The Faerie Queen

The first book of The Faerie Queen follows the quest of the Redcrosse knight to serve and protect the princess Una on their journey back to her kingdom. However, the two are separated and, the Redcrosse knight falls into the company of the deceptive witch Duessa, which leaves Una fend for herself, though at times protected by various warriors. By various turns of circumstance, Redcrosse is taken captive by a giant. Miraculously, Una learns of his misfortune and grows despondent.

However, a knight, the to-be King Arthur, comes who wishes to aid her but must first convince her to share her misfortune. Their argument goes as follows:

O but (quoth she) great griefe will not be tould, / And can more easily be thought, then said. Right so; (quoth he) but he, that never would, / Could never: will to might gives greatest aid. / But griefe (quoth she) does greater grow displaid, / If then it find not helpe, and breedes despaire. / Despaire breedes not (quoth he) where faith is staid. / No faith so fast (quoth she) but flesh does paire. / Flesh may empaire (quoth he) but reason can repaire. (VII.41)

Arthur’s answer intrigued me. To her first claim that her grief is too great to be said, he says that if won’t now, she never will. When she says that despair will arise if she states her plight and finds no relief, he answers that despair cannot come if there is faith. In retort, Una says that there is no faith that the flesh cannot wear down. Arthur answers that where the flesh breaks down, reason will rebuild. How interesting that willpower counters reticence, faith counters despair, and reason conquers the flesh.

It seems to me that her whole hesitance boils down to her last statement of faith worn by the flesh. Many times, in my experience, we do not dare share I grief with others because we do not trust that anything will actually be done once the tale has been told. Our faith in our fellow humans has been so pared by betrayal and disappointment that now, even when those who do care come to help, we push them away preferring our current misery than risk adding dashed hope to the pile.