LIT 251
Prof. G. Steinberg

 

Response Paper:  Faerie Queene, Book III

Choose one of the following areas as the focus of your response paper on the second half of Book I of the Faerie Queene:

  1. On the human level, what is happening?  We have three sets of lovers – Britomart & Artegall, Scudamour & Amoret, and Belphoebe & Timias.  How are their stories unfolding?  How is each story different from the others?  Are there many differents paths to love?  In what ways do the pairs of lovers behave realistically on a psychological level?  How are their relationships typical of the early stages of love?  How does Spenser seem to view love?
  2. On the moral level, what is happening?  If Britomart represents chastity, what is chastity?  Is Britomart just a pure, cut-out figure of chastity?  Does she have to learn to be chaste?  If so, how does she learn?  How does Spenser seem to view chastity?  Is it something that we're born with?  Is it something that we have to struggle to achieve?  How hard is it to achieve?  What are the obstacles in the way?  What are the things that help along the way?  What do Malecasta, Scudamour, Amoret, Merlin's mirror, and the house of Busyrane seem to represent?  Does Spenser seem to have primarily a humanist or a Calvinist attitude toward virtue (or a combination of the two)?
  3. In what way might the story of Belphoebe and Timias work on the historical level?  Who might Belphoebe and Timias represent?  What recent social events for Spenser might be being imitated by having Belphoebe refuse Timias's love?  Who was the most famous virgin in Spenser's day?
  4. How is the structure of Book III similar to and different from Book I?  In Book I, Redcrosse Knight defeats Error in Canto 1, gets separated from Una in Canto 2, falls to Orgoglio in Canto 7, is rescued in Canto 8, nearly succumbs to Despair in Canto 9, and fights the dragon in Canto 11.  Is there a similar pattern of events for Britomart in Book III?  If so, what are the events in Book III that parallel those in Book I?  If not, where and how does Book III differ from Book I?

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