Jekyll and Hyde

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Dr Jekyll - Quotes

"every guarantee of an honourable distinguished future"- Ambitious 

"well known and highly considered" - Respectable

"I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end" - Troubled by the experiment he has taken out 

"every mark of capacity and kindness" - Stereo-typical victorian gentleman

"Dr Jekyll grew pale to the very thin lips, and there came a sickness to his eye" - This description of Dr Jekyll shows how fearful and guilty he is when Utterson explains how he has learned more about Mr Hyde.

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Dr Jekyll - Context

In the 19th century, reputation was a very important part of society. If any victorian gentleman where to be seen doing anything that wasn't respectable then their good name would be ruined. Because of this pressure put on upon the Victorian society many men would keep their sinful behaviour and less respectable desires as a secret to protect their reputation. This could explain Dr Jekyll's excessive sense of guilt as he is indulging in his hidden desires (transforming into Mr Hyde). Because of the pressure felt by Dr Jekyll to continuously be respectable to be accepted into the Victorian society, Dr Jekyll is even more tempted to indulge in his evil side as it means he can enjoy and have the freedom of participating in these unrespectful acts without having any shame. Turning into Hyde acts as a kind of escapism from the pressure of Victorian society. He explains himself to be a "drunkard" which shows how he tried to stop taking the potion but it was too much to resist. As Hyde becomes stronger, Jekyll begins to hate "the brute that slept [within him] ". This may be reflecting Jekyll's self-loathing, he hates the fact he has an evil side. Eventually, Dr Jekyll is overtaken by Mr Hyde's side completely which could show that evil is the strongest side of our personalities. In the nineteenth century, there was an overwhelming amount of new scientific discoveries such as Charles Darwin's evolution theory in 1859. In this era, these scientific discoveries were seen to be interfering with religious ideas and many saw science to be dangerous as it was messing with matters that only God has control over. This emphasises the controversy and shockingness of Jekyll's experiment.

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Mr Hyde - Quotes

"an ape-like fury" - Stevenson is comparing Hyde to an unevolved human

"a man who was without bowels of mercy" - Merciless. This could explain why part of Jekyll enjoys being Hyde. Hyde can indulge in sins without worrying about his reputation. His behaviour shows escapism from the pressure of society

"Edward Hyde, alone in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil" - Jekyll enjoys indulging in his dark side but Hyde takes sinning to a new level

"Like some damned juggernaut" - 'juggernaut' meaning an overpowering unstoppable force

"pale and dwarfish" - Hyde is described as this by Utterson. Hyde's appearance is very strange which opposes against the expectations of a Victorian gentleman.

"Satan's signature upon a face" - Hyde is so evil that he is being described to be like satan. This comparison shocks the reader, particularly a reader from the nineteenth century who would more strongly believe in the satan figure

"Devil long caged" - Hyde has been caged inside Jekyll and only now can his evil side escape and take over. Showing how everyone has an evil side. 

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Mr Hyde - Context

Stevenson frequently compares Hyde to an animal, for example, "ape-like". Darwin's theory that man evolved from apes was widely known when the novel was written (in the late nineteenth century). Hyde is being shown as Jekyll's less evolved side, which is smaller and less respectable. Because Hyde is smaller (he is described to have over-sized clothes) this shows that this evil side is the smaller side of Dr.Jekyll, and he is mainly a good person. In the Victorian era, people didn't like the fact that people may have a primitive, animalistic side and many would hide these desires in order to fit in with the civilised society. Because of Stevenson creating this darker side within Jekyll, who is a very respectable man on the outside and very much like the stereotypical Victorian gentleman, this forces the reader to consider that there may be a dark, immoral side to everyone. 

In the late nineteenth century, freak shows were at the height of popularity and many disabled and deformed people were labelled as freaks and treated very unfairly. The popular belief that deformed people where criminals also meant that Hyde's appearance would define him as a bad person to the readers of the Victorian era.

Jekyll and Hyde are not complete opposites, however. Jekyll is not completely what he seems on the outside as it was his idea to partake in this experiment and he fails to distance himself from his evil side. He gives into the temptation. Hyde also has traits of Jekyll in him.  

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Utterson - Quotes

"a rugged countenance that was never lighted by a smile" - We see the novella through his eyes - therefore we see things as they are because he is an unimaginative and serious person. 

"the last good influence in the lives of down-going men" - reputable, he is the stereotypical victorian gentleman. 

"I shall consider it my duty to break in that door" - brave and reliable. We see him in a positive light 

The memory of Hyde makes him "shudder in his blood" - the supernatural nature of Hyde is strong enough to affect Utterson's emotions which he usually tries to control.

"If your master....is dead, we may at least save his credit" - Utterson is obsessed with reputation and respectability. When he understands what happened with Jekyll and Hyde he keeps the truth private to save Jekyll's reputation

"cold" and "dreary" - These negative descriptions could be criticising the way Victorian men repressed their emotions. He does not show his human side through his speech

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Utterson - Context

Utterson is very much the stereotypical Victorian gentleman as he is very obsessed with reputation. At the end of the novella when he discovers that Hyde and Jekyll were really the same people he says "If your master....is dead, we may at least save his credit". This shows how Utterson is saving Dr Jekyll's reputation and this also explains why he didn't get any police involved with the case. Utterson is the most trustworthy character in the novella which people feel like they can go to for help. Despite this, he is shown to lead a dull lifestyle (he is described to be "cold" and "dreary"), this could show why Utterson takes so much interest in the Hyde case. This dullness of Utterson could be a criticism of the way Victorian gentlemen had to repress their emotions. When Utterson finds out about the truth of Jekyll and Hyde it is even more shocking because it shows that the appearance of respectability hides a much darker truth about the reality of human nature. The whole story of Jekyll and Hyde shows how the Victorian society was wrong to pressure men to repress their emotions because no matter what there in on show it is only hiding what is underneath. If the Victorian society was more tolerant of human behaviour there would be less need to hide immoral desires, therefore, less problems overall. 

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