LITERATURE GUIDE: Rappaccini‟s Daughter
Rappaccini’s Daughter
by Nathaniel Hawthorne
1844, Mosses from an Old Manse
PLOT SUMMARY & SETTING
The story begins with a faux prologue, titled, From the Writings of Aubépine. The prologue has the narrator
of the story discussing the fictional writer of the fictional story of Rappaccini. It serves as a way to poke fun at
Transcendental writers as well as at the established popular writers of the time. Hawthorne even uses the prologue to
poke fun at himself, since he is both the narrator and the fictional character of Aubépine (aubépine is the French
name for the plant, which in English is called hawthorn). The narrator explains that Aubépine‟s (Hawthorne‟s)
writings exist somewhere in between these two genres of writing, containing enough fancy to entertain most readers,
but also containing a „love of allegory‟ which invests meaning into characters and scenery (symbolism) to entertain
the „brighter man.‟ However, this attention to symbol, allegory and theme takes the, “human warmth from his
conceptions.” The prologue continues, giving fictitious details of Aubépine‟s writing career. In all, the prologue
serves to offer humor, address Hawthorne‟s critics and people who hold opposing views, to poke fun at himself
while declaring his literary supremacy. It also serves to somewhat befuddle the reader, helping establish the
ambiguity of the tale itself.
* * * * *
Setting: Padua, Italy, presumably in the 1800‟s. Primarily the story takes place in an old mansion resided in by the
main character as well as in the garden of Dr. Rappaccini.
Giovanni Guasconti, a young man from southern Italy (near Naples) moves into an old mansion in Padua, Italy to
attend the University of Padua. This is Giovanni‟s first time away from home and he is shown to be somewhat of a
„romantic‟; he is said to have a “tendency to heartbreak natural to a young man for the first time out of his native
sphere.” He reminisces over past events (he recalls that a member of his family was pictured by Dante suffering
immortal agonies). The mansion overlooks the infamous garden of Dr. Rappaccini. Giovanni is intrigued by the
garden, especially after the account of it and its owner given him by the housekeeper, Lisabetta. Giovanni looks out
his window at the magnificent garden. The garden itself is full of strange and exotic plants. Even plants he
recognizes have a different look to them. In the center of the garden is a ruined marble fountain, with water still
gushing and sparkling within it. Next to the fountain is the most magnificent shrub in the garden. It is large with
purple blossoms.
As he is looking at the garden, Dr. Rappaccini enters to study the plants. Rappaccini is described as tall and
sallow or emaciated, almost sickly looking, in the middle of his life. He is dressed in black (the garb of a scholar)
and has a look of cultivation about him. Giovanni‟s first impression of Dr. Rappaccini was that he had never, even in
youth, “expressed warmth of heart.” The intentness with which Dr. Rappaccini studies the plants amazes Giovanni.
To Giovanni, it seems as if Dr. Rappaccini was “looking into their inmost nature, making observations as to their
creative essence,” yet there was no, “approach to intimacy between himself and these vegetable existences.” At one
point blossoms from the large purple shrub block his path and Dr. Rappaccini calls for assistance. His daughter
Beatrice then enters the garden. Whereas Dr. Rappaccini moved carefully through the garden, as if every plant was a
danger, Beatrice moves carelessly through it, even touching the plants. She is a beautiful woman, and catches
Giovanni‟s eye instantly. While she is beautiful, there is something that disturbs Giovanni about her. She walks
through the garden carefree, and touches the plants that Dr. Rappaccini so carefully avoids. She also holds and
speaks to the plants as if they were her siblings. Despite this notion of unease, Giovanni gives into his „shallow
passions‟ and allows himself to be attracted to her.
As he watches her in the garden, he witnesses several strange events. She picks one of the flowers from the
purple bush and some of the liquid from its stem drips onto a small lizard, killing it. She breaths on some insects,
and they fall to the ground. He also tosses her a bouquet of flowers one evening. During the course of their
conversation, they wither in her grasp. Despite these signs which disturb him, Giovanni remains committed to his
infatuation with her. To learn more about the Rappaccini family, Giovanni visits Professor Baglioni at the
university, who had once been a friend of his father. They converse far a time, but when Giovanni finally brings up
Rappaccini‟s name, Baglioni becomes more lively. He tells Giovanni that Rappaccini, though a brilliant man of
science, cares more for science and knowledge than he does for humanity, that he‟d experiment on even his own
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family if it meant increasing his knowledge. Likewise, Baglioni insists that Beatrice has been raised in the shadow
of her father to be equally intelligent and equally calloused towards humanity. Though this assessment fits his own
experience, Giovanni becomes annoyed with Baglioni casting aspersions upon Beatrice.
Giovanni continues to speak with Beatrice from his window. One day, Giovanni is walking down the street
and Baglioni addresses him. Giovanni tries to avoid Baglioni, but Baglioni is insistent they speak. Again, Baglioni
tries to impress upon Giovanni that he should not entangle himself with the Rappaccinis. At this point, Dr.
Rappaccini comes down the street and gazes intently at Giovanni. Baglioni warns Giovanni that he has become an
experiment of Dr. Rappaccini‟s. Giovanni ignores the warning and hurries away from Baglioni. Upon returning
home, he is met by Lisabetta who, for a small fee, shows him a secret entrance into Rappaccini‟s Garden.
He meets Beatrice face to face and they spend a great deal of time talking. Giovanni mentions the rumors
he has heard about her (from Baglioni) and she denies having any such scientific knowledge. He also intimates that
he has seen strange things happen around her: “And must I believe all that I have seen with my own eyes?” asked
Giovanni pointedly, while the recollection of former scenes made him shrink. “No, Signora, you demand too little of
me. Bid me believe nothing, save what comes from your own lips.” To which Beatrice replies: “I do so bid you,
Signor!” she replied. “Forget whatever you may have fancied in regard to me. If true to the outward senses, still it
may be false in its essence. But the words of Beatrice Rappaccini’s lips are true from the heart outward. Those you
may believe!” They speak at length and Beatrice comes to realize just how lonely she has been. Eventually, they
come before the purple shrub, which Giovanni tries to touch. Beatrice grabs his arm in fright and tells him to stay
away from it, that it is deadly. Later, there is a bruise where she touched him.
Despite Beatrice refusing to let Giovanni hold her or kiss her (when he attempts to, she becomes sad and
withdrawn), he continues his frequent visits and long conversations with her. When he is apart from her, she
dominates his thoughts. Baglioni arrives one day at Giovanni‟s house, claiming it smells of flowers, and takes up the
issue of the Rappaccinis once again. He tells Giovanni of an old legend in which and Indian Prince sent a beautiful
woman to Alexander the Great, however, she had been raised on poison from her birth and was deadly. Baglioni
claims that this is the very case with Beatrice. Giovanni, despite the misgivings he has been suppressing, is upset
that Beatrice should be so maligned and refuses to hear more. Baglioni gives Giovanni a little silver phial containing
an antidote to cure Beatrice of her poisonous nature.
That evening, before Giovanni goes to meet Beatrice, he pauses to look at himself in the mirror and is
amazed at the vibrant health shining from his face. Confident he is in no danger, he looks at the bouquet of flowers
he purchased that day to give to her. As he holds them, they wither. He then spies a spider and he breaths upon it,
killing the spider. Giovanni is enraged and feels as if he has been tricked or betrayed by Beatrice, and even wishes
his poison strong enough to kill her. He meets her at the appointed time and unleashes his anger upon her. He claims
that she has been poisoning him all along and in on her father‟s experiment. He calls her a terror and a horror.
Beatrice is heartbroken by Giovanni‟s words.
After a time, Dr. Rappaccini appears. Beatrice asks why he has done this to her, and he replies that he did it
to keep her protected from the world. At this point, Giovanni realizes that his anger has been misplaced. He had
known the dangers and risked a relationship with her anyway; he comes to understand the love she had felt for him
and the love he had for her, though he never truly understood. However, he also realizes that his words have broken
any hope of saving their relationship. So distraught and heart-broken is Beatrice, that she agrees to drink the antidote
that Giovanni offers – knowing it will harm her: “I would fain have been loved, not feared,” murmured Beatrice,
sinking down upon the ground. — “But now it matters not; I am going, father, where the evil, which thou hast
striven to mingle with my being, will pass away like a dream — like the fragrance of these poisonous flowers, which
will no longer taint my breath among the flowers of Eden. Farewell, Giovanni! Thy words of hatred are like lead
within my heart — but they, too, will fall away as I ascend. Oh, was there not, from the first, more poison in thy
nature than in mine?” She drinks the potion and dies. As Giovanni and Dr. Rappaccini stand beside her body
Baglioni yells from the window of Giovanni‟s house, “Rappaccini! Rappaccini! And is this the upshot of your
experiment?”
MAJOR CHARACTERS
Dr. Giacomo Rappaccini – Dr. Rappaccini is a well respected scientist. His discoveries have won him renown
as well as criticism. While the depth and breadth of his knowledge of nature seems complete, some claim that
his academic interests and pursuits come at the expense of humanity. It is said that his love of science and
knowledge comes ahead of the love of his own family. Physically he is tall and sallow and emaciated; sickly
looking. He wears the black garb of a scholar and has gray hair, appearing to be past middle age. His demeanor
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LITERATURE GUIDE: Rappaccini‟s Daughter
leads one to believe that he has no warmth of heart. He looks at nature not as a wonder but as something to
dissect: “Nothing could exceed the intentness with which this scientific gardener examined every shrub which
grew in his path; it seemed as if he was looking into their inmost nature, making observations in regard to their
creative essence.” He uses his knowledge of science and nature to grow the poison garden and to raise his
daughter on that poison. As a result, she is deadly to other people. Whether he does this to protect her from the
evils of the world – giving her a way to „fight back‟ (as he claims is his purpose) or whether he does it to
demonstrate his control over nature is ultimately unclear.
Beatrice Rappaccini – The daughter of Dr. Rappaccini. She has been raised on the poisons of the plants her
father has grown. For her, poison is life. Her touch and breath are deadly to mankind. Beatrice has been isolated
her entire life, and only realizes what she has missed in life, how utterly lonely she has been, when she begins
her relationship with Giovanni – hearing about all the places and things he has seen and done. She is beautiful
and honest. Despite rumors, she has no scientific knowledge. She falls in love with Giovanni and gives herself
to him completely. Since theirs cannot be a physical relationship, hers is a more pure love – of the heart. In the
end, she feels betrayed by her father, stealing away any choice she could have had and any chance at a life, and
her love is betrayed by Giovanni‟s anger as well and she willingly drinks the „antidote‟ which kills her. She is
the victim of man‟s misunderstanding of women and aggression towards nature.
Giovanni Guasconti – A young man from Naples who has traveled to Padua to continue his studies at the
University of Padua. He takes up residence is a house which overlooks the garden of Dr. Rappaccini. He is
described as being a man given to passions (Guasconti had not a deep heart), as are all young men. His
attraction to Beatrice is one of lust: Oh, how stubbornly does love — or even that cunning semblance of love
which flourishes in the imagination, but strikes no depth of root into the heart. Though, as his relationship with
her grows, he does come to love her in a more real and deep way – though he does not recognize this love until
it is too late: after he releases his anger upon her and any chance for a life together is destroyed. He is a man
that is blinded by his passions. His infatuation with Beatrice blinds him, not only to the warnings expressed by
Baglioni, but by the evidence he sees with his own eyes. Likewise, his anger blinds him to the love he has for
Beatrice and the possibilities of a life with her. He cannot accept that Beatrice could be both a danger and a joy
(like most men who cannot reconcile this duality).
Professor Pietro Baglioni – A professor of medicine at Padua University. He is said to be genial and even
jovial in nature. He is a friend of Giovanni‟s father. Like Dr. Rappaccini, Baglioni has an eminent reputation as
a physician/scientist. Baglioni speaks of medicine as the „divine art.‟ While he credits Dr. Rappaccini‟s
brilliance, he has no love for the man, claiming the man puts his love of science ahead of his love for mankind,
and that he would sacrifice even those he loves for just a seed of new knowledge. Likewise, Baglioni claims
that Beatrice is as „wicked‟ as her father. The narrator informs us that there has been as long standing
professional rivalry between Baglioni and Rappaccini which Rappaccini has been on the winning end of (and
therefore, Baglioni‟s motives may be suspect). Baglioni sees the connection that Giovanni has with the
Rappaccini‟s and at several points attempts to dissuade Giovanni from continuing that relationship, though it
may be possible that his discouraging of Giovanni was in fact manipulation, since every warning only urged
Giovanni on more. In the end, he gives Giovanni an antidote to „cure‟ Beatrice which kills her. Baglioni‟s final
words at the death of Beatrice are, “Rappaccini! Rappaccini! And is this the upshot of your experiment?”
SYMBOLS
The Fountain – The fountain, ruined as it is, still contains sparkling water flowing within. Since water is a
symbol of life, it can stand for life continuing amid death and ruin. Yet water is also symbolic of rebirth and
cleansing. In this way, it can represent the human spirit or soul. Life exists beyond death, where we are cleansed
from our sins. As Beatrice says as she dies: “But now it matters not; I am going, father, where the evil, which
thou hast striven to mingle with my being, will pass away like a dream . . . Farewell, Giovanni! Thy words of
hatred are like lead within my heart — but they, too, will fall away as I ascend.” Humans, like the fountain, are
flawed creatures, and death is inevitable, but there is a purity within us that can exist amidst the flaws.
Rappaccini’s Garden – The garden itself can be seen as a twisted Garden of Eden. While the Garden of Eden
was life giving, Rappaccini‟s garden brings only death (a statement about man‟s inability to create – which is
God‟s sole purview). If one looks at the story as an allegory for temptation, then Giovanni is Adam, seduced
into the garden by Beatrice (Eve) and Dr. Rappaccini (the devil). Baglioni would then function as God, warning
Giovanni of the danger of that temptation. The result of Beatrice and Giovanni giving into their desires is
Beatrice‟s death – a result of man‟s transgressions within the garden. Though, one could also look at the story
from the aspect of loneliness. In this case, Dr. Rappaccini functions as God, the “creator” of the garden, and
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Beatrice would be Adam (the first person placed within it). Rappaccini lures Giovanni (as Eve) in to give
Beatrice company, just as Eve was created to give Adam companionship. Baglioni would then play the role of
the devil, seeking to corrupt and undermine this relationship, which he is ultimately successful in doing.
The Purple Plant – Beatrice always refers to this particular plant as her sister. In is the central plant in the
garden and commands the most attention. Of all the plants it is the most beautiful and the most deadly. In the
end, Rappaccini refers to Beatrice as the, “daughter of my pride and triumph.” Since the plant and Beatrice are
seen is intertwined, the plant could be seen to symbolize Rappaccini‟s Pride, and man‟s arrogance in seeking to
control Nature.
Beatrice – In one way, Beatrice symbolizes how men see women, as a beauty and a danger. She is innocent and
kind, generous and caring, and her beauty is beyond compare, yet she is poisonous and deadly. This was a
typical view of women at the time. While Hawthorne does not disagree (though, all humans have this duality as
shown by the fountain), he does show that despite the dangers, the benefits far outweigh the risk. Through
women we can know love, true love. This raises us up and helps us transcend our ordinary lives. In this way,
Beatrice‟s death also acts as a symbol. Because man refuses to accept duality, we destroy that which can save
us. In addition, Beatrice can be seen to represent all women, and even Mother Nature. Man destroys that which
it does not understand.
LITERARY STYLES & ELEMENTS
Allusion – (Dante‟s Inferno) – Dante Alighieri (1265 – 1321) was an Italian poet whose greatest work was the
Divine Comedy which was an epic poem in three parts: Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Paradiso
(Paradise or Heaven). In this work, Dante himself is the main character who journeys through Hell to Heaven.
He is led at first by the Roman poet Virgil, but then later by Beatrice, the woman who was the inspiration for
both Dante and his fictional pilgrimage. In real life, Dante met Beatrice Portinari when he was about 18 years
old. He fell in love with her at first sight. However, he never had a meaningful relationship with her beyond
greeting her as he passed her in the street. Dante fit perfectly the ideal of „courtly love.‟ Dante attributed
Beatrice as his muse for poetry, and even as his reason for living. Beatrice, as his guide to Paradise often
criticizes his faults.
Allegory – The story can be seen as a retelling, though somewhat twisted, of the Bible story of the Garden of
Eden. From a different perspective, the story could also be retelling of the Divine Comedy, where Giovanni,
though worldly, knows less about human interaction than Beatrice. In this way, she seeks to guide him to the
purity of love – which he ultimately turns from.
Ambiguity – Characteristic of many Hawthorne tales, this story contains ambiguity in terms of character
motivations. The author purposely leaves questions as to character motivations open to interpretation. Was Dr.
Rappaccini and evil man placing science above Nature, using his own daughter as an experiment? Or, was he
merely deeply concerned about the sin in the outside world and developed a way to protect and shelter his
daughter, whom he loved greatly? Was Baglioni a man concerned about the limits a scientist should place on
himself, and worried about the Natural order? Or, was he a petty and jealous man who used people for his own
ends? With the characters, as with people, determining good and evil is tricky.
MOTIFS
Science versus Nature – Just as in Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment and The Birthmark this short story centers
around the actions of a man of science – though referred to as a natural scientist (in other words, an alchemist).
In this case, we have two scientists: Dr. Rappaccini and Baglioni. While Baglioni seems to be the opposite of
Rappaccini on the surface, a closer examination marks him clearly as willing to use humans to further their
knowledge or their prestige (since Baglioni‟s experiment seems to have been to use Giovanni to ruin Rappaccini
due to a professional). Despite Baglioni‟s admonishment of Dr. Rappaccini, claiming he puts science before
humanity, so does Baglioni (he manipulates Giovanni and causes the death of Beatrice). However, it is Dr.
Rappaccini that draws the most criticism and is more closely relatable to the scientists Dr. Heidegger and
Aylmer from Hawthorne‟s other works. Rappaccini is described as being able to see into the very nature of his
subjects. This acute sense of scientific observation serves to illustrate how science ignores the beauty and
miracle of Nature and life and seeks only to gain the deepest understanding, laying waste to everything they
touch to gain this knowledge. The ultimate goal for mankind is, through the eyes of the scientist, to understand
the very creative forces of the universe – God, in other words. Mankind seeks to wield the power of God. It is
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this arrogance, this pride that leads to their ultimate failures. Mankind is not equipped to handle such power,
and since mankind is tainted with evil, corrupt, then our use of such power will be likewise abused. As a result
of Rappaccini‟s interference and manipulation of Nature, Giovanni‟s life is ruined and Beatrice‟s life is lost.
Hawthorne wants to show us that there is some knowledge mankind should not possess or even try to possess.
The result of such action is ruin and death. This is symbolically represented in that the woman dies (Beatrice,
Sylvia and Georgiana) at the hands of man – woman represents Mother Nature, the creative force while man is
destruction. Beatrice even give voice to her father‟s brand of science: “It is my father’s fatal science.”
THEMES
Theme #1: Man is Innately Prone to Sin. Like most Hawthorne stories, each character in this tale is marked by sin.
Even the purest and most innocent of them, Beatrice, is poisonous, representing original sin – she is tainted from
birth. Giovanni is a man who gives into emotions and who is shallow. Both Baglioni and Dr. Rappaccini commit the
sin of pride. In addition, man cannot reconcile this inherent sin. The real problem in the story comes not from Dr.
Rappaccini or Beatrice‟s poisoned nature, but from Giovanni‟s refusal to accept what he knows to be true: Beatrice
is both beautiful and dangerous. Humanity has a difficult time finding beauty in flaw, though it is a necessity of our
existence. In fact, like Georgiana in The Birthmark, Beatrice is made more lovely by the poison (her flaw/sin/taint).
She has a more youthful look and seems imbued with life (as does Giovanni once he has become poison as well).
This shows the duality of human nature, we are sinners and through sin we may understand life more fully (an
„Hawthornian‟ ideal).
Theme #3: The Worst Sin is to Betray the Human Heart. The real tragedy of the story comes from Giovanni‟s rash
behavior and shallow desires. Even though his initial impetus to speak with Beatrice is purely physical, due to the
denial of physical intimacy, their relationship grows in a more pure form. Beatrice loves him on a more pure level,
as he comes to love her though he doesn‟t realize it. Because he is focused on his own desires, he misses the beauty
of their relationship . . . until it is too late: “There now came across him a sense, mournful, and not without
tenderness, of the intimate and peculiar relationship between Beatrice and himself. They stood, as it were, in an
utter solitude, which would be made none the less solitary by the densest throng of human life. Ought not, then, the
desert of humanity around them to press this insulated pair closer together? If they should be cruel to one another,
who was there to be kind to them? . . . Oh, weak, and selfish, and unworthy spirit, that could dream of an earthly
union and earthly happiness as possible, after such deep love had been so bitterly wronged as was Beatrice’s love
by Giovanni’s blighting words!” Love is a necessity. It comes from that part of us that is pure, the untainted soul.
Such an emotion from so pure a source ought to be nurtured and cherished above all things. The cruelest thing one
can do to another is to betray that emotion, that sense of connection. This is Giovanni‟s terrible crime – his sin – far
worse than Beatrice‟s flaw. While she may be poisonous physically, Giovanni‟s poisonous emotionally and
spiritually, “Oh, was there not, from the first, more poison in thy nature than in mine?” Because he refused to
reconcile her beauty and her flaw, and wanted only an idealized version of her, his dreams are shattered and her life
destroyed. It is his betrayal of her love that causes her to take the antidote.
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