The Assimilators by Asad Imran

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Moral, Religious and Political

Allegory in The Faerie
Queene
byAsad Imran Shah •May 21, 2020
2
Table of Contents

1. Introductory
2. Moral Allegory
3. Religious Allegory
4. Political Allegory
5. Critics and Allegory

Introductory
Allegory is that sort of writing in which apparently, a story means something simple but it contains
one or more than one hidden stories, abstract ideas or a connection with social as well as political
agenda. The allegorical characters also symbolize abstract ideas and vice versa. The Faerie Queene,
apparently, seems like a simple and fantastic story of knights fighting with monsters and attaining
victories but it carries layers of meanings.
 The Faerie Queene as an Allegory

Moral Allegory
Despite its complex vocabulary, The Faerie Queene showcases moral allegory and is regarded as its
first-layer of allegory. All the incidents and characters represent morality. Red Cross Knight
represents holiness; Una, truth; Una's parents, humanity; Monster Erroor, false learning; Archimago,
hypocrisy; Queen Lucifera, worldly pride and the final monster is an imitation of Satan etc. Holiness
and truth hands-in-hands, fight with evil powers and win victory over them. But when both are
separated from one another, they lose their strength, weakened and get demoralized.
Truth and holiness are to face two kinds of challenges. The visible ones like the cave and monster
Error and the hidden ones like the hidden traps of Duessa and Archimago. Manifestly, truth and
holiness are affected and weakened through the cunning traps of hypocrisy and falsehood but when
both are joined together, they can liberate humanity from the scornful clutches of Satan.

Religious Allegory
All the characters in The Faerie Queene are presented in resemblance of moral allegory but only, a
few characters depict religious allegory. Before the Reformation, Pope was all-in-all in all the worldly
as well as in religious pursuits. According to Protestant believers, Roman Catholic Pope was a
corrupt and power-hungry person. Edmund Spenser was himself a protestant and according to some
critics, the monster Errour considered to be a symbol of Pope and its filthy vomit as a symbol of
false authority on the basis of religious papers: "Her vomit full of papers and books was", while her
off-springs as the thousand followers of the Pope who abide by him without realizing the full facts.
While some other critics are the view of Archimago, being an imitation of the Pope who can easily
foil people. While some critics regard the monster Errour as the central Roman Catholic Church and
her off-springs as other Roman Catholic Churches around Europe. While Red Cross Knight was
considered to be an allegorical representation of Saint George of England who was a true warrior of
Christianity. Once he was caught by pagans and killed on account of sticking to his religion.

Political Allegory
Political allegory is an aftermath of religious allegory as the politics during Elizabethan Era was
divided on the basis of religion. For instance, King Philip II of Spain was involved in religious riots in
England as he was a believer of Roman Catholicism, often allegorized as Monster Orgoglio. Queen
Marry of Scotland, having Catholic ideology, plotted against Queen Gloriana (Elizabeth) and was
imprisoned by her but Queen Marry still involved herself in plots. In the end, she was sentenced to
death. Queen Marry is allegorized as Duessa by Spenser. Prince Arthur, who is seen helping and
protecting the knights is quoted for Earl of Leicester, an influential person of England and a suitor of
Queen Elizabeth I. He was offered the hand of Queen Marry but he refused. He played a key role in
protecting England from Spanish invasion.

Critics and Allegory

Critics do not seem happy with such riddles. One critic is on the view of having only one layer of
allegory. Digression, another critic points out, is the major problem of Spencer. The third critic states
that the allegorical terseness is stronger in the beginning while it loses its strength as the romantic
epic moves on. In Book V, no traces of allegory can be observed. The fourth critic considers this
composition musical than allegorical.
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Tags: Classical Poetry

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