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Characters
Although she never appears in the story, the Fairie Queene, whose name is Gloriana, gives the poem its title and motivates much of its action—characters like the Redcross Knight, Sir Guyon, and Calidore serve her, while the recurring character Prince Arthur spends most of the book searching for her after seeing her in a vision. Gloriana rules judiciously over Faerie Court in faerie land and is admired by everyone who knows her—she is the paragon of a good ruler. Since The Faerie Queene is dedicated at the beginning to Queen Elizabeth (who reigned when Spenser wrote it), it seems clear that the character of the Faerie Queene is meant to be a flattering stand-in for her. More broadly, the Faerie Queene represents a unified and peaceful Protestant nation, which contrasted with the real Britain Spenser lived in, where there was bloody conflict between Protestants and Catholics.
Gloriana (The Faerie Queene) Quotes in The Faerie Queene
The The Faerie Queene quotes below are all either spoken by Gloriana (The Faerie Queene) or refer to Gloriana (The Faerie Queene). 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 II: Canto I Quotes
His carriage was full comely and upright,
His countenance demure and temperate,
But yet so sterne and terrible in sight,
That cheard his friends, and did his foes amate:
He was an Elfin borne of noble state
[…]
Him als accopanyd upon the way
A comely Palmer, clad in blacke attire,
Of ripest years, and haries all hoarie gray
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Book V: Canto I Quotes
And such was he, of whome I have to tell,
The Champion of true Justice Artegall.
Whom (as ye lately mote remember well)
An hard adventure, which did then befall,
Into redoubted perill forth did call.
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Gloriana (The Faerie Queene) Character Timeline in The Faerie Queene
The timeline below shows where the character Gloriana (The Faerie Queene) appears in The Faerie Queene. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Book I: Proem
...the story better, as well as the gods Cupid and Mars. He ends by praising Queen Elizabeth of England.
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Book I: Canto I
...quest to slay a dragon by the great queen of Faerie Court in fairy land, Gloriana.
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Book I: Canto VII
...the capital, but they were unsuccessful. Eventually, news of the dragon reached the court of Gloriana the Faerie Queene. From this court rode the Redcross Knight, who will hopefully be able...
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Book I: Canto IX
...for a while, and when she left him, she revealed that she was called the Faerie Queene . When Arthur awoke, he was in love with the woman from his dream and...
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Book I: Canto X
...chosen people live. The Redcross Knight says he used to think that Cleopolis, where the Faerie Queene reigned, was the fairest city he’d ever seen, but he now knows Jerusalem is fairer.
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Book I: Canto XII
...The knight, however, says he can’t rest because of his faith—he must return to the Faerie Queene and serve her for six more years in her war against a pagan king.
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...for everyone. Still, despite his joy, the knight remembers his promise to return to the Faerie Queene . Shortly after the wedding he does so, leaving Una to mourn his absence. The...
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Book II: Canto II
...he came from, and he replies that he’s been traveling in the service of the Faerie Queene , who is noble and great. He also relates the story of Amavia, Sir Mordant,...
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Book II: Canto IX
...stolen shield back to him. Arthur asks Guyon why he has an image of the Faerie Queene on his shield and Guyon explains how he’s in her service. Arthur mentions how he...
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Book III: Canto I
...recovered from his battle wounds. Meanwhile, Sir Guyon sends Acrasia back in chains to the Faerie Queene and decides to go traveling with Arthur. They go on many dangerous but glorious adventures...
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Book III: Canto IV
...as he dreams about how he wishes the lady he’s currently chasing were actually the Faerie Queene . He spends the rest of the night haunted by restlessness and waiting for morning...
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Book III: Canto V
...Britomart did badly injure him). When she heard this, Florimell immediately went off to the Faerie Queene ’s Faerie Court to try to find out if Marinell is okay and help him....
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Book V: Canto I
...is Britomart’s love) is a champion of justice and a knight in service of the Faerie Queene . He has been tasked with saving a lady named Eirena from a tyrant named...
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Book V: Canto VIII
...on earth, nothing can stop Sir Arthegall from completing his duties to the Faerie Queene Gloriana. Back on his quest, he comes across a damsel (Samient) riding quickly past. She is...
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Book VI: Canto X
...who was the most chaste and beautiful of all the Graces. Colin calls this woman Gloriana.
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