Did Shakespeare Read Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene?

The question of whether William Shakespeare directly read Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene has long been a subject of debate among literary scholars. While there is no definitive evidence of Shakespeare having read the poem, the cultural and literary context strongly suggests that he was indeed influenced by Spenser's work.

Contemporary Context

The Faerie Queene, Spenser's masterpiece, first appeared in 1590, with the second part following in 1596, coinciding with Shakespeare's active years as a playwright. The poem was celebrated and well-known during this period. It is reasonable to assume that it was likely familiar to Shakespeare and his contemporaries. Given the cultural and literary context, it is plausible to conclude that Spenser's work was a significant part of the literary landscape that influenced Shakespeare.

Literary Influence

Several scholars have noted thematic and stylistic similarities between Spenser's poetry and Shakespeare's plays. Both authors employed allegory, delved into explorations of virtue and vice, and incorporated pastoral elements into their works. The use of allegory is a prominent feature in Spenser's epic, and it is evident in Shakespeare's plays as well. For instance, in The Faerie Queene, Spenser explores the allegorical aspects of knightly virtues, much like Shakespeare's exploration of moral and ethical dilemmas in his characters and plotlines.

Direct references to The Faerie Queene in Shakespeare's texts are rare but suggestive. Some critics argue that certain phrases and concepts echo Spenser's style. For example, the idealized portrayal of love and beauty in both authors' works suggests a shared literary culture. Consider the following parallels:

Hamlet 3.1.59 - To die to sleep

The Faerie Queene, 2.7.25.7 - For next to death is Sleep compared

Othello, 1.3.149 - She'd come again and with a greedy ear

The Faerie Queene, 6.9.26.1 - While thus he talk'd the knight with greedy ear

Tempest, 1.2.426 - 490

? Fer. My prime request / Which I do last pronounce is O you wonder! / If you be maid or no ? Mir. No wonder sir / But certainly a maid

The Faerie Queene, 3.5.35.5 - 9

Angell or Goddesses doe I call thee right / What service may I do unto thee meete / That hast from darkenes me return'd to light / And with thy heavenly salues and medcines sweete / Hast crest my sinful wounds I kiss thy blessed feet

The Faerie Queene, 3.5.36.1 - 4

Thereat she blushing said Ah gentle Squire / Nor Goddess I nor Angel but the maid / And daughter of a woody Nymph desire / No service but thy safety and aid

The Faerie Queene, 1.2.274 - 279

Refusing her grand hests she did confine thee / By help of her more potent ministers / And in her most unmitigable rage / Into a cloven pine within which rift / Imprison'd thou didst painfully remain / A dozen years within which space she died

The Faerie Queene, 1.2.33.4 - 8

Wretched man wretched tree whose nature weake / A cruell witch her cursed will to wreake / Hath thus transform'd and plast in open plaines / Where Boreas doth blow full bitter bleak / And scorching Sunne does dry my secret gains

Spenser's Reputation

During Shakespeare's time, Edmund Spenser was highly regarded as a central figure in English literature. His works were considered essential reading material, much like the Bible was in religious contexts. The cultural and literary context suggests that Spenser's influence was pervasive, and it is highly likely that Shakespeare was exposed to and influenced by his works.

In summary, while there is no direct evidence of Shakespeare reading The Faerie Queene, the cultural and literary context strongly indicates that he was likely aware of Spenser's work and may have been influenced by it in some capacity. The thematic similarities, stylistic parallels, and the overall cultural influence of Spenser's poetry on Shakespeare's plays provide compelling grounds for this conclusion.