---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In Coriolanus, the title character…"
description: "\"“In Coriolanus, the title character describes himself as “like to a lonely dragon, that his fen makes fear’d and talk’d of more than seen.” That’s the ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/988/jillian-keenan-89694_first-time_in-coriolanus-the-title-character-descri_2079077.jpg"
---

#  In Coriolanus, the title character describes himself as…

![“In Coriolanus, the title character describes himself as “like to a lonely dragon, that his fen makes fear’d and talk’d of more than seen.” That’s the first time lonely appeared in print.” quote by Jillian Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/988/jillian-keenan-89694_first-time_in-coriolanus-the-title-character-descri_2079077.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/988/jillian-keenan-89694_first-time_in-coriolanus-the-title-character-descri_2079077.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/988/jillian-keenan-89694_first-time_in-coriolanus-the-title-character-descri_2079077.jpg)

> ““In Coriolanus, the title character describes himself as “like to a lonely dragon, that his fen makes fear’d and talk’d of more than seen.” That’s the first time lonely appeared in print.””

[Jillian Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-keenan/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The earliest printed use of “lonely” appears in a character’s self‑description as a dragon, highlighting isolation in literature.

**In simple terms:** First printed use of “lonely”.

Key Takeaway

Recognize early literary expressions of loneliness.

Themes

language isolation literature

Mood

analytical curious

Type

First time:1 Like Lonely:0 Lonely Dragon:1 Lonely Appeared:1 Coriolanus Title:0 Character Describes:1

When to use this quote

- studying classic texts
- teaching literary history
- writing assignments
- research on word origins

Key Concepts

semantic evolution character analysis

Questions to Reflect On

- Why does loneliness resonate in this metaphor?
- How does this early use influence modern usage?

A Different Perspective

Interpretation may vary across editions.

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[Character Describes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-describes-4051943/) [Coriolanus Title](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coriolanus-title-4051942/) [First time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) [Like Lonely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-lonely-1130235/) [Lonely Appeared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lonely-appeared-4051941/) [Lonely Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lonely-dragon-4051940/)

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