Duessa is an evil witch who is originally introduced as the lady of the pagan Sansfoy. In fact, she isn’t a fair lady but an old hag who disguises her appearance. In Book I she tricks the Redcross Knight (by pretending to be a faithful woman named Fidessa), but she is found out and punished by being exiled into the woods. She continues to deceive noble knights, however, and is eventually put on trial in Book V. Duessa represents the opposite of the true and virtuous Una, and she seems to also represent Catholicism, which could appear similar to Protestantism on the surface, but which for many Protestants in Spenser’s time was considered a false religion, just as Duessa is false.
Duessa Quotes in The Faerie Queene
The The Faerie Queene quotes below are all either spoken by Duessa or refer to Duessa. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Book I: Canto IV
Quotes
Young knight, what ever that does armes professe,
And through long labours huntest after fame,
Beware of fraud, beware of ficklenesse,
In choice, and change of thy deare loved Dame
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Book V: Canto X
Quotes
When they had seene and heard her doome a rights
Against Duessa, damned by them all;
But by her tempred without griefe or gall,
Till strong constraint did her thereto enforce.
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Duessa Quotes in The Faerie Queene
The The Faerie Queene quotes below are all either spoken by Duessa or refer to Duessa. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Book I: Canto IV
Quotes
Young knight, what ever that does armes professe,
And through long labours huntest after fame,
Beware of fraud, beware of ficklenesse,
In choice, and change of thy deare loved Dame
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Book V: Canto X
Quotes
When they had seene and heard her doome a rights
Against Duessa, damned by them all;
But by her tempred without griefe or gall,
Till strong constraint did her thereto enforce.
