Dr Jekyll's Duality
Dr. Jekyll is a character who is introduced in "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" as a man with a split personality and enigmatic behavior, which contributes to his mysterious aura. This duality is emphasized by his physical appearance, described as "a large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty, with something of a slyish cast" (Chapter 1), and it sets the tone for the rest of the novel. Throughout the story, Jekyll's actions become more and more perplexing, which makes him a fascinating figure to analyze. Jekyll's character can be interpreted as a cautionary tale about the consequences of disobeying religious teachings and striving to become god-like. This theme is also present in Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," where Victor Frankenstein …show more content…
As the novel progresses, it becomes clear that Hyde is not just a physical manifestation of Jekyll's darker impulses but a separate entity altogether. Jekyll's observation that "my clothes hung formlessly on my shrunken limbs; the hand that lay on my knee was corded and hairy" (Chapter 10) further emphasizes the stark contrast between Jekyll and Hyde. This duality is a reflection of the psychological split that Jekyll experiences, and it is a manifestation of his repressed desires and …show more content…
The Victorian era was a time of strict social norms, and individuals were expected to conform to these norms or risk being ostracized from society. Jekyll's desire to break free from these norms and become his own person may reflect the tensions of the time. Jekyll's statement, "I had been content with the first calm day in my impatience, to make myself again a brute like those that fawned upon me" (Chapter 10), reflects his desire to escape the confines of Victorian society. This desire to break free from societal norms ultimately leads to Jekyll's downfall. Religion also plays a significant role in shaping Jekyll's character. He is deeply troubled by his own actions and the impact they have on his soul. He seeks to find a way to reconcile his good and evil sides, but ultimately fails. Jekyll's statement, "man is not truly one, but truly two. I say two because the state of my own knowledge does not pass beyond that point" (Chapter 10), highlights his struggle to reconcile his dual nature. Jekyll's character is a reflection of the conflict between his desire to be good and his inability to control his darker
Jekyll And Hyde Persuasive Letter
1110 Words | 5 PagesBut this was not his meditations about. Something weird has happened to him about a week ago, and it has been disturbing his mind. Maybe he just wasn’t born to live a life without mystery. “Why to Jekyll?” was the continuous and unanswerable question in his head. After all, Jekyll was his friend, a real friend, and accepting his terrible and uncertain end has been something more complicated than what he thought, and more when what he had bury was a monster called Hyde.
Dr Jekyll And Hyde Good Vs Evil Essay
897 Words | 4 PagesJekyll and Hyde Good vs evil Stevenson presents the idea of duality through the differences between Dr Jekyll and mr Hyde. Throughout the novella, there is a repeated antithesis as the good of Jekyll is compared to the “detestabillity” of Hyde. Jekyll has a highly respectable front and is known for a having a good reputation, however Hyde is infamous he known for being evil and is strongly disliked by all he meets. Hyde is described as “like Satan” and “devilish” empathising his pure evil and his dangerous and deplourable nature. Whereas Jekyll is often described as a respected man and is “well built”.
Examples Of Alter Ego In Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde
655 Words | 3 PagesNo human can fully be a good person, it is how you handle those emotions that counts. The book “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and other stories” is a book about Dr.Jekyll, the protagonist, who is an upperclassman, and more importantly, a scientist who is experimenting with the darker side of science. The idea of the book is that Dr.Jekyll loses control and creates a sinister alter ego which he now has to control. “It is one thing to mortify curiosity, another to conquer it. ”
How Is Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde Alike
334 Words | 2 PagesPhysically Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde are drastically different. Dr.Jekyll is described to the the reader as "a large, well made, smooth faced man of fifty, with something of a slyish cast" its also said he has a handsome face . So from this description he sounds like a regular person doesn 't really stand out and is handsome. Whilst Mr.Hyde is described as being a short fat man, and looks deformed. No one explains how he looks deformed its just that he is, and everyone agrees on it.
Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde Duality Essay
848 Words | 4 PagesHenry Jekyll is the person, but he has two sides: Jekyll and Hyde, one person and two natures. Jekyll was just a normal man but Hyde was not, he was quite different, “Edward Hyde, alone in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil” (Stevenson 81). Pure evil, Jekyll had found a way to separate the good and the evil, but he still had evil in himself, everyone does, but Hyde, not even an ounce of goodness was in him. Jekyll and Hyde were also perceived very differently by the people surrounding them. Jekyll was seen as a very kind, influential and a popular scientist, “he is the embodiment of goodness” (www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z92trdm/revision/3).
Similarities Between Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde
1737 Words | 7 PagesJekyll's alter ego, Mr. Hyde, represents the evil side of his nature that he cannot control. "I felt younger, lighter, happier in the body; within I was conscious of a heady recklessness, 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." (Chapter 10) This quote shows how Dr. Jekyll's darker human nature is unleashed when he transforms into Mr. Hyde. The novel also touches on the theme of addiction, as Jekyll's transformation into Hyde becomes increasingly frequent and difficult to control.
Dr Jekyll Conflicts
695 Words | 3 PagesDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a story by Robert Louis Stevenson about a scientist named Dr. Jekyll who attempts to mask his evil side by caving into it by enabling the character Mr. Hyde to escape under control. Eventually, Jekyll can no longer control Hyde, and Hyde kills multiple people. To prevent more deaths Jekyll ends his life to;o rid the world of Mr. Hyde. The human condition, as revealed in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is the struggle to contain the dual nature of humanity, with both good and evil present within each individual. As Dr. Jekyll moves through the story he faces an internal conflict that he attempts to solve, the conflict allows Jekyll to grow and realize his mistakes.
What Are The Similarities Between Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde
1269 Words | 6 PagesJekyll and Mr. Hyde become the same person in the end, there remain many differences yet similarities between them. The stark contrast between the two symbolize the expectations of society for a man during this time and the exact opposite. Dr. Jekyll changes from the takeover of his body drastically, near the end craving what Mr. Hyde accomplishes inside of him. We see this even from the eyes of Mr. Utterson, as a main character, that Dr. Jekyll loses his humanity from Mr. Hyde’s plague on his body. This leads to the representation of Dr. Jekyll, on how his previous mindset changes completely to crave the ideals of a terrible man.
Comparison Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde And Batman Begins
812 Words | 4 PagesJekyll’s family was well respected around the city and had a sizable fortune. Their standards of living meant that Jekyll always kept up the perfect appearance while simultaneously concealing his pleasures, but he did not take pride in this gesture and was rather ashamed of it: "Many a man would have even blazoned such irregularities as I was guilty of, but from the high views that I had set before me, I regarded and hid them with an almost morbid sense of shame." (Stevenson 55). The implications of him losing his reputation if he displayed traits of his true nature imply that behind the perfect Jekyll was an evil, irregular being. It is also stated that he hid these abnormalities, proving that Jekyll needed to create an alternate identity if he wanted to express his true self.
Theme Of Deception In Dr. Jekyll And Mr Hyde
1321 Words | 6 PagesJekyll is seen performing scientific practice, attempting to achieve a goal which can be argued to exceed his mental capacity. Dr. Jekyll wished to remove his dark side, tampering with the duality of man. He expressed hatred towards is his darker side. It shows this in the quote “many a man would have even blazoned such irregularities as i was guilty of;... I regarded and hid them with an almost morbid sense of shame.”
Jekyll And Mr Hyde Good Vs Evil Analysis
731 Words | 3 PagesJekyll lives his life as a good person with some evil and he struggles with this threw out the whole novella. Dr. Jekyll shows his good side
The Theme Of Repression In Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde
525 Words | 3 PagesJekyll and Mr. Hyde” because the story takes place in Victorian England we see that the characters have no room for expression of emotions or violence. Everything they do is secret, so the more Dr Jekyll is repressed, the more he wants to be Mr Hyde. The original characteristics of Henry Jekyll are reflected as “...life of effort, virtue, and control” (pg. 172) because, most of his life his vice activities were maintained a secret. According to Jekyll, when evil is separated into one body, one will not know right from wrong because there is no conscious in a being of complete evil which was Hyde for
Knowledge And Consequences In Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde
1591 Words | 7 PagesDr. Jekyll is in a state of happiness at this point of the text. He is being very positive and is describing how he feels to be free of the bonds of obligation. He is implying that he had left all the prior obligations he had as Dr. Jekyll, but now knows that he is a completely different person and is able to do the irregularities that he was able to do as Dr. Jekyll. Victor Frankenstein throughout the text played god and misused science in many ways. He attempted to make a beautiful human being but due to lack a skill, he made a monster unintentionally and
Jekyll And Hyde Duality
151 Words | 1 PagesOverall, Stevenson’s presentation of the duality of man is conveyed by the relationship between Jekyll and Hyde because towards the end of the novel. Jekyll begins to realise that the schism which once caused them to despise one another, help them understand each other situation. Jekyll even begins to ‘pity’ Hyde toward the end of novel, praising his ‘love for life’ by calling it ‘wonderful’, as his creator he consequently acknowledges the condescending attitudes towards Hyde, unfairly for his appearance, however rightfully so for his actions. Moreover, like Darwin’s theory, Hyde could never be accepted into society, often being characterised as a ‘brute’. Additionally, Jekyll’s actions would be condemned by the Victorian readers, as he was
Duality In Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde
855 Words | 4 PagesSo, perhaps Jekyll’s experiment reduces his being to its most basic form, in which evil runs freely without his reputation as Jekyll being tarnished at all. Jekyll and Hyde are not the only examples of duality in this novel. The city of London is also portrayed in contrasting terms as both a foggy, dreary and ‘nightmarish’ place, and a well kept, bustling center of commerce. Indeed, just as men have both positive and negative qualities, so does society.
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