Character Analysis

Daughter of Corflambo, Poeana seems to be yet another embodiment of the problem of unrestrained passions and luxuries. Falling in love with Amyas, she keeps him as her prisoner, but fails to notice when his friend Placidas actually takes his place. But Poeana is one of the few initially malevolent characters in the whole Faerie Queene to seriously reform and end up happily.

Although she is understandably distressed when her father Corflambo is killed and her kingdom seized, she reconciles with Arthur and his crew by marrying Placidas and by practicing moderation and thoughtfulness in place of excess and decadence. She thus gets both her lover (well, sort of, since Amyas and Placidas are supposedly indistinguishable) and her kingdom.