Pietro Baglioni Character Analysis

Pietro Baglioni is a prominent physician of Padua, a university professor, and an old friend of Giovanni’s father who chooses to take the young medical student under his wing. Baglioni is an older, stately, seemingly jovial man with one exception—he strongly dislikes his professional rival, Giacomo Rappaccini. When he discovers that Giovanni has taken an interest in Rappaccini’s daughter, he warns the young man in strong terms to be on guard against foul play. Baglioni also resolves to himself that he will use his medical knowledge to protect the youth from wrongdoing. Hawthorne often depicts Baglioni as a nuisance to Giovanni, who would prefer to daydream about Beatrice instead of seeking Baglioni’s advice. After making inquiries without Giovanni’s permission, Baglioni uncovers that Beatrice is a poisonous woman. He says as much to Giovanni using a story about one such a woman who was gifted to Alexander the Great. Baglioni encourages Giovanni to confront Beatrice and find out whether he is correct—if so, he instructs Giovanni to administer an antidote that Baglioni has received from a colleague. Baglioni watches from Giovanni’s window, and after Beatrice drinks the so-called antidote and dies, Baglioni rebukes Rappaccini (with a mixture of horror and triumph) for meddling with nature, suggesting that the death of his daughter is a just reward. All in all, Baglioni seems at first to be a man of reason with good intentions (to protect Giovanni), but his jealousy over a professional rivalry leads him to harm both Giovanni and Beatrice. This shows that even doctors—consummate men of reason—are sometimes irrational, and that the bad parts of a person’s nature often outweigh the good.