Symbolism In The Faerie Queene

Titania is uncertain whether her vision is a dream or reality, because dreams are soon

The sixteenth century brought many to focus more abundantly on the internal trials rather than the outward appearances of individuals. This caused various writers and philosophers to begin evaluating the importance of every person. Because of this, the idea of renaissance humanism was inevitably created. In simple terms, humanism is the belief that every individual, putting aside his or her rank, is of equal importance. A better understanding of renaissance humanism can be reached after reviewing the shift in society, religious change, and moral belief of the sixteenth century. Many literary works, including Sir Thomas More’s Utopia and Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, helped to shape the ideals of renaissance humanism. These

Envy is a sin that poisons the sinner and is self-destructive in nature. The common perception of envy is that it is an emotion that, much like jealousy, that comes from a desire to possess something that someone else has. However, envy goes a step further and causes an individual to not only desire what someone else has, but to also wish that the other person did not have it at all. Spenser uses the conventional view of envy stated above in conjunction with some unconventional imagery in order to elaborate on the nature and implications of being an envious person. In doing this Spenser is able to teach to reader an aspect of envy that they may not already know or understand. In his portrayal of envy in book one of The Faerie Queene, Spenser is trying to convey to his readers that people who are envious are trapped in and endless cycle of envy that leads to nothing but unhappiness and misery. Spenser’s interpretation of envy, like the other deadly sins in the house of pride, can be broken down into 4 images: the animal that he rides, his appearance, how he behaves, and the ailment he has. This paper will use the first three of these images to show how Spenser’s depiction of Envy is meant to teach the reader that the sin of envy can only lead to perpetual unhappiness and misery.

“The Faerie Queene,” was written during the early modern period, shows a massive change in Christian religious practices. Redcrosse offers his services to Gloriana, Queen of Fairyland Una reveals that the dragon of hell has captured her parents and that she needs assistance in getting them free. Redcrosse takes on the challenge of getting her parents released (Canto 1). This demonstrate a hero, he will go through great trials and fight fierce monsters and this in itself is the character of a heroic knight. Not only does his armor protect his body and those with him, but also being a Christian he has the protection of Christ. For the Christian to be holy, he must have faith.

In William Golding’s “Lord Of The Flies” Novel, symbolism is a very important element of the book, Many symbols show how the boys on the island are slowly becoming savage and losing their civility.

From Henry VIII’s separation for the Roman Catholic Church to Mary I’s persecution of Protestants, Elizabethan England was a world rife with religious conflict. The budding Church of England struggled to take root in the hearts and minds of the people. Popular media of the era reflected this struggle. Many authors and playwrights sided with the Church of England satirizing Roman Catholic clergy and worshipers in their fiction; however, some of the period’s most enduring plays take a different approach. In Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, and Measure for Measure, William Shakespeare created multidimensional Franciscans who serve as wise and caring councilors, wisdom behind deceptions for the good of the protagonists, upholders of virtue,

Virginia Woolf’s “Death of a Moth” may, at first glance, seem lackluster; however, her creative and impactful message is brilliantly hidden within symbolism that demands an abstract perspective. She uses imagery to describe a moth and personify its actions in order to present it as a symbol for life. Additionally, pathos throughout her work evokes emotions and prompts the analytical thinking needed to understand her underlying meaning. Thus, Woolf’s analysis about life is composed using symbolism, imagery, and pathos that combine to create a contemplative style and motivational purpose.

The renaissance was a period of rapid change in many European countries. The constant struggle between Catholicism and Protestantism alone created a country torn between both political and spiritual ideologies. As different kings and queens came into power, many were forced to change ideologies simply based on the beliefs of these monarchs. During this time, literature was used as a way to protest these ideologies. The works of Edmund Spenser, author of The Faerie Queene, Sir Thomas More, author of Utopia, the records of Anne Askew’s burning, From the First Examination of Anne Askew and John Foxe’s Acts and Monuments, provide insight into the political climate of spiritual reform in the renaissance era. These authors critiqued life during the renaissance and used their writings to protest the old ways, encouraging England to abandon its Catholic roots in favor of Protestantism.

Religion in the Sixteenth Century was a major point of contention, especially for Elizabethans. In the midst of the Reformation, England was home to supporters of two major religious doctrines, including the Catholics and the Puritans. Three dominant themes that came out of this debate were sin, death and damnation. Important elements of Christian religions, these themes were often explored in the form of the seven deadly sins and the consequential damnation. The elements of sin pervasive in Thomas Nashe’s The Unfortunate Traveller, Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, William Shakespeare’s Othello, and Edmund Spenser’s Faerie Queen allow for

Among Poe’s work, I will typically illustrate these three works “The Black Cat”, “A Tell Tales Heart” , “The Fall of the House of Usher” , and “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” to dedicate the use of symbolism. Other works will be briefly mentioned.

Two very powerful female figures are presented in Error of The Faerie Queene, and Sin of Paradise Lost. These two characters are quite similar in description, Milton making a clear tribute to Spencer's work. Both characters have the same monster qualities, and both posses allegorical names and qualities.

Edmund Spenser’s epic poem The Faerie Queene is well known as an allegorical work, and the poem is typically read in relation to the political and religious context of the time. The term allegory tends to be loosely defined, rendering a whole work an extended metaphor, or even implying “any writing in verse or prose that has a double meaning”(Cuddon 20). In true Spenserian style, with everything having double meanings, both uses of the term allegory are applicable to his writing.

The poem, "The Faerie Queene", is a story about a courageous knight who goes through great trials and fights monsters. This in itself is entertaining but, it also has many allegorical references to Christianity. Many times Spenser talks about things when in reality he's really talking something closer to home. For instance, this faerie land he talks about sounds like he is referring to England, the country where he's from. Also, the title Faerie Queene itself is seems to represent Queen Elizabeth, the Queen of England. Redcrosse, the hero of the poem, is a major part of this allegory. He is called the "Knight of Holinesse" which is a reference to being holy and worshiping God. He represents the lonely Christian on a journey to put

    Edmund Spenser in his epic romance, The Faerie Queene, invents and depicts a wide array of female figures.  Some of these women, such as Una and Caelia, are generally shown as faithful, virtuous and overall lovely creatures.  Other feminine characters, such as Errour, Pride, and Duessa are false, lecherous and evil.  This might seem to be the end of Spenser's categorization of women; that they are either good or bad.  Yet upon closer examination one finds that Spenser seems to be struggling to portray women more honestly, to depict the "complex reality of woman" (Berger, 92).  Spenser does not simply "idealize women or the feminine viewpoint" as he could easily do

The Faerie Queene is an important romantic epic that more than being just poetry, represents the protestant imagery in terms of kinds of individual virtue , the forces of temptation and human weaknesses to which the greatest of persons can succumb and, of course, the humanist ideals of its time. His author, Edmund Spenser, makes use of biblical and classic allegories to tell his story, that more than have been a religious writing, the poem’s purpose was to educate, to turn young men into gentlemen and to make a declaration of faith in England. However, the more important purpose of the Faerie Queene is its allegory, the meaning behind its characters and events. The story's setting is a fanciful "faerie land," that