Week 10 (English Renaissance)
English Renaissance Week 10: Fair Queen
In this online lesson, the topic is Fair Queen. The discussion covers the House of Pride and its six counselors who represent the seven deadly sins.
House of Pride
- The House of Pride is a palace ruled by Queen Lucifera.
- The six counselors of Lucifera represent the seven deadly sins.
- An example of a counselor is Envy, who is characterized as a jealous person.
- Another counselor is Gluttony, who represents overindulgence in food.
Other Topics
- The next topic after Fair Queen will be the solid tradition and sonnets by William Shakespeare.
Introduction
The speaker introduces the topic of discussion and mentions two characters, Yuna and Duesa, who represent good and evil respectively.
Characters in Fair Queen
- Yuna represents truth while Duesa represents evil.
- Both characters are allegorical and represent a future.
- The word choice used to define Yuna and Duesa is different from each other.
Fair Queen as a Drama of Opposites
The speaker discusses how Fair Queen is a drama of opposites with dramatically opposed images present throughout the book.
Dramatically Opposed Images in Fair Queen
- Fair Queen is a drama of opposites with dramatically opposed images present throughout the book.
- Examples of oppositions include dark and light imagery, which are present throughout the book.
- Psychomekia is another example of opposition where good opposes evil.
Analysis of Stanza 14
The speaker analyzes stanza 14 from Fair Queen, discussing the imagery used to describe Red Cross Knight's armor.
Imagery Used in Stanza 14
- Red Cross Knight's armor shines brightly even though he is looking into a dark cave.
- This contrast between light and darkness is an example of oppositions present throughout the book.
- Light is associated with the Protestant Church while darkness represents the Catholic Church.
William Shakespeare's Perspective
The speaker discusses how William Shakespeare undermines conventional establishments and brings a fresh perspective to literature.
William Shakespeare's Perspective
- William Shakespeare undermines conventional establishments and brings a fresh perspective to literature.
- He establishes new and fresh perspectives that challenge traditional views.
Conventions and Associations
The section discusses the associations of good and evil with light and darkness in literature, specifically in "The Faerie Queene" by Edmund Spenser.
Light vs Darkness
- Archimago section is associated with deep darkness.
- Chemical is also associated with deep darkness or count to five.
- Evil is associated with darkness while good is associated with light, truth, and enlightenment.
- Such conventional associations are undermined by William Shakespeare or criticized by modern theories.
Examples of Light
- In Canto 3, stanza 4, Una's face shines bright like the great eye of heaven.
- In Canto 8, stanza 19, Arthur's shield shines bright like Heaven's light.
Truth vs Falseness
- Yuna represents truth while Duessa/Fidessa represents falseness/hypocrisy.
- Duenca is an allegorical representation of Mary I who was known for killing Protestants.
The House of Pride
This section discusses Red Cross Knight being taken to the House of Pride after being separated from Una by Archimago.
Separation and Crescendo
- Red Cross Knight and Una are separated by Archimago which leads to a crescendo in their separation.
The House of Pride
- Acrasia takes Red Cross Knight to the House of Pride which is described as a stately palace but not very strong.
Psychological Conflict in the House of Pride
The speaker discusses a psychological conflict in the House of Pride, specifically focusing on Lucifera as the embodiment of pride.
Lucifera and Pride
- Lucifera is associated with the sin of pride.
- Lucifera holds a mirror in her hand, symbolizing self-love and vanity.
- The following stanza provides further insight into Lucifera's character and parentage.
- Lucifera's father is Pluto/Hades, and her mother is Persephone.
Counselors and Queen of House of Pride
The speaker discusses the counselors and queen of the House of Pride, specifically referencing a passage from "The Faerie Queene" by Edmund Spenser.
Quotations from "The Faerie Queene"
- The speaker asks for someone to read quotations from Canto 4, Stanza 10.
- A section from Canto 4, Stanza 10 describes Lucifera as sitting high above others with disdain for those beneath her.
- Mirror symbolism in Renaissance literature conventionally represents self-love.
- A section from Canto 4, Stanza 11 references Lucifera's parentage (Pluto/Hades and Persephone).
References to Underworld
The speaker mentions references to the Underworld in "The Faerie Queene."
References to Underworld
- There are references to the Underworld in "The Faerie Queene."
- The reader is responsible for Book One and all cantos in Book One.
The Counselors of Lucifera
In this section, the first three counselors of Lucifera are introduced. They are Lethe (Sloth), Gluttony, and Inconstante (Lust).
Lethe (Sloth)
- Lethe is known as Sloth and is the first counselor of Lucifera.
- He is lazy and sleeps most of the day.
- He cannot even lift his head and has no worldly cares.
- He has a book of prayer but is not devoted.
Gluttony
- Gluttony is the second counselor of Lucifera.
- He eats a lot and is unfit for worldly things.
- His belly is up with luxury, he doesn't digest food, instead he vomits so that he can eat again.
Inconstante (Lust)
- Inconstante or Lust is the third counselor of Lucifera.
- He loves everyone he meets and lost every woman he meets.
Pride - Lucifera's Song
This section introduces pride as being represented by Lucifera's song.
Pride
- Pride is represented by Lucifera's song.
Conclusion
The transcript ends with a few lines that are difficult to understand.
Final Lines
- The final lines of the transcript are unclear and difficult to understand.
The Seven Deadly Sins: House of Pride
In this section, the speaker describes the characters in the House of Pride and their representation of the sin of pride.
Characters in the House of Pride
- Avarice: Described as greedy and always wanting more.
- Malice: Represented by a serpent on his chest, symbolizing envy towards others' success.
- Counselor Number Five: Covered in a hateful snake, representing envy.
- Wrath: Always angry and covered in blood due to his inability to control his hands.
Recap and Analysis
In this section, the speaker summarizes the previous section and discusses Spencer's objective in writing "The Faerie Queene."
Summary
The speaker recaps the previous section's discussion on the characters in the House of Pride. They then discuss Spencer's objective in writing "The Faerie Queene," which is to educate people and shape gentlemen.
Analysis
The speaker suggests that "The Faerie Queene" is didactic based on Spencer's objective.
Allegories and Characters in "The Faerie Queene"
The speaker discusses the use of allegories in didactic works, specifically in "The Faerie Queene." They also analyze the significance of characters' names and their associations with different abstractions.
Use of Allegories
- Allegories are commonly used in didactic works.
- In "The Faerie Queene," characters serve as allegorical representations of various abstractions.
Significance of Character Names
- Yuna's name represents singleness of truth and honesty, while Guyon's name represents duality and deceit.
- Guyon is called a deceiver but is most fully identified by his appearance.
- Archimago, Duessa, and Sansjoy represent different aspects of evil within the Catholic Church.
Analysis of Stanzas 12-13 in Book 1
The speaker analyzes stanzas 12-13 in Book 1 of "The Faerie Queene" using the theory of orientalism.
Summary of Stanzas
- The knight encounters a faithless character named Sansfoy who is armed with a shield bearing the letters K sanjoy full.
- He then meets a lady dressed in scarlet who wears a Persian-style headpiece adorned with jewels.
- This section can be interpreted using the theory of orientalism to highlight how Western literature often exoticizes Eastern cultures.
The Saracen and the Fair Companion
In this section, the speaker discusses the characters of Sansfoy and his companion, who are both from the East. The term "Saracen" is used to refer to Muslims, which shows an implicit assumption that the West is superior to the East. The fair companion is decorated with expensive clothes and jewelry, representing papacy and Catholicism.
Characters from the East
- "Saracen" refers to Muslims.
- Sansfoy is a character from the East.
- Orientalism is present in this section as it shows an implicit assumption that the West is superior to the East.
The Fair Companion
- The fair companion travels with Sansfoy.
- She is decorated with expensive clothes and jewelry.
- These decorations represent papacy and Catholicism.
- She symbolizes papacy because she represents ornamental ceremonies of Catholic Church.
Renaissance Humanism in Fairy Queen
This section discusses how Fairy Queen can be associated with Renaissance humanism due to its focus on education and fashioning humans into perfection. It also touches upon references to Queen Elizabeth's time, which resemble allegories of Renaissance.
Association with Renaissance Humanism
- Fairy Queen can be associated with Renaissance humanism due to its focus on education.
- Humanism aims at fashioning humans into perfection.
References to Queen Elizabeth's Time
- There are references in Fairy Queen that resemble allegories of Renaissance.
The Renaissance and its influence on "The Faerie Queene"
In this section, the speaker discusses how religion influenced the Renaissance and how it is related to "The Faerie Queene". They also compare "The Faerie Queene" to Thomas More's "Utopia".
Religion and the Renaissance
- Religion had a big influence on the flourishing of features of the Renaissance.
- Queen Elizabeth's patronage of Spencer was also an influence on this work.
Comparing "The Faerie Queene" to "Utopia"
- "The Faerie Queene" brings together ancient traditions of romances and epics.
- In terms of literary form, Utopia is something new, but in terms of content, it can tell us a few things about releases.
Reading Sonnets by William Shakespeare
In this section, the speaker assigns sonnets by William Shakespeare for students to read for next week's class.
- Students are responsible for reading sonnets 1 to 18, 33, 60, 73, 116, 127, and 129-130.
- Students should have these sonnets ready for next week's class.
End of Class Announcements
In this section, the speaker makes end-of-class announcements and answers questions from students.
- The speaker asks if they talked about Wuthering Heights in a previous lesson. No announcements are necessary.
- Students are reminded not to forget to have Wuthering Heights ready for the next class.