In "Rappuccini's Daughter", a tale written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1844, many conflicts, both thematic and characteristic, take place and help to illustrate the themes Hawthorne's gothic and epic works. The conflicts between modern science and morality, good and evil, and the inherent flaws of human beings are all highlighted. Four main characters are presented as the vessels of Hawthorne's grand scheme: Giacomo Rappaccini, Professor Baglioni, Giovanni Guasconti and Beatrice. Doctor Giacomo Rappaccini is a brilliant scientist, focusing primarily on botanical sciences. When first introduced into the story, no evidence of an antagonistic role is palpable. However, this is far from the case. Rappaccini created what appears to be “the Garden of Eden”. A botanical garden on its estate, it is home to dozens of glorious breeds and varieties of flowers. He spends most of his time in the garden or doing other scientific experiments. As the deception of appearances becomes clearer, we begin to realize the true nature and role of this character in the story. As Hawthorne says of Rappaccini in his garden: “. . .despite the deep intelligence on his part, there was no approach of intimacy between him and these plant existences. On the contrary, he avoided touching them, or directly breathing their odors, with a caution which impressed Giovanni very unpleasantly; for the attitude of this man was that of one walking among malignant influences, such as wild beasts, or deadly serpents, or evil spirits, who, if he gave them a moment's license, would would inflict a terrible fatality. It was strangely frightening to the young man's imagination to see this air of insecurity in a person cultivating a garden, the simplest and most innocent of human labors, and which had been both the joy and the labor of parents free from the breed. Was this garden the Eden of the current world? And was this man, with such a perception of the evil that his own hands were growing, Adam? (p. 649-650) This statement presents the conflict of his attempt to play the role of God and science against nature. Rappaccini is a man completely diluted by his own intellect.