The Faerie Queene is an epic poem with three layers of meaning: the story, religious metaphors, and political metaphors. The story follows the Redcrosse Knight as he aids Una in defeating monsters and challenges. Religiously, it represents the conflict between Protestantism and Catholicism. Politically, it serves as a metaphor for England under Queen Elizabeth I defeating its enemies with the help of its allies.

1. The Faerie Queene

2. The Faerie Queene
• Epic: story
• Sustained: Long!
• Three layers of meaning:
1. the story
2. the metaphor based on religion
3. the metaphor based on politics

3. The Faerie Queene
The story (book 1)
• The Redcrosse
Knight meets
Una.

4. The Faerie Queene
• Together they seek shelter for the storm in a
beautiful forest (The Wandering Wood)
• Una warns the Knight this is where the
monster Errour is hiding. He goes on anyway.
• The Redcrosse Knight beats Errour. Her young
feed on her body.
• Leaving the forest, they meet Archimago.
Bad sorcerer: he sends R Knight dreams.

5. The Faerie Queene
• Then a spirit (Duessa) in
the shape of Una tries to
seduce R. Knight. He
resists.
• The he is sent a dream in
which Una is ‘sporting’
with another knight.
• R Knight gets in another fight; Duessa – in the shape
of Fidessa - saves him and cares for him.

6. The Faerie Queene
• Una, meanwhile is attacked by a lion, which
ultimately sees that Una is holy. Instead of
eating her, it vows to protect her.

7. The Faerie Queene
• Duessa brings Redcrosse to the House of
Pride, run by Lucifera.
• Una has her own problems: she’s almost
raped. But fauns and satyrs come to her aid.
• Both running, Redcrosse and Duessa meet
again. They have sex.
• Giant Orgoglio takes Redcrosse prisoner.
• Una, warned by the escaped dwarf, finds
prince Arthur.

8. The Faerie Queene
• Una tells her story to Arthur: her parents, king
and queen, are held prisoner by a dragon.
Gloriana, the Queen, sent Redcrosse to save
them.
• But at this moment Redcrosse is prisoner
himself!
• Arthur then goes and kills Orgoglio, Una sets
Redcrosse free.

9. The Faerie Queene
• An old man, named Despair, almost persuades
Redcrosse to kill himself. Redcrosse is still very
weak after his capture.
• Una takes him to the House of Holiness. There
Caelia, with her daughters Fidelia, Sperenza
and Charissa restore Redcrosse both mentally
and physically.

10. The Faerie Queene
• Redcrosse learns
that he is a real
human (not of
Faerie land) and his
real name is
George. He is
destined to become
King of England.

11. The Faerie Queene
• Una now takes
Redcrosse to find
her parents.
• Redcrosse fights
the dragon.

12. The Faerie Queene
• Fight lasts days.
• Redcrosse wounded several times but
magically healed.
• Una’s parents saved. They assume that Una
and Redcrosse will get married.
• Redcrosse still has 6 years of fighting to do for
Gloriana

13. The Faerie Queene
religious metaphors
• Redcrosse – Knight of Holinesse, Faith
• Una – ‘Truth’
• Duessa – Duplicity, Catholicism
• Orgoglio – ‘Pride’
• The House of Pride – Catholic Church
• The House of Holiness – Protestant Church
• Dragon – The Pope
• Una’s parents - humanity

14. The Faerie Queene
political metaphors
• Gloriana – Queen Elizabeth I
• Redcrosse – St George, England
• Una – ‘Truth’,
• Duessa – Duplicity, Mary, Queen of Scots
• Orgoglio – Spain
• The House of Pride – England’s enemies
• The House of Holiness – England’s allies