ENGL 203 Common Place book entry

Write in your Commonplace Book a short (250ish words) reflection considering one of the following topics (or a fascinating topic of your own choice): THE FAERIE QUEENE BOOK 1 CANTO 1-2-3

What connections or contrasts do you see between what Spenser is doing here and earlier chivalric romances like SGGK?

How is Spenser’s “Renaissance medievalism” comparable to Ishiguro’s 21st-century medievalism? What are they each doing with the archaic setting of the medieval past, and how do they each use this distant setting to offer commentary on their own era?

How does the “epic romance” of Spenser so far bring together elements of both epics and medieval romances?

• What do you notice about how Spenser uses symbolism and allegory to convey his political and religious beliefs?
• What do you notice about Spenser’s use of supernatural elements, and how do they compare to the presence of the supernatural in earlier readings for this class?

How do characters like Redcrosse Knight, Una, Archimago, and Duessa compare to earlier characters we’ve met in other readings?