Re-Presenting "The Legende of Holinesse": An Explication of The Faerie Queene I.12
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Date
2007-07-05
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Abstract
Book I, Canto XII of the Faerie Queene may be read as a microcosm of Redcrosse knight's entire journey. Spenser's idea that mankind is too weak to do good, ready to err, and will only escape the grasps of Satan through Grace has been the major theme of the action of the previous cantos; the lesson is reinforced by a re-presentation as the conclusion of the poem. Canto XII comprises four thematic sections defined by events that recall the stages of Redcrosse's journey of error. In the first, Redcrosse proves to still be infected by pride as he allows his errors to remain hidden from King Adam. Redcrosse is accused of these errors in the second section and acknowledges them in the third division. In the concluding section Una's love frees Redcrosse of the consequences of these errors. Each section corresponds to the progression of Redcrosse's adventures in the previous eleven cantos, the four divisions therein repeating the central theme of Spenser's pedagogical portrait: man has need of a lesson in "Holinesse" because of his natural proclivity to error.
The king of Eden is the audience for Spenser's re-presentation because, as the progenitor of the human race, Adam needs to read the tale of Redcrosse and see that the nature of man is to err again and again. Not only does the king watch Redcrosse repeat his error, the king himself errs. Even after the destruction of the dragon, Redcrosse cannot conquer his own willful flaws and even in (earthly) Eden, the king cannot discern the deceptions of Archimago and Duessa. Only Una's plain speech and sincere love can undo these deceptions and bring forgiveness to Redcrosse, preventing him from receiving the just consequences of his errors. Thus Spenser concludes his Legende of Holiness with a potent microcosmic picture of man: doomed to perpetual error, a saint is a man who errs but receives favor because he is greatly loved by another, in spite of his failure. I argue that Spenser's poem invokes the Biblical narrative of redemption and that Spenser writes (and re-writes) Redcrosse's error so that the lesson of holiness may be learned, and, perhaps by Grace, even remembered.
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fall, Edmund Spenser, Spenser, love, unity, holiness, holy, legend, lesson, microcosm, Redcrosse, macrocosm, grace, Una, confession, forgive, learn, redemption, forgiveness, sin, error, err, Adam
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Degree
MA
Discipline
English
