Describe and comment on the Red Cross Knight’s encounter with the Monster Error.
Describe and comment on the Red-Cross Knight’s encounter with the Monster Error.
Or, what is the significance of the fight between the Red Cross Knight and Monster Error?
In The Faerie Queene, Book I, Canto I (1590), Edmund Spenser (1552/53-1599) presents the encounter between the Red-Cross Knight and the Monster Error as the first great adventure of the hero. This episode is not only an exciting fight but also a moral and spiritual allegory. Through this encounter, Spenser shows how a Christian soul faces sin, lies, and false belief at the beginning of its spiritual journey.
Entering the Wandering Wood: The episode begins when the Red-Cross Knight, Lady Una, and the Dwarf enter a dark forest. The forest is called Wandering Wood. Lady Una warns the knight about danger. She says:
She says the place is unknown and full of hidden evil. But the knight is young and full of pride. He thinks bravery alone is enough. We understand that the knight is courageous but lacks wisdom. Spiritually, it shows that a young Christian often enters danger without fully understanding it.“Be well aware.”
Appearance of the Monster Error: The knight enters a dark cave and sees the Monster Error. She is described as half woman and half serpent, very ugly and disgusting.
Her long tail fills the cave, and she has a deadly sting. There are thousands of young ones. They are sucking poison from her breast. The monster stands for false religion. The young ones beside her represent the followers of false religion. The cave stands for darkness and ignorance. Error lives in darkness because lies cannot survive in light.“Halfe like a serpent horribly displaide,
But th'other halfe did womans shape retaine.”
The Fight Begins: When Error sees the knight’s shining armor, she is frightened. She tries to escape. But the knight blocks her way and attacks her bravely. At first, the knight strikes her strongly and wounds her. But soon Error fights back fiercely. She wraps her long tail around the knight and traps him tightly. The knight cannot move his hands or feet. This moment shows how lies and sin can trap a person completely if he is not careful.
Role of Lady Una: While the knight is trapped, Lady Una cries out to him. She tells him to add faith to his strength. She says:
She warns him that if he does not act quickly, Error will destroy him. Her advice gives the knight new courage. With great effort, he frees one hand and grabs Error by the throat. This shows that truth and faith help holiness defeat sin. Without Una’s guidance, the knight would have lost the fight.“Add faith unto your force, and be not faint.”
Error’s Vomit and Meaning: As the knight strangles Error, she vomits horrible things from her mouth. She throws out poison, flesh, frogs, toads, and most importantly, books and papers.
These books and papers symbolize false teachings and lies spread by false religion.“Her vomit full of bookes and papers was.”
Death of Error and Her Children: At last, the knight gathers all his strength and cuts off Error’s head. Black blood flows out. Her children rush to her body and drink her blood. Soon they burst and die. This shows that false beliefs destroy those who follow them. Lies may seem alive for a while, but they finally destroy themselves.
Meaning of the Encounter: This encounter is deeply symbolic. The Red-Cross Knight represents the Christian soul. Error represents false belief and sin. Lady Una represents truth. The fight shows that a Christian’s spiritual journey begins with a struggle against error. Courage alone is not enough. A person must have truth and faith to defeat evil.
In fine, the Red-Cross Knight’s encounter with the Monster Error is a powerful moral and spiritual episode. It shows the danger of false belief. It also shows that a person must have truth and faith to defeat evil. This first adventure prepares the knight for greater spiritual trials ahead.