Faerie Court Symbol Analysis

Faerie Court symbolizes the virtuous ideal for which a good knight should strive. While Faerie Court is never directly depicted in The Faerie Queene, it is frequently referenced as an ideal for how a proper knight should act. While many of the heroes in the epic poem face moments of weakness or moments when they are tempted or misled, the Faerie Queene herself seems to be infallible. Serving the Faerie Queen is such an important duty that the Redcross Knight places service to her above his devotion to his lady Una, and similarly, Arthegall temporarily leaves Britomart in order to help carry out a request for the queen. While Faerie Court can be interpreted as a stand-in for the court of real-life Queen Elizabeth, it arguably takes on even greater significance, embodying the concept of duty itself and even taking on a religious dimension. The service that the various knights in the story render to their Faerie Queene resembles the duty and sacrifice that a good Protestant Christian would render to God. Faerie Court exists in the story as a distant idea of perfection, just as heaven is a distant idea of perfection in Christianity, and this is why service to the Faerie Court is the highest priority for many knights.