Reality and Truth of Redcrosse Knight
 

 But on his brest a bloudie Crosse he bore,
     The deare remembrance of his dying Lord,
     For whose sweete sake that glorious badge he wore,
     And dead as liuing euer him ador'd:
     Vpon his shield the like was also scor'd,
     For soueraine hope, which in his helpe he had:
     Right faithfull true he was in deede and word,
     But of his cheere did seeme too solemne sad;
     Yet nothing did he dread, but euer was ydrad.

    Book 1 of Spenser's The Faerie Queen represents the moral inward struggle of Redcrosse Knight.  Throughout the Book 1, Redcrosse Knight is blinded by naive pride, which in trying to overcome proves to be his ultimate battle.  Perhaps a very human quality, Redcrosse Knight is unable to distinguish reality from truth.

    The first stanza of canto i relates the contradictions of Redcross Knight's character, which may also foreshadow his inability to realize that things are not what they appear to be:

 
A Gentle Knight was pricking on the plaine,
          Y cladd in mightie armes and siluer shielde,
                  Wherein old dints of deepe wounds did remaine,
         The cruell markes of many' a bloudy fielde;
       Yet armes till that time did he neuer wield:
       His angry steede did chide his foming bitt,
      As much disdayning to the curbe to yield:
         Full iolly knight he seemd, and faire did sitt,
       As one for knightly giusts and fierce encounters fitt.
 
    The stanza sets up a series of contrasts between what appears to be and what is.  The first four lines seem to establish Redcrosse Knight as a heroic figure: a "Gentle Knight" with "mighte armes and silver shielde," a man tested in battle as can be seen by the "old dints of deepe wounds" on his shield and armor.  From the description, he has been on "many' a bloudy fielde."  Line five opposes this image and makes it clear that Redcrosse Knight is not what he appears to be: "Yet armes till that time did he never wield."  He may wear the armor of and experienced and glamorous knight, but he is clearly inexperienced, untested, and untried.

    The next three lines serve as a metaphor for the impending struggle of reality and truth within Redcrosse Knight.  Line six and seven describe a horse that is not easily controlled by it's rider.  The horse, an "angry steede" is foaming at the bit and attempting to overcome the knight's "curbe."  The question is how much control does Redcrosse Knight have over his steed, or his pride.  Line eight shows his pride, and the contradiction lies in his ability to sit "faire" in the saddle, as if he is an accomplished horseman.

    Redcrosse Knight's first adventure demonstrates the distinction between what is and what seems to be.  In his fight with the dragonlike monster, Error, he thinks he wins a glorious victory; in fact, Una even assures him that he has: "Well worthy be you of that Armorie, / Wherein ye haue great glory wonne this day, / And proou'd your strength on a strong enimie" (I.i.27).  His defeat of Error doesn't send Redcrosse Knight on the path of knowledge, but on one that is filled with dangerous pride.  Una's encouraging words do not have a positive effect on Redcrosse Knight.  She tells him that he has won a great glory, yet Redcrosse Knight's insufficient experience and knowledge does not allow him to handle such praise with any humility.  He begins to trust his own judgment instead.  Despite of the fact that he was warned by both Una and the Dwarf not to enter the Cave of Error, Redcrosse Knight disregards their warnings and emerges victorious, which also adds to too much trust in himself and feelings that his judgment is sufficient.  Defeating Error is not the glorious victory he believes it has been; rather, it is an easy one.  Error may have appeared to him as a dragon, yet she is not ferocious.  Redcrosse Knight easily defeats her, just as obvious evils are conquered.  Blinded by pride, Redcrosse Knight fails to realize that foes such as Error are just the first step to moral development.

    A more menacing foe presents itself shortly after the encounter with Error.  Just when Redcrosse Knight should be on constant alert to protect Una, he falls prey to the "aged sire" Archimago.  Achimago's creation of a lustful false Una, 
wounds another form of Redcrosse Knight's pride.  Sexual pride clouds his sense to protect Una, and Archimago becomes successful in separating Redcrosse Knight from Una.  Redcrosse Knight still seems as though he is morally superior to Una, representing religious truth, and forgets his duties to protect her.  Abandoning truth, he and the Dwarf take off on their own.  If the Dwarf is to represent "common sense," Redcrosse definitely needs it more than Una does right now.  Little does he know it, but Redcrosse Knight shows his true strength in virtue in his defeat to Archimago and loss of Una.

    Having fallen prey to jealousy in seeing the false Una and her lover, Redcrosse Knight falls victim to Archimago's ally Duessa.  The naive nature of Redcrosse Knight is again apparent, as he is influenced without caution by Duessa's appearance, flattery, and misleading affection towards him.  Disguised as "Fidessa," Duessa seduces Redcrosse Knight to abandon the perfection of Una for flattery.  Just as he easily defeated Error for Una, Redcrosse Knight defeats Sansfoy.  Redcrosse Knight still refuses to look further than than obvious foe.  He is quick to believe Duessa's story that Sansjoy held her captive.  Redcrosse Knight seems to be hopelessly descending into prideful behavior when he can not even make the parallel of himself to Fradubio.  Duessa strength is too much for Redcrosse Knight and he eventually follows her to the House of Pride only to be totally consumed with pride.  The palace itself is not quite what it seems with its mortarless brick, gold leafed exterior, and sandy foundation:
 

It was a goodly heape for to behould,
                And spake the praises of the workmans wit;
         But full great pittie, that so faire a mould
   Did on so weake foundation euer sit
  For on a sandie hill, that still did flit,
      And fall away, it mounted was full hie,
       That euery breath of heauen shaked it:
               And all the hinder parts, that few could spie,
        Were ruinous and old, but painted cunningly.
                                                                     (I.iv.15)
 
The appearance of the palace should be enough to turn Redcrosse Knight away, but is once again lured by what he sees within the courtyard.  He seems to be caught up in the festive atmosphere as he watches the parade of Lucifera and her six counselors in canto iv.  Redcrosse Knight fails not only in seeing the details of the palace, but the blatant behavior of the other members of the court.  Unbelievably, he does not see their faults in himself either:
 
Goodly they all that knight do entertaine,
                   Right glad with him to haue increast their crew:
            But to Duess' each one himselfe did paine
           All kindnesse and faire courtesie to shew;
                For in that court whylome her well they knew:
                   Yet the stout Faerie mongst the middest crowd
             Thought all their glorie vaine in knightly vew,
                   And that great Princesse too exceeding prowd,
                      That to strange knight no better countenance allowd.
                                                                                                                               (I.iv.15)
 

    Pride is the subject concerning the confrontation between Redcrosse Knight and Sansjoy.  Sansjoy's pride is his need to avenge his brother's death, and Redcrosse Knight's pride is in keeping the shield he obtained as a prize in defeating Sansfoy.  Each Knight's level of pride is so even that it is hard to tell who is who in the depiction of their battle.  Stanzas 8 and 9 in canto v are ambiguous at best --- "th' one for wrong, the other striues for right."  Redcrosse Knight seems to have fallen so far to pride that his primary motivation of the battle is on how it will increase his glory, as the opening of canto v makes clear:

  The noble hart, that harbours vertuous thought,
      And is with child of glorious great intent,
         Can neuer rest, vntill it forth haue brought
Th'eternall brood of glorie excellent:
             Such restlesse passion did all night torment
      The flaming corage of that Faery knight,
    Deuizing, how that doughtie turnament
        With greatest honour he atchieuen might;
          Still did he wake, and still did watch for dawning light.
                                                                          (I.v.1)
 
It is hard to think that Redcrosse Knight would have a "noble hart" at this point; however, there is a glimmer of hope that, although is false, has good intentions.  During the fight, Duessa calls out to Sansjoy, "Thine the shield, and I, and all" (I.v.11), Redcrosse Knight mistakenly believes the promise is for him and, reacting as he did with Una's encouragement in the battle with Error, is inspired to fight harder and defeat Sansjoy.  The suggestion here is that truth (Una), is always present, yet it must be sought out.  Redcrosse Knight seems to stumble upon truth by accident.

    True to the nature of Redcrosse Knight, his escape from the House of Pride come only through the urgings of the Dwarf, who has seen the horrors of the dungeon.  Once outside the castle, Redcrosse Knight has no place to go and no one to protect, until Duessa catches up to him and lures him again.  One would think that Redcrosse Knight would be wary of a woman who led him into such an awful place, yet he still refuses to see her sinister intent.  Just like he left Una, he also leaves Duessa, despite the fact that she is evil; although Redcrosse Knight is seemingly unaware of this and is guilty of being unvirtuous.  He even realizes his mistake by saying, "that this too hastie speed / The faire Duess' had forst him leave behind" (I.v.2).  This admission may reveal the seductive lure that Duessa has over Redcrosse Knight.   Again, sexual pride is his downfall and once he drinks from the stream Redcrosse Knight's fate is sealed.  An Earthly giant by the name Orgoglio appears and catches Redcrosse Knight by surprise.  Easily seduced by Duessa, and sedated by the magic stream, Redcrosse Knight is defeated.  Not only has he been overcome by a strong enemy, but Redcrosse Knight allegorically falls into unforgiving pride.  His pride starts with his borrowed armor and continues through his adventures.  Redcrosse Knight gains pride in his easy win over Error; his moral superiority in abandoning the lustful image of Una; his victory over Sansjoy at the House of Pride; and finally his sexual pride with Duessa.  Redcrosse Knight is doomed, and his only hope now is the Grace of God, which comes in the form of Prince Arthur.

    Up to this point, Redcrosse Knight has been falling from grace, and descending into pride.  The second part of Book 1 concerns itself with Redcrosse Knight's salvation.  The first step back to becoming a truly virtuous knight starts with Redcrosse Knight's rescue from Orgoglio's dungeon by Prince Arthur.  The perfectness of Arthur, and his arrival at key times in the poem suggest that he is God's Grace.  Arthur protects Una (Truth) earlier against Sansloy, and once truth is restored, he comes to rescue Redcrosse Knight.  Arthur defeats Duessa, upon her seven headed dragon, and the the giant, Orgoglio.  As God's Grace, Arthur reunites Una and Redcrosse Knight.  As a result, Una is able to talk Redcrosse Knight out of his dispair.  "In heaunely mercies hast thou not a part? / Why shouldst thou then despeire, that chosen art?" (I.ix.53).        
 
     Redcrosse Knight demonstrates that, from his adventures, his near death, and his salvation by God's Grace, he has learned at last the difference between appearance and reality and will not fall victim to deceit.  In disguise, Archimago tries to undermine the wedding of Redcrosse Knight and Una by announcing that redcrosse Knight is already married to "Fidessa", another image of the witch Duessa.  This time, Redcrosse Knight sees right through the deception and sends Archimago away.  The fact that Archimago presents himself one more time in the end of Book I is an indication that deception is not gone, it has only been defeated this time, only to return another day.