The Faerie Queene

The first book in this Elizabethan epic poem follows the adventures of the chivalrous Redcrosse Knight and his virtuous love Lady Una. Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene ushered in a new sensibility in English literature as the reunited country entered the seventeenth century. In his distinctive verse form—which came to be known as the Spenserian stanza—Spenser inspired his countrymen with tales of noble adventure, romance, and chivalry. This first volume of The Faerie Queene explores the virtue of holiness as exemplified by its hero. In a series of allegorical fantasy tales, the Redcrosse Knight travels with his Lady Una as he fights the monster Errour, is tricked by a wizard into believing Una unchaste, and taken captive by a giant before Una rescues him from Despair. Once recovered, the Redcrosse Knight returns to battle to defend Una and her family from a dragon.