The Canterville Ghost III Summary

Summary

At breakfast the Otis family discusses the ghost and treats him with practical contempt rather than fear; the Minister jokes about throwing pillows and removing the ghost's chains, while the twins laugh. For the rest of the week the only mysterious occurrence is the ever-changing blood-stain on the library floor, whose shifting colours amuse the household though it distresses little Virginia. The twins place bets on the stain's hue, but Virginia remains quietly upset by it.

The ghost makes a dramatic second appearance when a suit of armour falls and he appears rubbing his knees; the twins shoot pea pellets at him and the Minister aims a revolver, and the ghost vanishes after Mrs. Otis offers him a bottle of medicine. He injures himself trying to wear his old suit of mail and spends days ill, then plans a grand third assault. On a stormy night he sets out to terrify each family member in turn, but is stopped in his tracks by a grotesque imitation spectre placed in the corridor; terrified, he flees and later discovers the imitation was a trick of household objects and a placard reading YE OTIS GHOSTE... Beware of Ye Imitationes. Outraged, he swears an antique oath of vengeance that should be validated by a second crowing of a cock, but the omen fails and he retires, baffled and humiliated, to brood in his coffin.

Key events

1. Family breakfast treats the ghost with humour; Minister complains about pillows and chains.
2. The blood-stain on library floor continually renews and changes colour, upsetting Virginia.
3. Ghost appears with armour; twins shoot him with pea-shooters and Minister points a revolver.
4. Mrs. Otis offers the ghost Doctor Dobell's tincture, undermining his terror.
5. Ghost injures himself in his old suit of mail and recovers to plan another attack.
6. A contrived imitation spectre frightens the ghost; he discovers a placard branding imitations.
7. He swears an oath of vengeance that depends on a cock's crow, but the omen fails.

Analysis

This section undercuts traditional Gothic terror by juxtaposing the ghost's proud, antiquated rituals with the pragmatic irreverence of the American family. Wilde emphasises cultural clash: Sir Simon embodies Old-World ceremony, chivalric spectacle and poetic self-importance, while the Otises treat supernatural events with Yankee commonsense, humour, and consumer remedies (revolvers, lubricator, detergents, patent medicines). The recurring blood-stain functions as a muted, unreliable sign of haunting—its kaleidoscopic colours invite betting and mockery rather than dread, while Virginia's distress hints at genuine sensitivity and moral seriousness in contrast to the rest of the household's materialism.

Narratively, the chapter advances the comic inversion central to the story: the ghost's carefully staged performances repeatedly fail or backfire, producing farce rather than horror. Wilde uses vivid physical comedy (pea-shooters, falling armour, the imitation spectre made of household objects) to deflate Sir Simon's dignity and to expose the performative nature of haunting. The placard—'YE OTIS GHOSTE... Beware of Ye Imitationes'—is both a wound to his vanity and a meta-comment on authenticity and parody. The chapter also foreshadows further encounters in which different family members (especially Virginia) will react differently, marking early fractures in how characters relate to the supernatural and setting up thematic tensions between compassion, ridicule, and the possibility of moral recognition.

Important quotes

“"I have no wish," he said, "to do the ghost any personal injury, and I must say that, considering the length of time he has been in the house, I don't think it is at all polite to throw pillows at him,"”

Hiram B. OtisThe Minister treats the ghost lightly at breakfast, revealing the family's practical, mocking attitude.

“"I am afraid you are far from well," she said, "and have brought you a bottle of Doctor Dobell's tincture. If it is indigestion, you will find it a most excellent remedy."”

Mrs. OtisMrs. Otis calmly offers a patent remedy when the ghost attempts a terrifying laugh, further deflating his menace.

“"YE OTIS GHOSTE Ye Onlie True and Originale Spook, Beware of Ye Imitationes. All others are counterfeite."”

Narrator (on the placard)The ghost discovers an imitation spectre with this placard, realising he has been tricked and humiliated.

Characters in III

• Hiram B. Otis
• Mrs. Otis
• Virginia Otis
• Washington Otis
• The Otis Twins
• Sir Simon de Canterville
• Lord Canterville