# Giant Despair — The Pilgrim’s Progress character guide

> Giant Despair in The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Giant Despair, The Giant, Despair, the Giant, the old Giant, the Giant Despair

**First appearance:** 0003-the-first-part

## Snapshot

The hulking jailer of Doubting Castle, he beats his prisoners by day and hands them a knife by night, certain no pilgrim ever escapes his walls.

## Who they are

Giant Despair rules a crumbling castle on the By-Path Meadow, where any traveler who strays from the King's highway wakes in his dungeon. He is married to Diffidence, and together they have made a business of breaking spirits with hunger, darkness, and the suggestion of suicide. His cruelty is not hot but cold and routine, which is what makes him the most feared landlord on the road.

## In the story

### [The Second Part](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_pilgrim_s_progress_se/chapters/the-second-part)

The giant who is confronted and defeated by Great-heart and his company.

## Links

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