ENG 310A

1
Edmund Spenser

• The Fairy Queen

2
FQ Cultural/Historical Contexts

• Humanism
• Reformation (Anglican 1535 -- )
• English nationalism expansion
• New World colonization sea power
• 1584 - 1588 - 1607 - 1620
• Court contexts of literature
• audience - patronage, favor - classical models

3
FQ Nuts and Bolts

• author
• language
• verse form
• date
• structure (actual/planned)

4
FQ Genre(s)

• sec. epic, in allegorical mode, w/ romance plot
  elements, to teach noble/virtuous behavior
  (mirror for gentlepersons a.k.a. courtesy
  book)
• epic
• techniques Homeric/epic similes, in medias res,
  invocations of Muses, etc.
• romance plot elements
• compare Star Wars

5
FQ Genres, contd.

• allegory (def.)
• types personification, typological (defs.)
• also, geographic/architectural (def.)
• levels (at least 4 possible for FQ)
• polysemy (def.)
• mirror for gentlepersons (or courtesy book)

6
FQ, Bk. 1 Major Episodes

• Letter to Ralegh story background
• canto 1 Errors wood
• cantos 1-2 Archimago and Duessa
• cantos 4-5 House of Pride/7 Sins
• cantos 7-8 Orgoglio, Arthur to rescue

7
FQ, Bk. 1 Major Episodes, contd.

• canto 9 Cave of Despair
• canto 10 House of Holiness
• canto 11 Dragon Fight
• canto 12 Betrothal
• classic fairy tale happy ending