The Pilgrim's Progress Trivia Quiz

Answer: Roman Catholicism

An enfeebled giant in this book is explicitly named "Pope", who had been responsible for the cruel deaths of many men, while in Vanity Fair the "Ware of Rome" is one of the tempting attractions. Judaism at this time was tolerated in England. Islam was not seen as a viable religion in England and was irrelevant. Methodism was to come later as a branch of Protestantism.

Answer: Christian

Although he was called Christian while making his journey, his original name was Graceless. There is a Hopeful in the story, but he is Christian's companion rather than the main character. The other two are not in the book.

Answer: Charles the Second

The book was published in 1678. Charles II was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from the Restoration in 1660 when he promised to support Protestantism in the form of the Church of England. Although the Conventicle Act banning dissenters was passed during his reign, he himself was more tolerant. He died in 1685.

Answer: Bedfordshire County Prison

The author was imprisoned for holding religious services not authorised by the Church of England, under the Conventicle Act of 1664, which was an Act of Parliament (16 Charles II c. 4) that made religious assemblies of more than five people illegal unless under the auspices of the Church of England. This was towards the end of the period of religious turmoil that began with Henry VIII's break with the Catholic church over a hundred years before.

The purpose of the Act was to strengthen the position of the Church of England and discourage nonconformism. Quite possibly influenced by Bunyan's book, the Act was modified by King Charles II's Royal Declaration of Indulgence in 1672, while the whole Act was repealed in 1689.

Answer: Desolation

The author used a multitude of characters with names appropriate to their behaviour. Christian was the hero of the book, Beelzebub was an archdemon, also known as "Lord of the Flies", and Goodwill was the keeper of the "Wicket Gate" which led to the straight and narrow path through life.

Answer: Vanity Fair

William Thackeray wrote his novel "Vanity Fair" as a serial in 1867 and it was published in book form the following year. Vanity Fair in "The Pilgrim's Progress" is a place where everything to satisfy a human's desires and lusts are available, courtesy of Beelzebub.

Answer: Mountain of Troubles

The House Beautiful is a palace that serves as a rest stop for pilgrims. The Valley of the Shadow of Death is inhabited by all manner of horrible creatures from ancient myth and hell. The City of Destruction is an allegory for the present world, and is where Christian starts his journey.

There are Delectable Mountains, but no Mountain of Troubles in the book.

Answer: The Celestial City

The whole book is an allegory of a Christian person's journey through life, ending in Heaven. The Enchanted Ground was a place where pilgrims were prone to fall asleep. Vanity Fair was a place of earthly temptations, while from The Delectable Mountains the ultimate goal of the Celestial City could be glimpsed.

Answer: The knowledge of his sin

He sheds his burden, his guilt, quite early in the story, at the "place of deliverance", an allegory for the cross of Calvary. Despite being relieved of his burden, the remainder of his journey through life is beset by temptations and distractions bravely overcome.

Answer: The City of Destruction

The City of Destruction represents this world, while the Celestial City represents the next world, or Heaven. The Slough of Despond was a swamp which was very hard for Christian to get out of with his heavy load of guilt. The Hill Difficulty was where the correct straight and narrow road was to be chosen, where Danger and Destruction were the other choices. London, although of course a real place, does not appear in the book.