User:DespairFQ

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Summary[edit]

The character of Despair was introduced to the story after the characters Arthur, Redcrosse, and Una rest after claiming victory over Orgoglio at the castle. Una and Redcrosse travel on, leaving the Arthur and the castle behind. As they head towards Una’s home, they see a panicked knight moving quickly towards them. This man is introduced as Trevisan, explaining he is fleeing from a frightening person named Despair. He explains to Una and Redcrosse that Despair has killed his friend, Terwin. Redcrosse wishes to challenge this enemy. Trevisan obliges Redcrosse’s wish reluctantly and leads the hero back towards the lair. They reach a cave, inside which an elderly man calmly sits in tattered clothing. Redcrosse wishes to engage him after seeing Terwin’s corpse. Despair remains calm and begins to question Redcrosse, asking what issue he has with death. He tests Redcrosse’s conviction and willpower, proclaiming that death simply brings an end to a life of suffering and sin. He knows of Redcrosse’s past transgressions and so, through rhetoric, persuades Redcrosse to take his own life. Redcrosse does not fight against this beguilement and brings a knife to his throat to kill himself. Before he can finish the act of suicide, however, Una steps in and disarms Redcrosse. She leads the knight out of the cave and upon realizing his weakness, leads him to the House of Holiness.

Effects on Redcrosse Knight[edit]

Redcrosse Knight sees Terwin’s dead body and with confidence and pride still stored, immediately wants to seek revenge upon Despair. Despair is not a typical monster Redcrosse Knight can battle but a “tormenting accuser, rhetorical, and psychological warfare” [1]. Despair is aware of Redcrosse Knight’s weakness and vulnerability and is able to use it against him. Representing actual feelings of disparity, manipulation of Redcrosse Knight’s mental state, and “a figure of the devil” [2], he is able to turn Redcrosse Knight against himself. Redcrosse Knight’s interaction with Despair can be seen as a turning point in his journey, affecting Redcrosse Knight by testing him as a Christian. The longer Redcrosse Knight talks to Despair, the more he is persuaded that death is better, bearable and peaceful. Despair convinces Redcrosse Knight that death will end human suffering and tells him “Sleepe after toyle, port after stormie seas, Ease after warre, death after life does greatly please” [3]. Redcrosse Knight begins to believe that death is “desirable because it is the exit from a sinful and painful life on earth and the opening on a state of perfect bliss in paradise, man’s real homeland” [4]. After being listed of sins Redcrosse Knight has done, Despair goes on to taunt him how unforgivable and unworthy of God he is. Despair can be seen as a “projection of Redcrosse Knight’s burdened conscience and fear of God’s wrath” [5]. When speaking, there is a parallelism between Redcrosse Knight and Despair. Words are switched around as if one was having an internal debate. Redcrosse Knight begins to settle with his own guilt as Despair continues to press “deplorations of Redcrosse’s sinfulness and helplessness, and his presentation of this voluntary death as a sensible choice in his situation” [6]. Redcrosse Knight becomes pessimistic and believes in Despair when told that it is impossible to redeem himself and that he might as well be damned [7]. The burden of his guilt and weakness overtakes Redcrosse Knight giving Una the urgency to leave the cave to save him.

Analysis of Despair[edit]

In his forthcoming psychological battle with Despair, Redcrosse is exposed to the desolate surrounding of Despair's cave. Redcrosse enters into the suspicious cave under his self-riotous importance and finds himself in an environment that is “Darke, dolefull, dreary, like a greedy grave…”[8]. This early encounter with Despair's surrounding sets up an effective portrayal of the devastation that Redcrosse endures, in what is both the “dramatic turning point of Spenser’s narrative and the pivotal event in the education of his Christian Warrior”[9]. Once he enters into this cave where “man wretches hanged...Whose carcases were scattered on the greene”[10], he spots the creature of whom comes close to being his matchmaker. These hanging bodies should be a clear red flag to Redcrosse, but he is determined and blinded by his self-importance. The abeyance of Despair’s cave draws distinct similarities to Spenser’s descriptions and discussion of Ireland during the famine in his 1596, View of The Present State of Ireland. His cave is described as there being “old stocks and stubs of trees/Whereon nor fruit, nor leafe was euer seene”, similarly to what Spenser conveys the outlook of Ireland was looking like at the time [11]. Redcrosse proceeds towards this “cursed man, low-sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullien mind”, in this “famine” environment, after seeing Terwin’s corpse in plain view[12]. This sea of hanged corpses that presents themselves to Redcrosse upon entrance to the cave depicts the conventional pairing of despair with suicide[13].

Once in front of this tattered and torn man, Despair, who Daniel Moss proclaims to be the most dangerous villain of the whole poem, calmly and collectively begins to engage Redcrosse in a psychological battle[14]. Unfortunately for Redcrosse, as he may be physically strong in ability and appearance, lacks the mental capabilities to face such a ferocious foe. Despair uses a thoroughly convincing argument with a strong presence of logos, that attracts itself to Redcrosse, primarily for the reason that his arguments, that he proposes in quick succession, follow a logical progression. He proposes to Redcrosse that “The lenger life, I wote the greater sin, the greater sin, the greater punishment”[15], with this logical succession of life, Despair is able to appeal to Redcrosse’s spiritualistic side, as a Christian warrior, and make him realize the wrongs he has done, such as the killing of a knight and being fooled by Duessa. Despair precedes to present to Redcrosse a sort of obscured vision of justice for the sins he committed, such as “life must life, and bloud must bloud repay”[16]. Many recount this sort of effect that Despair has on other people, to be able to threaten both the secular and spiritual life[17]. We see this take effect take ahold of Redcrosse as he becomes more and more solemn throughout his conversation with Despair. He recounts his freeing from obstacles such as Orgoglio territory, as being the result of true luck rather than divine intervention, contrary to what a true Christian warrior should believe. His Christian discipline is utterly incomplete, as he does not understand this “heavenly grace” idea[18]. It is for this reason why it is important for Redcrosse to be able to make it through this maze of Despair’s deplorable rhetoric.

It is inherent and pivotal for life, that a Christian must suffer in order to truly appreciate God[19]. Despair is able to move effectively from his skewed version of justice to the explanation of how death is attractive and a logical progression of life of life[20]. Redcrosse must achieve the complete acceptance of God in order to overcome Despair, but Despair’s continued langual argument is done “with consummate skill and artistry”, making it harder for Redcrosse to get to that spiritual awakening[21]. Many Christian scholars warn and convey that “venturing as far as the ‘abyss of despair’ entails fatal risks, as one may not come out again”, detailing how much trouble a Christian warrior such as Redcrosse is in. This danger thrusts itself into the spotlight when Redcrosse accepts Despair’s knife and takes it into his hands. Despair is described in previous literature as a figure that thrusts a dagger into their neck, similarly to what Redcrosse is about to do[22]. This comparison causes the realization that Redcrosse has himself become despair since one must despair of himself and put all their trust in God to be considered a true Christian[23]. The constant compounding of detrimental linguistic artistry continues to take toll on Redcrosse to the point where he picks up the dagger with intention to commit suicide, only to be once again saved by “God’s gracious grace, whose vehicle is Una”[24]. Recrosses entire venture into Despair’s cave, followed by his conversation with him draws strong comparisons to the legend of Owen and St. Patrick’s Purgatory. In the legend Owen is led into a suspicious cave where he gets stuck in this sort of purgatory where he will either suffer from eternal damnation or the bliss of Eden. Much like Redcrosse, he must also encounter many demonic temptations in order to save himself from eternal hell[25]. Spenser’s close ties to Irish history and tales makes this a highly possible and appropriate inspiration for this scene, and also allows for better understanding of Redcrosse and this situation he is put in.

Connections to Protestantism and Christianity[edit]

According to Samuel Kessler, Spenser’s character, Despair, uses rhetoric but also theological reasoning in order to push Redcrosse into bringing a knife to his throat [26]

When Una brings him to the House of Holiness, it is the divine truth of holiness that saves him from suicide. Through research also conducted by Kessler, it is also thought to be understood that Spenser was quite possibly heavily influenced by Thomas Becon, a theologian who wrote “Dialogue between the Christian knight and Satan,” which shares many similarities between itself and the scene with Redcrosse and Despair, in which Satan tells the Christian knight that he is not following God’s commandments [27]

Through research and discussion, it can be argued that Despair represents Satan, and Redcrosse represents the Christian knight, since Despair attempts to convince Redcrosse that he is not fulfilling his holy duties as a knight. Furthermore, Kessler argues that Redcrosse is not a fully educated Christian man, since, he argues, a fully educated Christian man would be able to rebuff Despair’s comments and rhetoric with confidence and tell Despair, or rather Satan, that he will continue to live and follow God’s path [28] Readers believe that Una, who is also represented as Divine Truth, leads him away into the House of Holiness in order to educate him further and to demonstrate that Redcrosse’s weakness will lead him into certain death. They also believe it is only with her guidance of the faith of God’s intervention is Redcrosse able to escape Despair’s clutches and learn why obtaining faith is of utmost importance when facing a Satanic individual such as Despair. When approached by Una after talking with Despair, Redcrosse is reminded of his faith in God and Christianity, as Una is what Harold Skulsky says, “the invisible church that guards truth”[29]


There is also the idea that, according to Skulsky, Despair is able to effectively convince Redcrosse to commit suicide because of his statement that Redcrosse will continue to sin in his life as a Christian knight no matter what he does, so he might as well commit suicide in order to end the suffering that will come with both life, using Calvinist views in order to portray that Redcrosse cannot be forgiven in any case scenario [30] With this, Despair uses a topic central to Redcrosse and his story: faith and religion in terms of The Faerie Queene, making his argument more personal, and therefore, more important to Redcrosse’s opinion of the matter, as Redcrosse is a Christian knight whose faith is central to his actions and character in Spenser’s story.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Beecher, Donald. “Spenser’s Redcrosse Knight and His Encounter with Despair: Some Aspects of the ‘Elizabethan Malady.’” Cahiers elisabethaines, vol. 30, 1986, pp. 3.
  2. ^ Beecher, Donald. “Spenser’s Redcrosse Knight and His Encounter with Despair: Some Aspects of the ‘Elizabethan Malady.’” Cahiers elisabethaines, vol. 30, 1986, pp. 5.
  3. ^ Spenser, Edmund. The Faerie Queene: Book One, edited by Carol V. Kaske, 2006.
  4. ^ Baseotto, Paola. “Godly Sorrow, Damnable Despair and Faerie Queene I.ix” Cahiers Élisabéthains: A Biannual Journal of English Renaissance Studies, vol. 69, 2006, pp. 4.
  5. ^ Baseotto, Paola. “Godly Sorrow, Damnable Despair and Faerie Queene I.ix” Cahiers Élisabéthains: A Biannual Journal of English Renaissance Studies, vol. 69, 2006, pp. 6
  6. ^ Baseotto, Paola. “Godly Sorrow, Damnable Despair and Faerie Queene I.ix” Cahiers Élisabéthains: A Biannual Journal of English Renaissance Studies, vol. 69, 2006, pp. 7
  7. ^ Skulsky, Harold. “Spenser's Despair Episode and the Theology of Doubt.” Modern Philology, vol. 78, no. 3, 1981, pp. 231. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/437863.
  8. ^ Spenser, Edmund. The Faerie Queene: Book One, edited by Carol V. Kaske, 2006. ix.33.4
  9. ^ Baseotto, Paola. “Godly Sorrow, Damnable Despair and Faerie Queene I.ix” Cahiers Élisabéthains: A Biannual Journal of English Renaissance Studies, vol. 69, 2006, pp. 2
  10. ^ Spenser, Edmund. The Faerie Queene: Book One, edited by Carol V. Kaske, 2006. ix.34.4
  11. ^ Brackmann, Rebecca. “The Irish Underground: St. Patrick’s Purgatory and the Caves of Error and Despair in the Faerie Queene.” Kentucky Philological Association, vol. 27, 2012, pp. 20.
  12. ^ Spenser, Edmund. The Faerie Queene: Book One, edited by Carol V. Kaske, 2006. ix.35.2
  13. ^ Baseotto, Paola. “Godly Sorrow, Damnable Despair and Faerie Queene I.ix” Cahiers Élisabéthains: A Biannual Journal of English Renaissance Studies, vol. 69, 2006, pp. 5
  14. ^ Brackmann, Rebecca. “The Irish Underground: St.Patrick’s Purgatory and the Caves of Error and Despair in the Faerie Queene.” Kentucky Philological Association, vol. 27, 2012,pp.19
  15. ^ Spenser, Edmund. The Faerie Queene: Book One, edited by Carol V. Kaske, 2006. ix. 43
  16. ^ Sirluck, Ernest. “A Note on the Rhetoric of Spenser's ‘Despair’.” Modern Philology, vol. 47, 1949, pp. 10
  17. ^ Beecher, Donald. “Spenser’s Redcrosse Knight and His Encounter with Despair: Some Aspects of the ‘Elizabethan Malady.’” Cahiers elisabethaines, vol. 30, 1986, pp. 1
  18. ^ Sirluck, Ernest. “A Note on the Rhetoric of Spenser's ‘Despair’.” Modern Philology, vol. 47, 1949, pp. 10
  19. ^ Baseotto, Paola. “Godly Sorrow, Damnable Despair and Faerie Queene I.ix” Cahiers Élisabéthains: A Biannual Journal of English Renaissance Studies, vol. 69, 2006, pp. 7
  20. ^ Sirluck, Ernest. “A Note on the Rhetoric of Spenser's ‘Despair’.” Modern Philology, vol. 47, 1949, pp. 9
  21. ^ Sirluck, Ernest. “A Note on the Rhetoric of Spenser's ‘Despair’.” Modern Philology, vol. 47, 1949, pp. 11
  22. ^ Carpenter, Frederie Ives. “Spenser’s Cave of Despair” Modern Language Notes, vol. 12, 1897, pp. 260
  23. ^ Baseotto, Paola. “Godly Sorrow, Damnable Despair and Faerie Queene I.ix” Cahiers Élisabéthains: A Biannual Journal of English Renaissance Studies, vol. 69, 2006, pp. 1
  24. ^ Baseotto, Paola. “Godly Sorrow, Damnable Despair and Faerie Queene I.ix” Cahiers Élisabéthains: A Biannual Journal of English Renaissance Studies, vol. 69, 2006, pp. 9
  25. ^ Brackmann, Rebecca. “The Irish Underground: St. Patrick’s Purgatory and the Caves of Error and Despair in the Faerie Queene.” Kentucky Philological Association, vol. 27, 2012, pp. 17
  26. ^ Kessler, Samuel R. “An Analogue for Spenser’s Despair Episode: Perkin’s ‘Dialogue … Betweene Sathan and the Christian’.” Notes and Queries, vol. 47 (245), no. 1, Mar. 2000, pp. 31-34.
  27. ^ Kessler, Samuel R. “An Analogue for Spenser’s Despair Episode: Perkin’s ‘Dialogue … Betweene Sathan and the Christian’.” Notes and Queries, vol. 47 (245), no. 1, Mar. 2000, pp. 31-34.
  28. ^ Kessler, Samuel R. “An Analogue for Spenser’s Despair Episode: Perkin’s ‘Dialogue … Betweene Sathan and the Christian’.” Notes and Queries, vol. 47 (245), no. 1, Mar. 2000, pp. 31-34.
  29. ^ Skulsky, Harold. “Spenser's Despair Episode and the Theology of Doubt.” Modern Philology, vol. 78, no. 3, 1981, pp. 227–242. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/437863.
  30. ^ Skulsky, Harold. “Spenser's Despair Episode and the Theology of Doubt.” Modern Philology, vol. 78, no. 3, 1981, pp. 227–242. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/437863.
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