Spenser's "The Faerie Queene"
I. Introduction
When Edmund Spenser wrote his romantic epic The Faerie Queene, he
intended for it to be an allegory. An allegory is a literary device used
to give a literary work two different meanings. One meaning is easily
understood, but the second meaning is expressed through a more subtle
approach. In a letter to Sir Walter Raleigh, Edmund Spenser wrote, “Sir
knowing how doubtfully all Allegories may be construed, and this booke of
mine, which I have entituled the Faery Queene, being a continued Allegory,
or dark conceit...” (514). In the letter, he is explaining to the readers
that it is an allegory, so that they will look for a hidden meaning to
objects in his epic. Later in ...
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Temperance through the knight Sir Guyon. The Fairy
Queen ordered him to locate and destroy Acrasia's seductive Bower of Bliss.
With his companion and guide, the Palmer, Sir Guyon completes his mission
successfully, and after his encounters along the way, he becomes the virtue
of Temperance.
II. Body Section
In order for the reader to recognize the maturation of Sir Guyon,
Spenser leads him on a path of temptation. Thus, after conquering all of
his encounters, Sir Guyon will be a symbol of Temperance. The first test
Sir Guyon faces involves characters from the First Book of The Faerie
Queene. Sir Guyon and the wise Palmer meet Archimago, who has just escaped
from prison. Archimago invents a story about a young girl who has been
raped by a knight with a bloody cross on his shield. This knight is, of
course, Red Crosse, who is Archimago's enemy and symbol of Holiness in the
First Book. Having concocted his plan carefully, Archimago leads Sir Guyon
and the Palmer to the young ...
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the new guests, the lovers of the
oldest and youngest sisters start to fight. Sir Guyon tries to stop them
but only makes it worse. All of the men start to fight, but Medina soon
intervenes. “These sisters and their mates are constantly at odds with
each other and with Medina who strives as constantly to keep them in order.”
(Nelson 181-182). At dinner, Medina sits between her unpleasant sisters
and attempts to moderate their wars. Each sister acts in opposite extreme
behaviors. Perissa, the youngest sister, is always in a state of excessive
pleasure. The older sister, Elissa, hates all forms of joy. Medina is the
“middleman” who keeps order in the castle. During dinner, Sir Guyon ...
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"Spenser's "The Faerie Queene"." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 22 Jul. 2004. Web. 23 Nov. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Spensers-The-Faerie-Queene/11442>
"Spenser's "The Faerie Queene"." Essayworld.com. July 22, 2004. Accessed November 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Spensers-The-Faerie-Queene/11442.
"Spenser's "The Faerie Queene"." Essayworld.com. July 22, 2004. Accessed November 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Spensers-The-Faerie-Queene/11442.
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