Essay on The Concept of Evil in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Stevenson

Stevenson used the contemporary setting of Victorian London to write his gothic horror novel. The streets with the gas lamps were the perfect setting following the true horrific stories of Jack the Ripper. He refers to Mr Hyde well as he wanders the streets of London not knowing who he’s going to meet. The elements in gothic horror include irony, movement, time, senses, horrific

“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” is a novella written by Robert Louis Stevenson, a Scottish author. Written and published 1886, this novella reflects on the individual, and societal behavior during the Victorian era. During the Victorian era people, were supposed to behave like a normal person. Certain behaviors were highly restricted for example, showing evil. Instead, they were expected to give respect for everyone. People who acted out against the norm during this period were usually sent to asylums because such behaviors were unacceptable. People in this society did just that, they behaved as if they were perfectly normal. This does not mean that their bad side did not exist. Instead, they hid their

The sophisticatedly-constructed novel ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ was devised in 1886, during the revolutionary Victorian era, by the author, Robert Louis Stevenson. Stevenson developed a desire to write in his early life and ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ cemented his reputation. The novel is widely known for its shocking principles that terrified and alarmed the Victorian readers. ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ plays with the idea of the dual nature of man, his two identities. On the surface, Dr Jekyll is a conventional, Victorian gentleman, but below the surface lurks the primitive, satanic-like creature of Mr Edward Hyde. One of the elements that play a significant part in the novel is setting. Stevenson subtly uses the setting to

This essay will focus on how Robert Louis Stevenson presents the nature of evil through his novel ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’. Using ideas such as duality, the technique used to highlight the two different sides of a character or scene, allegories, an extended metaphor which has an underlying moral significance, and hypocrisy; in this book the Victorians being against all things evil but regularly taking part in frown able deeds that would not be approved of in a ‘respectable’ society. This links in with the idea of secrecy among people and also that evil is present in everyone. The novel also has strong ties and is heavily influenced by religion. Stevenson, being brought up following strong

As the cities in the nineteenth century grew and expanded, more and more people moved from the countryside to said cities. With an increase in the size and population of the city a individual 's anonymity increased as well. Both the Paris Morgue and the novella Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde written by Robert Lewis Stevenson portray the anonymity of modern city life. While middle class men often appreciated the anonymity of the city, because it allowed them to escape social class restrictions, they also feared some of the negative implications. The working class, on the other hand, might have enjoyed the new found entertainment options, however they also had to fear being victims of crime and ending as nameless corpses. Women, both from the middle class and working class, experienced more freedom through the entertainment and leisure time options available due to the anonymous character of the city.

The world as we know it is constantly moving and changing; events occur that can affect people’s lives even if they are thousands of miles away. Whether or not these happenings are good or evil can shape one’s mindset and outlook on the actions they take themselves. Both have distinct strengths and weaknesses; however, the real question one must ask is which side of the spectrum is more capable of influencing humanity. In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde written by Robert Louis Stevenson, a wealthy and well-respected doctor by the name of Henry Jekyll, who believes that man is not one but two separate people, constructs a potion which unearths his inner evil (Mr. Edward Hyde), and in the end is engulfed by the strength of his malevolent persona.

Good and Evil in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

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

The city of London proved to be the sole dominant location in the 1800’s during the Victorian era in this novel. As the story unfolds in the classic literature novel, “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” written by Robert Louis Stevenson, the magnificent city of London becomes a darker and mysterious location. The powerful city of London embodied the freedom and solitude required for the antagonist of the story, Mr. Hyde to hide his wicked behavior from the society as a whole. According to the history of the Victorian age, “Traditional ways of life were fast being transformed into something perilously unstable and astonishingly new” (1049). The population in England was growing at an astounding rate, illustrating the transition

What is evil? That is a question people get asked a lot. The meaning of evil is profoundly immoral and malevolent. So people may say evil is just another characteristic of a person. It doesn't happen to everyone but when it does they stand out from the crowd. How do people become evil, they might get it from books, TV, role models, and others or over time they get the urge to hurt people or do other evil things. In Jekyll and Hyde evil comes from Mr. Hyde turning into Dr. Jekyll. It won't be as bad but Hyde was being a very rude and evil Jekyll.

The dual character combination of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is one of the most well-known in literature and is arguably the most blatant example of duality Stevenson uses to try and get the theme of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde across. The dual personalities Dr. Jekyll possesses are stark examples of the animalistic and civilized sides of man that inherently resides in all men. The virtuous Dr. Jekyll serves as a portrayal of the more rational, human side of man. When Mr. Utterson attends Dr. Jekyll’s dinner party he paints a picture of a quintessential Victorian man when describing Jekyll’s appearance, “well

Robert Louis Stevenson uses imagery in many ways to create a mysterious mood in his writing. Mr. Hyde lived in a house, where “the door… was blistered and destained”(49). The quote shows how the door looked proving that the man living there did not care about his appearance and that he kept to himself. The next quote shows how the man had a blank stare and no feelings could be seen through his eyes. Hyde was very creepy and Stevenson described him as having a “blackness about his eyes”(66). The city of London had “a great chocolate-coloured pall”(70) over it. The quote cited gives a picture of how the fog was really dark, and it was hard to see through. Imagery is not the only way Stevenson portrayed a mysterious mood in the novel.

“...sinister block of building” (49). This quote describes the house that Hyde went into after talking to Utterson. Other descriptions of this building also have the same mood. Another quote is “It was a black winter morning” (49). The way Stevenson uses the adjective “black” gives the setting that creepy edge to it. “...distasteful sense of strangeness” (55). The way this quote uses “distasteful and “strangeness” helps the reader understand the unpleasing character and looks of Hyde. This is how Stevenson uses diction to give the reader more understanding of the setting and

To what extent does the novella The strange case Of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde explore the notion that human nature is comprised both of good and evil, and how does the imagery support this theory? This essay will confront the issue of good and evil, and its usage and theories throughout the book "The strange case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde". The story is based around Mr.Utterson's, a longtime friend of Dr.Jekyll, search for the truth and the connection between Jekyll and Hyde, ending in the realization that they are actually the same person. The story centers around the idea that there is a struggle between people's good and evil sides, it merely depends on which you nurture more. There is also this idea that one side of you will

In Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”, the theme of good versus evil is repeatedly portrayed in several different characters throughout the story. A debated question has arose and surrounded the topic of dual mortality and choosing between good and evil. The question is: Do you have the ability to choose between good and evil, or does one or the another choose your path for you? I believe that good and evil are rooted inside you from the moment you are born, but you have the ability to choose what you desire to become.