Who Is Dr. Rappaccini? What Is His Role In The Story "The Rappaccini's Daughter"?

Dr. Rappaccini is a tall, thin, sickly-looking man. He always looks in black dress.

He is a past middle age with gray hair and a face marked with learning. It appears from his face that he has been serious and strict.

We learn most of the facts about Rappaccini through the reporting of Professor Baglioni to Giovanni and his appearance, actions, talk in the garden and on the road.
Firstly we notice that Dr. Rappiccini is a thorough scholar and researcher of plants. He grows plants with his own hands, and has produced new kinds of vegetable poison.
Secondly, we note that he is cruelly selfish in his carelessness. He easily and criminally allows his own loving daughter, Beatrice, to be ruined in the care of his plants.

Thirdly, we note that Rappaccini exercises extreme carefulness in the preparation of his vegetable poisons just to keep alive for the purposes of further research. Otherwise, he does not care if he loses his own life in some scientific discovery. That is why Baglioni says that though he is a man of science he has a doubtful character.

Fourthly, Rappaccini tries to use every human being as a tool to promote his own scientific work. Thus, when he sees Giovanni in the company of his daughter he feels happy because poison experiments can be performed upon him through his daughter.

Finally, there is no doubt that Rappaccini is a great scientist and man of unusual ability. But he has misdirected his energy and ability towards the development of poisonous plants and flowers. His abilities could have been used by the best scientific research centers all over the world. He could have worked on the development of some new agricultural methods for growing better plants