Previous
Washington Otis
Lord Canterville was the previous owner of Canterville Chase, prior to its sale to Mr. Otis. He inherited the home from his grandaunt, the Dowager Duchess. Lord Canterville never lived at the estate, both because his servants refused to stay there, and because his wife, Lady Canterville, was unable to sleep there—all owing to Sir Simon’s antics. Lord Canterville pays a great deal of attention to propriety, always ensuring that things are done the proper way. For instance, he’s sure to tell Mr. Otis about Sir Simon’s existence prior to the sale of the estate and is quick to allow Virginia to keep the jewels that Sir Simon presents to her. He also arranges the grand funeral for Sir Simon’s newly discovered body, even though Lord Canterville’s ancestor had been dead for hundreds of years. In this way, Lord Canterville is representative of the aristocracy in general.
Lord Canterville Quotes in The Canterville Ghost
The The Canterville Ghost quotes below are all either spoken by Lord Canterville or refer to Lord Canterville. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 1 Quotes
I have come from a modern country, where we have everything that money can buy […] I reckon that if there were such a thing as a ghost in Europe, we’d have it at home in a very short time in one of our public museums, or on the road as a show.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Mr. Otis has just refuted Lord Canterville’s contention that Canterville Chase is haunted and assures him that, were such a thing as haunting even possible, the Americans would have long ago found a way to commercialize it (and ghosts in general). This quote illustrates commercialism’s role in the text, showing that, to the Americans, everything—even the disembodied spirit of a man—can be bought and sold. Indeed, Mr. Otis goes on to prove his assertation, buying Canterville Chase along with the ghost from Lord Canterville. This purchase, he feels, gives him rights over the ghost, as he demonstrates when he later Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dol
Chapter 4 Quotes
He had not appeared in this disguise for more than seventy years; in fact, not since he had so frightened pretty Lady Barbara Modish by means of it, that she suddenly broke off her engagement with the present Lord Canterville's grandfather, and ran away to Gretna Green with handsome Jack Castletown,
declaring that nothing in the world would induce her to marry into a family that allowed such a horrible phantom to walk up and down the terrace at twilight. Poor Jack was afterwards shot in a duel by Lord Canterville on Wandsworth Common, and Lady Barbara died of a broken heart at Tunbridge Wells before the year was out. So, in every way, it had been a great success.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
In this passage, Sir Simon is preparing one of his most outlandish, over-the-top scares to date—one he’s sure will terrify Washington, the twins, the Otis parents, and even young Virginia. While Sir Simon has gained much of the audience’s sympathy simply by how pitiful he appears to be, moments like these serve as a stark reminder that Sir Simon is essentially evil. He is a murderer, and beyond that, a fiend who takes great delight in ruining the lives of others—even driving them to suicide. Realizing this helps to elevate Virginia’s role in the story, as we’re reminded that she’s Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. P
Chapter 7 Quotes
Under these circumstances, Lord Canterville, I feel sure that you will recognize how impossible it would be for me to allow them to remain in the possession of any member of my family; and, indeed, all such vain gauds and toys, however suitable or necessary to the dignity of the British aristocracy, would be completely out of place among those who have been brought up on the severe, and I believe immortal, principles of Republican simplicity.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Just before his passing on, Sir Simon gives Virginia a box full of beautiful jewels. In this passage, Mr. Otis offers to return them to Lord Canterville at Sir Simon’s funeral, but Lord Canterville firmly refuses. Mr. Otis’ long-winded explanation of why the jewels can’t be kept sounds haughty, and it threatens to reestablish the old feud between the British aristocracy and American vulgarity that Virginia has done such wonderful work eschewing. Luckily, however, Lord Canterville has the decorum necessary to know that he ought not to steal the young girl’s gift. In turn, the jewels help Virginia enter into Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam c
Get the entire The Canterville Ghost LitChart as a printable PDF.
"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
Lord Canterville Character Timeline in The Canterville Ghost
The timeline below shows where the character Lord Canterville appears in The Canterville Ghost. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
Mr. Hirsham B. Otis, an American minister, has just purchased the estate Canterville Chase from Lord Canterville . Canterville Chase, Lord Canterville explains, has been the home of the Canterville family for...
(full context)
Mr. Otis laughs at Lord Canterville ’s belief in haunting, saying that the Otis family comes from America, a modern country...
(full context)
Chapter 2
...morning, as well. Mr. Otis begins to wonder if he was too quick to dismiss Lord Canterville ’s warnings about a ghost. Mrs. Otis ponders joining a spiritualist society and Washington writes...
(full context)
Chapter 3
...Otis—he remembers that this has worked well for him in the past against the current Lord Canterville ’s uncle. However, as Mr. Otis and the twins are quickly approaching, Sir Simon instead...
(full context)
Chapter 4
...Otis is so sure that Sir Simon is gone, he writes a triumphant letter to Lord Canterville about Sir Simon’s departure.
(full context)
Chapter 7
Since Sir Simon’s physical body has at last been discovered, Lord Canterville arranges a grand funeral for Sir Simon, which is attended by the Otis family and...
(full context)
