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