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Definition of Motif
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the central themes of a book... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of... read full definition
Book I: Canto II
Explanation and Analysis—All that Glitters...:
A prominent motif in Book I of The Faerie Queene is gold, and more specifically, golden jewelry and clothing. Spenser uses gold repeatedly as a symbol of false or deceptive value. The first character who is depicted as wearing gold in Book I is the witch-like Duessa in her disguise as the good Fidessa. When Redcross first encounters her, the narrator describes her as:
A goodly Lady clad in scarlot red,
Purfled with gold and pearle of rich assay
Her scarlet clothing is adorned with “gold and pearl,” as was in fashion for aristocratic women in the Elizabethan period. These expensive materials suggest to Redcross that she is a “goodly Lady” from a respectable background. In this regard, gold aids in her deception, helping to conceal her true nature. Later, Redcross encounters Lucifera, whose name signals her status as another of the poem’s villains. The narrator states:
High aboue all a cloth of State was spred,
And a rich throne, as bright as sunny day,
On which there sate most braue embellished
With royall robes and gorgeous array,
A mayden Queene, that shone as Titans ray,
In glistring gold, and peerelesse pretious stone.
Like Duessa, Lucifera is richly adorned in “glistring gold” and “peerless pretious stone,” highlighting her extravagant wealth. So too is her “rich throne” covered in gold, making it “as bright as sunny day.” Yet again, Redcross is tricked by gold and gemstones; Lucifera’s fortune comes at the expense of the many travelers who come to her palace and are robbed and killed. Spenser uses the motif of gold to contrast the superficiality of material wealth with true Christian virtue.
Related Themes:
Book I: Canto IV
Explanation and Analysis—All that Glitters...:
A prominent motif in Book I of The Faerie Queene is gold, and more specifically, golden jewelry and clothing. Spenser uses gold repeatedly as a symbol of false or deceptive value. The first character who is depicted as wearing gold in Book I is the witch-like Duessa in her disguise as the good Fidessa. When Redcross first encounters her, the narrator describes her as:
A goodly Lady clad in scarlot red,
Purfled with gold and pearle of rich assay
Her scarlet clothing is adorned with “gold and pearl,” as was in fashion for aristocratic women in the Elizabethan period. These expensive materials suggest to Redcross that she is a “goodly Lady” from a respectable background. In this regard, gold aids in her deception, helping to conceal her true nature. Later, Redcross encounters Lucifera, whose name signals her status as another of the poem’s villains. The narrator states:
High aboue all a cloth of State was spred,
And a rich throne, as bright as sunny day,
On which there sate most braue embellished
With royall robes and gorgeous array,
A mayden Queene, that shone as Titans ray,
In glistring gold, and peerelesse pretious stone.
Like Duessa, Lucifera is richly adorned in “glistring gold” and “peerless pretious stone,” highlighting her extravagant wealth. So too is her “rich throne” covered in gold, making it “as bright as sunny day.” Yet again, Redcross is tricked by gold and gemstones; Lucifera’s fortune comes at the expense of the many travelers who come to her palace and are robbed and killed. Spenser uses the motif of gold to contrast the superficiality of material wealth with true Christian virtue.
Related Themes:
