The Faerie Queene

Question 1

What virtue is the topic of Book 3? Who embodies it?

Answer 1

Chastity; Britomart

Question 2

From what Italian epic did Spenser heavily borrow?

Answer 2

Orlando Furioso

Question 3

Who is “The Faerie Queene”?

Answer 3

Queen Elizabeth

Question 4

Discuss allegory in this poem.

Answer 4

The world of The Faerie Queene is one of allegory. Characters aren’t just characters – they’re virtues. Everything has layers of meaning, many of them no so subtle.

In Book 3, the most obvious example is Britomart, who embodies chastity. Malecasta, the “Lady of Delight” who lusts after Britomart (thinking she’s a man) is lust. (Of course we get into all kinds of funny things thinking that Britomart has to inhabit a male identity in order to be chaste. Spenser seems to get into a little big of difficulty trying to merge his allegory with epic tradition.)

There is also Argante, a giantess who captures knights and represents lust.

Question 5

How is Britomart introduced?

Answer 5

Prince Arthur and Guyon see a knight approaching them in the woods. Guyon fights the knight, and loses – this knight is Britomart.

Question 6

Where does Britomart meet Redcrosse? Who is in charge there?

Answer 6

At Castle Joyous, where Britomart defeats a bunch of knights and inadvertently wins the lady’s favor. The lady’s name is Malecasta.

Question 7

Who is Britomart looking for?

Answer 7

Arthegall

Question 8

Where did Britomart first see Arthegall?

Answer 8

In a magic mirror given to her father by Merlin

Question 9

Who counsels Britomart that she must adopt the disguise of a knight?

Answer 9

Merlin

Question 10

Who does Britomart wound at a pit stop near the sea?

Answer 10

Marinell (Florimell’s beloved)

Question 11

Who are Guyon and Arthur chasing?

Answer 11

Florimell

Question 12

How were Amoret and Belphoebe conceived?

Answer 12

Their mother was impregnated by a ray of light

Question 13

Who raises Amoret and Belphoebe, respectively?

Answer 13

Venue (Amoret) and Diana (Belphoebe)

Question 14

Who is Amoret’s lover?

Answer 14

Sir Scudamore

Question 15

What diety fails to seduce Florimell?

Answer 15

Proteus

Question 16

What cities does Britomart compare to Troy?

Answer 16

Rome, and she predicts that a city on the banks of the Thames will become “New Troy” (Troynovant)

Question 17

What happens to Hellinore?

Answer 17

Paridell ditches her after sleeping with her, but then she becomes a wife to satyrs

Question 18

Who does Malbecco enlist to help him?

Answer 18

Braggadochio

Question 19

What happens to Malbecco?

Answer 19

He is transformed into a monster - jealousy

Question 20

Who has captured Amoret?

Answer 20

Busirane, who has her locked in a magic dungeon

Question 21

Why doesn’t Scudamore enter the castle with Britomart?

Answer 21

He is unable to pass through the wall of flame surrounding it

Question 22

What is an important change in the ending of Book 3 between the editions of 1590 and 1596?

Answer 22

In the original ending, Amoret and Scudamore are reunited when Britomart brings Amoret out of the castle. In the 1596 ending, Scudamore leaves before they come out, thinking Britomart has failed. This leaves Amoret and Britomart paired together, which will have consequences in Book 4.

Question 23

Who is Britomart’s main foe in Book 3? Why?

Answer 23

Busirane; because he embodies all kinds of Un-Christian love – lust, deception, jealousy, etc. When Britomart meets him, he is not match for her, because Chastity/Christian love is so much greater than all of those things.

Question 24

What is allegory?

Answer 24

Allegory, similar to personification, is the practice of imagining characters and places as direct embodiments of a virtue, value, idea, concept, etc.