Character Sketch of Canterville Ghost

Character sketch of all characters of Canterville ghost LORD CANTERVILLE: A member of the English aristocracy, he is a descendant of Sir Simon de Canterville—the old ghost of Canterville Chase. He is described as ‘a man of the most punctilious honour’. This becomes evident when he confesses to Mr. Otis about the presence of a ghost in Canterville Chase. He considers it his duty to warn the American about the ghost in the house that he wishes to buy. This sense of honour is on display once again when he refuses to accept the jewels gifted to Virginia Otis by the ghost. SIR SIMON THE CANTERVILLE: He is a sixteenth-century ancestor of Lord Canterville. When alive, he murders his wife, Lady Eleanore, for being a poor housekeeper. Later, he is starved to death by his wife’s brothers in retribution for his crime. His skeleton, chained in a little room, is discovered in the late nineteenth century by the American residents of the house. For three hundred years, the disembodied spirit of Sir Simon roams Canterville Chase, haunting and terrorising its inhabitants. He takes especial pleasure in frightening his relations. He goes about his nocturnal expeditions with a strong sense of duty. It is the sole reason for his existence. He takes pride in scaring people to insanity and death. He delights in recalling his long list of victims and his different ghostly attires such as the Blood-Sucker of Bexley Moor, the Headless Earl and Jonas the Graveless. Mr. HIRAM B. OTIS: He is the American ambassador to the royal court of England. He is a rational and pragmatic American Republican. He comes ‘from a modern country’ which has everything that can be bought. He refuses to believe that Canterville Chase is haunted despite what his acquaintances say. Later, however, after the constant reappearance of the bloodstain in the library, he has to accept the existence of the disembodied spirit. MRS. LUCRETIA OTIS: She is the wife of the American ambassador to the royal court of England. Before marriage, she was called Miss Lucretia R. Tappan and was well known for her beauty. She is described as ‘a very handsome, middle-aged woman, with fine eyes, and a superb profile’. The author praises her for having ‘a magnificent constitution’ and ‘a really wonderful amount of animal spirits’. He says that on this account she was more English than American. WASHINGTON OTIS: He is the eldest of the Otis children. We are told that Washington, named after the first President of the United States, does not like his name very much. He is described as ‘fair-haired’, ‘good-looking’ and an ‘excellent dancer’. He is said to display an excessive fondness towards the nobility. This sets him apart from his father who does not approve of titles and the enfeebling influences of the ‘pleasure-loving aristocracy’ VIRGINIA OTIS: She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Otis. She was born in a London suburb ‘shortly after Mrs. Otis returned from a trip to Athens’. She is athletic and free-spirited, with golden hair and large blue eyes. She is a good rider who once raced and beat Lord Bilton. Virginia is shown to have a sense of right and wrong. She censures the ghost for murdering his poor wife. She has a great regard for her family. So, she takes offence when the ghost calls her family ‘horrid, rude, vulgar, dishonest’. THE OTIS TWINS: They are the youngest members of the Otis family. They study at Eton, an English boarding school. We are told that ‘The Star and Stripes’—a reference to the American flag—is the nickname for the twin brothers. They prove to be the Canterville ghost’s nemeses. They attack him with pillows and pea shooters. They dress up as ghosts to scare him off his wits. They set trip wires and butter slides in different parts of the house to make him fall. Character Sketch of Canterville Ghost

Character sketch of all characters of Canterville ghost

                      

LORD CANTERVILLE:

A member of the English aristocracy, he is a descendant of Sir Simon de Canterville—the old ghost of Canterville Chase. He is described as ‘a man of the most punctilious honour’. This becomes evident when he confesses to Mr. Otis about the presence of a ghost in Canterville Chase. He considers it his duty to warn the American about the ghost in the house that he wishes to buy. This sense of honour is on display once again when he refuses to accept the jewels gifted to Virginia Otis by the ghost.

SIR SIMON THE CANTERVILLE:

He is a sixteenth-century ancestor of Lord Canterville. When alive, he murders his wife, Lady Eleanore, for being a poor housekeeper. Later, he is starved to death by his wife’s brothers in retribution for his crime. His skeleton, chained in a little room, is discovered in the late nineteenth century by the American residents of the house. For three hundred years, the disembodied spirit of Sir Simon roams Canterville Chase, haunting and terrorising its inhabitants. He takes especial pleasure in frightening his relations. He goes about his nocturnal expeditions with a strong sense of duty. It is the sole reason for his existence. He takes pride in scaring people to insanity and death. He delights in recalling his long list of victims and his different ghostly attires such as the Blood-Sucker of Bexley Moor, the Headless Earl and Jonas the Graveless.

Mr. HIRAM B. OTIS:

He is the American ambassador to the royal court of England. He is a rational and pragmatic American Republican. He comes ‘from a modern country’ which has everything that can be bought. He refuses to believe that Canterville Chase is haunted despite what his acquaintances say. Later, however, after the constant reappearance of the bloodstain in the library, he has to accept the existence of the disembodied spirit.

MRS. LUCRETIA OTIS:

She is the wife of the American ambassador to the royal court of England. Before marriage, she was called Miss Lucretia R. Tappan and was well known for her beauty. She is described as ‘a very handsome, middle-aged woman, with fine eyes, and a superb profile’. The author praises her for having ‘a magnificent constitution’ and ‘a really wonderful amount of animal spirits’. He says that on this account she was more English than American.

WASHINGTON OTIS:

He is the eldest of the Otis children. We are told that Washington, named after the first President of the United States, does not like his name very much. He is described as ‘fair-haired’, ‘good-looking’ and an ‘excellent dancer’. He is said to display an excessive fondness towards the nobility. This sets him apart from his father who does not approve of titles and the enfeebling influences of the ‘pleasure-loving aristocracy’

VIRGINIA OTIS:

She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Otis. She was born in a London suburb ‘shortly after Mrs. Otis returned from a trip to Athens’. She is athletic and free-spirited, with golden hair and large blue eyes. She is a good rider who once raced and beat Lord Bilton. Virginia is shown to have a sense of right and wrong. She censures the ghost for murdering his poor wife. She has a great regard for her family. So, she takes offence when the ghost calls her family ‘horrid, rude, vulgar, dishonest’.

THE OTIS TWINS:

They are the youngest members of the Otis family. They study at Eton, an English boarding school. We are told that ‘The Star and Stripes’—a reference to the American flag—is the nickname for the twin brothers. They prove to be the Canterville ghost’s nemeses. They attack him with pillows and pea shooters. They dress up as ghosts to scare him off his wits. They set trip wires and butter slides in different parts of the house to make him fall.