The

Faerie
Queene
Edmund
Spenser
 Contents:
- Edmund Spenser
(1552?-1599)
- Literary work
The Faerie Queene
The Shepheardes Calendar
Other works
 Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser was born around 1552 in
London, England. Very little is known about his
family, some speculate that he was possibly the
son of John Spenser, a free journeyman
clothmaker resident in East Smithfield, London.
He received quality education –Merchant
Taylor’s school, where he studied classical
works of literature and languages. In 1576 he
took his Masters at Cambridge. He began
writing poetry at this time and was employed as
a secretary, first to the Bishop of Kent and then
to nobles in Queen Elizabeth’s court. He died on
a Saturday in January 1599.
 The Faerie Queene

The first three books of The Faerie Queene were

published in 1590 and then republished with Books IV
through VI in 1596. Spenser only completed half of The
Faerie Queene he planned. In a letter to Sir John Walter
Raleigh, he explained the purpose and structure of the
poem. It is an allegory, a story whose characters and
events nearly all have specific symbolic meaning. The
poem is set in a mythical ‘ Faerie land’, ruled by the
Faerie Queene. Spenser sets forth in the letter that this
‘Queene’ represents his own monarch, Queen Elizabeth.
Spenser intended to write 12
books of The Faerie Queene, all
in the classical epic style;
Spenser notes that his structure
fallows those of Homer and
Virgil. Each Book concerns the
story of a knight, representing
a particular Christian virtue
(Holiness –The Red Cross
Knight, Temperance-self-
control in the face of all
temptations- Sir Guyon,
Chastity- Britomart, a female
knight, Friendship- Triamond,
Justice- Artegall, and courtesy-
Calidore) as he or she would
convey at the court of the
Faerie Queene.
Spencer’s political awareness
Though it takes place in a mythical land, The Faerie
Queen was intended to relate to Spenser's England, most
importantly in the area of religion. Spenser lived in post-
Reformation England, which had recently replaced
Roman Catholicism with Protestantism (specifically,
Anglicanism) as the national religion. There were still
many Catholics living in England, and, thus, religious
protest was a part of Spenser's life. A devout Protestant
and a devotee of the Protestant Queen Elizabeth (Tudor
dynasty), Spenser was particularly offended by the anti-
Elizabethan propaganda that some Catholics circulated.
Like most Protestants near the time of the Reformation,
Spenser saw a Catholic Church full of corruption, and he
determined that it was not only the wrong religion but the
anti-religion. This sentiment is an important backdrop
for the battles of The Faerie Queene, which often
represent the "battles" between London and Rome.  
 Plot
Book 1. The legend of the Knight of the Red Crosse, or of
Holinesse
Canto i Redcrosse and Una are travelling, when a storm
drives them into a wood where Redcrosse kills the dragon
Error. Archimage welcomes them in his hermitage, but
produces sexual illusions that destroy their mutual trust,
and Una goes on alone.
Canto ii Archimage disguises himself as Redcrosse and
follows Una, while Redcrosse accompanies Duessa whom
he takes for Una, after killing Sansfoy.
Canto iii Una, alone, is befriended by a lion and finds
refuge with Ignorance and Blind Devotion. Archimage
finds Una, but is defeated by Sansloy who carries her off.
Canto iv Redcrosse with Duessa comes to the House of
Pride and sees the procession of the Deadly Sins. Sansjoy
challenges Redcrosse, and receives favours from Duessa.
Canto v After the battle, Duessa and Night carry the
wounded Sansjoy to the Underworld for healing.
Redcrosse escapes from the House of Pride, still with
Duessa.
Canto vi Satyrs rescue Una from Sansloy,
and she is assisted by Satirane.
Canto vii The giant Orgoglio overpowers
Redcrosse, puts him in prison, and takes
Duessa as his mistress. Her servant dwarf
tells Una what has been happening to
Redcrosse; she meets young prince
Arthur who promises to save Redcrosse.
Canto viii Arthur kills Orgoglio, wounds
his tame beast, punishes Duessa, and
rescues the weakened Redcrosse.
Canto ix Arthur tells Redcrosse the story
of his strange meeting with the Faerie
Queene Gloriana. Redcrosse and Una see
the Cave of Despair and Redcrosse is
tempted to suicide.
Canto x Redcrosse is brought by Una to
the House of Holiness where he recovers
his strength. He is shown the heavenly
Jerusalem.
Canto xi After a 3-day battle Redcrosse
kills the dragon and sets free the royal
parents of Una.
Canto xii Redcrosse is engaged to Una,
but the time is not yet ripe for their
marriage
Book II. Sir Guyon, or of Temperance
Canto i Archimage urges Guyon to attack
Redcrosse; they become friends instead, before
Redcrosse rides away. Guyon and the Palmer
accompanying him find Amavia with her baby, its
hands bloodstained.
Canto ii The fountain cannot cleanse its hands.
Canto iii The baby is left at the castle of Medina.
Braggadochio steals Guyon's horse, meets
Trompart with Archimage. Belphoebe encounters
Braggadochio with Trompart.
Canto iv Guyon overpowers Furor, stops Occasion,
and rescues Phedon who tells his story. Pyrochles
approaches.
Canto v Pyrochles fights Guyon and frees Furor
before going to Acrasia's bower in search of
Cymochles.
Canto vi Cymochles is persuaded to
visit Phaedria's island, Phaedria takes
Guyon there, without the Palmer; the
two knights fight until Phaedria parts
them.
Canto vii Guyon visits the Cave of
Mammon, where he sees the throne of
Philotime (Mammon's daughter) and
the Garden of Proserpine. He emerges
exhausted.
Canto viii Arthur saves Guyon from
Pyrochles and Cymochles.
Canto ix Guyon tells Arthur about the
Faerie Queene; they drive off the
besiegers of the Castle of Alma and
explore it.
Canto x Arthur reads the history of
the kings of Britain, up to his own still
unknown father; Guyon reads of the
kings of Faerie (descended from
Prometheus's creation Elf).
Canto xi Arthur fights with Maleger
Canto xii Guyon visits and destroys
Acrasia's Bower of Bliss.
 Book III. Britomartis, or of Chastity
In Canto i Guyon and Arthur meet
Britomart, disguised as a knight; as they
pursue Florimell they are separated. Britomart
arrives at the Castle Joyeous and meets
Redcrosse. Britomart tells of her quest for
Arthegall; in retrospect we learn how she fell
in love with Arthegall after seeing him in a
magic mirror, left home, and consulted Merlin
in his cave. He told her the identity of her
lover, as well as describing the future destiny
of their descendants, the British kings. After
this, she set out disguised as a knight.
Encountering Marinell, she wounds him.
Meanwhile, Arthur has gone on following
Florimell, whose story he hears. His squire
Timias has been pursuing a forester, who
wounds him.
He is helped by Belphoebe, with whom
he falls in love. In Canto vi The birth of
Belphoebe, and her twin sister Amoret,
is told. Begotten by the power of the
sun, they emerge from their mother's
womb as she sleeps; Diana and Venus
each take one child, Venus takes
Amoret to grow up in the Gardens of
Adonis, which are described. Florimell
nearly falls into the power of a witch
and her son. Satyrane enters the quest
for Florimell. But a false Florimell is
made by the witch for her son; this is
stolen and causes confusion. Britomart
forces a way into Malbecco's castle,
where Paridell seduces Malbecco's
wife. In Canto xi Britomart and
Satyrane are separated. Britomart
meets Scudamor and undertakes to
rescue Amoret who is in prison in the
House of Busyrane, where she sees the
Masque of Cupid, and frees Amoret.
Book IV. Cambel and Telamond, or of Friendship
Amoret at last discovers that Britomart is a
woman; Duessa and Ate riding with Blandamour
and Paridell encounter them, then a fight begins
when they meet up with Scudamour and Glauce.
Finally they meet Cambell and Triamond with
their wives Canacee and Cambine (from Chaucer's
The Squire's Tale); their story is told. The false
Florimell chooses Braggadochio after a tournament
for Florimell's girdle. In Canto v Satyrane visits the
House of Care. In Canto vi Britomart fights with
Arthegall, who then begins to woo her before
setting out on his quest, while Britomart and
Scudamour go looking for Amoret. Belphoebe and
Timias rescue Amoret from Lust, Arthur finds
Amoret with Aemilia, they set out together. In
Canto x Scudamour tells how he wooed Amoret in
the Temple of Love. Canto xi celebrates the
marriage of the Thames and the Medway. Marinell
Book V. Artegall, or of Justice
Artegall, brought up by Astraea, sets out
on his quest, and after various
adventures overthrows the giant
Democracy. In Canto v he is imprisoned
by Radigund. Britomart is told of this,
and in Canto vii visits Isis Church before
killing Radigund and rescuing Artegall.
Arthur and Artegall rescue a prisoner,
catch Guile, and see the trial of Duessa.
The rest of the book tells of Artegall's
adventures until at last he meets Envy,
Detraction, and the Blatant Beast.
Book VI. Calidore, or of Courtesy
The adventures of this book,
centered on Calidore, show various
victims being rescued from the
uncourteous, who are punished.
Arthur and Timias are reunited,
then parted again. In Canto ix
Calidore first comes upon
Pastorella, whom he woos. He sees
the Graces dance, and rescues
Pastorella from a lion; she is
captured by brigands, and wooed
by their captain who saves her
when the others want to sell her.
Calidore disguises himself and
rescues Pastorella, whose long-lost
parents are discovered. Finally,
Calidore conquers the Blatant
 Allegory
In The Faerie Queene, Spenser creates an allegory: The
characters of his far-off, fanciful "Faerie Land" are meant
to have a symbolic meaning in the real world. In Books I
and III, the poet follows the journeys of two knights,
Redcrosse and Britomart, and in doing so he examines the
two virtues he considers most important to Christian life--
Holiness and Chastity. Redcrosse, the knight of Holiness, is
much like the Apostle Peter: In his eagerness to serve his
Lord, he gets himself into unforeseen trouble that he is not
yet virtuous enough to handle. His quest is to be united with
Una, who signifies Truth--Holiness cannot be attained
without knowledge of Christian truth. In his immature
state, he mistakes falsehood for truth by following the
deceitful witch Duessa. He pays for this mistake with
suffering, but in the end, this suffering makes way for his
recovery in the House of Holiness, aided by Faith, Hope,
and Charity. With newfound strength and the grace of God,
he is able to conquer the dragon that represents all the evil
in the world.
In a different manner, Britomart also progresses in her
virtue of chastity. She already has the strength to resist
lust, but she is not ready to accept love, the love she
feels when she sees a vision of her future husband in a
magic mirror. She learns to incorporate chaste
resistance with active love, which is what Spenser sees
as true Christian love: moderation. Whereas Redcrosse
made his own mistakes (to show to us the consequences
of an unholy life), it is not Britomart but the other
characters in Book III who show the destructive power
of an unchaste life. Spenser says in his Preface to the
poem that his goal is to show how a virtuous man
should live. The themes of Book I and Book III come
together in the idea that our native virtue must be
augmented or transformed if it is to become true
Christian virtue. Spenser has a high regard for the
natural qualities of creatures; he shows that the satyrs,
the lion, and many human characters have an inborn
inclination toward the good. And yet, he consistently
shows their failure when faced with the worst evils.
These evils can only be defeated by the Christian good.
High on Spenser's list of evils is the Catholic
Church, and this enmity lends a political
overtone to the poem, since the religious
conflicts of the time were inextricably tied to
politics. The poet is unashamed in his
promotion of his beloved monarch, Queen
Elizabeth; he takes considerable historical
license in connecting her line with King Arthur.
Spenser took a great pride in his country and in
his Protestant faith. He took aim at very real
corruption within the Catholic Church; such
attacks were by no means unusual in his day,
but his use of them in an epic poem raised his
criticism above the level of the propagandists.
 The Shepheardes Calender

The Shepheardes Calender was Edmund Spenser's first

major poetic work, published in 1579. In imitation of
Vergil's first work, the Eclogues, Spenser wrote this series
of pastorals to begin his career. The title, like the entire
work, is written using deliberately archaic spellings, in
order to suggest a connection to medieval literature, and to
Geoffrey Chaucer in particular.
The poem introduces Colin Clout, a character borrowed
from John Skelton, and depicts his life as a shepherd
through the twelve months of the year.
 Spenserian stanza
The English Renaissance poet Edmund Spenser wrote his
greatest work, the epic called The Faerie Queene, in a stanza
form since named for him. The nine-line stanza rhymes
ababbcbcC, where the capital "C" means the last verse is an
Alexandrine: it has six feet instead of five, which is to say, it's
a hexameter instead of pentameter.
This complex form can be difficult to handle: it demands tha
only three words account for nine lines' worth of rhymes, and
the "b" word needs four rhymes. An example from Spenser
himself:
Forth came that auncient Lord and aged Queene,
Arayd in antique robes downe to the ground,
And sad habiliments right well beseene;
A noble crew about them waited round
Of sage and sober Peres, all gravely gownd;
Whom farre before did march a goodly band
Of tall young men, all hable armes to sownd,
But now they laurell braunches bore in hand;
Glad signe of victorie and peace in all their land.
— The Faerie Queene, I.xii.5.