This book reveals the queen behind Edmund Spenser's
The Faerie Queene
. Placing Spenser's epic poem in the context of the tumultuous sixteenth century, Donald Stump offers a groundbreaking reading of the poem as an allegory of Elizabeth I's life. By narrating the loves and wars of an Arthurian realm that mirrors Elizabethan England, Spenser explores the crises that shaped Elizabeth's reign: her break with the pope to create a reformed English Church, her standoff with Mary, Queen of Scots, offensives against Irish rebels and Spanish troops, confrontations with assassins and foreign invaders, and the apocalyptic expectations of the English people in a time of national transformation. Brilliantly reconciling moral and historicist readings, this volume offers a major new interpretation of
The Faerie Queene
.
"Spenser's Heavenly Elizabeth will be of interest to all those who see Spenser's epic poem as preoccupied primarily with royalty and providential history. ? His delicate handling of the poetry achieves a fine balance between textuality and topicality. ? Through his editorial and bibliographical energies he has been an enabler of decisive work on the image of Elizabeth. This magisterial monograph affords him the perfect opportunity to demonstrate his own unsurpassed expertise." (Willy Maley, Renaissance Quarterly, Vol. 74 (3), 2021)
"Spenser's Heavenly Elizabeth is a tour de force and a gift to the Renaissance scholarly community. It provides a rich and detailed analysis of Spenser's magnum opus while at the same time, providing a rich historical narrative of the English Reformation(s)." (Jesse Russell, Christianity & Literature, Vol. 70 (3), September, 2021)
