Sample Post 2

Spenser's Faerie Queene depicts a large range of very different female characters. Some of these women, such as Una, are faithful, virtuous, and loyal. Others, such as Errour and Duessa, are false, lecherous, and evil. At first, this may suggest that Spenser views women as simple creatures, either good or bad, virtuous or evil. But truthfully, Spenser seems to be struggling to portray them honestly, grasping to gain a proper handle on the complex reality of women. He could easily idealize women and femininity with characters like Una - depicting them as only as morally upright and dedicated followers - this was the expectation and typical view of the time, after all. But instead he complicates this expectation, showing female characters who are both powerful and weak in order to emphasize women in his society. However, despite these intentions, he still reflects an anxiety of sorts. The most duplicitous and deceitful female characters are quite often the female characters that hold some sort of power or advantage. So while it is a bit forward-thinking of Spenser to grant women authority, the ones within the text that are allowed such power tend to use it for evil. Duessa, for example, has a power of sorts and uses it to continuously deceive and trick Redcrosse. Meanwhile Una, though good, is a weaker female who is shown as a follower, requiring protection and guardians. On some level, it seems to me that Spenser is still influenced by a society that does not fully understand women and remains somewhat reluctant to trust them.