{"id":17071,"date":"2015-03-03T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-03-03T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/leithart.level2d.com\/?p=1895"},"modified":"2015-03-03T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2015-03-03T00:00:00","slug":"structure-in-spenser","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/leithart\/2015\/03\/structure-in-spenser\/","title":{"rendered":"Structure in Spenser"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n<\/head>

The macro-structures of\u00a0The Fairie Queene<\/a> become clear if we look at a single book in detail. Book 1 is a good place to start. It is the story of Holiness, focused on the Redcrosse Knight and Una.<\/p>\n

Redcrosse is called upon to rescue the parents of a damsal in distress, Una, from a terrible monster. Before he reaches this battle, however, he faces a number of other challenges. The book can be read as an account of his spiritual journey, a Bildungsroman<\/em>. Spenser tells us at the outset that Redcrosse\u2019s armor is used, but he has never before been in a battle. He begins as an inexperienced as a warrior of holiness, apparently wearing armor that is not his own. His story is a story of sanctification, told as a story of fall and redemption.<\/p>\n

Prior to his facing his primary foe, Redcrosse has to overcome various enemies: Error (a serpent), Archimago (hypocrisy), the \u201cSans\u201d brothers (Sansloi, Sansfoi, Sansjoi), Duessa and her giant lover Orgoglio, satyrs, knights, lions, and more. Each victory must be followed up by other victories. Redcrosse initially defeats Error, for instance, but then he continually falls prey to more subtle forms of error. In fact, his initial victory makes him proud and susceptible to further error. In Spenser\u2019s poem, sanctification is not achieved in a single, decisive combat, but in continuous warfare.<\/p>\n

His failures often involve Adamic failures to protect a woman. After he defeats Sansfoy, he takes over protection of \u201cFidessa\u201d (Duessa) rather than Una. Later, he abandons Duessa. These are not only allegories of the fall but allegories of church history. Redcrosse has to learn faithfulness to Una, the true church or, more abstractly Truth itself. She doesn\u2019t develop as a character; she is a stable reality that Redcrosse must learn to protect, honor, and love. <\/p>\n

The climactic moment of Book 1, though, isn\u2019t so much Redcrosse\u2019s heroism as Una\u2019s. She delivers him from Orgoglio\u2019s castle, and this makes possible the beginning of his transformation into a seasoned knight, into Saint George. The descent to Orgoglio\u2019s castle is paralleled by the progress of Redcrosse\u2019s sanctification in the second half of the book:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Cantos 2-6<\/strong><\/td>\nCantos 7-12<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Separation from Una, 2<\/td>\nReunion (Arthur), 8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Duessa leads Redcrosse astray<\/td>\nUna leads Redcrosse on the right way<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
House of Pride, 4<\/td>\nHouse of holiness, 10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Seven deadly sins, 4<\/td>\nSeven holy beadsmen, 10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Defeated by Orgoglio, 7<\/td>\nVictory over the Dragon, 11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Orgoglio\u2019s dungeon, 7<\/td>\nMount of contemplation\/marriage, 12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

A similar structure is evident in Book 2. The first two Books follow similar pattern: victory, separation, trials, confinement, rescue, rehabilitation, victory. This formal parallel is worked out in various details. Both books 1 and 2 begin in a \u201chouse\u201d that threatens the hero \u2013 Achimago\u2019s hut in Book 1, Medina\u2019s castle in Book 2. In both, Arthur appears as savior in canto 8. In both, a major edifice comes into play soon after Arthur\u2019s appearance. In Book 1, it\u2019s the house of holiness; in Book 2, the house of Alma. In both, book 12 involves a restoration of the landscape. Book 1 ends with a restoration of Eden, a marriage, a restoration of lands to Una\u2019s parents (Adam and Eve). In 2, the Bower of Bliss, a false Eden, is destroyed and proper order restored, <\/p>\n

As Bartlett Giamatti shows in\u00a0Play of Double Senses<\/a> (72-3), the parallel structure of Books 1 and 2 continues into Books 3-4, and 5-6, each pair a single story. Books 3-4 are held together by the character of Britomart. Book 3 begins with another Bower, while Book 4 begins with the castle of concord set in contrast to the dwelling of Ate (\u201cStrife\u201d). In both books 3 and 4, a house appears with a woman at the center: Hellenore at Malbecco\u2019s house in Book 3, and Amoret in Venus\u2019s temple in Book 4. Both books end with a marriage, the marriage of Amoret in Book 3 and the union of the rivers in Book 4.<\/p>\n

Book 5 begins with a regression from the giant Pollente, who eats the dust and represents Spanish power attacking Britain, to Radigund, an Amazonian parody of the warrior bride Britomart. The following book reverses this with a progression from Malefort to Aldus. In both of these books, canto 6 represents a low point and in both Arthur appears in canto 8 to rescue the hero. Books 5-6 do not have the comic denouement of the earlier books, as the blatant beast intrudes to undercut the happy ending. <\/p>\n

Overlaying this structure is a panel structure with books 1-3 paralleling books 4-6. In both 1 and 4,\u00a0canto 1 depicts discord or strive in a house or with a juxtaposition of houses. Arthur appears in canto 7 of each book, and in Canto 10 concord is reestablished in a house \u2013 the House of Holiness in Book 1 and the Temple of Venus (goddess of love, Christianized by Spenser) in book 4. Lovers are betrothed in canto 12, and children are reunited to parents in Book 12.<\/p>\n

Books 2 and 5 are linked by a set of contrasts and parallels. Medina\u2019s castle in book 2 is linked with and Pollente\u2019s in book 5. Alma\u2019s house stands in contrast to Mercilla\u2019s palace, and in canto 12 of each book, the hero and his companions take a sea voyage. In book 2, they embark on a voyage to destroy a monster, and in 5 to destroy a monster and restore Irena (Peace) to her rightful seat.<\/p>\n

Books 3 and 6 are largely contrasted. Hellenore wastes away in prison, Pastorella prospers in Meliboee\u2019s hut. The House of Busirane is social and individual disease writ large, in contrast to the pastoral setting of Meliboee, which becomes the civic harmony of Belgard castle.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The macro-structures of\u00a0The Fairie Queene become clear if we look at a single book in detail. Book 1 is a good place to start. It is the story of Holiness, focused on the Redcrosse Knight and Una. Redcrosse is called upon to rescue the parents of a damsal in distress, Una, from a terrible monster. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3021,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[641,642],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-edmund-spenser","category-fairie-queene"],"yoast_head":"\nStructure in Spenser<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The macro-structures of The Fairie Queene become clear if we look at a single book in detail. Book 1 is a good place to start. 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