1. The Faerie Queene Book I: Canto 9 - 10

2. What happens?  Arthur explains his reasons for coming to Faerieland  Redcrosse and Una come across Trevisan whose friend was overcome by Despair  Despair almost makes Redcrosse realise that he’s rubbish and should kill himself  They venture to the House of Holiness  Then there’s the old man on Mount Contemplation...

3. But what does it all mean???  Arthur:  From Western Wales (ix.4)  the origins of Tudor lineage... Justification of Queen Liz (just like the Aeneid)  Arthur gives RC a liquid – like the Eucharist in Protestantism, another form of justification  RC as becoming a Christ-like figure (ix.19)  The future of Saint George

4. But what does it all mean???  Despair  Redcrosse’s Despair is resolved by Una and the True Faith of God; he cannot learn to resist this (like Error) until he has learned his lessons from the House...  Described as a “Snake” – could remind us of Satan in PL, deceptive (ix.28)

5. But what does it all mean???  The House of Holiness  Primarily acts as a parallel to the House of Pride; works to raise the profile of Godliness  The members of the House...  Caelia – as opposed to Lucifera  Fidelia – Faith; shows Redcrosse discipline and the Gospel  Sperenza – Hope; comforts Redcrosse out of Despair  Patience and Pennance – purge him of sins (Remorse & Repentance)  Charissa – Charity; instructs him how to be better  Mercie – “in the end his righteous soule might save” (x.34)  X.37-43: Seven Corporal Works of Mercy  What does this scene do then?  Letter of the Author... How to be a gentleman of true virtue

6. But what does it all mean??? (still...)  Mount Contemplation  Presented with the view of the cities of both God and the Faerie Queene: Jerusalem and Cleopolis, respectively  This puts Gloriana on the same standing as God; i.e. She has created the ideal place  Redcrosse learns of his Fate: he is really St.George (acts as foreshadowing of the end of the Book, as we know the legend)

7. Now for a special note...  Arthur  “Full hard it is [...] to read aright/ The course of heavenly cause, or understand/ The secret meaning of th'eternall might/ That rules mens wayes, and rules the thoughts of living wight” (ix.6)  May want to compare this to Paradise Lost – Milton wants to reach a greater task  The House of Holiness  Besides acting as a parallel with the House of Pride, as mentioned before it works to show how a gentleman should behave:  The progress through the members of the House and their allegorical position  He learns that he needs to learn this before he can defeat evils alone

8. The Path to our destination is not always a straight one...  Canto 10 includes extensive descriptions of paths...  Stanza 5, 10, 33, 35, 51, 55, 61  In Dante’s Inferno he sets off as so: “Half way along the road we have to go,/I found myself obscured in a great forest” (Inferno 1.Canto 1. 1- 2)  This is very similar to (ix) stanza 39 – “wearie wandring way”