The Faerie Queene
Book I: Canto 9 - 10
What happens?
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Arthur explains his reasons for coming to Faerieland
Redcrosse and Una come across Trevisan whose friend
was overcome by Despair
Despair almost makes Redcrosse realise that he’s rubbish
and should kill himself
They venture to the House of Holiness
Then there’s the old man on Mount Contemplation...
But what does it all mean???
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Arthur:
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From Western Wales (ix.4) the origins of Tudor lineage...
Justification of Queen Liz (just like the Aeneid)
Arthur gives RC a liquid – like the Eucharist in Protestantism,
another form of justification
RC as becoming a Christ-like figure (ix.19)
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The future of Saint George
But what does it all mean???
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Despair
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Redcrosse’s Despair is resolved by Una and the True Faith of
God; he cannot learn to resist this (like Error) until he has
learned his lessons from the House...
Described as a “Snake” – could remind us of Satan in PL,
deceptive (ix.28)
But what does it all mean???
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The House of Holiness
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Primarily acts as a parallel to the House of Pride; works to
raise the profile of Godliness
The members of the House...
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Caelia – as opposed to Lucifera
Fidelia – Faith; shows Redcrosse discipline and the Gospel
Sperenza – Hope; comforts Redcrosse out of Despair
Patience and Pennance – purge him of sins (Remorse & Repentance)
Charissa – Charity; instructs him how to be better
Mercie – “in the end his righteous soule might save” (x.34)
X.37-43: Seven Corporal Works of Mercy
What does this scene do then?
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Letter of the Author... How to be a gentleman of true virtue
But what does it all mean??? (still...)
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Mount Contemplation
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Presented with the view of the cities of both God and the Faerie
Queene: Jerusalem and Cleopolis, respectively
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This puts Gloriana on the same standing as God; i.e. She has created the
ideal place
Redcrosse learns of his Fate: he is really St.George (acts as
foreshadowing of the end of the Book, as we know the legend)
Now for a special note ...
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Arthur
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“Full hard it is [...] to read aright/ The course of heavenly cause,
or understand/ The secret meaning of th'eternall might/ That
rules mens wayes, and rules the thoughts of living wight” (ix.6)
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May want to compare this to Paradise Lost – Milton wants to reach a
greater task
The House of Holiness
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Besides acting as a parallel with the House of Pride, as
mentioned before it works to show how a gentleman should
behave:
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The progress through the members of the House and their allegorical
position
He learns that he needs to learn this before he can defeat evils alone
The Path to our destination is not always a
straight one...
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Canto 10 includes extensive
descriptions of paths...
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Stanza 5, 10, 33, 35, 51, 55, 61
In Dante’s Inferno he sets off
as so: “Half way along the
road we have to go,/I found
myself obscured in a great
forest” (Inferno 1.Canto 1. 12)
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This is very similar to (ix)
stanza 39 – “wearie wandring
way”