The Faerie Queene is perhaps most memorable for its vivid descriptions of individual characters, such as the ‘foul and hideous’ witch Duessa, the Redcross Knight, who represents Holiness, and the Dragon who symbolises evil, ‘swolne with wrath, and poison, and with bloudy gore’.
Is Duessa a witch?
Historical Background. A character in the work The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser (published in 1590 & 1596). She is an evil witch who is very ugly, but disguises herself as a beautiful woman.
What does Duessa mean?
oxford. views 1,428,169 updated. Duessa in Spenser’s Faerie Queene, the daughter of Deceit and Shame, standing for falsity in general, but in particular alluding to the Roman Catholic Church and Mary, Queen of Scots ; she is contrasted with Una, who stands for single-minded adherence to true religion.
What does Archimago symbolize?
Critical interpretation
Archimago has thus been interpreted as a symbol of religious hypocrisy , especially the rampant hypocrisy which Spenser perceived within the leadership of the Catholic church.
What is the main plot of The Faerie Queene?
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. She learns to incorporate chaste resistance with active love , which is what Spenser sees as true Christian love: moderation. ...
What happens to Duessa in The Faerie Queene?
Duessa – One of the most significant villains in The Faerie Queene. Duessa’s importance lies in her ability to deceive many of the heroes who cross her path . She plays the most important role in Book I, where she seduces the Redcross Knight by pretending to be the virtuous Fidessa. Duessa is executed in Book V.
What does Redcrosse Knight represent?
The Red Cross Knight represents the virtue of holiness , as well as St. George and the Anglican church. He is the chivalric champion and eventual husband of Una, who symbolizes truth and true religion.
Who protects Una from Sansloy?
Sansloy flees, terrified at the sight of the beasts, who bow down before Una as if she were a goddess. Soon, a knight comes by — Satyrane , born of a satyr and a human. He pledges to protect Una and goes with her as she continues her journey to find Redcrosse.
Who is the dragon in The Faerie Queene?
The Dragon is also a representation, albeit larger, of another notoriously pesky amphibian, the infamous serpent that tempts Adam and Eve in the Book of Genesis. By overcoming the Dragon, Redcrosse is therefore cementing his associating with Jesus by defeating Satan and freeing humanity from the terror of sin.
How does the Redcrosse Knight defeat the dragon?
Redcrosse charges at him and strikes, but his spear glances off the dragon’s impenetrable hide, and both knight and horse fall to the ground. The dragon grabs them in its massive claws and lifts them into the air.
What do Una and Archimago stand for?
Archimago, the seeming pious hermit who offers a hospitable shelter to the Red Cross Knight and Una stands for Hypocrisy .
What animal first follows Una?
Her association with truth and solidity obviously come in handy here, but there are other attributes that align Una squarely with Christianity. She is first seen riding a donkey , which is the animal Jesus used to enter Jerusalem.
Who does Archimago represent in the Faerie Queene?
In Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, Archimago is both a magician and a symbol of hypocrisy and evil intent . In his outward appearance, he looks like a holy man, a hermit who lives a humble life of study, prayer, and penance. But Archimago is inwardly evil and deceptive to an extreme, and he works for the devil.
Why is The Faerie Queene called a romantic epic?
“The Faerie Queene” can be best described as a romantic epic. Because along with epic features, the romantic elements are also discussed in it . In Canto 1, the romantic elements occur to a large degree. In the theme, there is Knightly love.
What view of woman is presented in The Faerie Queene?
Edmund Spenser in his epic romance, The Faerie Queene, invents and depicts a wide array of female figures . Some of these women, such as Una and Caelia, are generally shown as faithful, virtuous and overall lovely creatures.
Why is The Faerie Queene important?
Next came Spenser’s masterpiece, The Faerie Queene, the first three books of which were published in 1590. ... Of all his writings, The Faerie Queene remains his most significant for its synthesis of literary traditions and its awareness of England’s emerging identity as a national power .
