Lecture Notes, Thursday, July 24: Faerie Queene Book 3 Cantos 10-12

24 July 2008

English 3I06 / The Age of Elizabeth

Faerie Queene Book 3 Cantos 10-12

Canto 10
*The transformation of Malbecco into “Gealousie”
*Paridell seduces Hellenore, runs away with her
*Thanks to Malbecco’s “halfen eye” (5)
*Hellenore sets fire to Malbecco’s wealth, 12-13
*Malbecco’s conflict, 14-15
*Malbecco offers money to Braggadoccio and Trompart, 28-9
*they find Paridell, 35
*Hellenore’s fate, 36
*Malbecco witnesses Hellenore’s new activities, 44-50
*his resemblance to a goat, 47
*his final transformation, 57-60

Canto 11
*Britomart chases Ollyphant, to no avail, finds Scudamore
*Scudamore’s description of his problem, 11
*Only Britomart can get past the flames blocking entry to Busirane’s castle, 21-26
*Scudamore’s impatience, 27
*the portraits of love, ending at 46
*51-52 the next room, relics of love
*the riddle of “be bold”, 50, 54

Canto 12
*the masque of Cupid
*the entrance of the chorus, 3, 4
*Amoret arrives, 19-21
*Cupid as ???, 22-24
*next day: Britomart infiltrates the inner chamber, 30
*she defeats Busirane, taking his knife
*Amoret’s curse is lifted, 36-38
*38 “a perfect hole”
*alternate endings??? – the 1596 negative ending; original 1590 ending: why?

Lecture Notes, Tuesday, July 22: Faerie Queene Book 3 Cantos 6-9

22 July 2008
English 3I06 / The Age of Elizabeth

Faerie Queene Book 3 Cantos 6-9

Canto 6
*Belphoebe and Amoret’s birth
* without sin (i.e., sex), 3, 5-7
*a philosophical story of the sun’s powers 8-9
*the intervention of Venus and Diana (aka Phoebe), 27-28
*Venus takes Amoretta back to the garden of Adonis
*Garden of Adonis as neo-Platonic metaphor, 32-38
*Venus and Adonis as form and matter, 43-48
*Amoretta released into the world, 52
*beloved of Scudamore, 53

Canto 7
*Florimell comes to the witch’s hut, 11
*the witch’s son’s reaction, 13; his reaction to her, 15-17
*the hyena of slander, 22
*Florimell escapes in the boat, 27
*her horse is eaten, 28
*Satyrane finds the horse, fights it, and binds it, 30-36
*Encounters the Giant Argante with the Squire of Dames, 37-38
*she rings his bell and captures him, 42
*throws him away, 44 (line 2)
*he talks to the Squire of Dames
*the story of Argante, 47-50
*the Squire of Dames’s challenge, 54-60

Canto 8
*the witch wants to heal her son, who is obsessed with Florimell, 4
*she makes a Florimell of snow, 5-10
*Braggadocchio steals her, 13
*Sir Ferraugh challenges, 16-18
*meanwhile, back on the boat…24-27
*Proteus to the rescue, 30
*he also woos her, 39-41
*Florimell resists, 42
*Satyrane, the Squire of Dames, and Paridell go to Malbecco’s castle

Canto 9
*1-7 intro to Malbecco and Hellenore. Spenser says he’s going to talk about an unworthy woman, but does he Malbecco a share of the blame?
*Britomart fights Paridell for a place in the pig shed, 15-16
*they say they’ll burn down the castle, 17
*Malbecco lets them in, 18
*Britomart gets undressed, 20, 23-25
*Malbecco tries to hide Hellenore, 25-26
*Paridell flirts, 28-29
spilling wine, 30-31
*the history of Troy and the founding of “Troynovant” (London)

Lecture Notes, Thursday, July 17: Faerie Queene Book 3 Cantos 2-5

FQ Book 3 Cantos 2-5

Canto 2
*Spenser blames men, 1-2
*Britomart sees Arthegall, 22-26
*Britomart’s green sickness, 28-39, esp. 36-39
*Glauce’s response, 40, 42
*They try to fight it, 46-51
*It does not work, 51-52

Canto 3
*they go to Merlin
*explanation of the future

Canto 4
*Britomart’s complaint to the sea, 8-10
*Marinell confronts Britomart, 14-15
*Britomart’s spear, 16
*Marinell’s wealth, 22-24
*Proteus’s prophecy, 25-27
*Marinell’s mom, 30-44
*Arthur’s lament that he can’t find Florimell, 54-60
*concepts of Night
*Arthur’s error??


Canto 5
*info about Florimell, by her dwarf, 8-11
*error in the narrative, 9-10
*Timias wastes away, 42-48
*Belphoebe’s invincible (or at least, pretty awesome) chastity, 51-55

Lecture Notes, Tuesday, July 15: Faerie Queene Book 1 Cantos 11 and 12 and Book 3 Canto 1

15 July 2008
English 3I06 / The Age of Elizabeth
FQ Book 1 Cantos 11 & 12 and Book 3 Canto 1
(Cantos 2-5 for next time)

End Book 1
Canto 11
*Spenser calls upon his Muse in a particular way (5-7)
*the symbolism of the dragon, stanzas 12-14 and 49
*the Well of Life, 29 & 30; 33-34
*trial by fire, 44-45
*the Tree of Life, 46 (with river of balm)

Canto 12
* celebration of the kingdom, 7-11
*six years, 19 and 20
*Una’s veil gone, 22 and 23
*the messenger, 25
*Redcrosse’s response, 31-32
*Una backing him up, 33 and 34
*Archimago in prison

Book 3 Canto 1
*Arthur and Guyon meet Britomart, Guyon falls to her, 6 & 7
*12 they make friends
*idea of knighthood, 13
*Arthur and Guyon distracted by Florimell, 15-19
*Britomart fights the 6 knights (named in 45), defending Redcrosse – he explains why, 24
*31 they enter the Castle Joyous
*its decoration, 34+
*Britomart raises her visor, 42-47
*Malecasta’s response, 47+
*Britomart’s attitude, 53-54*Malecasta’s plot, 60+

Lecture Notes, Thursday, July 10: Faerie Queene Book 1 Cantos 7-10

10 July 2008
English 3I06 / The Age of Elizabeth

Faerie Queene Book 1 Cantos 7-10

The story of the Christian soul
*encounters with pride and despair
*cleansing and renewal in the house of Caelia (holiness), the house of earthly mercy (good works), and the home of Contemplation

Pride continued
Canto 7
*even though they’ve left the house of Pride, pride still influences Redcrosse’s behaviour
*removes his armour, 2-4; Duessa is still his companion
*drinking from the fountain of weakness, 5-6
*the arrival of the giant Orgoglio, 7
*Duessa’s bargaining, 14
*Redcrosse in the dungeon, 15
*Duessa’s beast, 16-18
*the Dwarf leaves and encounters Una

Perfect Knight
Canto 8
*Una meets Arthur, 29-36 (detailed description of the shield, and of Arthur’s end)
*Una’s backstory, esp. 43-46; her perspective on Redcrosse, 47
*Arthur’s fight with Orgoglio, 7-24
*note Duessa’s golden cup, stanza 14, dropped stanza 24 (contrast to the cup of Fidelia, 10.13)
*Orgoglio’s arm (10); Arthur’s shield unveiled, 19; Orgoglio’s leg, 22; head, 24
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjEcj8KpuJw

Rescuing Redcrosse
*Ignaro, 31-34
*Redcrosse moving into the realm of despair, 38 –40
*undressing Duessa, 45-50

Despair
Canto 9
*Arthur’s parting gift, 19
*Trevisan fleeing from cave of Despair, 21-22 – the core of his story, 28 and 30
*meeting Despair, 35
*The arguments of Despair, 38-47, esp. 42
*Una’s rescue, 52

The house of Holiness
Canto 10
*narrow passage, 5
*Una gets Fidelia (13) and Speranza (14) to greet Redcrosse
*Redcrosse’s redemption
*Fidelia’s schoolhouse, 18-23
*Patience the “leech”, 23-29 (note Penance’s “yron whip, 27)
*the visit of Charissa, 29-34
*the holy Hospitall, guided by Mercy, 36-45
*the hermitage of Contemplation, 46-68
*the comparison of the New Jerusalem to Cleopolis (home of the Faerie Queene, esp. Panthea), 58; Redcrosse’s desire to stay, 63
*the story of Redcrosse’s origin, 65-66

Lecture Notes, Tuesday, July 8: Faerie Queene Book 1 Cantos 4-6

8 July 2008
English 3I06 / The Age of Elizabeth


Faerie Queene Book 1 cantos 4-6

Lecture Outline
*the house of Pride
*light imagery and evil
*the seven deadly sins
*journey into hell
*Una and Satyrane


The house of Pride
*bright 4.4
*construction, 4.5
*sucking people in, 4.3
* “spitting” them out, 5.46-end, esp. 49 and 52, 53.

Light imagery and evil
*obvious that deception is a strong part of FQ’s narrative strategy
*Lucifera, stanzas 4.8-4.12, and the image of light
*note Redcrosse’s sense of pride, stanza 15
*Duessa and “griesly Night”, canto 5.20-21

The seven deadly sins
*stanzas 18-35
*followed by Satan

Journey into hell
*5.32-34 - Night’s power over heaven and hell, Cerberus encounter 34
*hell in parallel to Pride’s castle: why this doubling?
*story of Aesculapius and Hippoytus, 5.37-40

Una and Satyrane
*Sansloy’s attempted rape, 6.3-6
*rescue by fauns and satyrs, 6.7-11
*story of Satyrane, 6.20-30
*why can’t Satyrane have Una’s love? (allegorical reason?): 6.31, 32
*ends on a cliffhanger – Satyrane fighting Sansloy; Archimago pursuing Una.

Lecture Notes, Thursday, July 3: Faerie Queene Book 1 Cantos 1-3

3 July 2008
English 3I06 / The Age of Elizabeth

The Faerie Queene

Lecture Outline
*publication
*Spenserian stanza
*allegory as backward fashion
*King Arthur as proto-hero
*Queen Elizabeth – the Queen’s two bodies
*Background of Book 1: Holiness


Publication
*1590 – three books
*1596 – six books
* 1599 – Spenser dies, leaving his plan of 12 books (also sometimes explained as 24 books) unfinished


Spenserian stanza
In form, ababbcbcc; iambic pentameter ending with one Alexanrine (iambic sexameter)

A Gentle Knight was pricking on the plaine,
Y cladd in mightie armes and silber shielde,
Wherein old dints of deepe wounds did remaine,
The cruell markes of many a bloudy fielde;
Yet armes till that time did he never wield:
His angry steede did chide his foming bitt,
As much disdayning to the curb to yield:
Full jolly knight he seemd, and faire did sitt,
As one for knightly giust and fierce encounters fitt.

*note Spenser’s language

Allegory as backward fashion
A letter of the Authors pg. 1
“a continued Allegory, or dark conceit…which I conceived shoulde be most plausible and pleasing, being coloured with an historicall fiction, the which the most part of men delight to read, rather for variety of matter, then for profite of the ensample”

“To some I know this Methode will seeme displeasaunt, which had rather have good discipline delivered plainly in way of precepts, or sermoned at large, as they use, then thus lowdily enwrapped in Allegoricall devises. But such, me seeme, should be satisfied with the use of these days, seeing all things accounted by their showes, and nothing esteemed of, that is not delightfull and pleasing to commune sense. For this cause is Xenophon preferred before Plato, for that the one in the exquisite depth of his judgement, formed a Commune welth such as it should be, but the other in the person of Cyrus and the Persians fashioned a governement such as might best be: So much more profitable and gratious is doctrine by ensample, then by rule.”


King Arthur as uber-hero
From “A letter of the Authors” pg. 1-2 in Norton

Which for that I conceived shoulde be most plausible and pleasing, being coloured with an historicall fiction, the which the most part of men delight to read, rather for variety of matter, then for profite of the ensample: I chose the historye of king Arthure, as most fitte …So in the person of Prince Arthure I sette forth magnificence in particular, which vertue for that (according to Aristotle and the rest) it is the perfection of all the rest, and conteineth in it them all, therefore in the whole course I mention the deedes of Arthure applyable to that vertue, which I write of in that booke.

Representation of other virtues:
Virtues:
Book I: Holiness
Book II: Temperance
Book III: Chastity
Book IV: Friendship
Book V: Justice
Book VI: Courtesy


Queen Elizabeth – the Queen’s two bodies
From “A letter of the Authors” pg. 2 in Norton

“In that Faery Queene I meane glory in my generall intention, but in my particular I conceive the most excellend and glorious person of our soveraine the Queene, and her kingdome in Faery land. And yet in some places els, I doe otherwise shadow her. For considering she beareth two persons, the one of a most royall Queene or Empresse, the other of a most vertuous and beautifull Lady, this latter part in some places I doe expresse in Belphoebe, fashioning her name according to your owne excellent conceipt of Cynthia, (Phoebe and Cynthia being both names of Diana.)

Background of Book 1: Holiness
*pg. 3 of letter of the Authors – the story of the Queene’s “Annuall feaste”
*Holiness (Redcross) riding with Truth (Una)

Canto 1
*encounter with Error stanzas 13-26
*meeting with the old man (Archimago), stanza 29 – his description, 29 and 34
*the truth, 35 and esp. 37
*deception of Redcrosse, 47-55

Canto 2
*deception 2: stanzas 3-5
*Stanza 12-13, Redcrosse encounters “Fidessa” and the “Sarazin”
*Sarazin’s curse, 18
*Fidessa’s lies, 22-26; Redcrosse’s reaction to her, 27
*the talking tree, 31; the tree’s story, to 41

Canto 3
*Una’s story – she meets the lion, 5-6
*15-25 Una’s encounter with Corceca and Abessa and Kirkrapine
*26 she meets “Redcrosse” again
*Why she doesn’t notice he’s not him, and why she forgives, 30
*Sansloy fights the false Redcrosse, 33
*why he wins, 35