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SPENSER'S
THE FAERIE QUEENE
Find a useful synopsis of Book One
here
Study notes on Book One
here
Another summary
here
SparkNotes on Faerie Queene
here
Good study
questions here
Characters and Places:
Book One, Cantos 1-4, 10-12
First appearance noted in parentheses: (Book.Canto.stanza)
ARCHIMAGO — arch-magician or image-maker, deceiver; allegorically, Satan; first appears disguised as a hermit (I.i.29)
CAELIA — Heavenly; the matron who governs the House of Holiness; her three daughters are FIDELIA (Faith), SPERANZA (Hope) and CHARISSA (Charity) (I.x.3-5)
DRAGON — Satan; Redcrosse's three-day battle with it symbolizes Christ's three days in the tomb (I.xi.4)
DUESSA — Double, or deceiving, as contrasted with Una; Sans Foy's mistress; first appears to, tempts, and deceives Redcrosse in the disguise of FIDESSA (faith) (I.ii.13)
ERROR — The half-woman, half-serpent that nearly defeats Redcrosse at the beginning of his adventure (I.i.14)
ERROR'S DEN — symbolizes the Catholic Church (I.i.13)
GLORIANA — The Queen of Faerie; a "type" or prefiguring of Queen Elizabeth (I.i.3)
HOUSE OF HOLINESSE — Where Redcrosse is brought by Una to recover from his wounds (I.x.3), and where he studies the Christian faith with Patience and Penance; also where he learns that he is St. George (I.x.61); site of the procession of the "Seven Bead-men," which contrasts the Palace of Pride's Seven Deadly Sins (I.x.36-43)
KING AND QUEEN OF EDEN — Adam and Eve; Una's parents imprisoned by Dragon/Satan and rescued by Redcrosse (I.xii.5)
LUCIFERA — or Dame Pride; daughter of Pluto and Proserpine (I.iv.8)
LYON — protector of Una; allegorically, Britain (I.iii.5)
NEW HIERUSALEM (JERUSALEM) — the vision of the City of God shown to Redcrosse while he studies at the House of Holinesse (I.x.55)
PALACE OF PRIDE — Lucifera's house (I.iv.2); scene of the pageant of the Seven Deadly Sins (I.iv.16-35)
REDCROSSE — St. George; allegorically, the questing Christian soul (I.i.1)
SANS FOY — Faithlessness; the "Sarazin" (Muslim) killed by Redcrosse (I.ii.12)
SANS LOY — Lawlessness; friend to Archimago; abducts Una and wounds Lyon (I.iii.33)
SANS JOY — Brother to Sans Foy and Sans Loy; battles Redcrosse in the Palace of Pride and is conquered despite Duessa's support (I.iv.38)
UNA — Truth, or the the One True Faith; betrothed to Redcrosse (I.i.4)
WELL OF LIFE, TREE OF LIFE — symbols of the sacraments of Baptism and Communion, which keep Redcrosse alive during his three-day battle with Dragon (I.ix.29, 46)
Characters
and Places:
Book Two, canto 12
A good
comparison of the Bower of Bliss and the Garden of Adonis can be found
here
GUYON — Knight of Temperance, accompanying
Arthur; like Redcrosse, he comes from the land of Faerie (so he is sometimes
called an “elf”). Temperance as a virtue differs from Holiness in that
Temperance refers to the moral activity of all humans in the natural world,
while holiness can only be attained by Christians, through revelation. He has
been overcoming various temptations to excess — of anger, of lust, of love of
money — for eleven cantos.
PALMER — represents Right Reason; a holy pilgrim who makes his way through the world in search of goodness and accompanies Guyon
BOWER OF BLISS — A parody of the Garden of Eden — an enclosed garden in which all the senses are delighted, but where all the delights are artificial rather than natural: for example, the birds sing not their natural notes, but the notes of a love song sung first by a boy in the garden.
EXCESS — the loosely-dressed woman who greets Guyon with wine at the entrance to the Bower
GENIUS -- the guardian of the gate to the Bower
of Bliss -- not the true Genius or god of generation, but a false one
TWO MAIDENS — tempt Guyon by splashing naked in
the fountain near the Gate of the Bower.
ACRASIA — Intemperance; her name can also mean "excess" or sometimes "impotence;" an enchantress or witch
VERDANT — Acrasia’s lover in the Bower, a “high-born” youth
GRILL — an enchanted victim of Acrasia’s who begs, when the Palmer releases him from his enchantment to be returned to the form of a hog
Characters
and Places:
Book Three
Characters are listed in in alphabetical order in the Cantos in which they first appear. Names in bold print refer to the most significant characters, places or things.
CANTO ONE
ARTHUR (III.i.1) — Legendary pre-Christian King of England, a symbol of British nationalism and of virtuous rule. He is the center of “The Matter of Britain,” or of the traditional legends indigenous to England.
BRITOMART (III.i.4) — "Warrior Briton," Female Knight of Chastity and female counterpart to Arthur. Like Guyon and Redcrosse, she must face many challenges to her characteristic virtue: Chastity is often threatened by different aspects of sexual love and desire. When we first meet her she is fighting Guyon, who mistakes her for an enemy knight — this symbolizes that a lack of Temperance can endanger Chastity. She then defends Redcrosse (the Christian soul) from the forces that tempt him to be unfaithful. She is separated from Arthur and Guyon when they go off to rescue Florimell (who symbolizes beauty, III.i.15), and must resist the temptations of Malecasta (female sexuality) and the Castle Joyeous. After she is slightly wounded by figures of desire in the castle, We learn in canto ii that she is indeed affected by desire: we learn of her desperate love for the noble knight Artegall, whom she has never met but who is her intended soulmate (symbolizing that desire can be turned to good if its object is an appropriate potential marriage partner). Finally, she rescues Belphoebe’s sister Amoret (True Love) from the enchanter Busirane (Adulterous Lust).
CASTLE JOYEOUS (III.i.20) — the home of Malecasta, who presides over a licentious court. Britomart comes here when she spots Redcrosse fighting six knights who are attempting to force him to throw over Una for their mistress, Malecasta. Note that it is decorated with beautiful but pornographic tapestries depicting scenes from Ovidian myths of Venus and Adonis; these foreshadow the descriptions of the Garden of Adonis (III.i.34-38).
FLORIMELL (III.i.15) — A lady in distress who, fleeing an evil forester, causes Arthur and Guyon to pursue her and leave Britomart to face the Castle Joyeous on her own. She symbolizes Beauty, and attracts Arthur and Guyon but not Britomart.
GUYON (III.i.1) — Knight of Temperance, accompanying Arthur; like Redcrosse, he comes from the land of Faerie. He accompanies Britomart part of the way but cannot always protect her.
MALECASTA (III.i.41) — The mistress of Castle Joyeous; she represents and enacts female sexual desire. Her courtiers all symbolically represent aspects of Courtly Love. She herself is rich and attractive, but disorderly and “wanton” in her choice of love objects. Because Britomart refuses to remove her armor, Malecasta falls in love with her, thinking her a handsome knight (symbolizing desire’s tendancy to make rash choices based on outward appearance). When Malecasta sneaks into Britomart’s bedroom, hoping to seduce the “knight,” she startles her and screams when the armorless Britomart draws her weapon. Malecasta’s henchmen, who symbolize aspects of desire, fight Britomart who, lacking the armor of Chastity, is slightly wounded in the breast by Gardante (“desirous gazing,” which symbolizes the fact that Britomart fell in love with Artegal at first sight).
REDCROSSE (III.i.20) — The Knight of Holiness and the hero of Book One. Britomart encounters him outside the Castle Joyeous, battling six of Malecasta’s knights, and helps him beat them.
SQUIRE (III.i.4) — Britomart’s elderly servant
TIMIAS (III.i.18) — Arthur’s squire, whose name means “honored.” He is rescued and beloved by Belphoebe in Canto 5.
PALMER (III.i.9) — Guyon’s companion, a holy pilgrim who makes his way through the world in search of goodness; symbolically, Right Reason
CANTO TWO
ART(H)EGAL (III.ii.8) — The knight Britomart loves, although we meet him only by hearsay in Book III. She speaks of him as her enemy (III.ii.11) in a pretense whose object is to get Redcrosse (not Guyon, as the text mistakenly says in III.iv.1) to speak of his many virtues. We learn in III.ii.17 that she has never met him, but has only seen him in Merlin the magician’s magic mirror, symbolizing the importance of sight to desire.
GLAUCE (III.ii.30) — Britomart’s nurse, who is named for the mother of the virgin goddess Diana, and who tries to protect her from the desire she feels after seeing Artegal in the magic mirror.
MERLIN (III.ii.18) — Arthur’s magician, who made the magic mirror inwhich Britomart sees Artegal.
CANTO FIVE
BELPHOEBE (III.v.27) — a type of Diana/Phoebe (plus "Bel," or "beautiful"), the virgin goddess of the moon and the hunt (also a type of Queen Elizabeth); adopted daughter of the goddess Diana. Her birth is described in III.iv.
CANTO SIX
ADONIS (III.vi.46) — Venus' earthly lover, preserved after his death in the Garden of Adonis.
AMORET (III.vi.28) — "True Love," Belphoebe's twin sister, adopted by Venus and reared by Cupid's wife Psyche alongside their daughter, Pleasure; abducted and tortured by Busirane (Adulterous Lust).
CHRYSOGONE (III.vi.4) — Belphoebe and Amoret's mother, a nymph, who conceived them with a ray of sunshine and gave birth to them painlessly, making her a type of the Virgin Mary.
CUPID (III.vi.49) — Venus' son and husband to Psyche; leads the Masque of Passions in Canto 12.
DIANA (III.vi.17) — Goddess of the moon, hunt, and chastity; helps Venus search for Cupid and adopts Belphoebe.
GARDEN OF ADONIS (III.vi.29 ) — Venus' home, where all Creation has its origin and where souls return after death; this myth invented by Spenser to link the classical belief in reincarnation to the Christian belief in resurrection; a type of Eden and the Golden Age.
GENIUS (III.vi.31) — God of Generation; the porter at the gate of the Garden of Adonis.
VENUS (III.vi.11) — Goddess of Love; while out seeking her lost son, Cupid, she and Diana discover Chrysogene giving birth to Belphoebe and Amoret; adopts Amoret to replace her lost boy.
Plot Outline: The Faerie Queene, Book 1
CAUTION: This is a bare-bones plot outline. The deeper significance and symbolism of The Faerie Queene are not discussed here. You must still read the text!
This outline appears courtesy of Prof. C.A. Conway, McGill University, who has published it for his course, 110-200A: Survey of English Literature, on his website at http://www.arts.mcgill.ca/programs/english/conway/spenser.html.
Background (from the Letter to Raleigh): the Lady Una had come to Gloriana's court seeking help against a dragon that was threatening the lives of her parents and their nation. A "clownish" young man, who had come to the court asking to be sent on an adventure, requests that he be allowed to undertake this quest; and donning the armour which the lady has brought, he goes forth to slay the dragon, accompanied by the lady and her attendant, a dwarf.
During the book, the young man must learn to grow into his armour, to overcome his own pride, to be able to distinguish truth from falsehood, and to become a true knight. The basic movement of the book is like a dance: Redcross begins in partnership with Una, but then leaves her when he sees a false image of her in a dream, and goes with Duessa. The low point comes when he takes off his armour and is subject to pride and despair. However, by Arthur's help he rejoins Una, then moves towards his encounter with the dragon.
In the first canto, Redcross overcomes the dragon Error in the woods; however, he is led astray by Duessa, the false lady who is pretending to be Fidessa. Duessa is in league with a magician named Archimago. Meanwhile the lady Una is left on her own and is in great danger. Duessa takes the Redcross Knight to the House of Pride, where he meets the seven deadly sins. Nevertheless he fights and defeats the evil Sansfoy [Canto 4 ends here]. Meanwhile, Una is rescued from Sansfoy's brother, but falls into other dangers.
The Redcross Knight is imprisoned in the Castle of Pride, from which he is rescued by Arthur, at the behest of Una. In this battle Arthur reveals Duessa for what she really is. The Redcross Knight, in very weakened condition nevertheless overcomes despair, then is taken for healing to the House of Holiness. This process of healing takes the Redcross Knight up to the Mount of Contemplation. He wants to stay there, but is told that he must return to the world of active duty. He comes down, travels to Una's country, and fights and defeats the dragon. Una and the Redcross Knight are betrothed, despite a last-minute attempt by Duessa to claim him. However, the nuptials are postponed, for the Redcross Knight must go on further quests.
THE FAERIE QUEENE, Book Three — PLOT OUTLINE
CAUTION: This is a bare-bones plot outline. The deeper significances and symbolisms of The Faerie Queene are not discussed here. You must still read the text!
INTRODUCTION:
Spenser explains that he has chosen to personify Chastity as a female knight
to honor his sovereign, the Virgin Queen Elizabeth. (Note carefully, though,
that chastity does not literally mean virginity, but rather lawful [married]
sexuality.) He apologizes to Elizabeth for the inadequacy of his symbolic
portrait, but notes that the reader may get pleasure from imagining Elizabeth as
a number of virtuous heroines, including Cynthia/Diana (the virgin
moon-goddess), Gloriana (queen of the fairies), or Belphoebe (who appears in
III.v).
CANTO ONE:
Stanzas 1-7 — Arthur and Guyon encounter Britomart and challenge her, not
knowing she is female. Britomart knocks Guyon from his horse, shaming him.
8-14 — Guyon attempts to retaliate, still unaware that Britomart is female. His companions soothe him, the Palmer (who all through Book II reined in Guyon’s hot temper) by telling him that Britomart’s spear was enchanted, and Arthur by convincing him it was Guyon’s horse’s fault. Guyon and Arthur befriend the stranger knight (Britomart) and they ride off in search of adventure, finding nothing however but bears, lions and bulls to fight.
15-18 — A beautiful Lady (Florimell) comes tearing out of the forest, apparently pursued by someone. Her pursuer turns out to be an evil Forester who had attempted to rape her. Guyon and Arthur chase after the Lady and Arthur’s squire, Timias, chases the Forester.
19-21 — Britomart, less vulnerable to the cries of a damsel in distress, waits for her companions to return. When they don’t, she rides on and approaches the Castle Joyeous, where she sees six knights unfairly attacking a lone knight.
21-25 — Britomart rides to the lone knight’s rescue. She confronts the six knights and asks them why they’re fighting so unchivalrously. The Knight (Redcrosse) answers that they are attacking him because he refused to give up his lady love (Una, from Book One, who symbolizes the One True Faith) in favor of the mistress of the Castle (Malecasta). Britomart agrees that Redcrosse is right to resist.
26-30 — The six knights insist that it is the custom of the Castle that any man they encounter must prove the superiority of his lady love in battle. Britomart coyly notes that while she loves, it is not a lady, and offers to support Redcrosse in battle. She knocks down three knights, Redcrosse one, and the other two yield, conducting her and Redcrosse into the Castle.
31-33 — Malecasta’s Castle Joyeous is described. It is a lovely place, filled with beautiful men and women and decorated with costly materials. Britomart and Redcrosse wonder who could afford such excessive and extravagant furnishings.
34-38 — The tapestries decorating the walls of the banqueting hall are described. These portray sensual scenes of the affair between Venus and Adonis (foreshadowing canto 6).
39-40 — The banqueting hall is also furnished with lots of comfy couches, upon which men and women are napping or making love. Other people dance to the music that constantly plays.
41-43 — Redcrosse and Britomart are presented to Malecasta, a beautiful woman whose only defect is that her eyes “roll too lightly,” or shift restlessly around looking at every attractive face in sight. She invites the knights to join her for dinner and remove their armor, which Redcrosse does but Britomart doesn’t. She does raise her helmet’s visor, though, and shows her face.
44-46 — The six knights they had fought with join them, unarmed. They are:
Gardante — “looking lustfully”
Parlante — “talking of love”
Jocante — “joking”
Basciante — “kissing”
Bacchante — “partying”
Noctante — “night games” or sex
Their names signify an alternative Ladder of Love, one that delineates the stages of sexual attraction and consummation. They have no effect on Britomart, however.
47-51 — Malecasta is intensely attracted to Britomart’s virtuous demeanor and believes her to be male. Her sexual excitement is described in detail, although Britomart pretends not to know what Malecasta’s feeling.
52-55 — Malecasta asks Britomart to take off her armor, whining and sobbing when she won’t. Britomart, mistaking Malecasta’s ardor for real love, doesn’t want to hurt her feelings and so fails to discourage her sufficiently (although she still refuses to disarm).
56-62 — The pretty guests begin to pair off and amuse themselves with gambling, drinking and sex. Everyone retires for the nght and Britomart, assuming she’s alone and safe, takes off her armor and sleeps. Malecasta sneaks into her room, feels Britomart’s “members” to make sure she’s asleep, and climbs into bed with her. Britomart awakes and, thinking a man is trying to rape her, jumps out of bed and grabs her spear. Malecasta screams, waking everyone in the Castle.
63-67 — The six knights and Redcrosse run into the room. The knights tend to the fainting Malecasta and, afraid to fight Britomart (and Redcrosse), verbally berate her. One, Gardante, shoots an arrow at Britomart which scratches her breast. Enraged, she attacks the six knights, who run away. Britomart and Redcrosse ride away immediately.
CANTO TWO
1-3 — Spenser defends his story from those who would say that it’s
impossible for a woman to be a brave knight by citing some classical examples.
4-8 — As they ride, Redcrosse (not Guyon) asks Britomart how such a lovely lady came to be riding around as a knight. After being overcome with emotion for a moment, she explains that she was raised to be a warrior and to reject pleasure and ease. She pretends to be pursuing an enemy, Artegal, and asks Redcrosse if he’s heard where he might be (though she regrets immediately bringing up Artegal’s name).
9-18 — Redcrosse is confused — he believes Artegal to be a virtuous knight. Britomart secretly rejoices to hear her beloved has a good reputation. However, she continues to pretend that Artegal has behaved dishonorably to women and learns from Redcrosse that Artegal wanders the land defending women and children. Claiming she will kill him the moment she lays eyes on him, Britomart asks what Artegal looks like, although she knows this perfectly well as she’s seen him in Merlin’s magic mirror.
19-21 — The history of the magic mirror, which Merlin made following a pattern of Pythagoras’.
22-29 — In flashback, Britomart discovers the mirror in her father’s bedroom and, looking at her own reflection at first, begins to contemplate herself — which of course leads to the question of whom she will marry. The image of Artegal appears and, while she admires it, she feels nothing at first. Love sneaks up on her, however, and she begins to suffer its pangs.
30-39 — Her nurse, Glauce, becomes concerned and asks Britomart what’s wrong, trying to soothe her with motherly affection. Britomart claims to be incurable, because she’s in love with something she can never have — a mere shadow of a man. She has resolved to die of love.
40-42 — Glauce is relieved that Britomart isn’t suffering from any physical result of sexual love, but reproves Britomart for letting her imagination have such an effect on her. That way, she warns Britomart, lies immorality. Besides, maybe the object of her affection actually exists and is a virtuous man, an appropriate love object.
43-45 — Britomart refuses to be consoled — even though her love is not lustful, it is still painful, with no hope of satisfaction. Glauce insists that the image is that of a real man, who may be found by way of magic, if only Britomart will try to stay alive. Britomart is finally comforted and sleeps.
48-52 — Glauce and Britomart go to church to pray for Britomart’s relief, but this doesn’t help, so Glauce tries herbal witchcraft to remove the love-obsession from Britomart, which also doesn’t work.
CANTO THREE
1-4 — Spenser invokes Clio, the muse of history, to aid him in telling this
part of the story.
5-13 — After exhausting all the remedies she knows, Glauce takes Britomart to Merlin to see if he knows what knight has appeared in the mirror he made. Spenser describes Carmarthen, a real Welsh landscape. Merlin’s history and powers are briefly described.
14-20 — The two women timidly enter the workroom of Merlin, who had been expecting them. Glauce tries to protect Britomart’s identity from Merlin, who is not fooled.
21-26 — Merlin informs Britomart that her love has deep roots in legend, and prophesies that her descendents (including Elizabeth I) will be the defenders of Britain. He reassures her that she is not smitten with love by chance, but that destiny led her to see her love — whom he identifies as Artegall — in the mirror.
CANTO FOUR— see your text’s synopsis
CANTO FIVE
27-30 — We meet Belphoebe, the virgin huntress. When she discovers Timias
wounded and near death, her first response is fear, but a closer look at him
inspires pity and love.
31-36 — Belphoebe applies first aid to Timias and seeks medicinal herbs, which she prepares and applies to his wounds. Timias wakens and sees Belphoebe, believing her to be an angel or goddess.
37-41 — Belphoebe’s company of huntress/nymphs arrive, thinking that the blood they’ve been following is that of an animal Belphoebe has killed. Belphoebe sends them to find Timia’s horse; putting Timias on his horse, they lead him to a tent in the nymphs’ lovely campsite by a river where Belphoebe continues to treat Timia’s wounds.
41-48 — Spenser points out that, ironically, the “physician” has cured her patient’s pains but inadvertantly “destroyed” his heart. The progress of his “love wound” is described graphically. Timias berates himself for feeling carnal desire for the nymph who has so unselfishly helped him. He contemplates suicide and begins to waste away from unrequited love.
49-52 — Belphoebe is alarmed when she sees her patient failing, not knowing that her presence caused his malady, not knowing that the only medicine that would save him is her virginity, which is compared to a Rose in an extended metaphor and etymological discussion.
53-55 — Female readers are urged to follow the example of Belphoebe, who is the highest example of feminine virtue.
CANTO SIX
1 — Spenser suggests ironically that his noble readers might be surprised
that, in his story, the highest example of virtue is a woman who has been reared
in the “wild woods,” far away from cities and courts, which are supposed to be
the centers of good manners and education.
2-3 — Belphoebe’s horoscope is explained. Her birth had been blessed by both Jupiter (honor, intelligence, leadership) and Venus (love, femininity, beauty). She was conceived at the height of the day and born in the early morning and, like Christ’s mother Mary, remained free from sin her whole life.
4-10 — Her mother, the fairy Chrysogene (“golden-born”), conceived Belphoebe and her twin sister Amoret (together the most beautiful women the world had ever seen) not in the usual way, but by being impregnated by the sun’s rays after bathing in the river and falling asleep on the grass. Spenser compares the nonsexual fertilizing of her womb to the phenomenon of spontaneous generation in the mud of the Nile River. Chrysogene is ashamed when she discovers herself to be pregnant and hides in the wilderness.
11-18 — Meanwhile, Venus is traveling the earth looking for her son, Cupid, who has run away. Spenser satrirically describes her search for him in Court, in the City, and in the Country, where no one has seen him but everyone has felt his arrows. Venus finds the complaints of the “wounded” mortals amusing, and then realizes that the only place she hasn’t looked for Cupid is the wild forest, so she seeks help from her sister Diana, the virgin goddess of the hunt and of the moon, who is in charge of the woods. She arrives at Diana’s camp and watches the goddess and her attendants bathing in a spring. Spenser offers a detailed description (from Venus’ point of view) of the naked, wet goddess.
19-23 — Diana is embarassed and annoyed when she notices Venus spying on her and hides behind her nymphs. She greets Venus courteously, but when Venus tearfully asks her help, sarcastically wonders why Venus is so upset about losing such a badly-behaved boy. Venus angrily tells Diana that she shouldn’t judge another by her own standards — Venus is just as fond of her world and pleasures as Diana is of her forest and hunting. In fact, she suspects Cupid is hiding among her nymphs disguised as one of them, since he’s prettier than any nymph himself.
24-25 — Diana is offended at the suggestion that her virgin nymphs would harbor Cupid among them, and suggests Venus look for him at the house of his father, Mars (god of war), with whom Venus had an extramarital affair. She threatens to clip Cupid’s wings if he comes near her unspoiled attendants. Venus, alarmed, turns on the charm and sweet-talks Diana into sending some of her nymphs to look for Cupid.
26-28 — The nymphs don’t find Cupid but they do find Chrysogene, who has miraculously given birth in her sleep. This was possible because the babies who were “conceived without pleasure” can therefore be “born without pain.” The nymphs decide to take the babies from her without waking her (we never learn Chrysogene’s reaction to waking up no longer pregnant). The two babies are taken to Diana and Venus, who each adopt one as her foster child. Diana takes Belphoebe to raise her as a virgin huntress; Venus takes Amoret to raise her in the court of pleasure in “goodly womanhood.”
29-38 — Venus’ home is a paradise called The Garden of Adonis, which is an edenic garden with two walls on either side — one of Iron and one of Gold — where all living things have their origin and where souls are born, return after death, and reborn in an endless cycle. The gate is guarded by Genius, the god of generation/creation, but no “gardener” presides over the garden — all things grow of their own accord in obedience to God’s command to “be fruitful and multiply.” Every living thing is represented here in infinite numbers that never increase or lessen. As the souls of the living things go out into the created world, they take on corruptible, changeable bodies, but their essential nature does not change.
39-42 — Time and decay have no power in the Garden but are, of course, the scourge of all living things. From time to time the immortal gods take pity on mortal beings, especially Venus (the universal mother) who hates to see her beloved and beautiful offspring decay and die. If it weren’t for the depredations of time outside the Garden, life in the Garden would be perfect.
43-45 — In the middle of the Garden is a hill covered with myrtle trees (sacred to Venus, symbolizing fertility). The plants on this mount are dewy and fruitful and make a natural bower (bedchamber) carpeted with flowers that are named for human men of classical myth who loved goddesses and died for that love.
46-49 — In this symbolic place, Venus keeps her lover Adonis (a mortal whom she loved but who was killed when hunting a wild boar that gored him in the thigh). In Ovid, Venus turns the dead Adonis into a flower, the anemone. In Spenser’s version, after Adonis’ death, Venus brings him to the Garden to enjoy an eternal afterlife. In this spot, she constantly and eternally makes love with him, their joining symbolizing the endless fruitfulness of the Garden. Adonis himself is frozen in time, eternally youthful and beloved, and Spenser suggests he has become the "Father of all forms." The boar who killed Adonis is eternally imprisoned in a "strong rocky cave" underneath the hill. Adonis himself is the only mortal who can safely play with (the now-returned) Cupid.
50- — Cupid, Venus and Adonis are joined in play by Cupid’s wife Psyche, who after a troubling history with Venus, has settled down happily with her husband and their daughter, Pleasure. Amoret becomes the foster sister of Pleasure, the human version of her, and is taught all the values of virtuous courtly love. She is beloved by all men but loves only Sir Scudamor, faithfully and forever. Spenser then tells us that we’ll hear more of Amoret’s adventures later, after we rejoin Florimel, King Arthur, and their story (which we will not read in our class).
CANTO TWELVE
The MASQUE OF CUPID is similar in form to the Pageant of the Seven Deadly Sins in I.4 and in Faustus. Because it is an allegory of Love without chastity, or sexual desire and consummation without the blessing of marriage, its moral movement is the opposite of the progress expected of a Neoplatonic Lover up the Ladder of Love.
Note that all the allegorical figures represent different irascible (angry/related to the human will) and concupiscent (lustful/related to the human body) passions.
stanza 3 — The Masque begins not formally, but with a “stormy whirlwind,” implying chaos is the source as well as the result of this process.
4 — The figure of Ease (associated strongly with the Theater!) announces the masque is beginning. Note he does not speak, but gestures. The implication is that the disorderly emotions of sexual desire require a certain amount of leisure and role-playing to grow and flourish, but do not require language, which is an orderly way of communicating.
5-6 — The musicians then enter, adding sound to sight. Compare Britomart’s reaction to this to that of Guyon’s in the Bower of Bliss: stanza 6 reminds us of previous warnings about the pleasure that “confounds” the senses (as in the Bower of Bliss), rather than heightens them (as in the Garden of Adonis).
7-9 — The figures process in, in pairs (as befits an allegory of lovers). Fancy (Imagination) dances and fans the sparks that Desire holds, which burst into flame. Therefore, the beginnings of sexual attraction are chiefly imaginary; note that they are associated with fire, which both attracts and potentially harms.
10-11 — Doubt and Daunger (threat) are related in that the one fears the other — Doubt tiptoes in uncertainly, and Daunger threatens him with a net named Mischief and a dagger named Mishap — these represent problems (e.g., the interference of enemies, the difficulties presented by misunderstanding) that can threaten the success of a love affair as it begins.
12-13 — Fear and Hope are related by being the two sides of the mental coin that deals with the uncertainties of romantic love when it is its early stages. Fear enacts the emotion of jealousy that is stimulated by the sight of Daunger hiding behind its shield; Hope is more attractive and sprinkles “favor” on onlookers without much thought to who receives it, indicating that the hope that lovers feel is not particularly connected to reality.
14 -15 — Dissemblance and Suspect are different in appearance, but likewise two sides of the mental coin that deals with the dishonesty of lovers. Dissemblance (lying) is attractive but the “cats-cradle” she constantly works symbolizes the tangled web of deceit; Suspect, appropriately unattractive, stalks and spies on the deceitful lover.
16-17 — Grief and Fury appear to demonstrate the emotions that result from desire when the lover despairs of having his/her love returned: Grief pinches peoples’ hearts with Pincers; Fury mutilates herself and brandishes a torch, threatening harm to herself and others. Note that the harm symbolized by the figures is becoming increasingly physical and acute.
18 — Displeasure and Pleasance represent the fact that the physical sensations of sexual desire are often simultaneously uncomfortable and pleasurable; therefore, they are “an evil-matched pair” — note that the wasp and the honeybee they carry both can sting.
19-21 — An unnamed Lady enters (we learn later that this is the captive Amoret). The sadism of Despite and Cruelty (these terms describe the beloved who rejects the lover out of spite) is hideously and violently acted out when they carve a bloody hole in her chest, yank out her heart and display it in a basin (though without killing her, proving that this is a stage-effect). They represent the hyperbole poets of courtly love use to represent the pain caused by rejection; however, a sense of Amoret’s real danger is conveyed by this pornographic scene. The fact that lovers often succeed in their seduction when they are able to convince the beloved that they are in real physical danger from rejection is proven by the entrance of Cupid in the next stanza.
22-23 — In the climax of the pageant, Cupid enters riding a “ravenous” lion, symbolizing the social and aesthetic effort to control the destructive power of the sexual act. Breaking from his traditional state, he shakes off his blindness, but only for the purpose of voyeuristically enjoying the suffering of Amoret. This, of course, symbolizes consummation. Cupid alone is supposed to be able to “marshal” or control the emotional figures who follow him, signifying that they are only held off so long as the sexual act is anticipated or in progress; but his departure (signifying the quick cooling of desire after consummation) causes the subsequent “rude confused rout” in st. 25.
24-25 — These figures represent the emotions felt after sexual desire is consummated: Reproach, Repentance, and Shame represent the emotions of lovers who feel guilt and blame one another for their sin. Strife and Anger represent the fights into which the affair degenerates; Care is the depression that accompanies such fights. Unthriftyhood and Losse of Time are the expenses lovers incur as they enjoy and conceal their affair. Sorrow, Change (fickleness), Disloyalty, and Riotesse (too much partying) represent the unstable actions and emotions attending an illicit affair. Dread of Heaven is the inevitable result of such sin, followed after the affair is over by Infirmity (sickness due to venereal disease), Poverty (due to spending too much money on the affair and/or losing one’s position in society), and finally Death.
26 — The “maladies” or adverse emotions of Sexual Love therefore progress from those based on imagination and ignorance — and therefore somewhat comic — to those based on the physical act of love, which present real danger to lovers. Note Spenser’s conclusion that the negative effects of sexual desire are as numerous as “fantasies in wavering woman’s wit.” They return to the “inner room” they came from, which symbolizes the human mind and heart.
