The Faerie Queene I.11

Reflection Essay Questions

This is a two-part assignment.

Part I. Write a detailed one-page summary of the events of the canto. Give a blow-by-blow account of this fight, including the pauses between the rounds.

Part II. Answer either one of the following questions in three-plus pages.

  1. Compare the two dragons of The Faerie Queene and Beowulf. What kinds of imagery, behavior, etc., does each poet present in portraying his dragon? What are the most interesting or significant similarities or differences between them?

  2. The Faerie Queene is, among other things, an elaborate allegory: The major figures and events in the story represent larger ideas and truths. In the Bible, the figure of Satan or the Devil is sometimes referred to as "the dragon." Assuming that the dragon in Spenser's story is a symbol for the Devil, what do the other elements of the story represent? What is their allegorical significance? Think of the major characters, the events, even the details of the setting.