Louis Stevenson’s notorious novella, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, is a narrative about the duality of human nature. It has become a cultural phenomenon, known even to those who have never read the book nor seen any of the adaptations. On the surface, the work seems to explore the struggle of good versus evil that occurs within every man. But, looking at the narrative from a slightly different perspective, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde can be read as a story of…
Duality is essentially a universal theme used to enhance textual integrity and introduce a fresh complexity to characters. Such is the case within the novel, “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”. “I have been doomed to such a dreadful shipwreck: that man is not truly one, but truly two.” – The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The metaphor, “…such a dreadful shipwreck” hyperbolises the psychological conflicts of Jekyll and Hyde. The word, “doomed”…
“Sometimes you don’t realize you’re drowning when you’re trying to be everyone else’s anchor,” -Unknown. In Robert Louis Stevenson’s prominent novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a dispute between good and evil is present throughout the outstanding book, especially in Henry Jekyll and his struggle with the two sides of life. Dr. Jekyll seems to be endeavoring to find himself and figuring out who he truly is, but loses himself and falls from grace in his lifetime. Not everyone is…
themes that can be found or interpreted from the text of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. One that is most apparent is the idea of filth which is explained in the city and the characters. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines filth as foul, putrid or moral corruption (“Filth”). Examples of this filth are established in both the setting of the story as well as in the development of the characters. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde provides many opportunities for a reader to…
While obvious as it is that a murder is irreversible as the victim is gone forever, in the play Macbeth by Shakespeare and the novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Stevenson, the authors explore the irreversible transformation of the murderers, the titular characters. Through vivid examples illustrating the progression of the main characters’- Macbeth and Jekyll’s- actions, Shakespeare and Stevenson clearly indicate that regardless of the past or accountability, actions…
Victorian and Jacobean audience. The concept of “Macbeth” played on ideas such as the divine right of Kings, the supernatural as well as the expected role of women in society. Whereas in "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”, Stevenson used the position of Hyde as a representation of Dr Jekyll’s disreputable desires as a way of demonstrating the Victorian compromise. Both authors have therefore left the readers with such questions: are repressed desires villainous or is Lady Macbeth…
While Victorian society is often praised for its pristine lifestyle, Robert Louis Stevenson argues that this lifestyle was a pretense for what was actually going on and often brought about the worst of society. In Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson advocates for the necessity of moral responsibility through his portrayal of dualism in Victorian era. Victorian culture produced the desire of perfection and admiration among higher-class individuals, which manufactured the…
Henry Jekyll, a highly regarded doctor, struggles to repress his darker side. In Robert Stevenson’s novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Jekyll is faced with the archetypal theme of struggling between the two forces of good and evil. From early on in his life he chooses the former, but his mind is still tempted by dark urges. It’s this suppression of his second nature that causes him to go to extremes to escape the life he feels trapped in. Despite this, he is still internally torn…
to be ? Some people are good and some are evil but it’s up to you to believe what you think . Dr.jekyll and mr.hyde are both the same person but different personalities , one claims to be fully evil and the other claims he's good . The truest side in Dr jekyll is Mr Hyde . Ironically , when dr.jekyll was younger he wasn’t such a good person , this may have caused him to have another personality which is hyde . “ my mind misgives me he is deep waters! He was wild when he was young ; a long…
According to the statement, humankind tries to suppress their primal desires such as “revenge, conquest, lust and greed” but these attempts will always be contended by our inherent bestial nature. Referred to as ‘The Beast Within’, our dark side has been heavily featured within literature since time immemorial, which only substantiates our perverse (albeit secret) attraction to it. Throughout time the representation of ‘The Beast Within’ has evolved in literature, from biblical myths such as…