Red Crosse and His Discipleship

   

     When I first began reading The Faerie Queen, I often saw Red Crosse as a Christ-like figure. However, after reading over his battle with the dragon, I have chosen to reevaluate my stance and paint his as a common disciple, a follower of Christ. Christ had twelve apostles, and one of them betrayed him. This leaves eleven disciples before his crucifixion. We see the battle of Red Crosse and the dragon in Canto Eleven. Red Crosse has been a sympathetic character throughout the entire book. He has entered into promiscuous relations with a Gemini woman, he has allowed his pride and arrogance to get the best of him, and he has run away from a woman he loves because of a tainted dream. He truly represents a follower of Christ. Although this is a more religious reading of the text than I have previously done, I believe that having Red Crosse represent a disciple for Christ as opposed to Christ himself makes a stronger argument.

     The dragon's first appearance paints him as a thing of beauty, lying in a sunlit meadow guarding Una's parents. He represents Satan who promises believers that he can grant them whatever they desire, and in this case it is Una's parents.The dragon shifts his appearance when he sees that Red Crosse has chosen to duel with him instead of willingly surrender over to his might. I believe that this represents the constant battle disciples have when reaching out to non-believers. Una's parents are closed off by Satan, who refuses to let them see that there is hope away from the dragon's keep. I found it interesting that Una's father was depicted as the Pagan King as opposed to her mother portrayed as the Faerie Queen. I believe that Una's mother and father represent non-believers trapped in their sin. While Red Crosse does save Una's parents, it was Arthur who first saved Red Crosse. I believe that Arthur is the Christ figure and that he redeemed Red Crosse to continue on his journey to save others from their sinful entrapment. I am not inserting that Una's parents have committed a horrible sin, and therefore are guarded by a fierce some dragon. I am asserting the idea that all people have a sinful nature and are born with sin when they haven't known Christ's sacrifice. Red Crosse's purpose is to intervene on behalf of Una's parents and give them the choice to redeem their sinful ways by defeating Satan with the power and sustenance Arthur and faith have given him.

     There were certain parallels between the battles of Red Crosse and the dragon. The number three is significant and often signifies Christ rising on the third day. However, in terms of the apostles it is significant for other reasons. Peter, one of Christ's most beloved disciples, denied him three times the night Christ was arrested. During the Last Supper, Christ warned his disciples that one of them would betray him and that one would deny him before the rooster crowed. Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, and Peter denied him three times before the rooster crowed signifying morning. These acts of weakness coincide with the notion that no one can escape their sinful nature. Peter denied his Savior three times, and Red Crosse must battle the dragon, or sin, three times. Another interesting parallel are the Tree of Life and the Well of Life. The Well of Life renews and heals Red Crosse after his first battle. It washes away all his bruises and imperfections, much like baptism in the Christian faith. However, Jesus also washed his disciples' feet, humbling himself for the sake of those he loved. I believe the Well of Life parallels with the idea of Jesus washing his disciples' feet as well as baptism. The Tree of Life represents Jesus sacrificing his life for all people as a way to atone for their sins. He was crucified on a cross, died, and was resurrected on the third day. However, Jesus was also known as a carpenter, and his disciples came from humble origins. Many of his disciples were fishermen and many believers were prostitutes and tax collectors. This signifies how Christ uses all different types of people for his work, even green knights who have yet to prove themselves outside of castle walls. Although I see similarities between Christ's story and Red Crosse's battle with the dragon, I believe it is more plausible to depict Red Crosse as a disciple on a mission to save non-believers.

     In terms of Red Crosse marrying Una after promising to be Duessa's significant other, I believe that this represents that Satan chooses to remind believers of their past mistakes in order to shake their faith. However, Red Crosse has proven himself worthy and redeemed, and Una still takes him as a husband despite his past with Duessa.

     Although this was a strong religious parallel, I believe there are various interpretations of how Red Crosse completed his journey. Many people won't agree with my strong Christian reading of these final cantos, but I allowed my personal background to give me insight to interpreting Red Crosse as a sympathetic disciple who continues to make mistakes and be redeemed by an ultimate savior, whether it is his faith in Una or his perseverance in Arthur.

Spenser's Sinfully Sweet Women

      Throughout Spenser's first book of Faerie Queen, the reader can easily see Spenser's feeling towards women and the role they tend to play in a good Christian man's life. When readers are first introduced to a woman, she is represented as the pure and good Una escorting Red Crosse on his first quest which is to free her parents from the dragon that has ensnared them for many years. The next encounter with a female creature would be Errous, a revolting half-woman half-snake that Red Crosse must defeat. The final mistress of this particular book is Duessa, fondly known to the knights she captivates as Fidessa. All three women must goad Red Crosse along on his journey and each women contributes to the failure or success of the next.

      Although Una is the first woman Red Crosse encounters, I would like to focus first on Errous. Spenser depicts Errous as a disgusting creature who lives deep within a cave. Errous is portrayed as a motherly figure. In her tale, the reader learns that she has thousands of babies spawning from her after Red Crosse decapitates her. This brings up an interesting point. It suggests that all children must separate themselves and take a piece of their upbringing with them. Because the epic begins en medias res Red Crosse's origin remains unknown to the reader, and it doesn't take away from his quest. However, the first major task he comes across is going up against a brooding mother. In a way, Red Crosse goes into a cave, which could symbolize a womb, and defeats a motherly figure who gives life to her children before their lives end as well. It shows the cycle of life in a revolting way, but I believe that Errous may represent the bonds men have with their mothers from birth and how that bond is severed as other women come into their lives.

     From here, I would like to move to the Gemini woman, Duessa. Duessa, or Fidessa to her lovers, represents the classic notion of woman as a temptation. She finds the weaknesses of knights who travel in her path and plays those weaknesses of chivalry and love against them. Although both man and dwarf have warned Red Crosse against the snares of Duessa, Red Crosse blindly follows her much like a lost puppy. In her company, he finds a false sense of strength and pride which allows him to believe in himself if only for a short period of time. Her fickle emotions for every knight she encounters plays to the notion that all women are manipulative and that they use men as expendable toys. Duessa represents the sultry woman. She is Delilah and Red Crosse is her Samson. After their short visit to the house of pride, she consummates her fickle feelings of power with Red Crosse, leaving him vulnerable and used. Duessa represents the first time a man believes he is in love, only to discover that the woman simply toyed with his emotions for her gain.

     Finally, Una comes into the lime light. However, I don't believe it is fair to categorize her with these last two female characters. Una represents faith, but not in the sense of religion. Una represents Red Crosse's faith in himself. Throughout his trials, Una constantly motivates Red Crosse and allows him to see the potential underneath the damaged armor. Despite the fact that Red Crosse has committed numerous moral sins, Una constantly searches for him and when she finds him forgets about all his transgressions. Una is fair, both in heart and in beauty. Her purity represents the unity and sacred vows of matrimony and how love strengthens each partner. Una's love allows her to continue on her quest to find her beloved, and her love for Red Crosse sustains him during all his tribulations. One may read their relationship as unfair, because Una gives so much and receives little in return. However, Una transforms Red Crosse into the valiant knight of her dreams and this act of selflessness creates a man worthy to love Una in return. Red Crosse's lack of experience and naive nature cause him to go astray from his true love, but through her faith in him and a little bit of reason constantly looking after him, he redeems himself at last.

     I can understand Spenser's negative notions about women. In Christian teachings, women lead the men astray, such as Jessabelle and Eve. Men assume women to be infidels, like Joseph believed Mary had been dishonest and unfaithful or when Bathsheba slept with King David. These wicked women are conveyed through the manipulative Duessa and the repulsive Errous, both monstrously trying to hide their true forms from men they encounter. However, women like Una who embodies the attitude of Ruth allow for women to be redeemed from the negative stigma that often follows their gender.