Edmund Spenser Parallels in Edmund

Edmund Spenser

Parallels in Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene"

Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene" is a tale of a great hero who must overcome a variety of challenges in order to gain his bride and his honor. Within this epic poem, there are several parallels which begin earlier in Book I and later re-emerge later in the story as a further development of the earlier Cantos. In the very opening of the epic poem, Cantos I, Una's honesty and virtue are questioned by Redcrosse when Archimago falsely portrays several sprites as the virgin maid, tricking Redcrosse into believing that she has laid with another man. This same situation is later paralleled in Cantos XI when Redcrosse forced to explain his relationship with Fidessa, who essentially was a creation of the false Duessa. The events of Cantos I leave Una to wander Faerie Land to reconnect with her beloved knight, which she does later in the story. However, he must face a similar situation with the development of Cantos XI, although his situation is resolved much quicker leaving his virtue unquestioned as the story continues. Spenser echoes this earlier scene as a way to fully redeem ad forgive Una for the case of mistaken identity. When Redcrosse is accused of giving his hand to another after a similar case of mistaken identity, she does not react in the same way which he did at the sight of her image with another man.

Redcrosse is awoken one night to find his beloved Una lying with another man. Although this is not the true Una, he believes it to be so, and therefore leaves her to fend for herself. The vision is actually a sprite, conjured by the evil Achimago, who is deadest on destroying the Christ-like knight and all who are involved with him. This case of mistaken identity causes Redcrosse to abandon the virtuous Una, for he believes that she is not who and what she is supposed to be. Rather than inquiring with Una into her motivations or intentions when he discovered her image with another man, Redcrosse flees and abandons her to fend for herself. Una, is upset to find herself alone in a dangerous land, not truly knowing why her knight had left her. Rather that believing in her loyalty and virtue, Redcrosse took the easy way out in the land of great deception and turmoil. He assumed that what his eyes saw was really reality, rather than believing in Una's true virtue.

Later in Cantos XI, the tables of deception turn. Once again a case of mistaken identity threatens the virtue of one of the major characters in the epic story. Rather than Una, this time it is Redcrosse's virtue which is questioned. After defeating the dragon and freeing Una's parents, a messenger arrives and informs the kingdom that Redcrosse is in fact engaged to another woman. The king is outraged and demands an explanation for Redcrosse's deception. Just like Una's tribulation in Cantos I, Redcrosse was afflicted by a case of mistaken identity. He believed that the maiden he was with was a virtuous and honorable woman, but was in fact the deceptive Duessa who was later exposed for her trickery.