Pilgrim's Progress Index

Color a portrait of John Bunyan.
       The Pilgrim's Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come; Delivered under the Similitude of a Dream is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of religious English literature, has been translated into more than 200 languages, and has never been out of print.
       Because there are so many illustrations depicting characters and places from this two part allegory (and also because the plots are so intricate), I will list these according to the descriptions below. 

If you'd like to read more about the history of the allegory or the book itself:

Illustrated Characters from the first part: narrative, pictures that tell parts of the story

Portraits of Characters From Part I:

These Characters From Part I, Do Not Have Portraits: They may, however, appear in narrative illustrations.

  • Goodwill - the keeper of the Wicket Gate through which one enters the "straight and narrow way" (also referred to as "the King's Highway") to the Celestial City. In the Second Part we find that this character is none other than Jesus Christ Himself.
  • Atheist - a mocker of Christian and Hopeful, who goes the opposite way on the "King's Highway" because he boasts that he knows that God and the Celestial City do not exist.
  • Apollyon - literally "Destroyer;" the King, Lord, God, Master, Prince, Owner, Landlord, Ruler, Governor, and Leader of the City of Destruction where Christian was born.
  • Demas - a deceiver, who beckons to pilgrims at the Hill Lucre to come and join in the supposed silver mining going on in it. He is first mentioned in the Book of 2 Timothy by the disciple Paul when he said, "Demas has deserted us because he loved the world". Demas tries two ways to trick Christian and Hopeful: first he claims that the mine is safe and they'll be rich, and then he claims that he is a pilgrim and will join them on their journey. Christian, filled with the Holy Spirit, is able to rebuke Demas and expose his lies.
  • Giantess Diffidence - Despair's wife known to be cruel, savage, violent, and evil like her husband. She is slain by Old Honest in the Second Part.

Portraits of Characters From Part II:

  • Christiana, Christian's wife - who leads her four sons and neighbor Mercy on pilgrimage.
  • "Mercy" -  Christiana's neighbor, who goes with her on pilgrimage and marries Matthew.
  • Mrs. Timorous  - relative of the Timorous of the First Part, who comes with Mercy to see Christiana before she sets out on pilgrimage.
  • "Mrs. Bat's-Eyes and Mrs. Know-Nothing - are residents of The City of Destruction and friends of Mrs. Timorous.
  • "Mrs. Inconsiderate"  -  a resident of The City of Destruction and friend of Mrs. Timorous.
  • "Mrs. Light-Mind"  -  a resident of The City of Destruction and friend of Mrs. Timorous.
  • "Great Heart" - the guide and body-guard sent by the Interpreter with Christians and her companions from his house to their journey's end.
  • "Mr. Brisk" - a suitor of Mercy's, who gives up courting her when he finds out that she makes clothing only to give away to the poor.
  • "Old Honest" - a pilgrim from the frozen town of Stupidity who joins them, a welcome companion to Great-Heart.
  • "Mr. Fearing" - a fearful pilgrim from the City of Destruction whom Great-Heart had "conducted" to the Celestial City in an earlier pilgrimage. 
  • "Mr. Feeble-Mind"  - rescued from Slay-Good by Mr. Great-Heart, who joins Christiana's company of pilgrims. He is the nephew of Mr. Fearing.
  • "Mr. Ready-To-Halt"  - a pilgrim who meets Chritstiana's train of pilgrims at Gaius's door, and becomes the companion of Mr. Feeble-mind, to whom he gives one of his crutches. 
  • "Mr. Despondency"  - a rescued prisoner from Doubting Castle owned by the miserable Giant Despair. 
  • "Madame Bubble"  - a witch whose enchantments made the Enchanted Ground enchanted with an air that makes foolish pilgrims sleepy and never wake up again.
  • "Mr.-Self-Will" 

These Characters From Part II, Do Not Have Portraits: They may, however, appear in narrative illustrations.

  • Mr. Sagacity -  a guest narrator who meets Bunyan himself in his new dream and recounts the events of the Second Part up to the arrival at the Wicket Gate.
  • Much-Afraid - Mr. Despondency's daughter
  • Mr. Valiant - a pilgrim they find all bloody, with his sword in his hand, after leaving the Delectable Mountains. He fought and defeated three robbers called Faint-Heart, Mistrust, and Guilt.
  • Mr. Stand-Fast-For-Truth - a pilgrim found while praying for deliverance from Madame Bubble.
  • Mr. Mnason - a resident of the town of Vanity, who puts up the pilgrims for a time, and gives his daughters Grace and Martha in marriage to Samuel and Joseph respectively.
  • Grace - Mnason's daughter, who marries Samuel.
  • Martha - Mnason's daughter, who marries Joseph.
  • Phoebe - Gaius's daughter, who marries James.
  • Mr. Skill - the godly physician called to the House Beautiful to cure Matthew of his illness, which is caused by eating the forbidden apples and fruits of Beelzebub which his mother told him not to but he did it any way.
  • Giant Maul - a Giant whom Great Heart kills as the pilgrims leave the Valley of the Shadow of Death. He holds a grudge against Great Heart for doing his duty of saving pilgrim's from damnation and bringing them from darkness to light, from evil to good, and from Satan, the Devil to Jesus Christ, the Savior.
  • Giant Grim - a Giant who "backs the [chained] lions" near the House Beautiful, slain by Great-Heart. He is also known as "Bloody-Man" because he has killed many pilgrims or sent them on mazes of detours, where they were lost forever.
  • Innocent - a young serving maid of the Interpreter, who answers the door of the house when Christiana and her companions arrive; and who conducts them to the garden bath, which signifies Christian baptism.
  • Humble-Mind - one of the maidens of the House Beautiful, who makes her appearance in the Second Part. She questions Matthew, James, Samuel, and Joseph about their godly faith and their hearts to the Lord God. 
  • Samuel - second son, who marries Grace, Mr. Mnason's daughter.
  • Joseph -  third son, who marries Martha, Mr. Mnason's daughter.
  • James -  fourth and youngest son, who marries Phoebe, Gaius's daughter.
  • Matthew - Christian and Christiana's eldest son, who marries Mercy. 
  • Gaius - an innkeeper with whom the pilgrims stay for some years after they leave the Valley of the Shadow of Death. He gives his daughter Phoebe to James in marriage. The lodging fee for his inn is paid by the Good Samaritan. Gaius tells them of the wicked Giant Slay-Good.
  • Giant Slay-Good - a Giant who enlists the help of evil-doers on the King's Highway to abduct, murder, and consume pilgrims before they get to Vanity Fair. He is killed by Great Heart.
  • Ill-favored Ones, two evil characters Christiana sees in her dream, whom she and Mercy actually encounter when they leave the Wicket Gate. The two Ill Ones are driven off by Great Heart himself.

Illustrated Places in Pilgrim's Progress:

City of Destruction - Christian's home, representative of the world (cf. Isaiah 19:18)
Slough of Despond - the miry swamp on the way to the Wicket Gate; one of the hazards of the journey to the Celestial City. In the First Part, Christian falling into it, sank further under the weight of his sins (his burden) and his sense of their guilt.
Mount Sinai - a frightening mountain near the Village of Morality that threatens all who would go there.

Wicket Gate - the entry point of the straight and narrow way to the Celestial City. Pilgrims are required to enter by way of the Wicket Gate. Beelzebub's castle was built not very far from the Gate.
House of the Interpreter - a type of spiritual museum to guide the pilgrims to the Celestial Ciblematic of Calvary and the tomb of Christ.

Hill Difficulty - both the hill and the road up is called "Difficulty"; it is flanked by two treacherous byways "Danger" and "Destruction." There are three choices: CHRISTIAN takes "Difficulty" (the right way), and Formalist and Hypocrisy take the two other ways, which prove to be fatal dead ends.

House Beautiful - a palace that serves as a rest stop for pilgrims to the Celestial City. It apparently sits atop the Hill Difficulty. From the House Beautiful one can see forward to the Delectable Mountains. It represents the Christian congregation, and Bunyan takes its name from a gate of the Jerusalem temple (Acts 3:2, 10).
Valley of Humiliation - the Valley on the other side of the Hill Difficulty, going down into which is said to be extremely slippery by the House Beautiful's damsel Prudence. It is where Christian, protected by God's Armor, meets Apollyon and they had that dreadful, long fight where Christian was victorious over his enemy by impaling Apollyon on his Sword of the Spirit (Word of God) which caused the Foul Fiend to fly away. Apollyon met Christian in the place known as "Forgetful Green." This Valley had been a delight to the "Lord of the Hill", Jesus Christ, in his "state of humiliation."

Valley of the Shadow of Death - a treacherous, devilish Valley filled with demons, dragons, fiends, satyrs, goblins, hobgoblins, monsters, creatures from the bottomless pit, beasts from the mouth of Hell, darkness, terror, and horror with a quick sand bog on one side and a deep chasm/ditch on the other side of the King's Highway going through it (cf. Psalm 23:4).
Gaius's Inn - a rest stop in the Second Part of the Pilgrim's Progress.

Vanity Fair - a city through which the King's Highway passes and the yearlong Fair that is held there.

Plain Ease - a pleasant area traversed by the pilgrims.

Hill Lucre - location of a reputed silver mine that proves to be the place where By-Ends and his companions are lost.

The Pillar of Salt - which was Lot's wife, who was turned into a pillar of salt when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. The pilgrim's note that its location near the Hill Lucre is a fitting warning to those who are tempted by Demas to go into the Lucre silver mine.

River of God or River of the Water of Life - a place of solace for the pilgrims. It flows through a meadow, green all year long and filled with lush fruit trees. In the Second Part the Good Shepherd is found there to whom Christiana's grandchildren are entrusted.
By-Path Meadow - the place leading to the grounds of Doubting Castle.

Doubting Castle - the home of Giant Despair and his Giantess wife, Diffidence; only one key could open its doors and gates, the key Promise.
The Delectable Mountains - known as "Immanuel's Land." Lush country from whose heights one can see many delights and curiosities. It is inhabited by sheep and their shepherds, and from Mount Clear one can see the Celestial City.

The Enchanted Ground - an area through which the King's Highway passes that has air that makes pilgrims want to stop to sleep. If one goes to sleep in this place, one never wakes up. The shepherds of the Delectable Mountains warn pilgrims about this.

The Land of Beulah - a lush garden area just this side of the River of Death.

The River of Death - the dreadful river that surrounds Mount Zion, deeper or shallower depending on the faith of the one traversing it.

The Celestial City - the "Desired Country" of pilgrims, heaven, the dwelling place of the "Lord of the Hill", God. It is situated on Mount Zion.

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