The climax of Book I is when the Redcross Knight confronts the dragon that has been terrorizing the castle of Una’s parents, the king and queen. The dragon is a fearsome foe who takes many days to defeat, showing how strong the powers of evil are. In the end, however, the dragon falls to the Redcross Knight, echoing the legend of St. George, the brave knight who slew a dragon.
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The Dragon Character Timeline in The Faerie Queene
The timeline below shows where the character The Dragon appears in The Faerie Queene. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Book I: Canto I
...is called the Redcross Knight). He has been sent on a quest to slay a dragon by the great queen of Faerie Court in fairy land, Gloriana.
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Book I: Canto VII
...Queen who ruled in the area near the Phison, Euphrates, and Gehons rivers. A horrible dragon attacked the kingdom, however, laying waste to the countryside and forcing the king and queen...
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Book I: Canto IX
...asks if he is really still the same knight who is able to slay a dragon in battle, then advises him not to listen to Despair’s words. She reassures him that...
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Book I: Canto XI
...her parents, the King and Queen, who are still in their castle, captive to a dragon, and so she tells the Redcross Knight that they must ride in that direction. When...
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The dragon speeds toward the Redcross Knight. It is armored with seemingly impenetrable scales and has giant...
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Despite his fear, the Redcross Knight readies his spear and rides toward the dragon, trying to impale it, but he can’t pierce its hard hide, and he and his...
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The dragon spreads its wings and lifts off the ground. It takes the Redcross Knight and his...
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The dragon gets ready to blow fire. The Redcross Knight attempts to strike another blow, but this...
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...thrown back and falls into the well. Seeing the knight go into the well, the dragon believes it has won.
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...Redcross Knight’s blade was strengthened in the well. In any case, the wound enrages the dragon. The dragon uses its tail to sting the knight’s shoulder, where it gets stuck. Remembering...
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The dragon is enraged again. It springs up, then grips onto the Redcross Knight’s shield. The knight...
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Even more angry, the dragon spews out more flames. The Redcross Knight falls back, and even with God’s guidance on...
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Night falls, and the dragon leaves the Redcross Knight alone for the moment. Una is again worried about her champion,...
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The dragon is waiting for the Redcross Knight, dismayed to see him looking healthy but still too...
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The dragon falls and dies, letting out clouds of smoke. The Redcross Knight and Una both tremble...
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Book I: Canto XII
...for Una and the Redcross Knight. At the castle, a watchman calls out that the dragon is dead. As the news sounds, the doors of the castle gate, which have long...
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...the Redcross Knight in admiration, though they are afraid of getting too close to the dragon’s corpse, with some even thinking they see it move its eyes.
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