Dr. Jekyll Vs. Hyde

Robert Louis Stevenson’s Novella “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”, good vs. evil is the biggest theme. This story is seen as a metaphor about the good and evil in everyone, and the struggle of the two sides in everyone’s personality. Since Hyde starts to take over, I could argue that evil is stronger than good. But, Mr. Hyde ends up dying in the end of the story, so I could claim that the good of someone can overcome the evil in you. Overall, Stevenson is trying to communicate with the reader about the balance of good and evil in humans, also that your balance of good and evil has different results/effects in your life.

His appearance was just like the door “blistered” and “distained” as this diction symbolizes Hyde’s character has a sense of ambiguity of being disliked by others or discoloured. Here, the door symbolizes the gateway to the more evil world; it is the access point for violence and unpleasantness feelings. For example, the door was not equipped with “neither bell nor knocker” means that they weren’t expecting any visitors, which portrays the secretive world behind the door. With this, the setting of the door is being highlighted as the gateway to the dark elements of the human soul metaphorically. In fact, the door creates a distinction between what lies beyond the door and the truth of what happened to Dr. Jekyll in this lab. This also links to the name of Hyde which is pronounced as “hide” here it gives the impression to the reader of the secretive nature of Dr. Jekyll. However, the knocking down of the door later in the novel puts an end between the two contrasting worlds. With this, it reveals to the reader about the truth of the character Jekyll and Hyde. Therefore the settings play a major role in stirring up the characters in the novel and foreshadows sinful elements further in the

Jekyll talks about the years before the creation of the potion that transforms him into Hyde. He summarises his finding of the dual nature, human beings are half good and half evil. Jekyll’s goal in his experiments is to separate two opposite elements, creating a person with only good characteristics and a being of only evil. He does this because he wants to free his good side from dark urges. He fails this experiment, in fact he only manages to create a whole evil person ‘Mr Hyde’. In the letter, Jekyll says ‘I learned to recognise the thorough and primitive duality of man . . . if I could rightly be said to be either, it was only because I was radically both.’ The events of the novel inform the reader that the dark side (Hyde) is much stronger than the rest of Jekyll, this is why Hyde is able to take over Jekyll. This letter is really important for the reader so that the whole novel is understood. A lot of horror is created and it is all quiet in the reader's mind. The reader feels horrified by the way in which Jekyll seems to love and care for Hyde. Jekyll’s words make the reader angry that a man who was so good could enjoy becoming so

When in the presence of Dr. Jekyll there is a comfort and peace that exist, however, Mr. Hyde instills fear and a feeling of discomfort. Dr. Jekyll's physical appearance in pleasing, he appears to be about fifty, stylish attire and smooth faced. Mr. Hyde's physical appearance is rather ugly and deformed and his attire is unkept and sloppy. When Mr. Utterson described Mr. Hyde he stated that he did not look like a man, but some damned Juggernaut.

     Jekyll is tempted to do bad things and he uses Hyde to overcome his temptations. Jekyll gets his satisfaction of doing bad deeds by becoming Hyde. Jekyll says “If each, I told myself, could be housed in separate identities, life would be relieved of all that was unbearable; the unjust might go his way” (Page 105). He states that he wants to do bad things but knowing he cant and still live the life he has, he uses Hyde as an escape from his temptations. Once Jekyll is able to control his temptations but still do bad as Mr. Hyde he says “I felt younger, lighter, happier in the body” (Page 106) Mr. Hyde is Jekyll’s way of escaping his sophisticated lifestyle and entering a totally separate way of life. Jekyll then didn’t feel any guilt for Hyde’s actions.

In pursuing his scientific experiments and validating his work, Jekyll claims, "man is not truly one, but truly two." So, in Jekyll's view, every soul contains elements of both good and evil, but one is always dominant. In Jekyll's case, his good side is dominant, but he knows there is evil inside of him, but at the end of the book his evil side becomes stronger and unstoppable. However, as a respectable member of society and an honorable Victorian gentleman, Jekyll cannot fulfill his evil desires. Thus, he works to develop a way to separate the two parts of his soul and free his evil characteristics. Unfortunately, rather than separating these forces of good and evil, Jekyll's potion only allows his purely evil side to gain strength. Jekyll is in fact a combination of good and evil, but Hyde is only pure evil, so there is never a way to strengthen or separate Jekyll's pure goodness. Without counterbalancing his evil identity, Jekyll allows Hyde to grow increasingly strong, and eventually take over entirely, perhaps entirely destroying all the pure goodness Jekyll ever had.

One of the most vital concepts incorporated into The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is the representation and depiction of the duality of mankind. Jekyll works to find a solution which will separate him into his reckless, immoral persona and his respectable, Victorian self. After consumption, this potion causes him to completely transform into a man who is known as Hyde. As Hyde, he can express himself in immoral, evil ways. This not only includes moral and immoral wants but rational and irrational wants. Not only does this transformation enable him to keep his good reputation even while he does horrid, unacceptable things, but it allows him to do things which he most likely would not even

It is a common trope to say that an addict becomes a “different person” when he consumes his particular poison. “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” is the story of an addict whose inebriated self just happens to have a different name. It does not matter what the solution he drinks for his transformation is supposed to represent, whether alcohol, opium, heroin, or some other substance—he checks off every box for addictive and self destructive behavior. There can be no clearer interpretation of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” than that it is a polemic against the prevalent usage of drugs and alcohol in England at the time of its writing.

The imagery in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde helps to create a horrifying mood in many different ways. First Stevenson says “... half full of blood-red liquor”(104) and red is normally associated with bad things such as blood, fire, or figures like the devil; so by saying that it was “blood-red” gives the reader a horrific tone. Next when we talk about

The use of opposite colours, between “white hair” and the “dark night” time colour provides a sense of wicked temper to the reader. In addition, various striking, blunt, and punchy images can also be recognised as they imprint an immediate effect on us. The raging image from these extracts have all been intentionally directed to us to show an animalistic brutality within mankind by comparing to the ape and madman, their anger is with a “great flame”, using the language to show violence such as “brandishing the cane” and “clubbed him”, or even by the slightly onomatopoeic sound “shattered” . In spite of the fact he is seen doing the crime, he is not caught - this creates tension. The fact that Jekyll and Hyde are the same person is yet one true fact that Stevenson withholds until the

Human often put masks on to let others think they are good person. Jekyll's theory of duality of human nature applies to Mr. Utterson, Dr. Lanyon, Mr. Enfield, and also Stevenson uses psychogeography to support Jekyll's theory. However, the theory only not fits to Jekyll, because he does not really has a dual nature of human. He only has a bad side, and creates a alternate persona, which he is still able to do the evil things, which he always done, and do even more. Because there is no good side of him, there is nothing to makes him be tormented by a guilty conscience or feels repentance.

Imagery plays a key role in the exploration of Dr. Jekyll's double character. Stevenson's use of imagery intensifies the plot and its relationship between good and evil (Rollyson 1863-1864). For example, Hyde is described as "apelike" and "like a monkey" while Dr. Jekyll is portrayed as handsome and elegant with "proper stature" (25-26, 38). This example indicates a "reverse evolutionary process" and confirms Jekyll's disastrous attempt to interfere with the order of nature (Page 763). In general, Hyde is illustrated as animalistic, ugly, and deformed mainly to conjure an evil opinion of this character. However, the physical description may be more than simply symbolic. "During the Victorian era, many believed in physiognomy," which was the belief that one could judge a criminal from his or her physical appearance. Hyde is depicted as a vampire who "feeds on the very life of his victims" (Abbey, et al. 327). ."..[Hyde was] drinking pleasure with bestial avidity from any degree of torture to another, relentless like a man of stone" (33). This vampire image suggests the way in which indulgence of evil eats away man's capacity for goodness. Lastly, Stevenson chose ideal names to suit and describe the personalities or actions of his characters. Just as Hyde hides in Jekyll, "Je kyll" hides in "Jekyll." In French, "Je" means I and "kyll" probably

We are reminded here of Poole's description later in the novel as he describes the Jekyll/Hyde double in the laboratory as having a "mask upon his face". Once again the mask motif is used by the author to underline his theme of duality. The symbol of the cellar door that Hyde disappears through is important to note. Could this door be meant to represent the fictional path to evil?

Dr. Jekyll being an eminent doctor, with a powerful social and educational background, has an extremely sophisticated and refined appearance “a large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty” (44). As the quote suggests Dr. Jekyll has a majestic and renowned persona. The charity he does for the society, and his living Standards are all visible through the appearance he manifests. On the other hand, Hyde being Dr. Jekyll’s contrivance, to carry out evil purposes has an unattractive appearance and a repellent demeanor. “There is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something downright detestable” (35). As per the quote Hyde looks very ugly. His deeds are uglier and compliances suitably to his physical self. Dr. Jekyll is

Firstly, the sequence represents the chase of the J-pop turned movie star Mima by her crazed fan-turn-manager Rumi dressed in Mima’s outfit. The scene 's tension is emphasized through rapid camera shifts, flashy movements and strange manner of Rumi 's walk. The scene starts when Mima finds out that her manager has been her stalker and now is plotting to kill her. Rumi emerges from behind the curtain wearing Mima’s outfit despite her disgusting look in the much smaller dress. Rumi aims at becoming Mima’s twin wearing her outfit despite the crucial difference between her appearance and parameters. Jekyll and Hyde’s concept is fulfilled through the traditional allusion to “evil twin”, particular to the spiritual world of Asia. As every person conveys good as bad, similarly Mima and Rumi becomes contrasts in the scene. Rumi claims she