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The Dual Nature Of Evil In Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde

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Robert Louis Stevenson’s archetypal novel, ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ is one which explores the many different aspects of evil in a variety of ways. Stevenson tells the tale of an eminent Victorian doctor – Henry Jekyll – who pushes the boundaries of science in order to separate the darker side of his character – which is innate in all of us – to form a being which he can use to indulge his more immoral pleasures yet, still leaving his reputation untarnished. However, he fails to notice the dire consequences of his actions on himself and those around him, which eventually lead to his demise. Through Stevenson’s characterisation of both Jekyll and Hyde we can explore the duality of man and how we recognise evil within society. Whereas his use of setting and imagery allows the theme of concealment and the hypocritical nature of evil to be explored. Society’s interpretation of such …show more content…

Stevenson clearly aims that the reader should be conscious towards the fact that we all possess both good and evil aspects within our characters and that it is up to us which one we act upon. But also to be aware of the fact that should we choose to release our inner ‘Hyde’ he will grow increasingly greater in power and become intensely difficult to control – eventually overpowering our soul and possibly resulting in our untimely deaths. But also we should be aware that prominent figures in society – such as members of governments and respected celebrities – may too be contaminated by evil behind closed doors. Overall, Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel ,’ The Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ is one which explores the theme of evil and deepens the readers understanding of the nature of

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