Beneath the Surface: False Appearance in the Faerie Queene
Beneath the Surface: False Appearance in The Faerie Queene
In his classic literary work, The Faerie Queene, Edmund Spenser brilliantly weaves a number of themes together to communicate complex moral, political, and cultural meanings. The first book alone characterizes this incredible complexity. He leads the reader through Redcrosse’s journey to reunite with Una, from one dangerous setting to another memorable character, in interrelated cantos. Two such scenes in Book one poignantly demonstrate a theme Spenser portrays throughout The Faerie Queene: false appearances. At the end of canto eight, after Una meets a significantly weakened Redcrosse in the dungeon of Duessa’s castle to show the effects of living under false pretenses, false Duessa’s showy façade is stripped away to reveal her true ugliness. Spenser utilizes colorful imagery to depict her appearance before and after the revelation—from her wrinkled skin to her disgusting stench. Her deceptive front illustrates the duplicity and impurity of the Catholic Church in contrast to the nobility and purity of victorious Una and Arthur. Removing Duessa’s regal, gaudy clothes undoubtedly signifies the removal of the deceptive mask of the Catholic Church.
Another notable instance that demonstrates this theme comes near the beginning of the first canto when Una and the Dwarf approach and enter Error’s den. Error’s characteristics directly parallel those of Duessa. The whole scene is replete with metaphors and symbolism that relate to the meaning and techniques of the episode from Canto eight. In the multifaceted imagery and action of these two scenes, Spenser emphasizes the contrast between the pretentious mask the Catholic Church erected to hide false teachings with the clarity and joy that truth brings.
Before Duessa is stripped of her showy clothes, Spenser depicts the consequences of living under disguises when Una meets Redcrosse in the dungeon of Duessa’s castle. Having been trapped in the dungeon of Duessa’s
In his classic literary work, The Faerie Queene, Edmund Spenser brilliantly weaves a number of themes together to communicate complex moral, political, and cultural meanings. The first book alone characterizes this incredible complexity. He leads the reader through Redcrosse’s journey to reunite with Una, from one dangerous setting to another memorable character, in interrelated cantos. Two such scenes in Book one poignantly demonstrate a theme Spenser portrays throughout The Faerie Queene: false appearances. At the end of canto eight, after Una meets a significantly weakened Redcrosse in the dungeon of Duessa’s castle to show the effects of living under false pretenses, false Duessa’s showy façade is stripped away to reveal her true ugliness. Spenser utilizes colorful imagery to depict her appearance before and after the revelation—from her wrinkled skin to her disgusting stench. Her deceptive front illustrates the duplicity and impurity of the Catholic Church in contrast to the nobility and purity of victorious Una and Arthur. Removing Duessa’s regal, gaudy clothes undoubtedly signifies the removal of the deceptive mask of the Catholic Church.
Another notable instance that demonstrates this theme comes near the beginning of the first canto when Una and the Dwarf approach and enter Error’s den. Error’s characteristics directly parallel those of Duessa. The whole scene is replete with metaphors and symbolism that relate to the meaning and techniques of the episode from Canto eight. In the multifaceted imagery and action of these two scenes, Spenser emphasizes the contrast between the pretentious mask the Catholic Church erected to hide false teachings with the clarity and joy that truth brings.
Before Duessa is stripped of her showy clothes, Spenser depicts the consequences of living under disguises when Una meets Redcrosse in the dungeon of Duessa’s castle. Having been trapped in the dungeon of Duessa’s