jekyll and hyde good vs evil essay gcse

Key Themes (Jekyll and Hyde)

This section looks at the Key themes in Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Duality of man

Jekyll asserts that “man is not truly one, but truly two,”

Stevenson uses the characters of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde to expresses his beliefs about human duality by introducing them as two contrasting characters. Using two completely different characters with different names and appearances gets his message of human duality across effectively.

Good versus Evil

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is as an allegory about the good and evil that exist in all men, and about our struggle with these two sides of our personality. In the novella the battle between good and evil rages within the individual. Since Hyde seems to be taking over, one could argue that evil is stronger than good. However, Hyde does end up dead, perhaps suggesting a weakness or failure of evil. The big question, of course, is whether or not good can be separated from evil, or whether the two are forever intertwined.

Repression is indisputably a cause of troubles in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The repression here is that of Victorian Britain: no sexual appetites, no violence, and no great expressions of emotion, at least in the public sphere. Everything is sober and dignified. The more Jekyll’s forbidden appetites are repressed, the more he desires the life of Hyde, and the stronger Hyde grows. We see this after Dr. Jekyll’s two-month hiatus from being Hyde; Dr. Jekyll finds that the pull to evil has been magnified after months of repression.

Friendship and Loyalty

Friendship in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde serves to drive the plot forward. Aside from human curiosity, Utterson is compelled to uncover the mystery of the evil man because of his friendship with Dr. Jekyll. In trying to unravel the secret, he uncovers crucial pieces of information. In this sense, friendship acts as both a motivator and an enabler. As for the friendship between Dr. Lanyon and Dr. Jekyll, it’s certainly not as unconditional as the loyalty Mr Utterson bears for Dr. Jekyll. Instead, it’s fraught with competition, anger, and eventually an irreconcilable quarrel. We see that friendships can be ruined by differences of opinion.

Appearances and Reputation

Appearances figure in the novel both figuratively and literally. Dr. Jekyll definitely wants to keep up a well-respected façade, even though he has a lot of unsavoury tendencies. In a literal sense, the appearances of buildings in the novel reflect the character of the building’s inhabitants. Dr.Jekyll has a comfortable and well-appointed house, but Mr. Hyde spends most of his time in the "dingy windowless structure" of the doctor’s laboratory.

In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, curiosity drives the characters to seek knowledge. This curiosity is either suppressed or fulfilled in each character. Curiosity lacks any negative connotation; instead, characters who do not actively seek to unravel the Jekyll and Hyde mystery may be viewed as passive or weak. Finally, the characters’ curiosities are, to some degree, transferred over to the reader; we seek to solve the puzzle along with Mr. Utterson.

Lies and Deceit

The plot is frequently driven forward by secrecy and deception; Mr.Utterson doesn’t know the relationship between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and he wants to find out. Also, by omitting the scenes of Mr. Hyde’s supposedly crazy debauchery, Stevenson allows our imaginations to run to wild and fill in the gaps.

This novel details two crimes of violence against innocent and helpless citizens: first, a little girl, and second, an elderly man. The violence in the novel centres on Mr. Hyde, and raises the question as to whether or not violence is an inherent part of man’s nature.

God and Satan figure prominently in this text, as well as many general references to religion and works of charity. As part of their intellectual lives, the men in the novel discuss various religious works. One sign of Mr. Hyde’s wickedness, for example, is his defacing Dr. Jekyll’s favourite religious work. Mr. Hyde is also frequently likened to Satan.

Women and Femininity

Most female characters in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are passive and weak. The first female we see is a young girl mowed over by Mr. Hyde. Although she is "not much the worse, more frightened, "she still kicks up an incredible fuss and a large group of people come to her aid. The next woman we see is via a maid’s narrative of the Carew murder. After witnessing the murder, she faints, awakening long after the murderer is gone making her a passive spectator.

Science, Reason and the Supernatural

Science Reason and the Supernatural are the main factors in the development of the conflict between Dr. Lanyon and Dr. Jekyll which is integral to the plot. Dr. Lanyon adheres to a more traditional set of scientific notions then Jekyll. In the book science becomes a cover for supernatural activities. Jekyll’s brand of science veers towards the supernatural.

• Literature and Psychology

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: The Duality Between Good and Evil

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Nathan M. ★ 5.0 (1)

University of york - ma philosophy.

Philosophy Master's Graduate from York with a passion for language, learning, and everything academic!

Notes || Exam Prep || Character Profiles || Themes || Additional Reading & Videos

This topic is included in  Paper 1 . You can find notes and guides for it below.

• Overview and Key Scenes
• Glossary of Key Terms
• Key Terms Flashcards
• Guide to Paper 1
• How to plan and write a top mark essay
• Question Bank - Characters
• Question Bank - Context
• Question Bank - Emotion and Tone
• Question Bank - Setting
• Question Bank - Themes

Additional Reading & Videos

• The strange double life of Robert Louis Stevenson
• Law, Science, Facts and Morals in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
• The Beast Within
• A Study in Dualism: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
• Duality in Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
• The effect of Charles Darwin on Victorian literature
• Sigmund Freud and the Psyche

Character Profiles

• Mr Utterson
• Appearance vs Reality
• Secrecy & Reputation
• The Gothic & Supernatural

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DR JEKYLL & MR HYDE ESSAYS ON ALL CHARACTERS, THEMES, SETTING + TENSION. NEW 9-1 GCSE ENG LIT

Last updated

13 April 2022

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Resources included (10)

EXEMPLAR ESSAY on UTTERSON in 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' NEW 9-1 GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE

EXEMPLAR ESSAY on LANYON in 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' NEW 9-1 GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE

EXEMPLAR ESSAY on JEKYLL in 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' NEW 9-1 GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE

EXEMPLAR ESSAY on HYDE in 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' NEW 9-1 GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE

EXEMPLAR ESSAY on the theme of DUALITY in 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' NEW 9-1 GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE

EXEMPLAR ESSAY on the theme of SCIENCE in 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' NEW 9-1 GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE

EXEMPLAR ESSAY on the theme of GOOD VS EVIL in 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' NEW 9-1 GCSE ENG LIT

EXEMPLAR ESSAY on the theme of APPEARANCE VS REALITY in 'Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde' NEW 9-1 GCSE ENG LIT

EXEMPLAR ESSAY on SETTING in 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' NEW 9-1 GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE

EXEMPLAR ESSAY on TENSION in 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' NEW 9-1 GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE

This bundle resource includes essays answering the following questions:

• How is Hyde presented in ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’?
• How is Jekyll presented in ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’?
• How is Lanyon presented in ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’?
• How is Utterson presented in ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’?
• How is the theme of appearance vs reality presented in ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’?
• How is the theme of duality presented in ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’?
• How is the theme of good vs evil presented in ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’?
• How is the theme of science presented in ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’?
• Write about how setting is used to create suspense and tension in ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.’
• Write about how tension is created at different points in the novel, ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.’ **

Each essay is worth 40 marks and this resource is targeted at students sitting the 9-1 GCSE English Literature Exam. Teachers are encouraged to purchase this resource so that they can show their students an exemplar answer to analyse and obtain ideas from.

All essay responses in this resource cover all aspects needed for grade 8/9 answers. More specifically, (Textual References), (Language, Form & Structure) and (Context).

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• Robert Louis Stevenson

How does Stevenson Present Good and Evil in "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde"?

Daniel Griffiths

How does Stevenson Present Good and Evil in

“The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”?

Throughout the story of “The Strange Case Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”, the author, Robert Louis Stevenson, presents his idea of the duality of man- where we all have a dark, wicked side within us, where evil is held in waiting to surface, but we hide it away, we pretend it does not exist, and we keep it tame. He presents this idea by using two protagonists, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, who are actually the same person. One of these characters symbolizes the normal side of a person represented by the respectable Dr Jekyll, who is a typical upper class Victorian, and the other, Mr Hyde, a deformed man, signifies the purest of evil. During the course of this essay I will comment on Stevenson’s presentation of good and evil, and how the two work together to create an outstanding story.

The book “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”  was published in 1886, in Victorian England. The horror story originated from a dream that Stevenson’s had about a split personality and the central suggestion that evil is potentially far stronger than good. When he awoke he immediately set about putting his thoughts into words and finished the first copy in just three days but was forced to burn it because of the disapproval from his wife. He wrote another version, again in just three days. The second copy was published and was an overnight success.

The storyline is about a doctor, who stumbles upon a potion, which he finds can change him into an entirely different person physically. Mr Hyde opens the window for evil deeds, through which Dr Jekyll could commit crimes without ruining his good name. At fist Dr Jekyll can control his transformations, by taking the drugs, and then retaking it to become himself again, however later in the story, Jekyll becomes so obsessed with his "other self" that he begins to lose control of the transformation. Hyde begins to appear merely when Jekyll remembers the wicked deeds he committed. His change from these two characters becomes so uncontrollable that at one point in the story he falls asleep as Dr Jekyll, and then wakes up as Mr. Hyde. Eventually he committed suicide as he could no longer control his actions. Stevenson uses many themes throughout this storyline to present good and evil.

One of the main beliefs in the Victorian society shown in “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”  is physiognomy. We can see this in the story when Stevenson’s describes Mr Hyde as “ugly”,”wicked-looking” and “evil”.   We also see this when the innocent, good character in the situation, Sir Danvers Carew, is described as an “aged and beautiful gentleman with white hair”. This shows that Stevenson could have believed in physiognomy or he used it because it was a key part of Victorian society where the good character is beautiful and the evil character is ugly.

        Another aspect of Victorian society that is shown in the story is hypocrisy. Two examples of this during the novel are when two characters, Richard Enfield and Sir Danvers Carew, are wandering the streets of London in the early hours of the morning. This seems like they were up to something they shouldn’t have been doing. Enfield speaks of the incident when Mr Hyde trampled down the young girl, a figure of innocence. This  was at 3am on the Soho side of London where Enfield could have been being behaving in an unlawful, immoral manner. The other example of hypocrisy that I have mentioned is which Sir Danvers Carew, who was also wandering the London streets in the late hours just before his murder when he could have also been doing something morally wrong manner. Stevenson may have used hypocrisy to remind the reader that not everyone is completely innocent.

Reputation is extremely desirable in the novel and is so desirable that it could be seen as evil as people may do evil things just to maintain their reputation. There was a very strict moral code in the Victorian times which people would be anxious about keeping to, because of the extreme risk of ruining their reputation.   We see this in the first chapter of the story when Mr Jekyll tramples over a little girl and is threatened by her parents that they will ruin his reputation by telling all of his friends and family of the incident.  Enfield says that they will  “make his name stink from one end of London to the other” so Mr Hyde decides to write a cheque for £100 to the family as he knows if things go too far he will be found out. This shows that Mr Hyde would rather lose a massive sum of money, large enough to buy a house, than have a ruined reputation. Stevenson may have used this idea as it will always be relevant, there will always be inequality in the world and one person will always be higher up than another person.

This is a preview of the whole essay

The story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde could be seen as a warning to other societies around the world not to become so overwhelming and repressive and not to keep of all our emotions kept in. Jekyll says, “My Devil had long been caged, and now it came out roaring”   about the murder of Sir Danvers Carew. This shows the consequences of not listening to your inner self. The novel was especially popular in Victorian times because it was relevant to the Victorian reader as it examines Victorian hypocrisy. It also places emphasis on the general sense of unease experienced by the reader, caused by the Victorian society which would have thought that trampling on a little girl was horrific whereas today we see a lot worse things on the television so it doesn’t have the same effect on us.

Unlike most stories this is not only written in one narrative; it is written from multiple viewpoints. It is written in the third person, and there are two narrators, Dr Jekyll and Mr Lanyon. Mr Utterson and Mr Enfield also provide the reader with different perspectives to the story. They are both caught up in the drama as it unfolds and give the reader secondary insight into the events surrounding Dr Jekyll. The amount of narrators could represent that Dr Jekyll keeps changing so we get a new view on the story. Stevenson may changes narrator to keep some of the story hidden from the audience such as the twist that the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde are the same person.

The idea of evil hiding behind a mask is also portrayed by Stevenson in the novel. He represents this idea by using the two main protagonists in the novel, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. We see Dr Jekyll using Mr Hyde as a mask to hide himself away from society so he does not get caught doing something that he should not be doing. However, this idea can be interpreted in another way. Dr Jekyll could be seen as representing the mask of society and Mr. Hyde could be the evil inner self we all fear. This would mean that Jekyll is the mask hiding his real self, Mr Hyde, from society. Whatever way you interpret it, both characters in the book are still hiding their truths behind a mask.

The story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was greatly influenced by Robert Louis Stevenson’s dream but could have also been influenced by his home town, Edinburgh. Edinburgh at that time had a split ‘character’ because the wealthy lived in the respectable part of town and the poor lived in the squalid part. The uptown half of Edinburgh was a respectable well thought of place to live and this was where Stevenson’s family lived. The down-town part, however was full of prostitution, drug use, and late night over-drinking. Stevenson might have taken advantage of this area in youth and possibly may have lived a double lifestyle, maybe under a false name, a similar idea to Jekyll and Hyde. Another factor to support this point is that drug use and abuse was increasing during Stevenson’s time, and an example of this in the story is the use of opium. This highly addictive drug was frequently prescribed, even to children to help them sleep. This displays Jekyll’s growing addiction to his potion in this story, which would turn him into Mr Hyde. The drug use also could show that Stevenson was trying to warn the Victorian society of the drug problem rising in their society. This is also why the story relates to today as thee are still drug problems in today’s society.

There is the idea that science is evil in “The Strange Case Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” is debateable as we see that Dr Jekyll does manage to conjure up a potion which creates pure evil, but he also says that if, “I risked the experiment while under the empire of generous or pious aspirations, all must have been otherwise, and from these agonies of death and birth I had come forth an angel instead of a fiend.” This tells us that if he used the potion when he was in a good or religious mood, then Mr Hyde would be more like an angel rather than a satanic being.  This shows that the potion could have been used for good so science can be good or evil depending on how and when you use it. Another example of this is with drugs mentioned earlier. The current relevance is the fact that people still get addicted to drugs, and go far out of their way, and character, to get these drugs once they have become addicted. Addictions, like Dr Jekyll’s potion, can easily become out of control and then take over your body. This quite clearly shows that drugs are bad however drugs are being used to heal and control major diseases that we see today.

Stevenson uses a lot of words relating to hell in the story especially towards Mr Hyde who is “like Satan” and “hellish” . He does this because almost all of the Victorian society believed in God, and if someone or something was possessed or described in that way, they were seen as the most pure, and hated evil. Victorians would not even talk about evil but would fear it from the depth of their hearts. Today, however, we take satanic references very lightly and the word “devil” can almost be seen as a compliment. The references in “The Strange Case Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” highlight the sheer abnormality of Mr Hyde, and keeping the reader interested by making him so evil. Even though a Victorian reader would find Mr Hyde more evil than a reader of today’s society, but the book is still very relevant to today. The concept of “Good versus Evil” has always been around as a common occurrence, and is seen in many stories or television programmes today. Robert Louis Stevenson was raised in a very strict Presbyterian home where the concept of God and Satan was all around him. This may also be why he has been influenced by satanic references. Even today we see this in story lines such as “Lord of the Rings” where the reason we are so gripped to the edge of our seats and anxious to find out what will happen next is because we are concerned for the main characters and fear evil may take over. Stevenson uses this conflict between both sides of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde to maintain the reader’s interest and has managed to do so for years.  

        Stevenson also managed to make a pun out of two main protagonists’ names in the story which can be interpreted in many ways. The words, Jekyll and Hyde, when written as Hyde and Jekyll, show a resemblance with the term “Hide and Seek”. This pun is appropriate because the reader is constantly in search of the true meaning behind Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde but the mystery would “ Hyde ” itself. Dr Jekyll also “ Hydes ” his inner self, represented by My Hyde, from society. Jekyll also “ Hydes ” behind the mask mention earlier to protect him from the law and his extremely precious reputation. The word “Hyde” could also relate to the description “ hide ous”, which associates itself with what Hyde really is and shows physiognomy straight away even before you read the story.

Mr Hyde appears to get stronger and more secure throughout the novel. He starts out perpetrating his first felony at “three o'clock of a black winter morning,” when “there was literally nothing to be seen but lamps.” His second offence was in the “early part of the night” when people were still up as a maid saw him. The maid said “It seems she was romantically given” about the night. It is interesting that Stevenson uses the word “romantically” in this quotation as it was completely opposite to what happens next where a man was brutally murder with a very tough and heavy piece of wood. The second attack was clearly earlier and at a time where people are awake which proves he felt that he was not going to get caught therefore he was more confident. This makes the reader think Mr Hyde is getting a lot stronger and that he is going to get caught for what he has done. It also makes the plot thicken as the reader knows a big event will follow but doesn’t really know what.

Throughout the story there are many hints of the link between Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, which the modern reader would pick up on, because we already know the backbone of the story. The Victorian reader, however, would not be as understanding, and could be oblivious until the end of the book when the secret is revealed. This helps sustain the reader’s interest because they would want uncover the mystery behind Stevenson’s story.

The story of Dr Jekyll and Hyde is very cleverly planned and has an unexpected twist at the end. Stevenson cleverly presents good and evil throughout the story. He uses various intelligent techniques that affect the reader, drawing them into the story. One of these is physiognomy which would have been very relevant to the Victorian society as it was a common factor. Stevenson also uses hypocrisy which opposes the idea of physiognomy and questions the idea. Hypocrisy also makes the reader think about the good and evil part of a person and tries to show that every person has a good and evil side. Stevenson also refers to reputation in the story and makes it out to be a potentially evil thing. He gives the impression that reputation is so desirable that people would do something evil to have or keep it. The idea that science is also potentially evil if used in the wrong way is used in the “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” shown by the creation of Mr Hyde. This is also shown by drugs which are good if used for healing purposes but are bad as people get addicted to them.

From analysing the book I can see that the story Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a well written and well thought out book. It begins strongly and sets the scene for disaster, then ending with a surprising and sickening twist which is that Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde are the same person. The story can be understood in two ways: As an individual person, Dr Jekyll represents the mask we prefer to present to ourselves, and Mr. Hyde is the inner self that we all fear. Alternatively, it can be interpreted as Dr Jekyll being the mask which hides Mr Hyde from society. Either way it is seen, the story is about the duality of man, where we all have a dark, wicked side within us, which we hide away, and pretend does not exist. This idea is used by Stevenson to great effect. The story can act as a warning to other societies not to become so oppressive, as Victorian society was, so that something similar to Mr Hyde does not happen. Stevenson presents good and evil in the story through Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. For this story evil is described as potentially more powerful than good, and controls Dr Jekyll who is portrayed as the good character. Stevenson immediately describes Dr Jekyll as a doctor, which the reader would associate to a trustworthy and moral person who would be well respected. Dr Jekyll would have taken an oath to help and save lives. Mr Hyde, however, did the opposite. He took lives instead of protecting them. Evil slowly triumphed, leaving Henry Jekyll described by Dr Lanyon as "...like a man restored from death."

What Stevenson is saying about good and evil

Good and evil is in all of us (some would say that Stevenson shows belief in the Christian doctrine of the original sin) so everyone has the potential to do bad things) so everybody has potential to do bad things.

Good and evil are linked to religion/ spirituality

Good and evil cannot exist without another person ying/yang

Pure evil cannot associate with others – it cannot have friends

No one is purely evil (Hyde is pure evil and the product of a scientific experiment – Jekyll always has some good in him, even where his evil/Hyde side gets stronger and stronger

Once you give in to your instinctive desires, you can never contain them - they will get stronger and stronger

People make choices about their behaviour

These choices may be influenced by personality

These choices are/are not influenced by upbringing (not everyone in the class agreed on the question of upbringing – what’s the evidence?)

People react to the same events in different ways – Hyde takes pleasure in violent action, Jekyll is “aghast”. What about the other character

Beauty = goodness, ugliness= evil but, does Stevenson present good and evil in this way for he purpose of his novella/ or because he believed it.

Humans being made assumptions based on the physical appearance of others

Society wants you to conform – moral code of a society represses you instinctive desires, suppresses our real characters; is this a necessary evil? Is Stevenson critical of the society in which he writes?

The more repressive society is, the more extreme people become

Science is neutral – It depends on how it is used as to whether it is going to be used for good or ill

How Stevenson shows good and evil

Characterisation  portrayal of Hyde – physical appearance, animal imagery, explicit references to hell and Satan, Utterson’s nightmare, repeated ideas/ descriptions of his deformity and his effect on other people, use of vocabulary to show his delight in awful acts

Characterisation Jekyll and Hyde are the same person – Hyde was always “lurking” within Jekyll

Characterisation  portrayal of Jekyll – physical appearance of character of high status (why?) 1 st  person narrative   gives insight into his thoughts – why does S do this? Jekyll suddenly starting to be religious, his addiction to the drug, contrast with Lanyon in his scientific interests

Setting/ Symbolism  at first, evil acts committed at night, in the fog, etc – as Hyde gets stronger, he emerges on a beautiful sunny day – Stevenson overturns literary conventions to shock the reader and show how powerful Hyde has now become – look at the language used

Setting/ Symbolism  the two sides of Jekyll’s house (front door/door to laboratory) and streets symbolises his two sides and reflect each one of appropriately – look at the language used

Contrast between what happens to Hyde’s/ Jekyll’s physical appearance and health

Contrast  between Hyde’s appearance and that of MP Sir Danvers Carew  - look at the language used

Hyde offers him the chance to live in ignorance without the knowledge of what is truly happening between Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, however at the risk of death Lanyon watches as Jekyll drinks his potion. Lanyon is so horrified and disgusted that he can not come to terms with what he saw and then dies two weeks later.

It focuses on the dual personality of one man who is fighting to sustain the moral half of his personality, due to the effects of an oppressive society. The super-natural side of his character represents the repressed fear we all have within us.

Another factor which would have influenced Stevenson in his writing was Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution which was published in 1857. Interestingly Stevenson describes Mr Hyde as “apelike” and as moving “like a monkey” in the novel.

The language that is used in this story would have been used in the 18 th  and 19 th  century. It now seems old-fashioned and archaic in comparison to that of today. He uses brief and precise description, and long words showing an advanced level of English. Stevenson also uses a number of literary techniques.

There is also the use of similes in the story, for example where Hyde is described as “like some damned Juggernaught”. This simile adds emphasis to the description of the inhumane being and helps the reader understand what the creature really looks like because he/she can compare it to something else. Stevenson also uses metaphors in the story, such as when Hyde is called “Something troglodytic”. A “troglodyte” is an ugly, one-eyed, lizard-man creature in Greek mythology. These metaphors act in the same way as a simile does by providing an improved image in the reader’s mind of whatever is being described. The author also uses personification a number of times in the book. He says fog sleeps on window sills, personifying the London fog, to give it an alive quality, emphasising that this fog is allot worse and thicker than the ordinary. In the book   Stevenson uses various different symbols representing certain aspects of the story. Jekyll’s house is built in an L shape, as was the Victorian style. His side of the house was very presentable and orderly, whereas Hyde’s side of the house was “blistered”, rundown and derelict. These two differences in appearance act as reminder of the duality of man. Another symbol showing the differences in character is that on Hyde’s side of the house there are no windows. This echoes the theme of secrecy used throughout the story and suggests that Mr Hyde prefers the darkness. He often appears at night and this could, also associate itself with the theme of secrecy because darkness conceals things, acting as a blanket over our eyes. In addition the idea of shut doors is used, “The door was shut again on the Lawyer”. This is significant because it shows that Jekyll is trying to close everyone out of his life as he is scared that they will discover the truth. Also Stevenson frequently describes London as being hidden with smog or as foggy. These two features act in the same way as the darkness just mentioned. Windy weather mentioned in the story too, relates to the confusion and disorder of events surrounding Mr Hyde.

        At the point in the book where Mr Hyde is filled with rage and about to commit his second serious sin, after trampling the girl, Stevenson uses language to a great effect. Before the murder of Sir Danvers Carew, Stevenson describes the murder-scene as “cloudless” and “brilliantly lit by the full moon.” and how peaceful everything seemed. The maid, a witness, explains that she had never “thought more kindly of the world.” and there was tranquillity. Then came Mr Hyde “brandishing a wooden cane” at his victim, an innocent old man happily walking down the street. The old man had white hair, a symbol of innocence and purity. The settings for this murder are described so positively and picturesque to place emphasis on the dreadfulness of the murder. Stevenson builds up an upbeat image inside the readers head so that when it is smashed to pieces and destroyed by the murderer we know how wicked and criminal Mr Hyde really is. Stevenson does this to eliminate any sympathy the reader might have previously felt for Dr Jekyll and his caged up emotions caused by the repressive Victorian society. Therefore by building up to the murder in such a way Stevenson has gained further impact and emphasis of the evil of Dr Jekyll’s inner self.  

Another factor which aids in the books contemporary relevance is the fact that people still get addicted to drugs, and go far out of their way, and character, to get these drugs once they have become addicted. Addictions, like Dr Jekyll’s potion, can easily become out of control and then take over your body. Today there are constantly news stories, pictures and bill boards telling you what drugs can do and in Victorian times drugs use and abuse was increasing, especially the use of opium. Lastly, mentioned before was Mr Hyde being described as ape-like, this can show contemporary relevance because of how Charles Darwin brought up the theory of the “origin of man” in Victorian times. There was an outrage in the 19 th  century and not many would believe Charles Darwin’s idea, because most people were strict Christians and “Adam and Eve” was from where they originated. Today in the southern states of America strict Christians still feel very strongly about their faith and still put down this theory. For these few reasons the story Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is still very relevant in the modern world of today.

Document Details

• Word Count 4323
• Page Count 10
• Subject English

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