Sir Simon Canterville, The Canterville Ghost
Sir Simon Canterville was a 16th-century English aristocrat who lived at Canterville Chase, where he murdered his wife. As a result, when he died nine years later, he became a ghost destined to haunt the house rather than moving on to a peaceful afterlife. He initially enjoyed his fame as the Canterville ghost, but after his unpleasant encounters with the Otis family, he begins to long for peaceful repose.
Virginia Otis
The adolescent daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Otis. She comes to live at Canterville Chase along with her family, and is one of few characters to show sympathy to the ghost.
Duke of Cheshire
The Duke of Cheshire is a wealthy young English aristocrat who falls in love with, and eventually marries, Virginia Otis.
Hiram B. Otis
Hiram Otis is a wealthy, middle-aged American man who purchases Canterville Chase in order to live there with his family. he is a pragmatic and no-nonsense character, but he also seems to be quite a lenient father since he makes no attempt to discipline his children for unruly behavior.
Lucretia Tappan Otis (Mrs. Otis)
Lucretia is the wife of Hiram Otis, and mother to Washington, Virginia, and the twins.
Stars and Stripes (the Otis twins)
The youngest Otis children are a set of twin boys who are never named in the story, instead referred to as "Stars and Stripes." They spend most of the story tormenting the ghost, and they do not seem to be afraid of him at all.
Washington Otis
Washington is the eldest child of the Otis family.
Mrs. Umney
Mrs. Umney works as the housekeeper at Canterville Chase. She is initially employed by the Canterville family, but she continues to work there after the Otis family buys the property and moves in.
Lord Canterville
Lord Canterville is an English aristocrat and the descendant of Sir Simon. At the start of the story, he sells his ancestral family home to the Otis family.
Rev. Augustus Dampier
A well-respected British cleric and intellectual.
