The Faerie Queene

This quote from near the end of Book III is part of a conversation between Britomart and Amoretta. Just before this quote, Amoretta falls on her knees before Britomart and asks if there’s anything she can possibly do for Britomart to thank her for saving her. Britomart gives the reply that any good knight would give: that being able to help people is a reward in itself. Britomart’s answer shows that, while she is an unconventional knight in many ways, particularly because of her gender, she nevertheless follows the code of chivalry just as well as any other knight. The evil knights in the story often rob people, extort them, or otherwise try to profit off of random strangers they come across on the road. On the other hand, good knights like Britomart work for the benefit of all humanity. They think in broader terms, about how good deeds can lead to heaven, while evil knights greedily focus on actions that provide immediate gratification.

This passage from near the beginning of Book IIII mentions the characters of Amoretta (also sometimes called Amoret) and Florimell, two fair maidens who play an important role in the upcoming cantos. Book IIII is unusual because while its subtitle suggests that it will be about the friendship of Cambell and Triamond, in fact those characters play a comparatively small role in the book. One of the major plots of the book involves the long journey to reunite Amoretta (recently saved by Britomart) with her lover Scudamore. A different but similar plot involves reuniting Florimell with her lover Marinell, as well as a fake duplicate version of Florimell (really a sprite in disguise) who inspires fickle knights to fight for possession of her. Although Book IIII is less singularly focused on its virtue of friendship than the other books focus on their virtues, Book IIII’s wide cast of characters from previous parts of the poem helps advance the plot and expand on the poem’s epic scope.

This quote from near the end of Book III is part of a conversation between Britomart and Amoretta. Just before this quote, Amoretta falls on her knees before Britomart and asks if there’s anything she can possibly do for Britomart to thank her for saving her. Britomart gives the reply that any good knight would give: that being able to help people is a reward in itself. Britomart’s answer shows that, while she is an unconventional knight in many ways, particularly because of her gender, she nevertheless follows the code of chivalry just as well as any other knight. The evil knights in the story often rob people, extort them, or otherwise try to profit off of random strangers they come across on the road. On the other hand, good knights like Britomart work for the benefit of all humanity. They think in broader terms, about how good deeds can lead to heaven, while evil knights greedily focus on actions that provide immediate gratification.

This passage from near the beginning of Book IIII mentions the characters of Amoretta (also sometimes called Amoret) and Florimell, two fair maidens who play an important role in the upcoming cantos. Book IIII is unusual because while its subtitle suggests that it will be about the friendship of Cambell and Triamond, in fact those characters play a comparatively small role in the book. One of the major plots of the book involves the long journey to reunite Amoretta (recently saved by Britomart) with her lover Scudamore. A different but similar plot involves reuniting Florimell with her lover Marinell, as well as a fake duplicate version of Florimell (really a sprite in disguise) who inspires fickle knights to fight for possession of her. Although Book IIII is less singularly focused on its virtue of friendship than the other books focus on their virtues, Book IIII’s wide cast of characters from previous parts of the poem helps advance the plot and expand on the poem’s epic scope.