Orlando

by

Virginia Woolf

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Clorinda Character Analysis

A “sweet-mannered gentle lady” whom Orlando dates for nearly six months in the beginning of the novel. Her real name is never known, and Orlando refers to her only as Clorinda, a popular named used in Elizabethan poetry and the one Orlando uses for her in his sonnets. Clorinda, who is “much under the influence of the Priests,” tries to “reform Orlando of his sins.” Clorinda’s attempts to reform Orlando “sicken” him,” and he stops calling on her. Soon after, Clorinda contracts smallpox and dies.
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Clorinda Character Timeline in Orlando

The timeline below shows where the character Clorinda appears in Orlando. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
Subjectivity, Truth, and Biography Theme Icon
...to court, where “many ladies” are “ready to show him their favours.” Orlando first meets Clorinda, a “sweet-mannered gentle lady,” and dates her for nearly six months, but she has “white... (full context)
Identity and Transformation Theme Icon
Clorinda tragically catches smallpox and dies, and Orlando meets Favilla, the daughter of a poor man... (full context)