Q.1. Who was called the poet’s poet?
Ans. Edmund Spenser was called the poet’s poet.
Q.2. Which age did Spenser belong to?
Ans. Edmund Spenser belonged to the Elizabethan age.
Q.3. How was Spenser influenced by the Protestant religion?
Ans. While studying at Cambridge, Spenser came under the influence of the strong Protestant spirit which then pervaded the university.
Q.4. What kind of poem is The Faerie Queene?
Ans. The Faerie Queene is an allegorical poem.
Q.5. What stanza form and rhyme scheme did Spenser invent for the composition of The Faerie Queene?
Ans. The stanza form, invented by Spenser for the composition of The Faerie Queene is known as ‘Spenserian Stanza”. It consists of nine lines in iambic metres rhyming as ababbcbcc. The first eight lines are in pentameters and the final line is in hexameters, called Alexandrine.
Q.6. Why is The Faerie Queene called a romantic epic?
Ans. The Faerie Queene exhibits the heroic deeds of war, love and adventures centring around the historical figure of Prince Arthur. As it combines both romantic and epic qualities, it is called a romantic epic or epic of chivalry and romance b
Q.7. What religious allegory do you trace in The Faerie Queene?
Ans. The religious allegory in The Faerie Queene deals with the important religious events of the contemporary age. Here the Red Cross Knight stands for the reformed Church of England, fighting the corruption, pride, and manifold evils of Papacy, paganism and Catholicism as represented by the foul Dragon or the monster Error.
Q.8. Whom does the poet invoke in The Faerie Queene?
Ans. Spenser at the beginning of The Faerie Queene prays to Clio, the Muse of history for her help in writing his poem. He also appeals to Cupid, Venus and Mars for their patronage in writing the romantic epic.
Q.9. Who is the noble Briton Prince?
Ans. Prince Arthur was the noble Briton Prince whom the world had been looking for so long. He was represented by the Earl of Leicester who was in love with Queen Elizabeth I and wanted to in love wit marry her.
10. Who is the Red Cross Knight?
Ans. The Red Cross Knight is the hero of Book One of The Faerie Queene. He symbolizes St. George, the patron saint of England. Allegorically he is Holiness or the Reformed Church of England.
Q.11. What was the most desired reward of the Red Cross Knight?
Ans. The most desired reward of the Red Cross Knight was to win the favour of Gloriana, the Fairy Queen.
Q.12. What task did the Lady assign to the Red Cross Knight? Or,
To what job did the Lady appoint the Red Cross Knight?
Ans. The lady came from a royal parentage that ruled a vast kingdom from the eastern shore to the western shore. But her parents were enslaved and the whole empire was ravaged by the infernal Dragon. So the knight was entrusted with the task of avenging this foul Dragon and freeing her parents.
Q.13. What kind of shelter did the Red Cross Knight and Lady Una find during the rain and storm?
Ans. The Red Cross Knight and Lady Una discovered a shady grove nearby that could protect them from the tempest. Its lofty trees were so laden with leaves that the sunbeam or the light from the stars could not pierce within.
Q.14. How were the Red Cross Knight and Lady Una enchanted by the grove?
Ans. The grove enchanted the weary travellers, the Red Cross Knight and Lady Una with its beauty. They kept moving forward when the birds’ song made them forget the tempest outside. They moved on praising the lofty trees like the Pine, the Cedar, the Elms, the Oaks, the Ash and so on.
Q.15. How did the Lady warn the Knight at the entrance of the cave?
Ans. Lady Una advised the Red Cross Knight to be well aware and to strike with his sword after being sure of the danger, as dangers may come without a show in unknown and wild places.
Q.16. Who is ‘Error’?
Ans. The monster Error is one of the evil forces against whom the Red Cross Knight has to fight. Error is represented as a horrible creature, with the face of a woman and the hind part a serpent.
Q.17. What does the monster Error symbolise?
Ans. The monster Error stands for errors or mistakes, committed by human beings in the course of their lives. Allegorically, Error stands for Roman Catholicism or the Pope of Rome.
Q. 18. How did Lady Una attempt to dissuade the Red Cross Knight from entering the Error’s den (cave)?
Ans. Lady Una warned the Red Cross Knight saying that it was “Errours Den” or the cave of monster Error whom both God and man hated. So it would be better to stop before they were forced to retreat.
Q.19. How many young ones of hers, did the monster Error feed daily?
Ans. The monster Error fed daily a thousand young ones who were her offspring.
Q.20. How did the Red Cross Knight attack the monster Error?
Ans. The bold Knight of the Red Cross jumped upon the monster Error fiercely as a ferocious lion leaps upon its prey and with his sharp sword prevented it from turning back.
Q.21. How did the monster Error behave when the Knight hit her hard with his sword?
Ans. When the Red Cross Knight hit the monster Error with his sword, she began to roar angrily and advanced towards him, brandishing her sting angrily.
Q.22. How did the Red Cross Knight fall in the tight grip of Error’s tail?
Ans. Although the monster Error was much dazed for some time by the force of the Knight’s blow, it collected its strength and suddenly with great rage raised itself up high above the ground, with its tail coiled. Then it jumped fiercely at the Knight’s shield and coiled her huge tail around his body so that he vainly tried to move hand or foot.
Q.23. What is the Nile? Why is it famous?
Ans. The Nile is a famous river in Egypt. When there is a flood in the Nile, the Egyptian valley is covered with fertile slime that helps new vegetations grow.
Q.24. How did the monster Error’s vomit react upon the Knight?
Ans. The stinking items discharged through the monster Error’s vomit robbed the Knight of his strength and he could combat no longer. At this, the hellish monster let out of her womb her ugly children of different shapes.
Q.25. What was the colour of Error’s blood?
Ans. The colour of Error’s blood was coal black.
Q.26. What did the children of Error do after their mother’s death?
Ans. When the children of Error saw their mother fall groaning to the ground, they tried to enter her mouth. But failing to do so, they began to suck their mother’s blood from her wounds.
Q.27. How was the Red Cross Knight greeted by Lady Una for killing the monster Error?
Ans. Lady Una greeted the Red Cross Knight warmly for his first adventure in killing the deadly monster Error. She said that he was born under a lucky star and was worthy of the armour he was wearing.
Q28. What does “Archimago” symbolize?
Ans. Archimago symbolizes the hypocrisy and plots of Roman Catholicism against Anglicanism or the English Church. Archimago, one instrument of the separation between the Red Cross Knight (Holiness) and Lady Una (Truth), may be identified with the Roman Catholic Pope.
Q.29. How does Archimago appear before the Red Cross Knight and Lady Una?
Ans. Archimago appears before the Red Cross Knight and Lady Una as a very old man with bare feet, a white and grey beard, wearing a long black garment, and a book from his belt. His eyes are bent downwards and as he walks on the way, he seems to pray and often beats his breast like a man who repents for his sins.
Q.30. How/ In what way did the ‘Old Sire’ answer the solicit of the Red Cross knight?
Ans. The old “Sire” (man) answered politely that he was a simple old man, living in a secluded cell, and saying his prayer all day, as a penance for his sins. How could he tell him of war and adventure in the world outside.
Q.31. Why did the Knight agree to spend the night at the old man’s house?
Ans. Being convinced of the apparent sweet dealings and persuasiveness of the old man, the Red Cross Knight agreed to spend the night at his house. He thought that sleep at night would freshen his body and mind and thus he would be fit for fresh adventures.
Q32. What is “Ave-Mary”?
Aas. “Ave-Mary” means Hail Mary. It is the first word of a Roman Catholic prayer to the Virgin Mary.
0.33. Where did Archimago call the spirits?
Ans. By means of his magic spells, Archimago called out of deep darkness a large number of dreadful spirits. They fluttered like flies around his damned head.
Q.34. Which two spirits did Archimago select for his evil purpose?
Ans. Archimago, the wicked magician selected two spirits, who were the falsest of the lot. They were most skilled in assuming false appearances which seemed most like the true ones.
Q.35. How did the spirit make his journey to the underworld?
Ans. The spirit, at the bidding of the wicked magician, made his speedy journey through the wide expanses of air and the world of oceans to the house of Morpheus, the god of sleep.
Q.36. Where was the house of Morpheus situated?
Ans. The house of Morpheus was situated deep down in the very bowels of the earth where the light of the day could never enter. There Tethys (wife of the sea god) always washed his wet bed and Cynthia (the Moon-goddess) always covered his drooping head with her silver light. Night always spread over him her dark mantle.
Q.37. How many gates the house of Morpheus had and what were their features?
Ans. The house of Morpheus had two gates which were well-locked. One of them was made of bright ivory which sent forth false dreams. The other was made of silver which sent out true dreams.
Q.38. Who was banished from entering the house of Morpheus?
Ans. Care was banished from the house of Morpheus as the former often troubled gentle sleep.
Q.39. Who was Hecate?
Ans. Hecate, according to Greek mythology, was the queen of the underworld or Hell. The spirit sent by Archimago, the wicked magician, tried to wake Morpheus, the god of sleep by threatening with the name of Hecate.
Q.40. What did Archimago do during the period of bringing the dream?
Ans. During the period of bringing the dream from Morpheus. Archimago made a lady of that other spirit in the image of Lady Una by his magic. The lady was made of light air, but she was so beautiful that she could enthral the sense of any man.
Q.41. What was Archimago’s direction to the magically made woman?
Ans. Archimago’s direction to the magically made woman was to imitate cunningly the gestures, speeches, etc. of true Lady Una whom it so closely resembled in its false shape.
Q.42. How did the false lady try to seduce the Red Cross Knight in his dream?
Ans. The false lady made of dream placed itself in the brain of the sleeping Knight and began to make him see visions of the game of love and lust. It seemed to the Knight that Lady Una was lying by his side and complaining against Cupid who prompted her to enjoy the amorous game of love.
Q.43. Who had honoured Spenser as the Poet’s Poet?
Ans. Charles Lamb had honoured Spenser as the Poets’ Poet.
Q.44. What is an allegory?
Ans. An allegory is a detailed description of one thing under the image of another. It is a story or description, in prose or verse, in which ideas are symbolized by persons who are characters in the story and the underlying meaning may be moral, religious, political, social or satiric.
Q.45. Who is Lady Una?
Ans. Lady Una, the heroine of The Faerie Queene, Book-I, is the daughter of the fairy king and queen. Allegorically, she
symbolizes Truth, Goodness and Wisdom.
Q.46. What did the monster Error vomit?
Ans. When the Red Cross Knight strangled the throat of the monster Error, it vomited out a horribly foul-smelling black poison, full of lumps of flesh, books, papers, frogs and toads without eyes, which crept about in the grass.
Q.47. Why is the Knight in The Faerie Queene called the Red Cross Knight?
Ans. The Knight bore a “bloodie Crosse” (red cross) on his breast in memory of his martyr Lord, Jesus Christ. His shield also was bearing an inscription of the red cross that symbolized his great hope. So he is called the Red Cross Knight.
Q.48. Whom has the Queen assigned the task of rescuing Una’s parents?
Ans. Red Cross Knight
Q.49. What does the Dwarf represent in “The Faerie Queene”?
Ans. The Dwarf represents prudence or common sense.
Q.50. Who is Archimago?
Ans. Archmage is the arch magician, symbolizing hypocrisy or Satan in The Faerie Queene.
Q.51. Why is the Gentle Knight called ‘The Red Cross Knight’?
Ans. The Knight bore a “bloodie Crosse” (red cross) on his breast in memory of his martyr Lord, Jesus Christ. His shield also was bearing an inscription of the red cross that symbolized his great hope. So, he is called the Red Cross Knight.
Q.52. What does ‘Una’ stand for allegorically?
Ans. Lady Una, the heroine of The Faerie Queene, Book-I, is the daughter of the fairy king and queen. Allegorically, she symbolizes Truth, Goodness and Wisdom.
Q.53. What scares the Redcross Knight away from the House of Pride?
Ans. The dungeons hidden beneath the House of Pride scare the Redcross Knight away from the House of Pride.
Q.54. How were the children of the Monster of Error killed?
Ans. Seeing their mother dead, the children flocked about their bleeding mother’s wounds and started sucking her blood until their blood thirst was fully satisfied. Gradually their bellies swelled up and burst out.
Q.55. What is an invocation?
Ans. Invocation is a kind of prayer or appeal of the poet at the beginning of his composition to the Muse, some god or the divine power for inspiration in his writing.
Q.56. What is ‘Spenserian Stanza”?
Ans. Spenserian stanza refers to the stanza pattern invented by Edmund Spenser, the famous poet of the Elizabethan Age. Its rhyme scheme is abab, bc bc c
Q.57. What does Lady Una symbolize?
Ans. Lady Una, the heroine of The Faerie Queene, Book 1, is the daughter of the fairy King and Queen. Allegorically she stands for Truth, Goodness and Wisdom.
Q.58. How did the children of Monster Error look?
Ans. The children of the monster Error looked like little snakes. Each one of them was different in shape, but all were foul.
