Moral, Religious and Political Allegory in The Faerie Queene

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Introductory

 

Allegory is that sort of writing in which apparently, a story means something simple but it contains one or more than one hidden stories, abstract ideas or a connection with social as well as political agenda. The allegorical characters also symbolize abstract ideas and vice versa. The Faerie Queene, apparently, seems like a simple and fantastic story of knights fighting with monsters and attaining victories but it carries layers of meanings.

 

Moral Allegory

 

Despite its complex vocabulary, The Faerie Queene showcases moral allegory and is regarded as its first-layer of allegory. All the incidents and characters represent morality. Red Cross Knight represents holiness; Una, truth; Una's parents, humanity; Monster Erroor, false learning; Archimago, hypocrisy; Queen Lucifera, worldly pride and the final monster is an imitation of Satan etc. Holiness and truth hands-in-hands, fight with evil powers and win victory over them. But when both are separated from one another, they lose their strength, weakened and get demoralized.

Truth and holiness are to face two kinds of challenges. The visible ones like the cave and monster Error and the hidden ones like the hidden traps of Duessa and Archimago. Manifestly, truth and holiness are affected and weakened through the cunning traps of hypocrisy and falsehood but when both are joined together, they can liberate humanity from the scornful clutches of Satan.

 

Religious Allegory

 

All the characters in The Faerie Queene are presented in resemblance of moral allegory but only, a few characters depict religious allegory. Before the Reformation, Pope was all-in-all in all the worldly as well as in religious pursuits. According to Protestant believers, Roman Catholic Pope was a corrupt and power-hungry person. Edmund Spenser was himself a protestant and according to some critics, the monster Errour considered to be a symbol of Pope and its filthy vomit as a symbol of false authority on the basis of religious papers: "Her vomit full of papers and books was", while her off-springs as the thousand followers of the Pope who abide by him without realizing the full facts. While some other critics are the view of Archimago, being an imitation of the Pope who can easily foil people. While some critics regard the monster Errour as the central Roman Catholic Church and her off-springs as other Roman Catholic Churches around Europe. While Red Cross Knight was considered to be an allegorical representation of Saint George of England who was a true warrior of Christianity. Once he was caught by pagans and killed on account of sticking to his religion.

 

Political Allegory

 

Political allegory is an aftermath of religious allegory as the politics during Elizabethan Era was divided on the basis of religion. For instance, King Philip II of Spain was involved in religious riots in England as he was a believer of Roman Catholicism, often allegorized as Monster Orgoglio. Queen Marry of Scotland, having Catholic ideology, plotted against Queen Gloriana (Elizabeth) and was imprisoned by her but Queen Marry still involved herself in plots. In the end, she was sentenced to death. Queen Marry is allegorized as Duessa by Spenser. Prince Arthur, who is seen helping and protecting the knights is quoted for Earl of Leicester, an influential person of England and a suitor of Queen Elizabeth I. He was offered the hand of Queen Marry but he refused. He played a key role in protecting England from Spanish invasion.

 

Critics and Allegory

 

Critics do not seem happy with such riddles. One critic is on the view of having only one layer of allegory. Digression, another critic points out, is the major problem of Spencer. The third critic states that the allegorical terseness is stronger in the beginning while it loses its strength as the romantic epic moves on. In Book V, no traces of allegory can be observed. The fourth critic considers this composition musical than allegorical.