The character of Fidessa in Edmund Spenser's "The Fairy Queene", introduced in the second canto of Book 1, is essential to the understanding of one of Spenser's characters. main messages of the poem: the Roman Catholic Church is corrupt and misinterprets Christianity. Through the names of Fidessa and his Saracens, the characterization and dress of Fidessa, and the account of the death of Fidessa's fiancé, the reader is able to fully realize and understand Spenser's position on the Church Roman Catholic. Say no to plagiarism. Get Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original EssayFidessa is superficially characterized as the beautiful maiden daughter of a Roman emperor. At first glance, Fidessa seems to be the quintessential maiden of the chivalric tale. She is a beautiful lady (the knight cannot take his eyes off her face [26]) and she is also beautifully dressed (13). She is accompanied by her champion knight, who entered her life after the death of the noble prince to whom she was betrothed (23-24). With an emperor father (22 years old), Fidessa seems to be the paradigm of a sweet and gentle girl in need of protection and assistance. However, looking closely at how Fidessa is portrayed reveals who Fidessa really is and what she symbolizes. Fidessa's ornate scarlet dress is reminiscent of "the woman clothed in purple on the seven hills" found in the Bible's Book of Revelation, a representation of false religion. The fact that Fidessa's father was a Roman emperor establishes the analogy of Fidessa as a representation of the Roman Catholic Church. Thus, Spenser equates Roman Catholicism with a false religion. Spenser does not have a positive view of the Church (which makes sense, given that Elizabeth was a Protestant queen). Spenser uses name symbolism throughout his work to express what a character is meant to represent. The name Fidessa means "faith", which suggests that Fidessa is meant to represent faith. However, Fidessa's real name is Duessa, meaning "two-faced", which informs the reader that Fidessa has a dual nature and does not, in fact, represent faith. Likewise, the fact that Fidessa is accompanied by a Saracen named Sans foy, which means "false faith" or "without faith", shows that Fidessa is a representation of false faith and false piety. In fact, the fact that her knight champion is a Saracen in the first place should seem strange and important to the reader, for it is ironic that a woman whose name means faith should have an "infidel" for a companion. The reader will learn that Fidessa inspires disbelief and that, unlike Una, Fidessa is not sincere. This fact is consistent with the Red Cross Knight's theme of separation from the truth, set up by Archimago, who tricks the Red Cross Knight into believing that Una is immoral, causing him to abandon his quest. The primary way in which Spenser presents his views on the Roman Catholic Church is through the death of Fidessa's fiancé. Fidessa’s fiancé is an iconic representation of Jesus Christ, a “faithful,” “gentle,” and “good-natured” man (23). This Christ figure suffers an “innocent death” and his body is mysteriously removed (24). Fidessa spent many years searching for the body of her fiancé. If Fidessa's fiancé represents Jesus Christ and Fidessa represents the Church, then, logically, Spenser is saying, through the fact that Fidessa (the Church) and her fiancé (Jesus) can never marry, that Jesus- Christ, the cornerstone of Christianity, has no place in the Church. There is no "body" of Christ, because Christ is..