The Nature of Duality in Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

In ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’, Robert Louis Stevenson presents duality as one of the key themes throughout the novel. This is reflected predominantly through the main characters of Dr Jekyll and his evil side, Mr Hyde. Stevenson also mirrors the theme of a dual nature in the settings he creates, by choosing London as the surroundings and in the descriptions of Dr Jekyll's house and the difference between his and Hyde’s rooms. The use of duality is also shown in Stevenson’s use of the themes of light and dark and religious opposites such as good and evil.

Mr. Hyde is the epitome of evil although one never really know all that he has done the one thing that comes through is the

Considering The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as an Effective Representation of Evil

From the beginning of time, humans have questioned the validity of intrinsic duality of man. Are humans born with both pure goodness and pure evilness or is the latter cultivated? In Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, one man, a scientist named Henry Jekyll, concludes that all men are both good and evil, so he decided to separate the two natures within one body. The outcome of his experiment resulted in the formation of a somewhat different product than he had imagined a creature by the name of Edward Hyde. Although Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are the souls of one body, there are differences and similarities in their appearance and personality that illustrate the natural duality of good and evil within a man.

R. L. Stevenson has written many memorable novellas and novels. One of the most important from the Victorian Gothic Era would be “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” This novella deals with many themes that intertwine together to form a complex idea of dualism. It has aspects from personality division and the ultimate question of how good and evil can tie into Victorian society’s view of public and private life. Stevenson the personalities of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, with evil and good aspects as well as the public and private life to demonstrate a clear understanding of dualism.

In his novella "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", Robert Louis Stevenson explores the dual nature of Victorian man, and his link with an age of hypocrisy. Whilst writing the story he displays the people of the time and what happens behind closed doors. In Jekyll 's suicide note he makes the following observation " I have observed that when I wore the semblance of Edward Hyde, none could come near to me at first without a visible misgiving of the flesh. This, as I take it, was because all human beings, as we meet them, are commingled out of good and evil: and Edward Hyde, alone in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil." The underlying moral of this novella suggests that all people consist of good and evil, and that they possess the ability to control and acknowledge the darker side of them.

Among the words used to describe the elitist Victorians, “hypocrites” may very well be the most popular. This supposed generation of “Do-Gooders,” with their heightened sense of morality, repressed sexuality and increased piety, were actually far from perfect. They had an exceptional list of standards by which they claimed to dutifully abide, but more often than not fell short of. The Victorians were, in the words of literary critic Walter Houghton, brilliant actors able to “[conceal] or [suppress] their true convictions and their natural tastes” (146). The matter of Victorian hypocrisy, as it has come to be known, has been scrutinized by a plethora of critics and authors alike. However, the moral façade that has come to be associated with the Victorian era was perhaps first criticized in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Apart from being an exceptional Gothic work, Stevenson’s novella is an excellent critique of the hypocrisy that dominated the Victorian era. In his novella, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson uses the characters of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to expose the double standards and moral pretensions that governed Victorian society.

Duality is also shown in Jekyll and Hyde through double consciousness. Stevenson splits the differing personalities of Jekyll and Hyde into two: one suppressing the desires that were considered wrong in society at that time and one accepting these animalistic desires. Dr Jekyll observes that even though he could rightly said to be either he was still ‘radically both’. He implies that there are two sides to all of us and the inner battles determine which personality would be shown and relieved from that ache to be free. The word ‘radically’ suggests the intensity of ache as it explores connotations of high speed and pressure, for example explosive strength.

Sexuality and Duality Intertwined in Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, written by Robert Louis Stevenson, is about two men who are actually one. Dr. Jekyll is an established citizen in London society. However, through a chemical mixture, he is able to transform into another man, Mr. Hyde. Mr. Hyde is not only not a established member in society, but he is a criminal. Many scholars have claimed Jekyll and Hyde being an allegory of duality.

Stevenson’s novel 'Jekyll and Hyde' contains many prominent themes, such as the duality of man, secrecy, and evil. In addition to this, there also some other themes, which are perhaps not as prominent as the others, such as conformity and social influence. Psychology is defined as the scientific study of the human mind, its functions and behaviour, so it doesn’t surprise me that we can find so many links between the novel and psychological knowledge. Solomon Asch was a researcher who was interested in the power of conformity, and in the early 1950's, conducted an experiment. Volunteers were told that they were taking part in a study of visual perception.

Romeo and Juliet duality and Jekyl and Hyde both show duality. One example is how Jekyl and Hyde is one person just living a double life he. He wanted to be able to live a life where he was able to let loose and still be respected and so he found a way to do that by making a potion that could make him someone else and he could change back to the other respected person when it was necessary. An example in Romeo and Juliet is how their deaths were tragic but without them the families aren’t fighting anymore.

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.

In the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, analysts declare all fault falls onto the evilness Mr. Hyde professes throughout the novel, but is it possible that a sign from an insignificant character could have lifted the yearning of immoral thoughts happening in Mr. Hyde? The theme in the dark tale of Stevenson’s novella portrays the duality of evil and good of the main character. Although this is true, the supporting characters are as guilty as Mr. Hyde. Those closest to Dr. Jekyll had no hesitation of berating him after learning of his sinful ways. Dr. Jekyll, a man who is established to be well respected and born into a dominant social class, is responsible for some of the worst perpetuate

Duality is a literary idea that allows for two separate and contradictory elements to coincide with the other in the creation of harmony. Many circumstances call for the opposite elements to highly contrast in nature as these elements evolve from a singular entity into that which is two ideas. In this insular item, both aspects must be present in the picture of the item or the representation is incomplete. Shakespeare and Robert Lewis Stevenson entertain the idea of dualism within certain items and characters. Romeo and Juliet and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde use various herbal supplements and elements that represent both life and death. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are contradictory characters residing in a singular body. Medicinal and toxic substances are explored within both literary works as a singular item carries two representations that hold the potential of both. It is through the concept of life and death that the literary use of duality allows for a singular entity, whether it be a plant or person, to hold two different aspect which promotes either the life or death notion.

    Duality demonstrates how there are two sides to every story and is a very common theme in literature. It refers to having two parts that often have opposite meanings, like good and evil. It recognises all aspects of the story. It is used in many shows, movies, and books as a way to demonstrate the dual nature of people, and the idea that we all have the potential to be good and to be evil. You can see it everyday as “There's a duality in every man and every woman.” With that being said, duality is one of the most vital themes in Jekyll and Hyde and Romeo and Juliet if not the most crucial theme.