The knight Redcrosse enters a dark cave and sees a monstrous creature that is half-serpent, half-woman. The monster has many strange offspring that hide in her mouth when light enters the cave. When Redcrosse appears, the monster attacks him by wrapping her large tail around his body. With encouragement from the lady, Redcrosse is able to free one hand and strangle the monster to loosen its grip on him.

1. THE FAERIE QUEENE

2. STANZA 14-19

3. But full of fire and greedy hardiment,
The youthfull knight could not for ought be staide,
But forth vnto the darksome hole he went,
And looked in: his glistring armor made
A litle glooming light, much like a shade,
By which he saw the vgly monster plaine,
Halfe like a serpent horribly displaide,
But th'other halfe did womans shape retaine,
Most lothsom, filthie, foule, and full of vile disdaine.
Boldness and
courage
- A snake
- Mythological symbol
Unworthy
STANZA
14

4. Stanza 14
Explanation
● But Redcrosse doesn't listen
and in he goes into the cave
and sees the monster: half-
serpent, half-woman.

5. And as she lay vpon the durtie ground,
Her huge long taile her den all ouerspred,
Yet was in knots and many boughtes vpwound,
Pointed with mortall sting. Of her there bred
A thousand yong ones, which she dayly fed,
Sucking vpon her poisonous dugs, each one
Of sundry shapes, yet all ill fauored:
Soone as that vncouth light vpon them shone,
Into her mouth they crept, and suddain all were gone
Sundry: Of
various kinds
Unworthy
STANZA
15

6. Stanza 15
Explanation
Her tail is huge, and full of knots
and stingers, and takes up most of
the cave. She has thousands of
little monster babies, also weirdly
shaped, who were feeding off her
but after seeing Redcrosse, jump
into her mouth.
Weird.

7. A pictorial representation of the cave and monster.

8. Their dam vpstart, out of her den effraide,
And rushed forth, hurling her hideous taile
About her cursed head, whose folds displaid
Were stretcht now forth at length without entraile.
She lookt about, and seeing one in mayle
Armed to point, sought backe to turne againe;
For light she hated as the deadly bale,
Ay wont in desert darknesse to remaine,
Where plaine none might her see, nor she see any plaine
Uncomfortable
with his presence,
so attacked him
-Offensive or unpleasant
-monster's hideous tale
with a sting
Bale=injury
STANZA
16

9. Stanza 16
Explanation
● Errour is not happy to see
Redcrosse, and rushes toward
him but is momentarily put off
by the shine of his armor, since
she hates light.

10. Which when the valiant Elfe perceiu'd, he lept
As Lyon fierce vpon the flying pray,
And with his trenchand blade her boldly kept
From turning backe, and forced her to stay:
Therewith enrag'd she loudly gan to bray,
And turning fierce, her speckled taile aduaunst,
Threatning her angry sting, him to dismay:
Who nought aghast, his mightie hand enhaunst:
The stroke down fro[m]; her head vnto her shoulder glaunst
The Knight
Bray is a weird
sound made by the
monster
The knight hurts her
shoulder with his
blade
STANZA
17

11. Stanza 17
Explanation
● Redcrosse takes advantage of
this and attacks her, forcing her
not to leave, and strikes her
shoulder.

12. Much daunted with that dint, her sence was dazd,
Yet kindling rage, her selfe she gathered round,
And all attonce her beastly body raizd
With doubled forces high above the ground:
Tho wrapping up her wrethed sterne arownd,
Lept fierce upon his shield, and her huge traine
All suddenly about his body wound,
That hand or foot to stirre he strove in vaine:
God helpe the man so wrapt in Errours endlesse traine.
shake due to
blow/hit
unable to think
properly because of
injury /shock
winds herself around
him
STANZA
18

13. Stanza 18
Explanation
● She's momentarily dazed by the
blow, but then becomes even
angrier, rushes on top of
Redcrosse and wraps him up
with her tail.

14. His Lady sad to see his sore constraint,
Cride out, Now now Sir knight, shew what ye bee,
Add faith unto your force, and be not faint:
Strangle her, else she sure will strangle thee.
That when he heard, in great perplexitie,
His gall did grate for griefe and high disdaine,
And knitting all his force got one hand free,
Wherewith he grypt her gorge with so great paine,
That soone to loose her wicked bands did her constraine.
control
confusion
Throat
STANZA
19

15. Stanza 19
Explanation
● The lady, seeing that things are
not going well, urges
Redcrosse to strangle the
monster before the monster
strangles him.
● Redcrosse manages to free one
of his arms and grabs the
monster by the throat, which
loosens her hold on him.