a quest from the Faerie Queene to slay the Blatant
Beast.
Cambell, one of the Knights of Friendship, hero of
Book IV. Brother of Canacee and friend of Triamond.
Cambina, daughter of Agape and sister to Priamond,
Diamond, and Triamond. Cambina is depicted holding
a caduceus and a cup of nepenthe, signifying her role
as a figure of concord. She marries Cambell after
bringing an end to his fight with Triamond.
Colin Clout, a shepherd noted for his songs and
bagpipe playing, briefly appearing in Book VI. He is the
same Colin Clout as in Spenser's pastoral poetry,
which is fitting because Calidore is taking a sojourn
into a world of pastoral delight, ignoring his duty to
hunt the Blatant Beast, which is why he set out to
Ireland to begin with. Colin Clout may also be said to
be Spenser himself.
Cymochles, a knight in Book II who is defined by
indecision and fluctuations of the will. He and his fiery
brother Pyrochles represent emotional maladies that
threaten temperance. The two brothers are both slain
by Prince Arthur in Canto VIII.
Chrysogonee, mother of Belphoebe and her twin
Amoretta. She hides in the forest and, becoming tired,
falls asleep on a bank, where she is impregnated by
sunbeams and gives birth to twins. The goddesses
Venus and Diana find the newborn twins and take
them: Venus takes Amoretta and raises her in the
Garden of Adonis, and Diana takes Belphoebe.
 Despair, a distraught man in a cave, his name coming
from his mood. He persuades Redcrosse Knight to
nearly commit suicide through rhetoric alone, before
Una steps in.
Duessa, a lady who personifies Falsehood in Book I,
known to Redcrosse as "Fidessa". As the opposite of
Una, she represents the "false" religion of the Roman
Catholic Church. She is also initially an assistant, or at
least a servant, to Archimago.

Florimell's Flight by Washington Allston

Florimell, a lady in love with the knight Marinell, who

initially rejects her. Hearing that he has been wounded,
she sets out to find him and faces various perils,
culminating in her capture by the sea god Proteus. She
is reunited with Marinell at the end of Book IV, and is
married to him in Book V.
 Guyon, the Knight of Temperance, the hero of Book II.
He is the leader of the Knights of Maidenhead and
carries the image of Gloriana on his shield. According
to the Golden Legend, St. George's name shares
etymology with Guyon, which specifically means "the
holy wrestler".

Prince Arthur, the Redcrosse Knight, and Una, illustrated by William Kent,
1751

Marinell, "the knight of the sea"; son of a water nymph,

he avoided all love because his mother had learnt that
a maiden was destined to do him harm; this prophecy
was fulfilled when he was stricken down in battle by
Britomart, though he was not mortally wounded.
Orgoglio, an evil giant. His name means "pride" in
Italian.
The Redcrosse Knight, hero of Book I. Introduced in
the first canto of the poem, he bears the emblem of
Saint George, patron saint of England; a red cross on a
white background that is still the flag of England. The
Redcrosse Knight is declared the real Saint George in
Canto X. He also learns that he is of English ancestry,
having been stolen by a Fay and raised in Faerieland.
In the climactic battle of Book I, Redcrosse slays the
dragon that has laid waste to Eden. He marries Una at
the end of Book I, but brief appearances in Books II
and III show him still questing through the world.
Satyrane, a wild half-satyr man raised in the wild and
the epitome of natural human potential. Tamed by
Una, he protects her, but ends up locked in a battle
against the chaotic Sansloy, which remains
unconcluded. Satyrane finds Florimell's girdle, which
she drops while flying from a beast. He holds a three-
day tournament for the right to possess the girdle. His
Knights of Maidenhead win the day with Britomart's
help.
Scudamour, the lover of Amoret. His name means
"shield of love". This character is based on Sir James
Scudamore, a jousting champion and courtier to
Queen Elizabeth I. Scudamour loses his love Amoret
to the sorcerer Busirane. Though the 1590 edition of
The Faerie Queene has Scudamour united with Amoret
 through Britomart's assistance, the continuation in
Book IV has them separated, never to be reunited.
Talus, an "iron man" who helps Arthegall to dispense
justice in Book V. The name is likely from Latin "talus"
(ankle) with reference to that which justice "stands on,"
and perhaps also to the ankle of Achilles, who was
otherwise invincible, or the mythological bronze man
Talos.
Triamond, one of the Knights of Friendship, a hero of
Book IV. Friend of Cambell. One of three brothers;
when Priamond and Diamond died, their souls joined
with his body. After battling Cambell, Triamond
marries Cambell's sister, Canacee.
Una, the personification of the "True Church". She
travels with the Redcrosse Knight (who represents
England), whom she has recruited to save her parents'
castle from a dragon. She also defeats Duessa, who
represents the "false" (Catholic) church and the person
of Mary, Queen of Scots, in a trial reminiscent of that
which ended in Mary's beheading. Una is also
representative of Truth.

Themes