The descent into hell in The Faerie Queene.

Spenser invokes the descent into hell--Christ's harrowing of hell and Aeneas's journey through Hades--in frequent episodes throughout The Faerie Queene. This dissertation relates examples of literal descent to the demonic. Hell can be both literal and psychological, involving not only places underground but also states of mind, especially despair, lust, and anger, as well as discord and scandal, problems within the human community. Divine grace, which underlies the six virtues, assists the return from hell (I.v.31), and enables the knights' combat with demonic force throughout the poem. The first chapter uses the sixteenth-century debate surrounding the article of the Apostles' Creed, He descended into hell, as well as several narrative accounts of Christ's descent, to define hell, to propose a psychological understanding of descent, and to introduce the imagery of Christ's descent. Chapter II explores Aeneas's journey through Hades and Odysseus's visit to the land of the dead. Often referring to this background material, each subsequent chapter examines a descent, or descents, in light of demonic power at a given point in the poem. Chapter III focuses on the dragon, lesser demonic figures, and several episodes modelled on Christ's descent into hell. The House of Pride receives special emphasis: Redcrosse's visit may be considered a descent into hell, yet his departure is inconsistent with the role of grace in the ascent. Chapter IV relates Guyon's journey through Mammon's Cave to the demonic portrayal of lust (Acrasia, Cymochles) and anger (Furor, Pyrochles). Chapter V contrasts Merlin with Ate, Archimago and Busirane, considers Merlin as an embodiment of demonic power, and looks closely at Britomart's visit to Merlin's cave in III.iii. The final chapter relates hell to justice and the Blatant Beast, while showing Christ's descent and the assistance of grace to be central in such episodes as Calidore's rescue of Pastorella from the Brigands' cave. Classical figures such as Proserpina, Orpheus, Theseus and Hercules receive mention in proportion to Spenser's emphasis on them. Throughout, the dissertation holds that the demonic and the descent suggest the Fall, so that landscape and life become an underworld of trial and struggle.PhDEnglish literatureLanguage, Literature and LinguisticsUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/128256/2/8907030.pd