healed. While she is gone on this errand, Redcrosse,
warned by a dwarf of the immense dungeons in Pride’s
house, steals away before she returns.
In Canto 6, Sansloy attempts to defi le Una, who
shrieks in fear and disgust. Her cries are heard by a
troop of fauns and satyrs, who frighten away Sansloy
and take Una with them to their woodland village.
They are enraptured by Una and begin worshipping
her. She discourages this as idolatry, and they respond
only by shifting their adoration to her donkey instead.
Satyrane, a half-human and half-satyr knight arrives
and, compelled by Una’s virtue much like the lion was,
swears to protect and defend her. He gets her out of
the satyrs’ village and helps her track Redcrosse. They
fi nd Archimago, now dressed as a pilgrim, who reports
that Redcrosse has been killed by Sansloy. His direc-
tions lead them to Sansloy, whom Satyrane immedi-
ately challenges, and while they fi ght, Una fl ees,
followed by Archimago.
In Canto 7, Redcrosse continues through the forest.
Duessa tracks him down and chastises him for leaving
her. They make up and make love, and in his weak-
ened state, Redcrosse is attacked by Orgoglio the giant.
Duessa intercedes before Redcrosse is killed and offers
herself as paramour to the victor. Redcrosse is impris-
oned in Orgoglio’s dungeon, and Duessa is enthroned
and given a magnifi cent mount, symbolizing the whore
of Babylon seated on the seven-headed beast of the
apocalypse. Redcrosse’s dwarf escapes from the dun-
geon, fi nds Una, and reports what has happened. In
the forest, Una meets Prince Arthur, who agrees to
champion her against Orgoglio. This is the fi rst appear-
ance of ARTHUR, the young knight who will become the
great King Arthur and who, in The Faerie Queene, will
quest after the Faerie Queen herself.
In Canto 8, Arthur fi ghts Orgoglio and quickly gets
the upper hand by slicing off the giant’s left arm.
Duessa leaps to Orgoglio’s aid, but Arthur then attacks
Duessa’s beast, and when Orgoglio returns to the fi ght,
Arthur dismembers him, cutting him down one limb at
a time, like pruning a tree. When he falls, Orgoglio’s
body puffs out a huge gust of air, as though his size
was all due just to a lot of hot air. Arthur leaves Duessa
in his squire’s charge and is led by blind Ignaro (igno-
rance) into the castle to fi nd Redcrosse. When Red-
crosse emerges, weakened by sin, Una receives him
and begins his retraining by fi rst allowing Duessa to
live, but on condition that her true form be revealed.
Duessa, stripped of her scarlet robe, is foul, misshapen,
and disgusting, and Redcrosse fi nally sees through her
false appearance.
In Canto 9, Arthur continues to accompany Una
and Redcrosse, telling them of his history and his quest
for the Faerie Queen, and he and Redcrosse swear
oaths of friendship and support. They exchange gifts
and part ways. Redcrosse and Una are soon distracted
by a terror-stricken knight with a noose around his
neck. This knight describes his recent encounter with
Despair, whom Redcrosse resolves to challenge.
Despair lives in a cave strewn with corpses, including
the still-bleeding body of his latest victim, and he does
his best to persuade Redcrosse that his sins are suffi -
cient to warrant death; Redcrosse should die now
rather than sin further, omitting mention of God’s
mercy. Una stops Redcrosse from stabbing himself and
takes him away; he has sunk as low as possible now,
and the strength of holiness must be built back up
before he faces the dragon.
Canto 10 witnesses Una’s rehabilitation of Red-
crosse, which takes place at the House of Holiness, a
parallel construction to Pride’s house from Canto 4.
The same type of characters are present: The porter,
Humility, leads the travelers in through a straight and
narrow path, as opposed to Idleness’s broad path at the
House of Pride. This house is owned by Dame Caelia
(heavenly) and her three daughters, Fidelia, Speranza,
and Charissa (faith, hope, and charity). Redcrosse is
taught, confessed, and strengthened through a series of
allegorical encounters culminating in a vision of the
New Jerusalem. Contemplation reminds him that his
quest is earthly, and he may not choose to abandon it
to go to heaven before his time.
In Canto 11, Una leads her refreshed hero to his
battle with the dragon besieging her parents’ castle.
Redcrosse attacks the dragon on the fi rst day and
wounds its wing. The dragon responds by roasting him
in his armor until he falls into the Well of Life. The
knight of holiness is strengthened, then, by the water
of baptism, and he returns the next day to fi ght again.
This time the dragon stings Redcrosse, and while the180 THE FAERIE QUEENE: BOOK 1