Pilgrim's Progress

by John Bunyan

Mr. Great Heart, old Honest, and the four young men headed up to Doubting Castle to look for Giant Despair. When they arrived at the castle gate, they knocked for entrance with a most uncommon noise. At that the old giant came to the gate and Diffidence, his wife, followed. The giant called out, “Who and what is he who is so brave as to come to my gate and bother the Giant Despair in this manner?” Great Heart replied, “It is I, Great Heart, one of the King of the Celestial country’s guides to pilgrims. I conduct them to their place, and I demand that you open your gates and let me in. Prepare yourself to fight, for I have come to take off your head and to demolish Doubting Castle.” Now Giant Despair, because he was a giant, thought that no man could overcome him. So he reasoned that since in times past he had conquered angels, why should he be afraid of this man Great Heart? So he equipped himself with armor and went out to meet Great Heart. He wore a cap of steel on his head, a breastplate of fire, and shoes made of iron. In his hand he held a great club. The six men drew up to him, and surrounded him in front and behind. When Diffidence the giantess came to help her husband, old Mr. Honest cut her down with one blow. Then the fight grew fierce, and they fought for their lives. Giant Despair was brought down to the ground but was very reluctant to die.

Since Giant Despair was dead, they started demolishing Doubting Castle. It took them seven days to bring it down, and in the process they found two pilgrims alive inside: a Mr. Despondency who was almost starved to death and his daughter Much-afraid. But it would have made you wonder to have seen all the dead bodies scattered here and there in the castle yard, and how full the dungeon was of dead men’s bones. When Great Heart and his companions had performed this heroic act, they took Mr. Despondency and his daughter Much-afraid into their protection, for they were honest people who had been imprisoned in Doubting Castle by that tyrant Giant Despair. They took the head of the giant with them to the road and showed it to their companions who waited for them there and told them what they had done.