Fairie Queen Synopsis
From UCSB English Department Knowledge Base
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Book I:
Canto 1: Introductions to Redcrosse/Holinesse, Una, and Dwarf. Just as we join the travelers, a storm breaks upon them and they rush to find cover in a nearby forest (Wandering wood). They realize they are lost: end up in Errour's den. Redcrosse fights and kills Errour. The beast's children then drink her blood until they burst and die. Redcrosse and companions then meet hermit/Archimago and lodge with him; Archimago summons sprites with magic and sends one to fetch a dream from Morpheus: the other sprites takes the shape of Una (thus false Una). Redcrosse is troubled by his dreams; he thinks (false) Una is flirting with him and is depressed.
Canto 2: Sprites tell Archimago that Redcrosse has not fallen for their temptations; Archimago creates a false squire to feign love-making with false Una, and when Redcrosse sees this he flees in fury, taking Dwarf with him. Una awakes and searches for Redcrosse; Archimago take son false appearance of Redcrosse and follows Una. Redcrosse wanders on; meets Sansfoy, who is traveling with his lady, Fidessa (really Duessa); R kills S and wins Fidessa. Redcrosse and Fidessa sit under the shade of a tree; but the tree bleeds and then tells a story: Fraudubio and Fraelissa were once human, but Duessa turned them into trees after Fraudubio won Duessa from another knight who had challenged Fraelissa's beauty; Fraudubio had chosen Duessa as the more beautiful; later he saw her naked and realized she was a witch. When tree finishes his story, Fidessa (Duessa) faints so that her true identity won't be discovered by the knight.
Book III:
Canto 1: Sir Guyon (knight of Temperance, Book 2) encounters a knight (Britomart a British princess, in disguise; one of the poem's "shadows" of Elizabeth) who unhorsed him. Prince Arthur reconciles the two. The tree knights are separated when the beautiful Florimell( "flower honey") dashes by; Arthur and Gulon chase after Florimell, Arthur's squire Timias (represents honor; linked to Sir Walter Ralegh) pursues the evil forester who is chasing Florimell, and Britomart chases neither but travels until she arrives at Castle Joyous, where she rescues Redcrosse from six knights who, in the name of their lady, Malecasta (badly chaste), challenges Redcrosse's loyalty to Una. Britomart and Redcrosse are entertained at the castle, where Malecasta burns with desire for Britomart, who remains politely courteous. AT night, Malecasta enters the bed of Britomart, who is disarmed; when she rises to defend her chastity against the intruder, she is wounded by Malecasta's knight, Gardante. After she and Redcrosse defeat the six knights, they leave the castle.
Canto 2: Britomart explains to Redcrosse that she is questing for Arthegall ("Arthur's equal," the knight of justice in Book 5) because he has done her an injury, which triggers a flashback recounting how Britomart fell in love with Arthegall's image in Merlin's magic mirror. Britomart goes into a decline and her nurse, Glauce tries to reverse the course of love with charms.
