Explain Spenser’s treatment of good and evil in “The Faerie Queene, Book 1”.

Answer

Explain Spenser’s treatment of good and evil in “The Faerie Queene, Book 1”. 

Or, Write a discourse on Spenser’s treatment of good and evil in “The Faerie Queene, Book 1”. 

In “The Faerie Queene, Book I” (1590), Edmund Spenser (1552/53-1599) shows a clear fight between good and evil. Here, good and evil take the form of knights, ladies, monsters, and sorcerers. The poem teaches us that good people must fight against evil things in life, like lies, sin, and false religion. Here we will discuss how Spenser shows good and evil in this poem. 

The Red Cross Knight: The Red Cross Knight is the central figure of good in “The Faerie Queene, Book I.” He represents holiness. The Red Cross Knight is on a mission to defeat a dragon and save Lady Una’s parents. The dragon symbolizes sin and evil. Spenser portrays the knight as a brave man. He is devoted to his faith. We learn this because the knight carries the bloody cross on his shield and armor. This red cross is a reminder of the sacrifice of his lord, Jesus Christ. Spenser writes:

“But on his brest a bloudie Crosse he bore”

So, the knight is a good Christian. Here, the knight’s mission shows us a good Christian’s journey to be holy.

Lady Una: Lady Una is the knight’s companion on this journey. She is pure, kind, and wise. Spenser describes her as:

“So pure an innocent, as that same lambe.”

The knight is going to her kingdom to save her parents from a fire-breathing dragon. Here, Lady Una is the symbol of truth and goodness. She stands for true religion. The journey of the lady and the knight symbolizes that a good person must be guided by truth or true religion.

Monster Error: Spenser introduces evil through characters like the monster Error and the deceitful Archimago. Error is an ugly creature that looks like half-woman and half-serpent. This vile