# Despair — The Faerie Queene character guide

> Despair in The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser.

**Role:** minor

**First appearance:** 0031-canto-ix

## Who they are

A wretch who tempts knights to suicide in his cave.

## In the story

### [Book I: The Legend of the Knight of the Red Cross, or of Holiness](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_faerie_queene_se/chapters/book-i-the-legend-of-the-knight-of-the-red-cross-or-of-holiness)

A cursed wight from hell who uses wounding words to rob knights of hope, encountered by a fleeing knight.

### [Canto IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_faerie_queene_se/chapters/canto-ix)

The antagonist of the canto, who tempts the Redcrosse Knight to suicide with persuasive arguments.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_faerie_queene_se/characters/despair
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_faerie_queene_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_faerie_queene_se/characters