The Faerie Queene
The Faerie QueeneThe Faerie Queene is an allegory, a story whose characters and events nearly all have a specific symbolic meaning. The poem’s setting is a mythical land, ruled by the Faerie Queene. Spencer sets forth the letter that this “Queene” represents his own monarch, Queen Elizabeth.
In the Faerie Queene, all of the characters are meant to have a symbolic meaning in the real world. Redcrosse is the knight of Holiness. (Intro. Pg. 201 Elements of Literature) Redcrosse is much like the Apostle Peter: in his eagerness to serve his Lord, he gets himself into unexpected trouble that he is not yet strong enough to handle. His mission is to be united with Una, who signifies Truth–Holiness cannot be attained without knowledge of Christian truth. In his immature state, he mistakes falsehood for truth, by following the deceitful witch Duessa. He pays for this mistake with suffering; but in the end this suffering makes way for his recovery in the House of Holiness, aided by Faith, Hope and Charity. With newfound strength, and the grace of God, he is able to conquer the dragon that represents all the evil in the world.
Similes are very evident in this poem. Similes are used to make a comparison between two seemingly unlike things. For example, “ Her dried dugs, like bladders lacking wind,” (Line 303 Pg. 210 Elements of Literature). Another example of simile being used is, “ But soone as breath out...
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