Pyrochles
A fiery and impetuous knight in The Faerie Queene. Together with his brother Cymochles, they opposed Sir Guyon.
Introduction#
Pyrochles is a knight in Book II of Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene. Hot-tempered and quick to violence, he becomes one of the principal adversaries of Sir Guyon, the Knight of Temperance.
Affiliations | Fairy Land
Challenge to Sir Guyon#
Pyrochles first encounters Guyon after discovering that he has subdued Occasion and Furor, whom Pyrochles had been pursuing. Enraged, he immediately challenges Guyon to combat.
Guyon defeats him but, at Pyrochles’ request, releases Furor so that Pyrochles may prove his own strength. Instead, Furor overwhelms him, leaving the reckless knight unconscious and demonstrating the very danger of uncontrolled rage.
Alliance with Archimago#
The evil magician Archimago discovers the fallen Pyrochles and restores him to health. Reunited with his brother Cymochles, Pyrochles resumes his pursuit of Guyon.
Guided by Archimago, the brothers eventually find Guyon exhausted and unconscious after his many trials. Rather than meeting him in honourable combat, they attempt to strip him of his armour.
Death#
Before the brothers can carry out their plan, Prince Arthur arrives to defend Guyon. Arthur challenges them and, after a fierce battle, kills both Pyrochles and Cymochles.
Their defeat removes two of the greatest obstacles standing between Guyon and the completion of his quest.
Allegorical Significance#
Pyrochles personifies violent anger, reckless courage, and uncontrolled passion. His inability to master his own emotions stands in deliberate contrast to Guyon’s Temperance.
Together, Pyrochles and Cymochles represent two opposing forms of excess—rage and sensual indulgence—both of which must be overcome by the virtuous knight.
In the Arthurian Tradition#
Pyrochles is unique to Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene. As one of the principal opponents of Sir Guyon, he exemplifies Spenser’s use of allegorical characters to explore the moral conflicts between virtue and vice within an Arthurian framework.
Sources#
The Faerie Queene | Edmund Spenser, 1570-1599
