Character Sketches- The Canterville Ghost

The Ghost Of The Canterville Chase The Ghost of the Canterville Chase was the spirit of Sir Simon de Canterville who had murdered his wife in 1584 and later on, after the disappearance of his body in mysterious circumstances, was changed into a ghost due to his guilt and haunted the castle for three centuries. He looked terribly frightful, with eyes as red as burning coals. His long cut grey hair fell over his shoulders. His garments were of antique cut and were soiled and torn. Despite Sir Simon's attempts to appear in the most gruesome guises, the Otis family refuses to be frightened, and Sir Simon feels increasingly helpless and humiliated. Sir Simon schemes, but even as his costumes become increasingly gruesome, his antics do nothing to scare his house guests, and the Otises beat him every time. The ghost reveals to Virginia the tragic tale of his wife, Lady Eleanor de Canterville. Virginia's ability to accept Sir Simon leads to his enlightenment. He believes she is

full of love and love is stronger the death.

Mr.B Otis Mr. B Otis was a middle aged American Minister who was determined ,inflexible, rational, practical and pragmatic, and a true American. It is he who bought the

Chase from Lord Canterville despite his warnings that it was haunted and he should not go in for it. He had twin sons ,a daughter and a son from her wife Mrs.Otis. At the beginning, like any forward looking modern American, he did not believe in ghosts and spirits but later when he personally encountered the ghost he became indifferent to it. In fact, upon hearing the clanking noises in the hallway, Mr Otis promptly gets out of bed and pragmatically offers the ghost Tammany Rising Sun Lubricator to oil his chains. He believed in doing many better things and making money than wasting time in talking about it and believing in ghosts and spirits. He is also a good person who wants to do the right thing. You can tell because he gives Sir Simon a proper funeral, and he makes sure that Virginia gets the box of jewels which Sir Simon had left her. . Other characteristics about him include the fact that he enjoys horseback riding, he seems to be a good husband to Mrs. Otis, and he loves his daughter Virginia.

Mrs. Otis She was the wife of Mr.Hiram B Otis. She had been a celebrated New York belle and a very good looking middle aged woman with beautiful eyes and a wonderful

profile. Though American by birth, she was quite British and an excellent example of the fact that they had everything in common with America. She was not scared of ghosts and even asked the ghosts if he need a remedy for his stomach. Her expression of "modern" American culture surfaces when she immediately resorts to using the commercial stain remover to obliterate the bloodstains and when she expresses an interest in joining the Psychical Society to help her understand the ghost. Mrs Otis is given Wilde's highest praise when he says: "Indeed, in many respects, she was quite English..."

Virginia Otis Virginia Otis was the daughter of Mr and Mrs. Otis. She was a little girl of 15 years.She was a wonderful amazon with blue yes. She once had raced old Lord Bilton on her pony, winning the race to the great delight and joy of the young Duke Of Chesire, who proposed to her on the spot. She was, however, very kind and considerate to all, and was the only member in the family who was scared of the ghost. Virginia had a compassionate nature. Unlike the rest of the family, she did not trouble or ridicule the ghost.She listened to the ghost and understood his plight. At the end, she managed to get the ghost forgiven by God with the power of her love. Virginia accepts the ghost unconditionally tats why he confides in her. He believes she is full of love and love is stronger the death.

Washington Otis He was the elder son of Mrs Otis. He was named Washington by his parents in a moment of patriotism which he never stopped regretting. He was a good looking fairhaired young man, who had qualified himself for the American diplomacy and in London was well known as an excellent dancer. The ghost was really afraid of him.He was a practical lad since he wanted to remove the blood stains practically, with Pinkerton’s champion stain Remover, which also shows his indifferent attitude towards the existence of the ghost.

The Twins They were the twins of Mr. and Mrs. Otis, and usually called ‘The Stars and Stripes’ , were delightful boys and the only Republicans in their family. All along the story, they played tricks on the ghost to make him highly depressed and desperate. They kept making fun of the ghost all through the story and even dressed up as ghosts. The

ghost falls victim to trip wires, pea shooters, butter-slides, and falling buckets of water. In a particularly comical scene, he is frightened by the sight of a "ghost" rigged up by the mischievous twins.