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.