Supernaturals Elements of the Faerie Queene and Paradise Lost

Johnny Greene
December 14, 2009
English 2010

Supernaturals Elements of The Faerie Queene and Paradise Lost

The Renaissance is known for it’s ideas of supernatural literature. The Faerie Queene and Paradise Lost are known for using multiple supernatural themes. They mostly use the God and Satan Supernatural figure. While some British works embedded mere superstitions rather than meaningful supernatural forces, The Faerie Queen, and Paradise Lost are similar by displaying how the good side, or God’s side will always prevail. They display the clash between the two forces of good and evil. The Renaissance’s cultural issue of religion connects it with the the two works of literature where the use of the Christ and Satan are the major supernatural figures.
The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spencer heavily focuses on religious symbols. Queene first starts off with with a detailed description of Red Crosse stating
“But on his breast a bloudie Crosse he bore,
The deare remembrance of his dying Lord,
For whose sweete sake that glorious badge he wore,
And dead as living ever him adored:
Upon his shield the like was also scorned,
For soveraine hope, which in his helpe he had:
Right faithful true he was in deede and word” (I.i.2).
This paints us a picture of Red Crosse’s holiness, and eager to serve the Lord. His holiness. And the second is Red Crosse’s devotion to his country. The issue that this play raises about Renaissance life is that Christians have a need to be holy and devoted to Christ on faith alone. This was, and still is, an important rule in which the Protestants call justification. Justification, meaning faith alone, is one of the main principles that make up protestantism. In this statement Red Crosse is proud to have the red cross on his shield. He’s proud to be serving his country. According to Spencer, the only way that renaissance culture can serve their country is to have justification as their main priority.
When Red Crosse fights the dragon, he experiences the Christ Figure, each time he experiences the Christ figure he gets restored and is able to continue fighting the dragon. The first supernatural element shown in this scene is the dragon. The ambiance we experience while the dragon is present is is described as
“[a] hideous Geant horrible and hye,
That with his talnesse seemed to threat the skye,
The ground eke groned under him for dreed;
His living like saw never living eye” (I.vi.8).
This description describes the dragon as a a hell type of figure. The line about it’s talnesse seeming like it was threatening to the sky compares the dragon to how protestants see hell. In the religion the protestants view hell as if it’s in the earth, while heaven parallels to hell in the sky. The ground represents the earth that is in between the hierarchies that reigns supreme. The Earth is in fear of the dragon, which Protestants fear satan, and understand that in order to have eternal life they need Christ’s salvation. The tree of life and tree of salvation both restore Red Crosse’s body and sword, enabling him to defeat the dragon. True to Protestant belief, faith in God will help you conquer sin, just like Red Crosse did in defeating the dragon.
Milton also uses the supernatural figures of God and Satan to effectively illustrate the protestant viewpoint in Paradise Lost. He displays both God and Satan as two opposing forces that clash with each other. His Protestant beliefs surfaces in his portrayal of God and Satan. God is described to being on a “throne and monarchy” (Milton 42). Milton also describes God as someone who’s “Omnipotent to arms” (Milton 49). Milton uses the best of descriptions when speaking of God. He also uses the complete opposite when describing Satan. Satan’s described as an “arch-enemy” of God (Milton 81). Milton uses these Supernatural figures to depict two opposite standpoints. One good, and the other a bad side. This mirrors Protestant beliefs of God being the supreme power over Satan. Milton also uses a Supernatural idea of Hell. In addition to a lake of fire, God describes Satan’s new home as “[a] place Eternal Justice had prepared For those rebellious, here their Prison ordained In utter darkness, and their portion set As far removed from God and light of Heav'n” (Milton 70-73). This displays the supernatural idea of Hell being a dark, chaotic prison where Heaven. This supernatural element isn’t just a repercussion of Adam and Eve’s mistake, it reveals God and Heaven’s power over Satan, who is below him. Satan isn’t choosing to reign in hell although he does state that it’s “ In agreement with Queene, the supernatural elements display the Protestant’s belief that God’s rule will conquer Satan and his minions. Paradise Lost’s opening lines declare the Protestant's belief of humankind’s act of disobedience stating that their disobedience “Brought Death into the World, and all our woe” (Milton 3). Also Milton states that “Th' infernal Serpent; he it was, whose guile / Stird up with Envy and Revenge, deceiv'd” (Milton 34-35). The serpent isn’t just a mere snake, but Satan’s disguise to trick Adam and Eve into falling into temptation of disobeying God. This supernatural result of disobedience reflects the protestant belief that the act of disobeying God, death and suffering was brought into the world. Protestants used this to explain why death and suffering exist.
The Faerie Queene and Paradise Lost Book 1 were written about a hundred years apart. They both differ in ideas in politics. Queene’s other supernatural element is the use of a witch, Duessa. These elements are used to display ideas on the church. When Duessa is seducing Red Crosse it states that she seduces him “with false shewes [to] abuse his fantasy” (Spencer I.i.46). While Una represents the true church, Deuessa is the opposite representing the Catholic church, and is made up of false teachings. Since Red Crosse represents England (because he wears the emblem of Saint George) Spencer is telling the audience that England is focused to much on the Catholic church. We infer that Deuessa is out to trick Red Crosse, and take advantage of him. This represents how Catholic is a false teaching and has too much of a grip on England. It also represents Catholic’s lies that may seem like the truth, but it’s truths are only skin deep.
The Faerie Queene also has a focus on politics as well. Spencer uses a faerie for a Supernatural element. Red Crosses speaks of the Queene as "[the] greatest Glorious Queen of Faerie lond” (Milton I.i.3). The Faerie Queene is never seem in the story, but is well spoken of. She is the representation of the Queen of England. Red Crosse is on a quest, sent by the Faerie Queene to slay a dragon that plagues the land. This is the representation of the Queen of England wanting her country to conform to the true church, and destroy the sin in their lives. When Red Crosse is battling the Dragon and a mere piece of coat falls into his armor. It burns him like an oven. This represents how such a small thing can harm the county of England. The Queen knows that it’s important to fight off all that endangers England, for anything can make it fall.
Since these works of literature have both been written in different time periods, they differ on their issues with politics. While The Faerie Queene displays many ideas and themes of Politics, Paradise Lost Book 1 doesn’t have any supernatural representations of politics. The story is solely a story with Religious overtones and themes. This could be possibly the struggle of power, and truth in Catholic and Protestant during the 1500’s. Both Faerie Queene and Paradise Lost Book 1 possess supernatural themes of the God and Satan figures that enables the works of literature to push the story to an ultimate level of purity reigning over evil.

the reasoning why the story continues after the Duchess dies

Throughout the play Ferdinand makes numerous references to his incestuous desires towards his sister, the Duchess of Malfi. he calls her a "lusty widow" (I, ii) which is rather strange to call your sister that. This is the early signs that Ferdinand has an incestuous love for the Duchess. When she dies Ferdinand plots to kill Antonio after she is dead. Not while she is alive, but after she dies. This is the reasoning why the story continues after the title character dies. It displays Ferdinand's incestuous love towards his sister. It's important to understand that he "loves" his sister so much that he wouldn't kill her lover while she is alive, but he'd kill Antonio out of jealousy when she is dead. It's almost as if he is respecting her, even though it's twisted and disgusting.

Duchess of Malfi: Belief in Faith

The Cardinal is one of the main characters of the Duchess of Malfi. The Cardinal is one of the highest ranks in the catholic Church. Throughout the play, the Cardinal, who is a Catholic, doesn't make any references to God whatsoever. When ever trouble arouses he doesn't rely on God for anything. There is no prayer, no asking for forgiveness. Nothing. I don't really know where I'm going with this, but I do find this rather interesting. And personally I'm not so sure to why this is the way it is. Just something I've noticed.

Hamlet - Metaphor of Serpent

"A serpent stung me. So the whole ear of Denmark is forged process of my death rankly abus'd." (1.5, 773-775). This is Hamlet's father's Ghost telling Hamlet about Claudius killing him. He compares Claudius to a snake. In the bible the serpent represents the Devil when trying to tempt Adam and Eve. The snake is known for it's craftyness, and is able to carry out his devious schemes. By comparing Claudius to a serpent, the Hamlet's Father's Ghost is showing Claudius' manipulative evil that consumes him. The death of Hamlet's father is strikingly similar to the garden of Eden. Hamlet's father is killed by poison into his ear. Where in the garden of Eden, the serpent pours temptation into Adam and Eve's ears and they are banned from the perfect garden, their own, special paradise. The death of Hamlet's father destroys Hamlet's so called "perfect life" and his life is a muck when his mother marries Claudius. The serpent represents both Claudius' manipulative evil spirit and intentions, and Hamlet's life edging closer to destruction.

Hamlet - Metaphor of Unweeded Garden

At the beginning of the play, Hamlet is being somewhat "emo" and is very remorse that his father has died. Hamlet depressingly proclaims that his life is "an unweeded garden that grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature possess it merely" (1.2, 135-137). This represents how Hamlet's life is slowly but surely heading towards and evil for undesirable circumstances. After his father dies, Gertrude immediately married Claudio, without any time for remorse. This also shows the outcome result of Hamlet's rage towards his mother and new father (uncle). His life before the event is compared to the "unweeded garden" and how it grows from seeds, and the evil passing through it is the "rank and gross" that possesses the garden. Also that after being fueled with rage to the point of a deteriorated end. This also connects to my previous post that deals with Hamlet's realization about how death is inevitable, and he is unable to escape it. The weed reveal Hamlet's anger will only lead him to his tragic end. He will be nothing more than rank and gross

Metaphor in Hamlet: The Inevitability of Death

In Act V, Hamlet discovers Yorick's skull, and is fixated on the skull. He tells the skull, “get you to my lady’s chamber, and tell her, let her paint an inch thick, to this favor she must come” (V.i.178–179). The paint is painted on the skull and the paint is something that must come. This reveals that no one can avoid death. He also says “Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know not how oft,” (V.i.174–175). This indicates his fascination with the physical consequences of death. This is one of many of Hamlet's comments about death and it's decay. This shows that everyone, kings, jesters, and even Hamlet will die and become ash one day. This is a foreshadowing of Hamlet, Ophelia, and the Queen's fate as well.

the use of "the tree of life" and "well of Life" in the "Faerie Queen"

The Tree of life and Well of life both make Red Cross stronger as he is battling a dragon. each time he leaves from them, he has a replenished strength, make enables him to fight, and eventually beat the dragon.

Red Cross is supposed to be a representation of England. When fighting the Dragon, a hot piece of coal falls under Red Cross's armor, burning him, and making his armor heat up like a oven. This piece of hot coal shows that something so little can cause a great impact over England.

The Dragon is the opposing force against England, which can easily represent satan, or the devil. Each time Red Cross falls into the well, of into the tree, they restore him. These both represent the Christ figure, and how he saves us from sin.

What spencer is saying with this battle is to show that if England has Christ, and the true church, they are unstoppable against Satan, and Sin.

dwarf's symbolism in "The Faerie Queen"

In "The Faerie Queen" it mentions that a Dwarf was carrying Una's bags, it seems weird that a dwarf would carry the bags of Una because we are in a magical fantasy, and we have Una, a fair maiden, who represents the "True Church", and the dynamic hero, Red Cross, who represents England, and then we have a dwarf. To me, it somewhat takes some of the "magic" and beauty that Una possess.

For the dwarf's symbolism, would have to connect with Una mostly. He is carrying her bags, and she represents the true church. So whatever the Dwarf really is, he has to connect to Una.

When i think of a dwarf i think of a short character who has a long beard. They are wise in their craftsmanship, and have done this for years. Their is always long which seems to be a representation of their knowledge of their craftsmanship. With this image, I feel as if the dwarf in this scene is to represent the community that holds the church together.

If Una is supposed to represent the one true church, behind her, the church, should be a strong community that can help build their church, making it strong, and unstoppable with other forces that oppose it. this illustrates a contrast with Odessa, who represents the catholic church, and how Una's church, has a strong community or force behind her, that makes them unstoppable.

Dr. Faustus vs. biblical text - is heaven and hell physical, or spiritual

In Dr. Faustus we discussed if Heaven and Hell were a physical place or a spiritual place. In Dr. Faustus we learn that Hell is a spiritual place, and not a physical place. So i decided to do some research on what it says in the bible.

According to Matthew 10:28 it says "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." this hints that hell can hurt the body, or can suggest that Hell has the ability to give harm to the body. It doesn't clarify that hell is physical, but that it can hurt the body.

In Revelation 20:10 "And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are too, and they will be tormented there day and night forever and ever." This shows that it's more physical because the devil was litereally thrown into the lake of fire, and sulfur. It describles hells as a place you can get tortured. Therefore a higher chance of hell being not just being mental or spiritual, but physical as well.

So far, I can only assume that it's not just spiritual, but physical as well. (biblically speaking)

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - hunting and love making!

In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, in Part 3, we learn more about the knight's hunting rituals, and Sir Gawain's temptation. They both connect with each other, and play off each other.

the first hunting scene, the hunters are hunting a deer. We read about the arrows whistling and it says that the arrows tore the tawny hide with their tapered heads. We learn that they are very accurate when hunting deers. That this is the epitome of masculinity. It finishes off saying that hunting spurs forth in sheer delight. driving the pleasures rare. this shows that they find pleasure that no other thing can give them. It gives them a high. When they said that this gives them pleasure that nothing else can give them, i wonder if that compared to sex. Like if it was better than sex or not.

As they're hunting, Sir Gawain awakes from his slumber, and the Lord's bride comes in and tempts him. after bantering back and forth, he refuses, she tells him that he isn't the real Gawain, that the real Gawain wouldn't let her go without a kiss, so he gives her one. This compares to the hunt as Gawain is the deer, and the Lord's wife is the hunter, he is as defenseless as a deer. this compares with the defenseless deer, as they both get it in the end. (the deer gets killed, and Gawain falls to temptation with a kiss.

the next day, The hunters hunt a boar, at first the boar is slowly winning and it even hurts the men hunting it. until finally the Lord finishes it off. Sir Gawain is once again tempted by the lady, but this time she wants two kisses. Gawain is tested by her on his courteousness vs. his chivalry.

The third day the men hunt foxes, and Gawain is tempted again by the Lady, and this time recieves three kisses from her. Her asks if he would take a love token, and refuses. But when she offers him a green girdle, he accepts. this shows that then men hunting foxes correlating with the last temptation. men who hunt foxes are usually royalty, it's a upper class hunt. when the men participate in a more royal hunt, Gawain recieves a more royal object, a green girdle, which hold the power to prevent death from coming. thus why the last hunt/temptation is most important. they both represent receive something royalty.

Twilight vs. Christopher Moore's Satirical Vampire Love Stories

It's August 25th, first day of school, and I walk into my English Literature class, which is a lot better than I thought it was for a first day.

We had a discussion on everyone's new obsession with vampires, like Twilight, and New blood and so on and so forth. We discussed about why the whole vampire fad is so great. We discussed about how Vampire love was hot, sexy, and dirty. So thus starts my rant and comparison to Twilight and Blood sucking Fiends: A Love Story, and it's sequel, You Suck: A Love Story.

I somewhat opinionated when it comes to Twilight because I have never read the books, and i hvae only watched the film. I'm a film person, (i plan on screenwriting and directing films one day) so i take my films very personally and expect them to be worth the millions of dollars it costs to make film. So I am comparing Twilight the Movie, with Christopher Moore's satire novels. Which he wrote the first novel, Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story in 1994, almost a decade before Twilight. And wrote the sequel, You Suck: A Love Story in 2007. (so Christopher Moore beat Meyers to the punch)

First off, The love stories are completely different, meaning the way they were written was done in a different way. In Twilight, Bella, mysterious falls in love with the cold, and emotionless Edward. This is different already from Blood Sucking Fiends because The main protagonist, Jody, has recently become a vampire, and in desperation to find a human to do her errands for her during the day, she finds Thomas C. Flood. (his friends call him Tommy) The relationship between Jody and Tommy is very natural, and makes sense. Where in Twilight I'm trying to figure out why Bella falls for a cold-hearted, beast in the first place. The love story in Twilight seems very unnatural, and forced. Where In Fiends, Jody and Tommy basically fall into lust and have sex with each other. Normally I don't enjoy main characters having sex because I enjoy a more innocent feel to it. But it flows a lot more, and shows that Jody is more human, unlike Edward, who can't kiss Bella without ripping her to shreds. Being ripped to shreds is romantic, huh? Jody is periodically fighting her vampire, beast instinct, along with her human instincts. She questions on if she's transforming from human to a beast, which every time the audience is shown that Her love for Tommy is stronger than her beast instincts. Which makes the love story more romantic, even though its making fun of the whole vampire love story idea.

Twilight pisses me off sometime because of Bella falling for a cold guy who starts off treating her like crap. Many girls in America always date the guy that treats her like crap. It's very sexist in my opinion, because the media says that girls should date the good looking guy that will treat her like a sack of crap. In my movies and films I want the female lead to be strong, independent, a not having to rely on a guy just in order to be happy. (I'm not saying that girls should never be with the guy at the end of the film, but that shouldn't be the only reason to be happy.) In The Love Story series, Jody mentions the fear she used to have when she was human. The fear of walking down the street, that some guy would mug her, rape her, or attack her. She mentions that once she became a vampire, and immortal, she lost all of that fear, and i think that is how women should feel when they live life everyday. Strong. Independent. Fearless.

This concludes my blog, I'd write more but I'm hungry, and tired. Be back later.

-Johnny