The Faerie Queene - Faulkner University
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The Faerie Queene
Sir Edmund Spenser
Sir Edmund Spenser
Born in 1552 in London
Son of a poor family
Received excellent education thanks
to the patronage of Robert Nowell, a
wealthy landowner.
Studied at Pembroke College from
1569-1576
Earned B.A. and M.A. degrees
Sir Edmund Spenser
Appointed as secretary to the Bishop
of Rochester;
Entered the service of the Earl of
Leicester, one of the most powerful
figures in Queen Elizabeth’s court.
Began a friendship with the Earl’s
nephew Sir Philip Sidney and together
with a few other friends formed an
poetical society.
Sir Edmund Spenser
In 1579, he published The
Shepheardes Calendar, a small
volume of 12 pastoral poems, which
established his reputation as an
important poet.
Sir Edmund Spenser
In 1580, he accepted a post as
secretary to Arthur Lord Grey of
Wilton, who was being sent to Ireland
as Lord Deputy
This was a decisive move for Spenser
because he remained a resident of
Ireland for the rest of his life.
Spenser
He held several official posts in
Ireland during the course of his life
there.
He accompanied Sir Walter Raleigh
back to London in 1589 and
supervised the publication of the fist 3
books of The Faerie Queene, issued
in 1590.
Spenser
In 1591, several other works were
published in Compalints Containing
Sundry Small Poemes of the World’s
Vanitie.
He returned to Ireland after nearly 2
years in London.
He married Elizabeth Boyle in 1594.
Spenser
During the Irish rebellion in 1598, he
was forced to leave Ireland.
He died in early 1599 and was buried
in Westminster Abbey.
The Faerie Queene
In a letter to Sir Walter Raleigh, he
proposed to write a poem in which he
would:
“ represent all the moral virtues,
assigning to every virtue a knight in
whose actions and chivalry the
operations of that virtue are to be
expressed and the vices and unruly
appetites that oppose themselves to
be beaten down.”
Spenser
Depicted first 6 virtues:
Holiness
Temperance
Chastity
Friendship
Justice
Courtesy
Spenser
Published first three books in 1590.
Second edition (1596) added the next
three.
Plan for a second set of six books
resulted in only 2 cantos on the virtue
of Constancy.
Spenser
The poem displays Spenser's
thorough familiarity with literary
history.
Although the world of The Faerie
Queene is based on English Arthurian
legend, much of the language, spirit,
and style of the piece draw more on
Italian epic.
Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando Furioso
Torquato Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered
The Faerie Queene
Spenser’s moral chivalry is sponsored
and sustained by the court of
GLORIANA, the Faerie Queene
She reflects the figure of Queen
Elizabeth, Spenser’s monarch
The Faerie Queene
Gloriana’s story is illustrated by the
actions of a character called Prince
Arthur
Only one who possesses all 12 virtues
Intervenes at crucial moments to
assist Gloriana’s knights
Seeks out Gloriana
• bride he has chosen in a dream
The Faerie Queene
Book I
Relates the adventures of the knight
of Holiness
• the Redcrosse Knight
• Sir George
• Identified by name
• Sign on his shield
• England’s patron saint
The Faerie Queene
Book I
His mission
• to overcome the things that drive spiritual
error which are menacing the English
church
• To deliver the parents of Una from the
dragon of false faith
The Faerie Queene
Themes of Book I
Good vs. evil
Truth vs. false faith
Protestant vs. Catholic
The Faerie Queene
Gloriana
Queen of “Fairy Land”
Represents Queen Elizabeth
Arthur
Saves RCK (and other knights)
Christ-like figure
The Faerie Queene
Redcrosse Knight
Knight of Holiness
Devoted to fighting
against sin or evil
Christian warrior
• Armor of Christ
The Faerie Queene
Una
Truth
• True church
The Faerie Queene
RCK must have true faith in order to be
a true Christian
Plot of Book 1 mostly concerns attempts of
evildoers to separate RCK from Una.
Spencer meant for most of these villains to
represent the Roman Catholic Church.
The Faerie Queene
Enemies of RCK
Error
Archimago
• Wizard/sorcerer
• Shapeshifter/changes appearance
• Duplicitous
Queen Duessa
• Falsehood/lies (False Faith)
• Opposite of Una (Truth)
• Tries to lure RCK away from Una
The Faerie Queene
Enemies of RCK
Orgoglio
• (Italian for Pride)
Despair
Many-headed Dragon
• Catholic church
• 3-day fight