Edmund Spenser and "The Faerie Queene"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the life of Edmund Spenser, who was viewed as a love and pastoral poet and also a classical author. It looks at how Spenser's life ran almost identically to the Elizabethan Age, from his birth in a poor family in London to his religious and political views to his eventual move to Ireland, where he wrote his most famous piece, "The Faerie Queen". It discusses how "The Faerie Queen" contains six books and a fragment of a seventh and how, with each book, a virtue is introduced. A story then unfolds to explain how the hero of that particular book obtains the virtue as his ultimate prize. The focus of the paper is on Book One and the virtue of holiness, which was dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I. It shows how his use and skill with ancient language coupled with his creation, the Spenserian stanza, presents the reader with a delightful look at medieval England.

From the Paper:

"When she finishes the story she starts to faint. The knight comforts her and vows to rescue her hero. They all leave together with the wise dwarf leading the way. Even though Una has been abandoned, misjudged, and betrayed by the man she loves she remains steadfast. She still loves him and wants to free him from his bondage by the giant. On a moral level here she still represents purity and truth. She has never wavered from either although her errant lover certainly has. On the religious level she represents the true church. She is forgiving and welcomes home the worst of sinners. On the historical level she is the Protestant Church."

More papers on Edmund Spenser and "The Faerie Queene":

• Analytical Essay # 114190 : "Una's Place in "The Faerie Queene"
• Analytical Essay # 65965 : "The Faerie Queene"
• Analytical Essay # 131904 : "Comic Effects in "The Faerie Queene"

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