Talus Character Analysis in The Faerie Queene

Talus is Arthegall’s metal companion and seems to be something like an early version of a robot. He wields a flail and can be merciless, with Arthegall often having to restrain him from slaying too many people. Talus represents an absolute idea of justice, which is balanced out by the more nuanced ideas of justice expressed by Arthegall and other characters.

Talus Quotes in The Faerie Queene

The The Faerie Queene quotes below are all either spoken by Talus or refer to Talus. 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:

Virtue, Allegory, and Symbolism Theme Icon

But ere he could reform it thoroughly,
He through occasion called was away,
To Faerie Court, that of necessity
His course of Justice he was forst to stay,
And Talus to revoke from the right way

Related Characters: Talus, Eirena, Grantorto, Arthegall

Related Symbols: Faerie Court

Page Number and Citation: 870

Explanation and Analysis:

This quote wraps up the plot at the end of Book V. After saving Eirena from the tyrant Grantorto and returning her to her rightful place on the throne, Arthegall spends some time in her kingdom, doing what he can to try to bring about justice. But despite his best efforts, he is called back by Gloriana to Faerie Court before he can bring about meaningful reforms in Eirena’s kingdom. This passage seems to be an acknowledgment that the reality of creating justice can be complicated and that Arthegall’s grand judgments and displays of justice are only a small part Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaqu

Talus Character Timeline in The Faerie Queene

The timeline below shows where the character Talus appears in The Faerie Queene. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

British Identity and Nationalism Theme Icon

...to go back to the heavens. She left behind a man made of iron called Talus who will execute Arthegall’s commands. (full context)

Arthegall and Talus go to find Eirena. Along the way, they run into a crying squire next to... (full context)

...knight is long gone but points in the direction of a plain. Arthegall immediately sends Talus out in that direction. Talus soon catches up with the knight, whose name is Sir... (full context)

Sir Sanglier resists his punishment, but Talus forces him to take the head. The squire praises Arthegall’s sense of justice and offers... (full context)

Arthegall goes to the castle where Pollente’s daughter Munera lives. With Talus’s help, Arthegall breaks into the fortified castle. Munera tries to stop him with stones and... (full context)

...castle wall where she drowns in the mud. Arthegall then burns her possessions and has Talus destroy the castle from the foundations so that it can’t be repaired. (full context)

Arthegall and Talus set out again, and they soon come across a giant. The giant has a scale... (full context)

...giant isn’t interested in justice; he’s only interested in extreme positions and misleading people. When Talus realizes this, he knocks the giant off his rock, and he falls into the sea... (full context)

The giant’s followers see this and raise their weapons against Arthegall and Talus. Arthegall is dismayed, because he doesn’t want to get his noble hands dirty with the... (full context)

Arthegall wants to slay Braggadochio, but Sir Guyon says that Braggadochio’s shame is punishment enough. Talus carries Braggadochio off, shaving his beard and taking away his shield. Braggadochio is disgraced, and... (full context)

...Around him, tyrannical women are taunting him. Arthegall doesn’t like fighting women, so he sends Talus to disperse them. The women go home. Talus then frees the knight, whose name is... (full context)

...with her Amazon warrior women joining the battle, but their arrows are unable to pierce Talus’s iron body. That night both sides withdraw, with Talus keeping watch for Arthegall and Sir... (full context)

Talus, who could not be subdued by the Amazons, leaves to tell Britomart about the situation... (full context)

Britomart angrily assumes at first that Arthegall is wooing Radigund, but Talus assures her he’s in no state to do so. Convinced at last, Britomart rides off... (full context)

Soon after starting their journey, Britomart and Talus run into an old knight who offers them a place to stay for the night.... (full context)

...two other rude knights come in the middle of the night looking for a fight. Talus, however, fends them off. It turns out the old knight is Dolon, a wicked knight... (full context)

...own vengeance on Dolon for tricking her, but he’s nowhere to be found. She and Talus leave, coming to the bridge where Arthegall fought and killed Pollente. Two pagan knights challenge... (full context)

...(who is powerful and just, as well as being the wife of the god Osiris). Talus isn’t allowed into the temple. Britomart goes deeper into the temple and finds an idol... (full context)

Radigund’s death angers the Amazons, but Talus starts killing any of the warriors that attack him. Britomart goes into the prison and... (full context)

...his net, and Arthegall rushes after her, but the terrain is treacherous, so he sends Talus ahead. (full context)

When Talus catches Malengin, he uses his flail to break his bones and disembowel him. Talus, Arthur,... (full context)

...knight’s name has been blotted by shame and his shield is gone. Nevertheless, Arthegall sends Talus to disperse the crowd and free the knight from the lady. The knight thanks Arthegall... (full context)

The peasants crowd around Arthegall and Burbon like flies, but they’re no match for Talus’s iron flail. Arthegall and Burbon themselves defeat the captains of the mob, then continue on... (full context)

...traveling near the coast, he happens to find a boat in good working order. Arthegall, Talus, and Sir Sergis set sail, but as they go to land on the island where... (full context)

Arthegall, Sir Sergis, and Talus draw near Grantorto and send out a message to say that Arthegall will challenge him... (full context)

...a monster called the Blatant Beast, which has a hundred tongues. Arthegall, however, doesn’t send Talus to chastise the hags. He keeps heading back toward Faerie Court and doesn’t let anything... (full context)

Talus Character Analysis

Talus Quotes in The Faerie Queene

Book V: Canto XII Quotes

Talus Character Timeline in The Faerie Queene