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.” In 1583, He told guests at a dinner he was attending that 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 The project recalls the great epics like the Iliad (Homer) and the Aeneid (Virgil) Had previously only written pastoral poetry. Realized his great work only in part. Depicted first 6 virtues in which each virtue is perfected by the trials of a particular knight fighting the evil that most threatens his character.

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 plot of book I mostly concerns the attempts fo the evildoers to separate RCK from Una. Most of these villians are meant by Spenser to represent one thing in common: the Roman Catholic church Time after the English Reformation, the people had defeated false religion, i.e. the Catholic church and embrace “true religion” (Protestanism and Anglicanism) Thus, RCK must defeat vilians who mimic the falsehood of the RCC

The Faerie Queene Gloriana Arthur 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. For a Christian to be holy, he must have true faith, and so the plot of Book I mostly concerns the attempts of evildoers to separate Redcrosse from Una. Most of these villains are meant by Spenser to represent one thing in common: the Roman Catholic Church. The poet felt that, in the English Reformation, the people had defeated "false religion" (Catholicism) and embraced "true religion" (Protestantism/Anglicanism). Thus, Redcrosse must defeat villains who mimic the falsehood of the Roman Church.

The Faerie Queene Enemies of RCK Error Archimago Queen Duessa Wizard/sorcerer Shapeshifter/changes appearance Duplicitous Queen Duessa Falsehood/lies (False Faith) Opposite of Una (Truth) Tries to lure RCK away from Una The first of these is Error. When Redcrosse chokes the beast, Spenser writes, "Her vomit full of bookes and papers was (I.i.20)." These papers represent Roman Catholic propaganda that was put out in Spenser's time, against Queen Elizabeth and Anglicanism. The Christian (Redcrosse) may be able to defeat these obvious and disgusting errors, but before he is united to the truth he is still lost and can be easily deceived. This deceit is arranged by Archimago, whose name means "arch-image"--the Protestants accused the Catholics of idolatry because of their extensive use of images. The sorcerer is able, through deception and lust, to separate Redcrosse from Una--that is, to separate Holiness from Truth. Once separated, Holiness is susceptible to the opposite of truth, or falsehood.ouble other knights. Archimago :Wizard/sorcerer/Shapeshifter/changes appearance; Duplicitous (deceitful) Hermit (poking fun at monastic life) Queen Duessa: Falsehood/lies (False Faith) i.e., Catholicism Opposite of Una (Truth) Tries to lure RCK away from Una

The Faerie Queene Enemies of RCK Orgoglio Despair Many-headed Dragon (Italian for Pride) Despair Many-headed Dragon Catholic church 3-day fight these enemies are defeated by the RCK; however, he fails to kill Archimago and Duessa, who return in later books to tr