The Faerie Queene Characters

Along with his brothers Sansfoy and Sansjoy, Sansloy is a Saracen (an old term that usually meant Muslims or sometimes “pagans” in general) who opposes the noble Redcross Knight on his journey. After Sansfoy is slain, Sansloy promises to avenge him, but he is eventually slain himself.

Along with his brothers Sansfoy and Sansloy, Sansjoy is a Saracen (an old term that usually meant Muslims or sometimes “pagans” in general) who opposes the noble Redcross Knight on his journey. After Sansfoy is slain, Sansjoy promises to avenge him, but he is eventually slain himself.

Glauce is Britomart’s elderly nurse who acts as something like a squire to her after Britomart ventures out in search of her future husband Arthegall. She is sensible and often provides Britomart with advice.

Many characters in The Faerie Queene have a dwarf who acts as a servant and helps them while traveling. Una’s dwarf is the most significant of these characters, often acting as an intermediary between his lady and the Redcross Knight whenever Una is in trouble.

Pyrochles is an evil knight who, spurred on by Furor and Occasion, clashes with Sir Guyon. His servant is Atin, and he eventually allies himself with Cymochles. Pyrochles is strongly associated with fire—his shield reads “Burnt Do I Burn”—and this represents his hot temper.

Furor is a wounded man who acts like he’s insane, and Occasion is his blind hag mother. Together, the two of them inspire violence and discord wherever they go.

Lucifera is the lady of the House of Pride, a crucial stop on the Redcross Knight’s journey. She is the daughter of Pluto (god of the underworld). She is a tyrant who rides around on beasts named after the seven deadly sins.

Cambina is the sister of Priamond, Diamond, and Triamond. Although Cambell kills two of her brothers, she eventually marries him, cementing the friendship between Cambell and Triamond (the surviving brother, who marries Cambell’s sister Canacee).

Radigund is queen of a tribe of Amazons who temporarily capture and humble Arthegall. Her maid Clarinda watches Arthegall when he’s in captivity. She is a proud and powerful warrior, but when Britomart comes to rescue Arthegall, she ends up beheading Radigund in battle.

Amavia is a dying woman who inspires the temperate Sir Guyon to seek revenge on Acrasia, the evil witch who killed Amavia’s lover Sir Mordant. She dies soon after speaking to Guyon.

Sir Mordant is Amavia’s lover and becomes one of many men who fall under the sorceress Acrasia’s spell. He is so deeply under her spell, in fact, that when he tries to escape her Bower of Bliss, he dies soon afterwards.

The savage man from Book VI (not to be confused with the carle, who is also described as a savage man) has noble blood in him, despite his rough outer appearance. He helps Arthur, Sir Calepine, and Serena as they oppose the rude Sir Turpine.

Phaedria is a fair lady who escorts both Cymochles and Sir Guyon to an island dedicated to idle pleasure. Though Sir Guyon is tempted by the island’s delights, the temperate knight ultimately comes to his senses and flees.

Malbecco is a very greedy man who doesn’t like providing hospitality to knights in her castle, including Paridell and Sir Satyrane. When Paridell runs off with Malbecco’s wife Hellenore and also sets Malbecco’s money on fire, Malbecco goes to save the money first.

Scorn is a fool with a whip and Disdain is a giant (and a cousin of Orgoglio) with a heavy iron club. Together, they travel with Mirabella and punish her on Cupid’s behalf for “killing” men with her beauty.

Cymoent is a water nymph and the protective mother of the knight Marinell, who warns him to avoid women, then takes care of him after he is gravely wounded by the lady knight Britomart.

Busirane is an evil sorcerer who kidnaps the fair Amoretta and tortures her. Britomart defeats him, however, and in exchange for his life, he agrees to let Amoretta go.

Coridon is a shepherd who loves Pastorella and competes (unsuccessfully) for her affection against Calidore. When many shepherds are kidnapped by brigands, Coridon escapes to ask Calidore for help and help him free Pastorella.

Venus is the goddess of love and the mother of Cupid. A temple to Venus plays a key role in Book IIII when Scudamore travels there to retrieve a shield and meet Amoretta.

Ate is an old hag who rides with the false sorceress Duessa in Book IIII, and she is known as the mother of all discord, having been a powerful force throughout history. She specializes in creating arguments and tries to get knights to fight with each other.

Serena is the lady of Sir Calepine. She gets badly wounded by the Blatant Beast, but Calepine cares for her. Sir Turpine, meanwhile, rudely refuses them any hospitality, despite Serena’s grave injuries. She is captured by cannibals but eventually Calepine frees her.

Clarinda is the maid of the Amazon queen Radigund, and she watches over Arthegall when he’s in Radigund’s captivity. She schemes to win Arthegall’s affection and is disappointed when he remains faithful to Britomart.

Blandina is the lady of the rude Sir Turpine. She schemes with him and tries to protect him from Arthur.

Error is a half-woman, half-snake monster that lives in darkness. When she dies, her children eat her flesh until they themselves burst and die.

Mammon is a personification of greed who tries (unsuccessfully) to tempt Sir Guyon with extravagant wealth while Sir Guyon is in the underworld.

Munera is the sorceress daughter of the Saracen Pollente who spends her time lying on a heap of gold. Arthegall and Talus punish her greed by chopping off her hands and feet, then throwing her body to drown in mud.

The seven Bead-men live in the house of Dame Cœlia, where the Redcross Knight recovers after encountering Despair. They represent the opposite of the seven deadly sins from the House of Pride.

Contemplation is an old man that the Redcross Knight meets while staying at the holy house of Dame Cœlia. Though he is full of grace, he sometimes gets too distracted by his own heavenly thoughts.

Mercy lives in the house of Dame Cœlia, where the Redcross Knight recovers after encountering Despair. She is the embodiment of the virtue mercy, and she guides him to meet contemplation.

Briana is a lady who torments traveling knights because the knight Crudor is too proud to accept her love. Calidore intervenes and gets Crudor to accept Briana, causing her to repent of her past ways.

Poeana is the daughter of the evil man Corflambo, and she oversees his dungeon. She falls in love with Amyas but gets tricked when Placidas pretends to be him. After the death of Corflambo, she becomes less proud and marries Placidas.

Sir Sanglier is an immoral knight who beheads his own lady and steals the lady of a squire that he likes better. Arthegall tracks him down with Talus and forces him to carry around the head of his former lady as punishment.

Care is a blacksmith who makes a lot of noise and doesn’t let Scudamore get any sleep when he visits.

Pollente is an evil Saracen who charges a toll on a bridge and gives the money to his daughter Munera. He ends up being slain in a fight with Arthegall.

Corflambo is an evil man who rides a camel and can kill with his stare. He chases the squire Placidas and has a daughter named Poeana. Arthur beheads him.

Amyas is a squire and a friend of Placidas. He gets imprisoned by Corflambo, where Corflambo’s daughter Poeana keeps watch in the dungeon and falls in love with him. Eventually, with help from Arthur, Amyas’s friend Placidas gets him free.

Melibee is a peaceful shepherd and Pastorella’s father. When several shepherds are kidnapped by brigands, Melibee ends up being killed.

The Sultan and Adicia are a husband and wife who plot to overthrow the just queen Mercilla. Arthegall foils their plot, killing Sultan. Adicia is so enraged by this that she goes off wandering the world and turns into a tiger.

Sir Bellamoure and Claribell are Pastorella’s parents, although they were separated from Pastorella shortly after her birth and don’t see her again until she happens to visit their castle after being rescued by Sir Calidore. (This Claribell is different from Philemon’s lover.)

Tristram is a noble young man who is the son of a British king. Calidore is impressed to see Tristram defend himself from an attacking knight even though Tristram doesn’t have armor of his own.

Sclaunder (like “slander”) is an old hag who lives in the woods and spreads poisonous words about noble knights.

Priscilla and Aladine are lovers, although Aladine comes from a lower status than Priscilla. Aladine gets badly wounded, but Calidore helps by killing the knight who injured him.

Bracidas is the elder brother of Amidas and is in a land dispute with him that Arthegall helps solve. His betrothed, Philtera, leaves him for his brother, while his brother’s betrothed, Lucy, ends up with Bracidas instead.

Amidas is the younger brother of Bracidas. During a land dispute, the two of them end up swapping fiancées, with Philtera going to Amidas and Lucy going to Bracidas. Arthegall helps them resolve their dispute.

Geryoneo is a landlord with six arms and six legs who feeds Belgae’s children to a monster. He puts up a fight in battle against Arthur before being slain.

When Amoretta is captured by the carle, Aemylia is already one of his prisoners, and she explains to Amoretta how dangerous and wicked the carle is.

Sir Ferraugh is a morally questionable knight who thinks he is stealing Florimell from Braggadochio, although actually he only steals false Florimell (an evil sprite who is disguised as her).

Alma is a courteous lady who hosts Sir Guyon and Arthur at a castle where they have some leisure time and read about the history of Britain. Her castle is under siege by swarms of enemies, led by Malegar.

Philemon and his lover Claribell get killed when Furor and Occasion stir up trouble. (This Claribell is different from the one who is married to Sir Bellamoure and is the mother of Pastorella).

Maleffort is a guard who helps Briana try to win the love of Crudor. He resorts to evil tactics, and so Calidore cuts his head off.

Sir Terwin is a knight who died after an encounter with the monster Despair.

Sir Trevisan is the knight who warns the Redcross Knight and Una about how the knight Sir Terwin died after encountering Despair.

Philtera is a greedy woman who leaves Bracidas for his younger brother Amidas when Amidas suddenly gets a little more land.

Lucy is abandoned by her betrothed, Amidas, when Philtera comes for him instead. She tries to kill herself but ends up saved by Amidas’s older brother, Bracidas, and marries him instead.

Belgae is a poor woman oppressed by the evil tyrant Geryoneo, who kills her children. Some of her surviving children ask Mercilla for help.

Malegar is the captain of the swarms of enemies that attack Alma’s castle. Arthur defeats Malegar easily, although he’s surprisingly durable, surviving even being cut in half.

Fradubio and Fraelissa are lovers who get turned into trees by the evil sorceress Duessa.

Night is a woman who wears all black. Duessa visits with her while staying at Lucifera’s House of Pride, and Night promises her that the Redcross Knight will pay for slaying Sansfoy.

Corceca is the blind mother of Abessa who at one point hosts Una and the Lion. She thoughtlessly recites hundreds of prayers a day, which is a criticism of and parody of Catholicism.

Kirkrapine is a criminal who loves Abessa. He is slain by Una’s Lion when he tries to sneak in to see Abessa.

Colin Clout is a shepherd known for his skill playing pipes and who originally appeared in another pastoral poem that Spenser wrote.

Abessa is daughter of the blind mother of Corceca who loves the criminal Kirkrapine.

Æsculapius is a god of medicine who, in mythology, was sent to the underworld for being too good at stopping death. He helps heal Sansjoy’s wounds (from battling the Redcross Knight) for Night and Duessa.

Elissa, Perissa, and Medina are three sisters who cause discord between Sansloy, Sir Huddibras, and Sir Guyon, trying to distract Guyon from his service to the Faerie Queene.

Malengin is an evil man who steals from travelers and lives underground. Talus finds him and dismembers him as punishment.

Sir Sergis is a knight who travels with Arthegall when he’s on his way to defeat Grantorto and free Eirena.

Samient is a damsel who tells Arthegall about the good queen Mercilla.

Argante is an evil giantess who captures the Squire of Dames.

Ollyphant is a giant who is Argante’s even greedier brother.

Sir Huddibras is an evil knight and an ally of Sansloy.

Sylvanus is an old forest god who still enjoys pleasure. He and his fauns and satyrs (half-men, half-goats) save Una from Sansloy in the forest.

Diana is the virgin huntress goddess of the woods.

Cupid is the mischievous god of love and the son of the goddess Venus.

Jupiter is king of the gods and one of the most powerful among them.

Burbon is the knight who warns Arthegall about Grantorto’s threat to kill Eirena if Arthegall doesn’t show up by a certain date.

Atin is the servant of the fiery knight Pyrochles.

Malvenù is the porter at Lucifera’s House of Pride.

Ruddymane is an orphan saved by Sir Guyon.