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Arthegall
Britomart is the protagonist of Book III of The Faerie Queene, and she is a strong knight from Britain who represents the virtue of chastity. After Merlin shows her a vision of Arthegall with the promise that he’ll be her future husband, Britomart is obsessed and trains in the ways of a knight so that she can set out to find him. She is accompanied by her old nurse Glauce, who acts as a squire. Even among the noble knights of the story, Britomart is one of the strongest, defeating her future husband Arthegall when they end up fighting due to a case of mistaken identity. With her helmet on, Britomart is frequently mistaken for a man, and she frequently surprises people when she takes it off. Although Gloriana is perhaps the character most associated with Queen Elizabeth, the virginal warrior Britomart also shares some resemblance with the queen, and her very name suggests pride in Britain.
Britomart Quotes in The Faerie Queene
The The Faerie Queene quotes below are all either spoken by Britomart or refer to Britomart. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Book III: Proem
Quotes
It falls me here to write of Chastity
That fairest virtue, farre above the rest;
For which what needs me fetch from Faery
Forreine ensamples, it to have exprest?
Sith it is shrined in my Soveraines brest
Related Characters:
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Book III: Canto III
Quotes
The man whom Heavens have ordaynd to bee
The spouse of Britomart, is Arthegall:
He wonneth in the land of Fayeree
Book III: Canto IV
Quotes
Who through foresight of his eternall skill,
Bad her from womankind to keepe him well:
For of a woman he should have much ill,
A virgin strange and stout him should dismay, or kill.
Book III: Canto XII
Quotes
But Britomart uprearing her from ground,
Said, Gentle Dame, reward enough I weene
For many labours more, then I have found,
This, that in safety now I have you seen,
And meane of your deliverance have beene
Book IV: Canto I
Quotes
Of lovers sad calamities of old,
Full many piteous stories doe remaine,
But none more piteous ever was ytold,
Then that of Amorets hart-binding chaine,
And this of Florimels unworthie paine
Book IV: Canto XII
Quotes
Right so himself did Marinell upreare,
When he in place his dearst love did spy;
And though his limbs could not his bodie beare,
Ne former strength return so suddenly,
Yet chearefull signes he shewed outwardly.
Book V: Canto I
Quotes
And such was he, of whome I have to tell,
The Champion of true Justice Artegall.
Whom (as ye lately mote remember well)
An hard adventure, which did then befall,
Into redoubted perill forth did call.
Book V: Canto VII
Quotes
Where being layd, the wrothfull Britonesse
Stayd not, till she came to her selfe againe,
But in revenge both of her loves distresse,
And her late vile reproach, though vaunted vaine,
And also of her wound, which sore did paine,
She with one stroke both head and helmet cleft.
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Britomart Quotes in The Faerie Queene
The The Faerie Queene quotes below are all either spoken by Britomart or refer to Britomart. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Book III: Proem
Quotes
It falls me here to write of Chastity
That fairest virtue, farre above the rest;
For which what needs me fetch from Faery
Forreine ensamples, it to have exprest?
Sith it is shrined in my Soveraines brest
Related Characters:
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Book III: Canto III
Quotes
The man whom Heavens have ordaynd to bee
The spouse of Britomart, is Arthegall:
He wonneth in the land of Fayeree
Book III: Canto IV
Quotes
Who through foresight of his eternall skill,
Bad her from womankind to keepe him well:
For of a woman he should have much ill,
A virgin strange and stout him should dismay, or kill.
Book III: Canto XII
Quotes
But Britomart uprearing her from ground,
Said, Gentle Dame, reward enough I weene
For many labours more, then I have found,
This, that in safety now I have you seen,
And meane of your deliverance have beene
Book IV: Canto I
Quotes
Of lovers sad calamities of old,
Full many piteous stories doe remaine,
But none more piteous ever was ytold,
Then that of Amorets hart-binding chaine,
And this of Florimels unworthie paine
Book IV: Canto XII
Quotes
Right so himself did Marinell upreare,
When he in place his dearst love did spy;
And though his limbs could not his bodie beare,
Ne former strength return so suddenly,
Yet chearefull signes he shewed outwardly.
Book V: Canto I
Quotes
And such was he, of whome I have to tell,
The Champion of true Justice Artegall.
Whom (as ye lately mote remember well)
An hard adventure, which did then befall,
Into redoubted perill forth did call.
Book V: Canto VII
Quotes
Where being layd, the wrothfull Britonesse
Stayd not, till she came to her selfe againe,
But in revenge both of her loves distresse,
And her late vile reproach, though vaunted vaine,
And also of her wound, which sore did paine,
She with one stroke both head and helmet cleft.
