Who is the Monster Error?

Answer

Who is the Monster Error? What is the allegorical significance of the fight between Monster Error and the Red Cross Knight? 

In Edmund Spenser’s (1552/53-1599) ‘The Faerie Queene,’ the Monster Error is a hideous creature that the Red Cross Knight confronts in the first book of the epic. This encounter is steeped in allegorical meaning and highlights various moral, spiritual, and political conflict dimensions.

Monster Error: The Monster Error is depicted as a terrifying and awful creature with a woman’s face and the body of a serpent. This hybrid form makes her alluring and deadly, reflecting the dual nature of sin and falsehood.

Fight Between Them: The fight between the Knight and the monster proved fierce. At one point in his fight, the monster’s huge tail gripped the Knight. At this time Lady Una shouted to the Knight to show his bravery. She urged him to believe in himself and Jesus Christ and fight bravely. Inspired by the lady’s words, the Knight fought with redoubled vigor and courage. He was able to release himself from the grip of the monster’s tail. He then pressed the monster’s throat with such force that she threw out a lot of filth from her mouth. Black poison and big lumps of flesh and raw meat came out from her belly.

The monster had many young ones, all of whom had taken shelter inside her mouth when the Knight entered the cave. These little dragons also now emerged from the monster’s mouth. Ultimately, the Knight succeeded in cutting off the monster’s head and killing her. Her offspring now began to drink the blood which was flowing from her large wound. They drank so much blood that their bodies swelled with it, and their bellies burst open with the consequence that they all died. This was the first adventure of the Red Cross Knight, and Lady Una congratulated him on his victory.

Allegorical Significance: As the Knight receives an order from Queen Gloriana, he starts his journey with Una. On the way, they meet with a terrible monster, Error, who is represented as a horrible creature. The monster has the face of a woman and the rear part of a serpent. There was a terrible fight between the Knight and the monster, which had an allegorical purpose.

Red Cross Knight: Symbolizes Holiness, representing the Christian soldier who spiritually quests to defend righteousness against sin and moral corruption. Spenser said to the Knight-

Virtue gives her selfe light, through darkness for to wade.

Monster Error: Embodies Sin and Falsehood, the deceptive and corrupt forces that lead individuals astray from righteousness. 

Victory Through Faith: The fight is not just a physical contest but a spiritual struggle. The knight’s initial trap by Error’s tail and subsequent liberation upon Lady Una’s encouragement to trust in divine strength reflects the Christian belief in the power of faith to overcome sin. Una’s direction symbolizes the role of Truth in inspiring and empowering the fight against falsehood. Knight’s ability to victory is represented here-

Halfe furious unto his foe he came,

Resolved in mind all suddenly to win.

Purging of Corruption: Error’s expulsion of vile substances—black poison and pieces of flesh—during the fight symbolizes spiritual purification. The defeat of Error represents the removal of sin and moral corruption from the soul. This is considered a necessary step for spiritual growth and holiness.

Protestantism vs Catholicism: The fight reflects the religious conflict of Spenser’s time, particularly the Protestant Reformation and the struggle against what Protestants considered as the corrupt practices of the Catholic Church. The Red Cross Knight represents the Protestant Church, while Error symbolizes the perceived falsehoods and corruptions associated with the Catholic Church. The knight’s courage lies in 

But on his brest a bloudie Crosse he bore, 

The deare remembrance of his dying Lord,

Anti-Catholic Sentiment: Error’s vomit, including books and papers, can be seen as representing the anti-Protestant propaganda circulated by Catholic sources. By defeating Error, the Red Cross Knight triumphs over these perceived corruptions as a symbol of Protestantism.

Symbol of England: The Red Cross Knight also embodies St. George, the patron saint of England, and symbolizes the country’s identity and its struggle to assert its religious and political sovereignty during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The victory over Error aligns with England’s triumph over perceived internal and external threats to its Protestant faith and national integrity.

The fight between the Red Cross Knight and Error highlights the central themes of the epic. This allegorical battle is a microcosm of the broader spiritual, moral, and political conflicts that define the human experience and the historical context of Spenser’s time.