JOURNAL ARTICLE

Tempering the Time: A Temporal Approach to Phaedria and Mammon in Spenser’s Legend of Temperance.

  • Published In: Studies in English Literature, 2026, n. 67. P. 83 1 of 3

  • Database: Humanities Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: CHEN, Lu 3 of 3

Abstract

This article examines Edmund Spenser’s *The Faerie Queene*, Book II, focusing on the episodes of Phaedria and Mammon to explore how temperance is portrayed as the governance of time rather than merely moral restraint. It traces the historical association between temperance and temporality, showing how Spenser dramatizes contrasting temporalities: Phaedria’s timeless idleness and Mammon’s accelerated, exploitative time. The study argues that temperance emerges as a balanced, measured engagement with time amid these distortions. Finally, the article situates Spenser’s work within Renaissance shifts toward mechanical timekeeping and commercial labor discipline, highlighting cultural concerns about managing time as a valuable resource. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Studies in English Literature. 2026/01, Issue 67, p83
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Literature and Writing
  • Publication Date:2026
  • ISSN:03873439
  • Accession Number:193019976
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