Character Analysis

One of the many inhospitable characters in the Faerie Queene, Dolon invites Britomart to spend a lovely night at his house, only to have rigged the bed such that it throws the sleeper into a secret cellar below. Luckily for Britomart, she was too wary to actually sleep and finds her caution confirmed when she sees the trick with the bed. Dolon, a name often associated with trickery and deception, may be a representation of threats that Queen Elizabeth received to her life and embodies the general fear felt by a monarch that even where she sleeps isn't totally safe.