BOOK I: Contayning, the Legend of the Knight of the Red Crosse. Or of Holinesse

i Redcrosse (RC) defeats the monster Errour. 28–55: Encounters the enchanter Archimago and mistakes the phantasm of Una for his lady.

ii RC abandons Una, kills Sansfoy and takes up with Duessa. 28–45: Encounters Fradubio, who has been turned to a tree for dallying with Duessa.

iii Una, accompanied by a lion, mistakes Archimago for RC. Archimago is defeated by Sansloy, who carries Una off.

iv RC and Duessa see the seven Deadly Sins in the House of Pride. 38–51: Duessa switches allegiance to Sansioy.

v RC fights with and wounds Sansioy. 20–44: Duessa seeks the aid of Night to cure him. 45–53: RC leaves the House of Pride.

vi Una rescued from Sansloy by Fawns and Satires. 20–48: Satyrane rescues her from them.

vii RC defeated by the giant Orgoglio. 19–52: Una meets Arthur, who offers to rescue RC.

viii Arthur defeats Orgoglio, and strips Duessa.

ix Arthur relates his vision of Gloriana, the Faerie Queene. 21– 54: RC encounters Despaire.

x Una and RC visit the House of Holiness, where they receive instruction.

xi RC fights and eventually defeats the Dragon, with the help of the Well of Life and the Tree of Life.

xii The people of Eden inspect the Dragon's corpse. 13–42: RC and Una are betrothed, after a last attempt by Duessa to foil them.

BOOK II: Contayning, the Legend of Sir Guyon. Or of Temperaunce

i. Guyon (G.) is beguiled by Archimago into attacking RC. 35– 61: G. and his Palmer (P.) encounter Mordant, who has been killed by Acrasia, and witness the suicide of Mordant's wife Amavia.

ii The couple's child, Ruddymane, has bloody hands which will not be cleaned. 13–46: G. and P. stay with Medina and her sisters Elissa and Perissa.

iii G. and P. leave Ruddymane with Medina. 4–46: The false Knight Braggadocchio and his squire Trompart (who have stolen G.'s horse) encounter the virginal Belphoebe in the woods.

iv G. binds Furor and Occasion, and releases Phedon, who tells how he was overwhelmed by jealous rage. 37–46: The irascible knight Pyrochles goes in search of Occasion.