“Rappaccini’s Daughter” – Nathaniel Hawthorne
Guided Reading Questions
1. What causes Giovanni to sigh?
2. What does Giovanni find particularly eye-catching in the garden?
3. To what are the garden and the gardener compared?
4. What does the gardener do when examining the plant 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 motivation to lie about Rappaccini?
11. What three shocking events occur that Giovanni witnesses?
12. What does Beatrice want to give Giovanni in return? Why doesn’t she?
13. What sort of look does Rappaccini give Giovanni?
14. What warning does Baglioni give Giovanni?
15. What possibility does Giovanni consider about Lisabetta and the gate?
16. What is shocking or objectionable about the flowers’ appearance?
17. What does Beatrice ask Giovanni to do?
18. Why does Beatrice blush?
19. What has Beatrice forgotten for the first time in her life?
20. What does Giovanni do that frightens Beatrice?
21. What has happened to Giovanni’s hand?
22. How do Beatrice and Giovanni feel about one another?
23. What happens in the classic book Baglioni is reading? Why does he relate this story to
Giovanni?
24. How does Giovanni respond to Baglioni's tale? Which of his actions reveal that he
believes the professor's story?
25. What does Baglioni give to Giovanni? What is it supposed to do?
26. What does Giovanni assume about Beatrice's outer and inner nature?
27. What does Giovanni realize about himself?
28. Why is Giovanni incapable of seeing Beatrice's true nature?
29. How did the plant come into being? What is its relation to Beatrice?
30. How does Giovanni behave toward Beatrice?
31. What does Beatrice say her intentions were? Does she resemble in any way the woman
Giovanni has accused her of being?
32. What does Giovanni realize? Why is it too late?
33. Why is Beatrice shrinking from Giovanni now?
34. What does Beatrice ask Giovanni? What does she mean?
Post-Reading Questions
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. Characters: Describe the character and explain their role in the story
Giovanni Guasconti –
Dr. Giacomo Rappaccini –
Beatrice Rappaccini -
Pietro Baglioni - Who is Baglioni? What is his relationship with Rappaccini?
Lisabetta –
3. What things, natural and unnatural, are considered poisonous in this story? What
behaviors?
4. 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?
5. 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?
6. During their first meeting in the garden, why does Beatrice hide her face and run away?
When G suggests that both he and Beatrice drink the antidote, why does she say, "I will
drink—but do thou await the result"? Explain.
7. 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. Symbol. 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?
10. How would you judge Rappaccini? Are his experiments completely evil, or could they
have benefits?
11. 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?
12. Use of Allegory:
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?
13. Rappacini and Baglioni are foils (opposites who are contrasted in the story). How do
they symbolize contrasting ways of using science?
14. Who is responsible for Beatrice’s death (possibly more than one person?)? Explain:
15. In what ways are Beatrice and the plants similar?
16. Cite 2 examples of foreshadowing in the story:
17. What is the view of science presented in this story?
18. 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.
Writer's Journal – Respond to ONE of the following
Rappaccini’s Daughter - Writing Task: Choose ONE to complete.
o Imagining that you are Baglioni, write a character reference for Giovanni to attend the
university. Consider which qualities of Giovanni are worth mentioning and which would
be important to a university admissions committee.
o
Imagining that you
Assume that you are an advice columnist and that Beatrice has written to
you about how to explore the world beyond the garden or how to deal with her father.
Write an advice column in response.
o Write a news story about Beatrice Rappaccini, choosing either (1) a factual, objective
report on her death and the coroner's decision to blame it on natural causes, or (2) a
sensational, tabloid-style report on her ability to kill small animals with her breath, and
humans with her kiss.