What Is Henry Jekyll's Dual Personality

Stevenson writes ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ with the intention of showing the reader the duality of man and explores this through the juxtaposition of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In this novella, Stevenson also uses the environment and setting of the story to represent the contrast between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

If Hyde has been described as Hyde "savage, uncivilized, and given to passion…poorly evolved" (Shubh), then perhaps he represents the true, original nature of man, repressed by society, norms, and conscience. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde suggests that this restrained, amoral side of human nature, once given a chance to escape, cannot be controlled. Even in this 'height of western civilization', Victorian England, this tempting evil can overcome even the most virtuous of men. Jekyll is neither good nor bad, but a man whose deeply repressed urges motivated him to separate, but not remove, the evil parts of his nature. There is a misinterpretation that Hyde is an unwanted byproduct of trying to create pure good, that Jekyll is not in control as Hyde, and that Jekyll doesn't enjoy being Hyde. In fact, Jekyll loves being Hyde, he revels in the freedom that he brings him (Stevenson 54), but the problems with his dual personality starts when he has to face the consequences of his actions. Jekyll has a difficult time balancing Hyde's debaucheries and Jekyll's rational, refined side. However, Jekyll realizes too late that he has indulged in Hyde too much and has let him grow out of control. At the beginning of the novel, Hyde was the “smaller, slighter, and younger than Henry Jekyll” (Stevenson 57). His more youthful appearance represents how young and free Jekyll feels as Hyde, but also symbolizes how little his personality was seen before Jekyll drank his potion. Early in the novel, Hyde is easily controlled, Jekyll can use his potion to limit how often he transforms into Hyde (Stevenson 56). However, as he starts to morph back and forth, it starts to take more and more potion to control the switches until

Dr. Jekyll from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, was a well-respected scientist who was surrounded by “... all intelligent, reputable men...” but despite this he went on to live two separate lives. (Stevenson 14) Dr. Jeckyll’s economic status enabled him to purchase his home from “...the heirs of a celebrated surgeon” it was clear that finances were not an issue for him (Stevenson 22). Despite being surrounded by respect from society and wealth he acquired from being a scientist, Dr. Jekyll still went on to live a secret life. His secret life was known as Mr. Hyde, who was “...particularly small and wicked-looked…” and completely unlike Dr. Jekyll. (Stevenson 19) Mr. Hyde emcompasses all of the evil personality traits that were instilled in Dr. Jekyll, he lived out these desires by turning into a different version of himself which was kept in secret. Dr. Jekyll's exigency to fulfill the evil characteristics of his personality is what fuels the actions of Mr. Hyde. When his secret was comprised Dr. Jeckyll became frenetic and went into a state of panic to turn back into his perceived normal self without the knowledge of

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.

The author, Robert Louis Stevenson presents the novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in a unique and compelling way. Many aspects of the short story can be interpreted in different ways as its complexity can overpower the book transient storyline. One aspect of the book that can be considered controversial is the way Stevenson presents the novella and the book's historical context. Although, Stevenson’s work can be considered engaging, it can also lead the reader to question the reasoning behind the particular storyline of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Overall, in terms of historical context, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is written in an allegorical way in which different aspects of the book represent a major theme or event taking place in Victorian England.

Doubleness in gothic literature often explores the duality of humanity. It asks whether there was inherent goodness and evil within a person. In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson engages with the idea of an individual being comprised of two separate entities—a double in one body—the evil Mr. Hyde and the good Dr. Jekyll. This split person of Jekyll and Hyde talks back to the optimistic ideas about humanity, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson. He writes in his address “The American Scholar” that “They did not yet see... that, if the single man plant himself indomitably on his instincts, and there abide, the huge world will come round to him”. However, in Stevenson’s novel, the world does not “come round to him” in Jekyll’s pursuit to a better self by indulging in his worse self, instead he was consumed by his own evil and harms others in the world. In Stevenson’s language, he continually emphasizes the advancement of self by using terms like “prison-house of [Jekyll’s] disposition” that encapsulates the inner turmoil Dr. Jekyll faces because of Mr. Hyde’s horrifying actions (1678). In this paper, I will argue that Jekyll’s inability to indulge into his darker desires without any stain on his consciousness is merely an illusion. Dr. Jekyll believes his “instincts” will stay grounded within himself when in reality, he is unable to maintain his status in upper society and thus he succumbs to Mr. Hyde’s reckless freedom. Not only does this reflect the

Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In comparison these two men could not have personalities further from opposite, yet somehow are linked to each other. It is a mystery throughout this novel as to how two men with such different personalities could possibly be connected to each other, until it is discovered that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are in fact the same person. Mr. Hyde was created to be an outlet of Dr. Jekyll’s rage that he could not express freely as himself due to the pressure Dr. Jekyll faced in the Victorian Era. Throughout the novel as Dr. Jekyll’s addiction to the potion and the effects that it has on his identity increase he fully succumbs to the destructive urges he has had all along and the old Dr. Jekyll is gone. All people are inherently dual natured, but it is up to each individual to chose to surrender to either their superior, acceptable tendencies or surrendering to their disagreeable, unpleasant

“His Master Hyde, if he were studied," thought he, "must have secrets of his own; black secrets, by the look of him; secrets compared to which poor Jekyll's worst would be like sunshine.” (Stevenson 11). Though Dr. Jekyll is seen as the perfect man he still has his flaws, he knows no happiness. Jekyll did all he could to bring joy into his life, but was always let down by not truly experiencing it. As an act to try to find happiness he created an alter ego, Hyde, whom brings him happiness along with many troubles.

Jekyll has a battle with Mr. Hyde because he had killed someone. “Mr. Hyde broke out of all bounds and clubbed him to the earth. And next moment, with ape-like fury, he was trampling his victim under foot and hailing down a storm of blows, under which the bones were audibly shattered and the body jumped on the roadway” (Stevenson 843). Soon after, Dr. Jekyll looks deadly sick and claimed that he was done with Mr. Hyde and he would no longer be heard of (Stevenson 846). Dr. Jekyll admitted to living the dual identity life as himself and Mr. Hyde. It is arguable that Jekyll was suffering from a mental illness and for long term treatment, he killed

In the story of Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (1886), the character Dr Henry Jekyll develops an alter ego called Mr Edward Hyde while trying to separate the two consciences he believes everyone has inside of them. This Mr Hyde ego is the evil half of Dr Jekyll and performs horrendous acts like murder feeling no guilt, but when Dr Jekyll regains control of the body they share he is overcome with regret. This wonder about multiple consciences was popular at the time of the story’s writing with double personality being “one of the most widely discussed clinical disorders” (Armstrong 189). This essay will discuss the ‘reverse transformation’ found in the novel and how

In Dr. Jekyll’s closing statement, he describes how his transformation into Hyde made him feel initially. He says, “ There was something strange in my sensations, something indescribably new, and from its very novelty, incredibly sweet. I felt younger, lighter, happier in body; within I was conscious of a heady recklessness, a current disordered sensual images running like a mill race in my fancy” (Stevenson 44). Jekyll’s purpose for transforming into Hyde stems from his desire to attain

Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", a group of friends have just come to witness a child being hurt by an older man who then evades them. The men later learn that the man is Mr. Hyde, a man who is described as being horrible and worthless to society. Dr. Jekyll later comes into the story as a strange but charming man who is friends with this group of men. Halfway through the story, a politician is killed and Mr. Hyde is never seen again. It is revealed at the very end of the story that Dr. Jekyll is Mr. Hyde, and he has lost all control of keeping in Hyde. Due to this, Dr. Jekyll now commits

Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll desires to relive his past events that are considered unfit of society, creating Mr. Hyde to do so without getting caught and losing his high reputation. Dr. Jekyll allows his evil side develop as “his temptation of a discovery so singular and profound, at last overcame the suggestions of alarm” (44). Dr. Jekyll lets his curiosity take over his moral judgments by creating a potion that allows him to switch bodies from himself to Mr. Hyde. The emphasis on his temptations being his only and most important ambition gives him reason to create another persona to satisfy his desires. Consequently though, Jekyll acknowledges that “a current of disordered sensual images running like a mill-race in my fancy, a solution of the bonds of obligation, an unknown but not an innocent freedom of the soul” will be the cost of breaking the rules of society (44). His decision alludes to chaos through the imagery of disorder when being free from responsibilities, but he sees the disorder as something positive and enjoyable. For him, it may be a way to get out of his

Stevenson makes clarification with giving the dark evil character as an alternative personality of Dr. Jekyll which is Mr. Hyde. Stevenson begins to peruse the case of a respected doctor who becomes associated with Mr. Hyde. The unusual, mysterious circumstance is the fact that the two men is the same person. “The doctor experiments in his own laboratory trying to divide effort to improve the quality his own life” (Hedlund). The reading explains the struggles and mental state of Dr. Jekyll.

Jekyll. The potion was created in order for Dr. Jekyll to turn into Mr. Hyde and vice versa, he had to consume a certain potion, and after a while, it was causing Mr. Hyde to appear more often. When Mr. Utterson and Mr. Poole was trying to get into Dr. Jekyll's laboratory, Mr. Hyde/Dr. Jekyll was “Crying night and day for some sort of medicine and cannot get it to his mind…,” but every time the drug was delivered, “There would be another paper telling me to return it, because it was not pure…” (Stevenson pg. 45). Unfortunately, by the time his colleagues got into the lab, he had killed himself. In Jekyll’s confession statement, he wrote that “I knew well that I risked death; for any drug that so potently controlled and shook the very fortress of identity…” (Stevenson pg. 66) and had on one occasion “gone to bed Henry Jekyll, I had awakened Edward Hyde” (Stevenson pg. 72). He also wrote that he “had voluntarily stripped myself of all those balancing instincts by which even the worst of us continues to walk with some degree of steadiness among temptations; and in my case, to be tempted, however slightly, was to fall” (Stevenson pg. 76). The potion had become addicting to Jekyll like modern day drugs - one time can get anyone hooked for life. Because of the drug, he continued to turn himself into Mr. Hyde, knowing the risks that could