Synopsis of book 1, cantos 5 - 6 of the Faerie
Queene
Canto 5: Redcross defeats Sans Joy in the combat at the House of Pride. Duessa saves the wounded Sans Joy by covering him with a cloud. Later that night she brings him (with the help of Night) to the underworld, where Duessa and Night seek the aid of Aescalapius, whose medicine is such that he can revive the dead (and for which, we learn, he has already been punished). Aescalapius reluctantly agrees to heal Sans Joy and Duessa leaves him in the underworld with Aescalapius. She returns to the House of Pride and finds that Redcross has left, having been shown by his drawf the dungeon of the House, where many are held wretched captives for their pride. Canto 6: Sans Loy, who has seized Una at the end of canot 3, attempts to court her. When that fails he tries to rape her. She screams and is saved by a troup of fauns and satyrs, mythical wood gods (satyrs are also associated with sexual lust). The satyrs take pity on Una, begin to worship her, and bring her to their leader, Sylvanus. Una stays with the satyrs "long time" and tries to teach them "trew sacred lore." Then a knight named Satyrane, born of a satyr and a lady, rescues Una from the satyrs. They travel together and encounter a pilgrim who tells them that Recross was slain by a pagan knight. Satyrane rides ahead to the knight, who turns out to be Sans Loy. Una comes later to find them fighting. While they are fighting, she slips away. We learn that the old man is Archimago, and the claim that Sans Loy has killed Recross is a lie. Archimago follows after Una. We don't find out at the canto's end what happens in the battle between Satyrane and Sans Loy. |