The Faerie Queene Justice and Judgment Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Book, canto, stanza

Quote #1

Halfe furious unto his foe he came,/ Resolved in mind all suddenly to win. (I.i.24)

In the moments before he finally kills the monster Error, Redcrosse shows that "fury" and "resolve" aren't necessarily incompatible states of being.

Quote #2

[Redcrosse] was much enmoved with [Despaire's] speach,/ That as swords poynt through his hart did perse,/ And in his conscience made a secrete breach. (I.ix.48)

What makes Despair such a scary guy is his ability to make really bad advice seem like really good advice. That's why judgment is so important—you need to be able to judge the fact that Despair is a bad dude in order to not listen to him.

Quote #3

Thus heaping crime on crime, and griefe on griefe,/ To losse of loue adioyning losse of frend,/ I [Phaon] meant to purge both with a third mischiefe,/ And in my woes beginned it to end. (II.iv.31)

Phaon's lack of judgment in responding to what he thought was the infidelity of his fiancée, led him into a vicious cycle of bad choices producing more bad choices. The result? A whole lot of woe.