Dragons in The Faerie Queene

RED CROSSE KNIGHT vs. THE DRAGON by Jandi Brent

In Book I of Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, evil is a central and recurrent theme. Several of these evil characters appear throughout the epic poem and constantly try to hinder Una and the Red Crosse Knight who represent good. Evil is depicted in the form of a dragon and can be seen in several different scenes. First, we see that Archimago can sometimes transform himself into a dragon and later on, we see Lucifera with a dragon lying at her feet. The most significant of these evil characters is the Dragon that appears in Canto XI, Book I. Because he contrasts so much with the Red Crosse Knight, the battle that occurs between the two is almost inevitable. In this episode, the Dragon presents several characteristics that suggest his association with the symbol of Christ, which is represented by the Red Crosse Knight. For example, the Dragon's location and resemblance to a hill and his wings attempt to connect him to holiness and goodness. However, the Dragon can not escape his dominant evil tendencies because of the active role he plays in the fall of man as well as because of his ties with Satan.

In Stanza 3 (lines 1 - 3 ), Una shows the Red Crosse Knight the castle in which her parents are imprisoned by the dragon:

And pointing forth, lo yonder is (said she)

The brasen towre in which my parents deare

For dread of that huge feend emprisond be

This stanza depicts Una and the Knight's first impression of the Dragon:

With that they heard a roaring hideous sound,

That all the ayre with terrour filled wide,

And seemd vneath to shake the stedfast ground.

Eftsoones that dreadfull Dragon they espide,

Where stretcht he lay vpon the sunny side

Of a great hill, himselfe like a great hill.

But all so soone, as he from far descride

Those glistring armes, that heauen with light did fill,

He rousd himselfe full blith, and hastned them vntill.

In Stanza 10, the Dragon’s physical features are described in depth:

His flaggy wings when forth he did display,

Were like two sayles, in which the hollow wynd

Is gathered full, and worketh speedy way:

And eke the pennes, that did his pineons bynd,

Were like mayne-yards, with flying canuas lynd,

With which whenas him list the ayre to beat,

And there by force vnwonted passage find,

The cloudes before him fled for terrour great,

And all the heauens stood still amazed with his threat.

As the battle between the Dragon and the Knight intensifies, the Dragon uses his wings to scoop up the Knight:

Then with his wauing wings displayed wyde,
        Himselfe vp high he lifted from the ground,
        And with strong flight did forcibly diuide
        The yielding aire, which nigh too feeble found
        Her flitting partes, and element vnsound,
        To beare so great a weight: he cutting way
        With his broad sayles, about him soared round:
         At last low stouping with vnweldie sway,
         Snatcht vp both horse & man, to beare them quite away.

As the fierce battle continues, the Red Crosse Knight manages to wound the Dragon on his left wing:

He so disseized of his gryping grosse,

The knight his thrillant speare againe assayd

In his bras-plated body to embosse,

And three mens strength vnto the stroke he layd;

Wherewith the stiffe beame quaked, as affrayd,

And glauncing from his scaly necke, did glyde

Close vnder his left wing, then broad displayd.

The percing steele there wrought a wound full wyde,

That with the vncouth smart the Monster lowdly cryde.

The Dragon manages to regain his strength and strucks the Red Crosse Knight. The Knight falls into a holy well and in this stanza, the Dragon is stunned by the Knight's appearance:

Whom when the damned feend so fresh did spy,

No wonder if he wondred at the sight,

And doubted, whether his late enemy

It were, or other new supplied knight.

He, now to proue his late renewed might,

High brandishing his bright deaw-burning blade,

Vpon his crested scalpe so sore did smite,

That to the scull a yawning wound it made:

The deadly dint his dulled senses all dismaid.

This stanza describes the Garden the Dragon keeps near his castle:

In all the world like was not to be found,

Saue in that soile, where all good things did grow,

And freely sprong out of the fruitfull ground,

As incorrupted Nature did them sow,

Till that dread Dragon all did ouerthrow.

Another like faire tree eke grew thereby,

Whereof who so did eat, eftsoones did know

Both good and ill: O mornefull memory:

That tree through one mans fault hath doen vs all to dy.

Here, the Red Crosse Knight is the victor of the battle. He succeeds in defeating and killing the Dragon.

So downe he fell, and forth his life did breath,

That vanisht into smoke and cloudes swift;

So downe he fell, that th'earth him vnderneath

Did grone, as feeble so great load to lift;

So downe he fell, as an huge rockie clift,

Whose false foundation waues haue washt away,

With dreadfull poyse is from the mayneland rift,

And rolling downe, great Neptune doth dismay;

So downe he fell, and like an heaped mountaine lay.

Through the extensive use of Biblical allegories in Book I of The Faerie Queene, Edmund Spenser is able to create complex characters. As one of these characters, the Dragon adds an interesting twist to the poem. Instead of being an evil character who takes pride in his acts (like Duessa), this dragon actually tries to conceal his wickedness by presenting himself as a Christ like figure. These attempts are unsuccessful for two main reasons. The first reason is because of his eternal link to Satan that he can never escape. Secondly, the Dragon's own character is too horrible to ever allow him to acquire goodness. The vivid descriptions of the Dragon's personality range from words like "fiend," "hideous" and "dreadful." This Dragon is proof that despite how much one tries to escape his demons, the demons always catch up to him in the end.

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