In "Rappuccini's Daughter", a short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1844, many conflicts occur, both thematic and characteristic, which help illustrate the gothic and epic themes of Hawthorne. The conflicts between modern science and morality, good and evil, and human flaws are all made apparent. Four main characters are presented as vessels for Hawthorne's grand plan: Giacomo Rappaccini, Professor Baglioni, Giovanni Guasconti, and Beatrice. Dr. Giacomo Rappaccini is a brilliant scientist, mainly focused in the botanical sciences. From his first introduction into the story, no evidence of an antagonistic role is made palpable. However, this is far from the case. Rappaccini has 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 this character's true nature and role in the story. As Hawthorne states about Rappaccini in his garden:“. . .despite profound intelligence on his part, there was no approach to intimacy between him and these plant existences. On the contrary, he avoided their direct contact, or the direct inhalation of their odors, with a caution that made a very unpleasant impression on Giovanni; for the man's behavior was that of one who walks among evil influences, such as wild beasts, deadly serpents, or evil spirits, which, if he gave them a moment's license, would bring upon him a terrible fatality. It was strangely frightening to the young man's imagination to see this air of insecurity in a person who cultivated a garden, the simplest and most innocent of human toils, and who had been like the joy and toil of the unfallen parents of the race. Was this garden then the Eden of today's world? And this man, with such a sense of harm in what his own hands had grown, was he the Adam? (p. 649-650)On this statement the conflict of his attempt to interpret the role of God and science in relation to nature is presented. Rappaccini is a man completely diluted by his own intellect.