Short Story The canterville Ghost

Canterville Ghost Question and answers by Oscar Wilde

Question Analysis

Prepared by Sumit Thakur (Faculty of Goodwill Education)

Q1. When and where did Virginia meet the ghost for the first time?

Ans. One day Virginia and her curly-haired lover went out riding on the meadows. There, in getting through a hedge, she tore her dress very badly. Back home, she went up by the back staircase so as not to be seen. As she was running past a room, she saw someone inside the room. She thought it was her mother’s maid, who sometimes brought her work there. Virginia looked in to ask the maid to mend her dress. But she was surprised to see that it was not the maid but the Canterville ghost himself. He was sitting by the window and looking outside. His head was leaning on his hand. He seemed to be extremely depressed. Virginia’s first idea was to run away and lock herself in her room. But the sad expression on the ghost’s face filled her with pity. She decided to go in and comfort the ghost. So light was her football, and so deep was his melancholy, that he was not aware of her presence till she spoke to him. “I am so sorry for you,” said Virginia. This was the place where Virginia met the ghost for the first time.

Q2. What did the ghost want Virginia to do for him and why?

Ans. The ghost sold Virginia the story of his sin. He told her how he killed his wife and how nine years later his wife’s brothers imprisoned him in a secret room and starved him to death. He was not given a proper burial and no one had prayed for his soul. Having failed to win God’s mercy, he had to exist in the form of a ghost and had been in that state for three hundred years. He was now in a state in which he had no tears to weep for his sins. He had no faith and could not pray for his soul. Therefore, he wanted Virginia to do all this for him. Only then God would have mercy on him and let him have the peace of Death. Says the ghost to Virginia. “You must weep with me for my sins, because I have no tears. You must pray with me for my soul, because I have no faith. Since you are sweet and good, the Angel of Death will have mercy on me.” The ghost took the little girl where his skeleton had been lying for three hundred years. There the little girl wept for him and prayed for him.

Q3. Why did Mr. Otis conclude that Virginia had been kidnapped by the gipsies?

Ans. The ghost had taken Virginia with him to his secret room. A little later, the bell rang for the evening tea. As Virginia did not come down, Mrs. Otis sent up one of the footmen to tell her. He returned after a little time and said that he could not find Miss Virginia anywhere. As she was in the habit of going out to the garden every evening to get flowers, Mrs. Otis was not alarmed at first. But when the clock struck six and Virginia did not appear. Mrs. Otis became really upset. She sent the boys out to look for her. She herself and Mr. Otis searched every room in the house. At half past six, the boys came back and said they could find no trace of Virginia anywhere. They were all now in the greatest state of excitement. No one knew what to do. Then Mr. Otis suddenly remembered that some days before, a band of gipsies had camped near the house. He concluded that the girl had been kidnapped by them. He at once set off for the place where he knew they would be camping.

Q4. Where and when was Virginia found at last?

Ans. All attempts to find out Virginia had failed and everyone was in a state of deep shock. There was dead silence in the house. They had their supper, but it was a melancholy meal. Hardly anyone spoke a word during the supper. When they had done that night, and that in the morning he would ask Scotland Yard for some midnight hour. And when the last stroke sounded, they heard a dreadful peal of thunder that shook the house. A wainscot panel at the top of the staircase flew back with a loud noise. And out on the landing stepped Virginia, looking very pale and white. She had a little box in her hand. In a moment, all rushed up to her. Mrs. Otis clasped her passionately in her arms. Everybody ran up to her. “Good heavens child, where have you been?” said Mr. Otis. “Papa,” said Virginia quietly, “I have been with the ghost.” Thus Virginia was found at last.

Q5. How was the mystery of the ghost solved in the end?

Ans. Virginia had been with the ghost in his secret place. There she wept for his sin and prayed for his soul. The Angel of Death took pity on the ghost and gave him the peace of Death. When Virginia come back, she told her family where she had been. She said, “Papa, he is dead and you must come to see him. He was really sorry for all that he had done.” She led them to a small low room. Fixed in the wall was a huge iron ring, and chained to it was a skeleton. The skeleton was stretched out at full length on the stone floor. It seemed to be trying to grasp with its long fleshless fingers an old-fashioned plate and jug, that were placed just out of its reach. The jug had evidently been once filled with water, as the inside of it was covered with green mould. There was nothing on the plate but a pile of dust. Thus the whole mystery of the terrible tragedy was revealed. Sir Simon (the ghost) had first killed his wife and then his wife’s brothers had imprisoned him in a secret cell and starved him to death.

Q6. Describe briefly the funeral of the Canterville Ghost.

Ans. The funeral started from Canterville Chase at about eleven o’clock at night. The hearse was drawn by eight black horses. The coffin was covered with a rich purple pall. By the side of the hearse and the coaches walked the servants with lighted torches. The whole procession was wonderfully impressive. Lord Canterville was the chief mourner. He had come up specially from Wales to attend the funeral. A deep grave had been dug in the corner of the churchyard. The service was read in the most impressive manner. When the service ceremony was over, the servants extinguished their torches. Then the coffin was lowered into the grave. Virginia stepped forward, and laid on it a large cross made of white and pink blossoms. As she did so, the moon came out from behind a cloud, and the little churchyard became flooded with silvery light. From a distant tree, a nightingale began to sing. Virginia’s eyes became dim with tears. She hardly spoke a word during the drive home.

Q7. Give in brief a character-sketch of Mr. Hiram B. Otis.

Ans. Mr. Otis is an American Minister who has come with his family to live in London. He is proud of being an American. He calls his country a modern country where one can have everything that money can buy. He doesn’t believe in ghosts and says that if there were any such thing as a ghost in Europe, they would take it to their own country and keep it there in a museum. And when he actually sees a ghost in front of him, he is not at all afraid. Rather he asks the ghost not to disturb him with the loud clank of his chains. He even gives the ghost a bottle of lubricator to oil his chains. Another noteworthy point of Mr. Otis’s character is his deep love for his daughter and his true concern for all others in the family. He is deeply upset when Virginia is ‘lost’, but at the same time orders others to sit down for dinner. He himself goes out even without his dinner to look for his daughter. And his rare sense of honesty comes to light when he insists upon lord Canterville to take back the jewels that the ghost has given to Virginia. He thinks they are the property of Lord Canterville’s family and as such must go back to them. Mr. Otis is indeed a lovable character.

Q8. Give in brief a character-sketch of Mrs. Otis.

Ans. Mrs. Otis was a handsome middle-aged woman. She had a superb profile and a magnificent constitution. She loved life and, in many, respects was quite English. Before her marriage she was known as Miss Lucretia R. Tappan. She was a celebrated New York belle. Like her husband she, too, has no belief in ghosts. She shows no nervousness at all when the housekeeper, Mrs Umney, tells her that blood has been spilt on the library floor. Instead of getting anxious about whose blood it is or why it has been spilt there, she merely says, “I don’t all care for blood-stains in a sitting-room. It must be removed at once,” And when the blood-stain appears again and again after it is removed every time, she accepts with other members of the family that a ghost does live in the house. But she doesn’t feel upset in the least. Rather when she hears the cries of the ghost, she offers him medicine thinking that he is ill. On the whole, Mrs. Otis gives the impression of a beautiful woman with no real depth of mind.

Q9. Give in brief a character-sketch of Washington.

Ans. Washington is the eldest son of the Otis family. He was given this name by his parents in a moment of patriotism. He was a good-looking young man who had qualified himself for American diplomacy. In his own country as well as in London, he was well-known as an excellent dancer. Like his parents, he, too, didn’t believe in ghosts. When Mrs. Umney related the story behind the blood-stain, he said, “That is all nonsense.” He at once took out a stain remover and rubbed it on the blood-stain. In a few moments, no trace of the blood-stain could be seen on the floor. But when the blood-stain reappeared every time after it was removed, Washington and others of his family had to admit the existence of the ghost. The ghost on his part bore a deep grudge against Washington for removing the blood-stain every time he made it. Washington, on the whole, is an amusing character in the story.

Q10. What idea of Virginia’s character do you form from your study of The Canterville Ghosts?

Ans. Miss. Virginia E. Otis was a girl of fifteen. She was as lively and lovely as a fawn. She once outraced a certain Lord Bilton on her pony. The young Duke of Cheshire was so delighted that he at once proposed to her. Virginia proves to be the best character in the story. She is the only one in her family who doesn’t mock at the ghost. She does nothing to annoy the ghost who, she knows, is the restless spirit of Sir Simon de Canterville. She believes the story told by the housekeeper, Mrs Umney. She hates Sir Simon for killing his wife, yet she prays to the Angel of Death to have mercy on him and give him the peace of Death. It is only because of her that the ghost gets a proper burial and can now have the peace of Death in his grave. We have to agree with the young Duke when he says, “What an angel you are”.

Q11. What idea do you form of the Otis twins from your study of ‘The Canterville Ghost’.

Ans. The Otis twins are the most lively and carefree characters in the story. They are usually called the Star and Stripes as they are always getting swished. They are true republicans. They never lose any opportunity to tease the poor ghost. They throw on him a jug of water, shout a loud ‘BOO’ in his ears, shoot peas at him, frighten him by making a white curtain look like a ghost, and stretch strings across the corridor over which he trips in the dark. Fed up with these mischiefs of the twins, the ghost at last decides to teach them a lesson. But even his plan of revenge rebounds on him when he appears before them in the character of the Headless Earl. But we can excuse the twins for all their acts of mischief because what is left of a child if there were no fun or naughtiness in them. We must not forget that it is only one of the twins who draws the attention of the family to the blossoming of the withered almond-tree in the churchyard. The blossoming of the withered tree symbolises what Virginia says : “God has forgiven him.”

Q12. Give a brief character-sketch of the Duke of Cheshire.

Ans. The Duke of Cheshire is a romantic youth who is deeply in love with Virginia. He sees her once riding a pony and outracing a certain Lord Bilton. He is so overcome by her beauty that he proposes to her on the spot. He was then just a school-going boy. His parents are so shocked at his premature amorousness that, in floods of tears, they send him back to Eton. However, the Duke’s love for Virginia is really very deep and true. When Virginia is thought to have been lost, he refuses to have any dinner as long as Virginia is ‘lost’. When after their marriage, Virginia refuses to share with him the secret of her meeting the ghost, he doesn’t get angry at all. Rather he says, “You can have your secret as long as I have your heart.” To this Virginia says, “You have always had that, Cecil.” Surely such a loving pair deserves the choicest of God’s blessings.

Q13. What idea do you form of Lord Canterville’s character from your study of ‘The Canterville Ghost’?

Ans. Lord Canterville is the present owner of the Canterville Chase. He wants to dispose it of since it is a haunted place. But he is a very fair and honest person. He doesn’t want to keep the prospective buyer in any doubt about it. When Mr. Otis comes to discuss the terms with him, he tells him very plainly, “We have not cared to live in the place ourselves,” He also relates specific incidents to show how the previous occupants of the house were frightened by the ghost on different occasions. He also says that the ghost makes its appearance before the death of any member of the family.

“So does the family doctor,” says Mr. Otis mockingly, since he doesn’t believe in ghosts. Whether ghosts exist or not, that is a debatable question, but there can be no debate on Lord Canterville’s honesty and integrity. This becomes all the more evident at the end of the story when he refuses to have the jewels that the Canterville ghost has given to Virginia. He says to Mr. Otis, “My dear sir, your charming little daughter rendered my unlucky ancestor, Sir Simon, very important service and I and my family are much indebted to her. The jewels are clearly hers.” To conclude, we can say that next to Virginia, Lord Canterville is the most praiseworthy character in the story.