Book III of the epic poem collection by Edmund Spenser depicts the Britomart as the primary character and main focus of all events taking place. The significance of the character is in her name which literally means “warlike Briton person” and is a representation of not only her ethnicity, but also her nature (Cavanagh, 1994). The author depicts this character as the saviour of a nation and all her generations that would follow. Cantos xi and xii are a depiction of knightly status in the society. She moves around saving the lives of people and helping them reconcile with their loved ones ( Spenser, 1882). Brotomart first saves a man who is being chased by a giant then goes on into the forest and encounters a saddened man, Scudamore whose lover, Amoret, has been kidnapped by another jealous man, Busirane (Cavanagh, 1994). The fact that no one can tell whether she is male or female is an indicator she is fearless.
The poet in this book seeks to discredit the stereotypes that have come up against women in the society. Too often, they are described as a burden by their male counterparts as they are weak and unable to protect themselves. However, Britomart is a clear indicator that this is not the case ( Spenser, 1882). The armor she wears symbolically represents the courage and determination that she oozes everywhere she goes. Her femininity is also seen as her strength and not a weakness as is the common belief in society. Britomart is able to break the spell that Busirane has used to keep Amoret captive ( Spenser, 1882). When she approaches the gates of the former’s house, the flames part for her but continue to keep Scudamore away. Clearly, she is a source of power capable of achieving whatever she sets her mind to do.
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References
Cavanagh, S. T. (1994). Nightmares of Desire: Evil Women in" The Faerie Queene". Studies in Philology, 91 (3), 313-338.
Spenser, E. (1882) The F aerie Queene , Book III, Cantos xi and xii (pp. 375-401) . Retrieved from http://www.luminarium.org/renascence-editions/queene3.pdf
