Paridell is a knight who first appears in book 3 of Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene. He is a false knight who consorts with Duessa, steals other men’s wives, and is generally not a great guy.
Spencer designed Paridell to be an example of bad courtly behavior. He seems sophisticated and refined, but all of that is a false façade.
In short, he is a superficial jerk.
Paridell is a recurring character throughout book 3 and 4 of The Faerie Queene, often alongside other knights that are similar to him, including Blandamour, Claribell, and Dolon.
When we find him in the company of Malbecco and Hellenore, Paridell recounts the story of the fall of Troy, claiming that he is a descendent of Paris, drawing a clear parallel between Paris and Helen, and himself and Hellenore.
Like Paris, Paridell steals Hellenore away.
See our complete list of Arthurian characters for more entries like this one.
Arthurian Bibliography
- Norris Lacy, Geoffrey Ashe, Debra Mancoff – The Arthurian Handbook (Second Edition)
- Alan Lupack – The Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and Legend
- Ronan Coghlan – The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Arthurian Legends
- Anonymous – Lancelot-Grail, the French Vulgate
- Sir Thomas Malory – Le Morte d’Arthur
See also my ever-expanding list of primary and secondary sources.
