The Canterville Ghost - eliGreenwich

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The Canterville Ghost is a short story written by Oscar Wilde and first published in 1887 in serial form in The Court and Society Review, a magazine read by the upper classes. It was republished in 1891 as a part of a collection of short stories.

It tells the story of a rich American family that comes to live in a haunted aristocratic house in England. The style is part fairy tale, part gothic novel and part comic ghost story. The main themes are the cultural differences between middle-class Americans and the upper class British and the conflict between the public self and the private self.

Oscar Wilde

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Oscar Wilde The Canterville Ghost

Born in Dublin in 1854, he was a poet, novelist and playwright. Even as a boy he was noted for his intelligence and social wit, which led him to be invited to the most popular cultural gatherings of his day. He travelled widely and gave talks in European and American cities, gaining fame as an aesthete. His literary genius created masterpieces, which have led him to be considered one of the greatest writers of all times. Amongst his best known works are The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Happy Prince.

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The Canterville Ghost

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Oscar Wilde

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The Pleasure of Reading

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The Greenwich Meridian is the imaginary line that is exactly at 0° longitude: every place on Earth is measured from this line, known as the Prime Meridian.

Here, east and west meet.

Just as the Greenwich Meridian is the meeting place between space and time, the eliGreenwich series is the meeting place of all those readers who immerse themselves in different times and spaces in these pages, discovering characters, stories, and real or imaginary worlds.

It is a journey that crosses civilizations, seas, and known or unexplored lands, on its ideal route from the North Pole to the South Pole. A journey that is an adventure: the adventure of reading, of losing yourself in the pages of a book.

Welcome to The Canterville Ghost Information about the author, the story and the historical period.

The text with cultural details, brief summaries and glossary.

Brief descriptions of the main characters.

A wide variety of activities covering Cambridge Exam Certificates, State exams, 21st Century Skills and 2030 Agenda topics.

Pre-reading activities.

A final test to check what you remember.

A transcript of one of the most important scenes from the story to act out together in class.

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Oscar Wilde

The Canterville Ghost

Retold by Catrin Morris

Illustrated by Toni Demuro

Legenda

PRELIMINARY

Drama

INVALSI

Glossario

Esame di Stato

Agenda 2030

Costituzione e Cittadinanza

21st Century Skills

Lewis Carroll Alice in Wonderland Oscar Wilde The Canterville Ghost D.H. Wells, G. Orwell, E.A. Poe, S.O. Jewett, V. Woolf One Planet, One Goal Mary Shelley Frankenstein Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Sign of the Four E. Gaskell, K. Chopin, K. Mansfield, V. Woolf, E.Wharton Portraits of Women Robert Louis Stevenson The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Geoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury Tales Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice

Series Editors Paola Accattoli, Grazia Ancillani Art Director Daniele Garbuglia Graphic Design Emilia Coari Production Manager Francesco Capitano Photo Credits Shutterstock © 2022 ELi, Gruppo editoriale ELi

Printed in Italy by

Tecnostampa - Pigini Group Printing Division, Loreto - Trevi 22.83.228.0

ISBN

ENG010-01

978-88-536-3778-9

www.gruppoeli.it

Contents 6

Dossier 1 Oscar Wilde: Life and Work

10

Characters

12

Pre-reading Activities

16 22

Chapter 1 Canterville Chase Activities

26 32

Chapter 2 The Ghost Activities

36 42

Chapter 3 Disappointment Activities

46

Dossier 2 Oscar Wilde and the Victorian Society

50 56

Chapter 4 The trick Activities

60 66

Chapter 5 Revenge Activities

70 76

Chapter 6 Virginia Activities

80

Dossier 3 The Canterville Ghost on Screen

84 90

Chapter 7 Lost and Found Activities

94 100

Chapter 8 A Funeral and a Marriage Activities

104

Final Test

110

Drama

112

My Book

Dossier

Oscar Wilde: Life and Work Quick facts Name: Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde Born: Dublin, Ireland on October 16, 1854 Died: in Paris, France on November 30, 1900 (aged 46) Nationality: Irish Married to: Constance Lloyd Children: two sons - Cyril and Vyvyan Education: Classics* at Trinity College, Dublin and Magdalen College, Oxford Key works: The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), Lady Windermere’s Fan (1892), The Importance of Being Earnest (1895)

After Wilde’s death an envelope appeared with the lines ‘My Isola’s Hair’ and ‘She is not dead but sleepeth.’

6

Early life Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1854.

His father, Sir William Wilde, was an important ear and eye surgeon*, but he also wrote books. His mother, Lady Jane Francesca Elgee, was a poet and journalist.

Oscar had an older brother, Willie, and a younger sister, Isola Francesca, who died aged 10 when Oscar was 12;

some say the character of Virginia is based on her.

Though his home life was full of culture*, it was not easy.

He was very close to his mother, but his father was well known for relationships outside his marriage. Oscar caused public scandal* when details of his own relationships came out after he fought a libel case*.

classics (n.pl.) the study of ancient Greek and Latin literature, philosophy, and history surgeon (n.) a doctor who cuts open people’s bodies in hospital culture (n.) music, writing and other arts scandal (n.) a situation where important people do things which shock society libel case (n.) a legal decision in the courts about whether something written about someone is true or not

History later repeated itself in Oscar Wilde’s own life.

Nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.

Education Oscar was homeschooled until the age of nine

by French and German teachers.

After that, he studied at Portora Royal School in Enniskillen, before getting a scholarship* to read classics at Trinity College Dublin. He was an excellent student, winning He spoke perfect French and German all his life.

many prizes, and another scholarship to Magdalen College in Oxford.

While at Oxford University he became involved in the Aesthetic Movement and was a well-known poseur* and a wit*.

He also won the Newdigate Prize for his long poem, Ravenna, in 1878.

The Aesthetic Movement in 1880s England believed in ‘art for art’s sake’ not art as a way to teach people right from wrong.

The Newdigate Prize is a prize for students of the University of Oxford for poetry.

If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.

Travel, writing and family After university, Wilde published* his first collection of poetry, Poems.

Then he travelled around the United States and Canada for a year, giving lectures* about art and beauty. Back in Great Britain he gave lectures about his experiences in America.

The collection of poetry was less successful in England than in America.

scholarship (n.) money given to a clever student to study poseur (n.) showing that you think a lot of yourself wit (n.) someone who uses words in a funny and clever way publish (v.) write and sell somethings that people want to read, watch or play lecture (n.) talking about something in front of an audience

7

There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.

On May 29, 1884, Oscar married Constance Lloyd, daughter of a rich lawyer.

They had two sons, Cyril (1885) and Vyvyan (1886).

During this period Oscar worked as a journalist for different newspapers and as the editor* of Woman’s World magazine. He also published three collections of short stories, including The Happy Prince and Other Tales (1888).

Dorian Gray is a young man who sells himself to the devil so that he can stay young and beautiful.

Important works The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), was Wilde’s only novel*, and people attacked it because of its dangerous ideas. Wilde wrote his best work for the theatre: Lady Windermere’s Fan (1892), A Woman of No Importance (1893), An Ideal Husband (1895), and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895). The plays were clever and made fun of Victorian society.

Many of the lines from his plays have become famous sayings still used today.

8

editor (n.) a person who corrects a book, newspaper or magazine novel (n.) a long, invented story.

Wilde first told these stories at dinner parties, intending them for adults, although many children read them.

Scandal, prison and death Wilde began a relationship with Bosie, Lord Alfred Douglas, and his marriage ended.

In April 1895 he took a libel case out against Bosie’s father, the Marquis of Queensberry, after he accused him of homosexuality, which was against

the law at that time.

Wilde lost and the police arrested him.

He went to prison for two years of hard labour. There, he wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898) about the terrible life in prison.

He died without any money in Paris on 30 November 1900.

The Marquis of Queensbury first wrote the rules of boxing, named after him.

Men had to do hard physical work in prison, which often killed them.

Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.

9

Characters Virginia Otis is a pretty, young American woman of around fifteen years old.

The Canterville Ghost was Sir Simon Canterville, an English aristocrat, who murdered his wife.

The Duke of Cheshire is a rich young man of about 20, who wants to marry Virginia.

10

Hiram B. Otis is a rich middle-aged, American politician, who buys Canterville Chase.

Mrs Lucretia Tappan Otis is a beautiful and elegant middle-aged woman, who is married to Hiram.

Stars and Stripes are the naughty young twins of the Otis family.

Washington Otis is a young man of about 20, and the eldest son of Mr and Mrs Otis.

Mrs Umney is an old woman who looks after the Ottis family at Canterville Chase.

11

PRE-READING ACTIVITIES

Reading Comprehension 1

Answer the following questions.

1

2

Where was Oscar Wilde born?

A America B England What did he write?

A All of the following C

3

5

B

Novels

Plays D

Poems

Oxford

D

Ireland

Sorbonne

In which period did Wilde live?

A Georgian B Stuart C

Tudor

D

Victorian

Which movement was he a part of?

A Aesthetic B Modernist C

6

D

France

At which university did Wilde study?

A Cambridge B Harvard C

4

C

D

Realist

Which of these is not true?

A He died at 46.

B

He had no children.

C

D

He went to prison.

Pre-Raphaelite

He was married.

Vocabulary – Categorising 2

New American and old English families meet in the story of The Canterville Ghost. Put the words in the correct column. aristocrat modern money Mr politician social position Sir traditional AMERICAN

12

ENGLISH

Vocabulary – Matching 3

Match the words and pictures.

1

2

4

3

5

A

carriage

B

chain

C

detergent

D

jug

E

oil

F

skeleton

6

Vocabulary – Word Formation 4

Form new words.

1 blood

arms

___________________________

2 coat of

armour

___________________________

3 fire

keeper

___________________________

4 foot

less

___________________________

5 head

moon

___________________________

6 honey

man

___________________________

7 house

natural

___________________________

8 hunts

place

___________________________

9 super

stain

___________________________

10 suit of

step

___________________________

Vocabulary – Sentence Completion 5

Complete the sentence with words from exercise 4.

1

A ________________ manages a big house.

2

You build a fire in a ________________.

3

________________ things are not included in science or the laws of nature.

4

People, families and places can have a ________________ belonging to them.

13

FINAL TEST PRE-READING ACTIVITIES

5

You go on a ________________ after you get married.

6

A ________________ goes out and catches wild animals.

7

A ________________ ghost only has a body.

8

Soldiers used to wear a ________________ in the past to fight.

9

A ________________ is a mark of red liquid.

10 You can hear a ________________ when someone walks across the

ground.

Reading Comprehension 6

Compete the family trees with names from the box.

Duke of Cheshire Lord Canterville Stripes Washington

Sir Simon Canterville

Mrs Otis

Mr Hiram Otis = (2)___________________

___________________

(1)

___________________

(3)

___________________ = Virginia

(4)

7

14

Stars and (5)___________________

What are the relationships between the characters? Complete the sentences.

1

Sir Simon Canterville is Lord Canterville’s relative / servant.

2

Mr and Mrs Otis are divorced / married.

3

Washington is their eldest / youngest child.

4

The Duke of Cheshire hates / loves Virginia.

5

Stars and Stripes are cousins / twins.

6

Mr Otis bought / sold Canterville Chase from / to Lord Canterville.

8

Put these events from the story in the correct order.

A

Mrs Umney tells the story of the ghost and the bloodstain.

B

The ghost tries to scare the Otis family.

C

The Otis family moves into Canterville Chase.

D

The Otis family tries to stop the ghost from haunting the house.

E

Virginia feels sorry for the ghost and helps him.

F

Washington cleans the bloodstain away.

Writing 9

Answer these questions from your own point of view.

Do you believe in ghosts? Why? / Why not? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 1

Have you ever stayed somewhere you heard strange noises or saw strange things? What happened? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 2

Imagine you are in the situation of the Otis family. You move into a new house and you see a bloodstain on the floor. What do you do? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 3

Now imagine you meet a ghost. What do you think he or she looks like and sounds like? What do you say to him or her? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 4

15

Chapter 1

Canterville Chase 2 People told Mr Otis not to buy Canterville Chase because it had a ghost.

An old-fashioned way of saying great-aunt.

Lord Canterville explains all the reasons why his family will not live in the house.

16

Everyone told Mr Hiram B. Otis, the American politician, that he was doing a very stupid thing buying Canterville Chase, as it was haunted*. Lord Canterville himself, who was a man of honour*, felt it his duty to mention the fact to Mr Otis when they were agreeing the sale.

‘We have not wanted to live in the place ourselves,’ said Lord Canterville, ‘since my grand-aunt, the Doweger Duchess* of Bolton, was so frightened by two skeleton* hands on her shoulders as she was dressing for dinner that she was never the same again.

I have to tell you, Mr Otis, that several living members of my family have seen the ghost. The local priest, the Rev. Augustus Dampier, of Cambridge University has seen it too. After the Duchess’ unlucky accident, none of our younger servants* would stay with us, and the strange noises from the corridor and the library kept my wife awake at night.’

‘My Lord,’ answered the politician, ‘I will take the furniture and the ghost. I have come from a modern haunted (adj.) a place where there are ghosts honour (n.) knowing the right thing to do Dowager Duchess (n.) rich, woman who gets a title or land after her husband dies skeleton (n.) all the bones of the human body together servant (n.) a person who works in a big, rich house

Chapter 1 Canterville Chase

3

country, where we have everything that money can buy. 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.’

‘I’m afraid that the ghost exists,’ said Lord Canterville, smiling, ‘though nobody may yet have taken it back to your country. It has been well known for three centuries, since 1584 in fact, and always appears before the death of any member of our family.’

‘Well, so does the family doctor, Lord Canterville.

But there is no such thing, sir, as a ghost, and I guess the British aristocracy* cannot stop the laws of nature.’

‘You are certainly very natural in America,’ answered Lord Canterville, who did not quite understand Mr Otis, ‘and if you don’t mind a ghost in the house, that’s all right. Only you must remember I warned you.’

A few weeks after this, the sale was complete, and the Otis family went to Canterville Chase.

Mrs Otis was a celebrated New York belle before she married. She was now a very good-looking, middle-aged woman, with fine eyes and an excellent face. And she was healthy and full of energy.

Mrs Otis was English in every way, an excellent example of the fact that we have everything in common* with America these days, except, of course, the language. aristocracy (n.) the highest social group in some societies in common with (exp.) the same as

Mr Otis explains why he doesn’t believe in ghosts and Lord Canterville explains why he does.

‘I guess’ is an American way of saying ‘I suppose’.

The family are on their way to Canterville Chase and we meet Mrs Otis for the first time.

‘Belle’ a way of saying beautiful, young, society ladies in the past.

‘Fine’ here is the old-fashioned way of saying grand like a Lady.

This is a famous saying

by Oscar Wilde, which shows how different American and British English is.

17