Name Date Hour

“Rappaccini’s Daughter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne

English 11

Be sure to read the introduction to the story on p. 145. Complete all exercises on your own paper (you don’t have enough space on this handout!)

Guided Reading Questions

Complete these questions as you read. They will guide you to the main plot points and ideas of the story. Answers to these questions should be very brief.

1.  What causes Giovanni to sigh?

2.  What does Giovanni find particularly eye-catching in the garden?

3.  To what are the garden and gardener compared?

4.  What does the gardener do when examining the plant that Giovanni noticed?

5.  What images does the voice suggest to Giovanni?

6.  What does Beatrice do that her father does not?

7.  What does Giovanni dream?

8.  What does Baglioni find objectionable about Rappaccini?

9.  What is Rappaccini's particular interest?

10.  Why might Baglioni have a motivation to lie about Rappaccini?

11.  What shocking incident occurs?

12.  What does Beatrice say she would like to give Giovanni in return? Why doesn't she?

13.  What happens to the bouquet Giovanni gives to Beatrice?

14.  What sort of look does Rappaccini give Giovanni?

15.  What warning does Baglioni give Giovanni?

16.  What possibility does Giovanni consider?

17.  What is shocking or objectionable about the flowers' appearance?

18.  What does Beatrice ask Giovanni to do?

19.  Why does Beatrice blush?

20.  What has Beatrice forgotten for the first time in her life?

21.  What does Giovanni do that frightens Beatrice?

22.  What has happened to Giovanni's hand?

23.  How do Giovanni and Beatrice feel about each other?

24.  What happens in the classic book Baglioni has been reading? Why does he relate this story to Giovanni?

25.  How does Giovanni respond to Baglioni's tale? Which of his actions reveal that he believes the professor's story?

26.  What does Baglioni give to Giovanni? What is it supposed to do?

27.  What does Giovanni assume about Beatrice's outer and inner nature?

28.  What does Giovanni realize about himself?

29.  Why is Giovanni incapable of seeing Beatrice's true nature?

30.  How did the plant come into being? What is its relation to Beatrice?

31.  How does Giovanni behave toward Beatrice?

32.  What does Beatrice say her intentions were? To what extent does she resemble the woman Giovanni has accused her of being?

33.  What does Giovanni realize? Why is it too late?

34.  Why is Beatrice shrinking from Giovanni now?

35.  What does Beatrice ask Giovanni?

Rappaccini's Daughter Post-Reading Worksheet

Investigate, Inquire, and Imagine

Complete these questions after reading the story. Be sure to answer ALL parts of each question and cite specific evidence (including page numbers) from the text to support your answers. Answers to these questions should be very complete.

  1. When and in what city does the story take place? How does Giovanni Guasconti happen to be there? How does he enjoy spending his time when in his chamber?
  2. Who is Baglioni? What is his relationship with Rappaccini? How does he warn Giovanni when they meet on the street?
  3. Before Giovanni meets Beatrice, what does he see, or think he sees, that makes him fear her? After he meets her, what makes him ignore his fears until Baglioni's visit?
  4. What things, natural and unnatural, are considered poisonous in this story? What behaviors?
  5. Giovanni suspects that Rappaccini has arranged for him to visit the garden. Why does he think so? What might be Rappaccini's reasons for allowing a man to visit Beatrice? For choosing Giovanni to be that man?
  6. Could Giovanni trust Baglioni's opinion of Rappaccini? Why, or why not? At the end of the story, why does Baglioni's voice suggest triumph as well as horror?
  7. During their first meeting in the garden, why does Beatrice hide her face and run away? When Giovanni suggests that both he and Beatrice drink Baglioni's antidote, why does she say, "I will drink—but do thou await the result"? Whose love is more real, Beatrice's for Giovanni or Giovanni's for Beatrice?
  8. Is Rappaccini evil? Is Baglioni, Beatrice, Lisabetta, or Giovanni himself? How do you define evil? What degree of evil does each of the characters possess?
  9. In popular culture and throughout history, people have accused others of being poisonous, toxic, or a "bad influence." Name examples of such people and the ways they have influenced the world around them. Then name people or groups who have countered them.

Understanding Literature

  1. Fantasy. Can you characterize "Rappaccini's Daughter" as a fantasy, or do realistic elements dominate the story? Explain your answer, using examples from the text.

2.  Symbol. A symbol is a thing that stands for or represents both itself and something else. Many critics have pointed out that Nathaniel Hawthorne shared a Puritan preoccupation with good and evil. Consider that the lush, poisonous foliage in Rappaccini's garden might represent temptation or evil. If so, what does the fountain that flows "cheerfully" into the garden pool symbolize? Does Beatrice also represent evil, or something more complex? What might Rappaccini himself symbolize?

  1. Allusion. How does the allusion to the Biblical story of creation demonstrate Rappaccini's pride? What light does it throw on the nature of the evil in Rappaccini and his garden?