Defense of Her Majesty and the Church of England in The Faerie QueeneIn The Faerie Queene, Spenser presents an eloquent and captivating depiction of the The Roman Catholic Church, its hierarchy, and patrons as malevolent forces opposed to England in his exploits as an epic hero. A discussion of this layer of the work's allegory in its entirety would constitute a book in itself, so for the purposes of this exercise the focus will be limited to Book I, Canto 1, through the victory of the dragon. , Error. However, even in this small part of the work it will be evident that Spenser took very seriously both his duty as an Englishman to honor Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I and his duty as a Protestant Christian to defend the Church of 'England. . The purpose of this exercise is not to prove whether Spenser was correct in his assertions, but to explore the manner in which he sets out his views; it is therefore written on the assumption that his views are correct, with the aim of eliminating the need for multiple caveats indicating that the ideas presented here are an interpretation of Spenser's beliefs. That being said, Spenser's multi-layered allegory perhaps distinguishes him as the first Anglican apologist, in whose footsteps CS Lewis would later follow with his own deeply symbolic accounts. That Spenser displayed literary and imaginative prowess in laying down so many layers of richly crafted allegorical fabric has made The Faerie Queene a work for the ages, both as a lesson in English and ecclesiastical history and as a fine example of the lasting beauty of language. .Spenser, in his letter to Sir Walter Raleigh, points out the most obvious allegorical devices which run through the middle of the paper ......urce. Internet. Available: http://www.intranet.ca/~magicworks/knights/fullmoon.html Updated March 20, 1999; Accessed October 20, 1999. Holy Bible, Authorized King James Version Moorman, JRH A History of the Church in England. 3rd ed. London: A&C Black, 1980. Russell-Smith, Penny. “Historical Royal Profiles: Elizabeth I.” Electronic resource. Internet. Available: http://www.royal.gov.uk/history/e1r.htm Updated April 12, 1999; Accessed October 20, 1999. Russell-Smith, Penny. “History of the Crown: The Tudors”. Electronic resource. Internet. Available: http://www.royal.gov.uk/history/tudor.htm Updated April 12, 1999; Accessed October 20, 1999. Spencer, Edmund. The Faerie Queene, Book I, Canto 1. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 6th ed. flight. 1.MH Abrams, Gen. ed. New York: Norton, 1993. 516-32