Faerie Queene - Edmund Spenser

The Faerie Queene-Edmund Spenser

Ø  Spenser dedicated The Faerie Queene to queen Elizabeth of England.

Ø  The first three books of this Epic were published in 1590.

Ø  The other three books appeared in 1596. Later appeared a fragment, a part perhaps of Book VII.

Ø  It is considered as both Epic and Allegory.

Ø  He emulated the studies of Homer to Ariosto and Tasso.

Ø  He planned to write twelve books, which was about the adventures of knight who represented a particular moral virtue.

Ø  This poem is about the conflict of good and evil.

Ø  The intention of twelve books represents twelve political virtues but he could only complete six books, celebrating six moral virtues-Holiness, Temperance, Chastity, Friendship, Justice and Courtesy.

Ø  The fragment work is about treating of Constancy.

Ø  Arthur is the character make unity in all six books.

Ø  Arthur is parallel to the hero Aeneas (presented by Virgil in his epic).

Ø  Spenser’s Arthur is not Traditional Arthur of the medieval legends, but the Arthur of Gloriana, who is Glory in general and Queen Elizabeth in particular.

Ø  Arthur represents Magnificence or Brave Knight.

Ø  Spenser had in mind Leicester when he fashioned Arthur for his epic.

Ø  He sent his first three books with introductory of its matter in the form of a letter to his friend Raleigh.

Ø  Prince Arthur had seen a vision of Gloriana, the Faerie Queen.

Ø  Drawn by her beauty, he resolved to seek her out.

Ø  The adventures he encountered link the Books together.

Ø  The first book recounts the story of the Red Cross Knight representing Holiness and the Lady Una representing Religion.

Ø  Their adventures reflects the struggle of virtue & faith and sin & heresy.

Ø  The Second Book pictures the story of Sir Guyon representing Temperence.

Ø  The third Book tells the experiences of Britomartis representing Chasting.

Ø  The fourth, fifth and sixth Books deal respectively with Cambel and Triamound (Friendship), Artegall (Justice) and Sir Calidore (Constancy).

Ø  Allegorical figures: 1. Faerie Queene- Glory of God, Queen Elizabeth 2.Britomartis is also Elizabeth 3. The Red Cross Knight- Sidney or St. George, the patron saint of England. 4. Una – Religion and Protestant Church. 5. Duessa – Mary Queene of Scots and Roman Catholicism.

Ø  Allegory functions on three levels: historical, secular and religious.

Ø  His first three books on Italian model, he imitated Orlando Furioso.

• The Knight undertook dangerous adventures in each book of Faerie Queene in order to win the favour of their lady love.
• The first book of Faerie Queene is believed to be an allegory of the struggle between the protestant church and the roman catholic church.
• Duessa represents Queen Mary of Scots.
• Elizabeth and Red-Cross stand for The Protestant church.
• Sans foy and Sans Loy are Wicked Knights.
• Error and Orgoglio are Monsters.
• spenser lived and finished first three books of Faerie Queene at Kilcolmn.
• Sir Walter Raleigh wrote the introductory sonnet to Fairie Queene.
• Elizabeth awarded Spenser for his Faerie Queene 100 pounds.