Heroes and Monsters: The Faerie Queene Foreshadowing Modern Fantasy

Abstract

The present study is concerned with the relationship between The Faerie Queene and modern fantasy literature; Spenser's poem, a "continued Allegory, or darke conceit", repeatedly alludes to historical, political and religious issues that were objects of controversy at the time when it was written. Initially conceived as a twelve-book epic poem, it is set in the magical Faerie Land, where the Faerie Queene has sent her knights on various quests. More specifically, the issue addressed is whether, and to what extent, The Faerie Queene can be considered an ancestor of fully-developed modern fantasy. While there is general consensus that fantasy is a phenomenon that begins in the nineteenth century, some critical studies of the history of the genre mention The Faerie Queene in passing, but they do not dwell on this association. The first chapter presents a survey of the most compelling critical approaches to the genre, as well as an outline of its recurring themes; the second chapter attempts to chart the allegorical subtext of the poem, and analyzes the characters of Arthur, Redcrosse, Britomart and Calidore, concentrating on the aspects that put them in conversation with modern fantasy; in the last chapter the focus will shift to animals and fantastic creatures, another recurrent presence in The Faerie Queene and a stock feature of fantasy literature.