The Faerie Queene Literary Elements

The narrator of The Faerie Queene is a third-person omniscient speaker meant to evoke Spenser himself.

Spenserian stanza: 8 lines of iambic pentameter followed by one alexandrine (12-syllable iambic line)

There are numerous metaphors and similes used throughout The Faerie Queene. However, the most central metaphor is the celebration of Queen Elizabeth I, which appears through various virtuous characters who all embody different honorable qualities like chastity, honor, sovereignty, and truth.

Alliteration and assonance both appear frequently in the Spenserian stanzas of the Faerie Queene. Often, Spenser uses alliteration and assonance to create a lulling rhythm to what is being described, emphasizing concepts like unity and strength throughout the poem.

There are a number of examples of irony throughout the poem. In one example of dramatic irony, Archimago deceives Redcrosse into thinking that Una has had sex with another knight. This is considered dramatic irony because the reader knows the truth – that Archimago has conjured the illusion of Una – while Redcrosse believes what his eyes are seeing.

epic poem

The mythical Faerie Land, over which the Faerie Queene rules

elevated, mythical, adventurous, moralizing

Some protagonists featured in the text are: Arthur, Redcrosse, Britomart, Una, Belphoebe, and The Faerie Queene. Some of the antagonists featured in the text are: Archimago, Duessa, Lucifera, the Dragon, and Error.

Each book of The Faerie Queene features its own central conflict. In Book One, for example, the main conflict involves Una and Redcrosse's attempts to destroy the dragon and free Una's parents.

Just as each book features its own central conflict, so does each book contain its own climax. In Book One, for example, the climax occurs when Redcrosse wanders into the Cave of Despair and almost takes his own life. This precedes the heroic conclusion when Recrosse defeats the dragon.

Characters' names are often examples of foreshadowing, as they frequently relate to how that character will behave. Una, for example, means "oneness," and she acts with notable constancy and solidity throughout the poem.

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The Faerie Queene features thousands of allusions to Christian theology, the court of Queen Elizabeth I, ancient Greek and Roman mythology, and early modern literature, to name only a few examples.

Many of the female characters – such as Una, Britomart, and Belphoebe – can be considered metonymical representations of Queen Elizabeth I.

Spenser uses allegory to personify virtues like Chastity and Temperance, as well as vices like Pride and Sloth.

As The Faerie Queene is an epic poem, it is rife with hyperbolic descriptions of battle, romance, and mythical characters.

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