Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde: Character Quotations (AQA GCSE English Literature)

Key word or phrase to memorise: “the moment I choose”

What the quotation means: Dr Jekyll tries to reassure Utterson that he has nothing to worry about regarding his relationship with Mr Hyde, and that he has complete control over the situation

Theme: Duality

• Stevenson presents Dr Jekyll as a suspiciously confused character:

  • Having told Utterson he is “painfully situated” a few lines prior, here, he tells him he has full control 

  • The emphatic “the moment I choose” stresses his autonomy to Utterson

• In this line, Stevenson perhaps introduces the binary attitudes that Jekyll represents: 

  • He juxtaposes “bad” with “good” to convince Utterson he is overstating matters

Key word or phrase to memorise: “scientific heresies”

What the quotation means: Dr Jekyll expresses his dislike for Dr Lanyon (who he calls conservative and petty), suggesting that Lanyon criticised his scientific experiments for their anti-religious nature

Theme: Science and religion

• Stevenson contrasts Lanyon and Jekyll’s characters to illustrate the conflicts between science and religion in Victorian England:

  • Jekyll thinks Lanyon is too focused on the rules, and too cautious

  • Stevenson portrays Lanyon as less reckless than the radical Jekyll

• The reference to heresy refers to contemporary debates about the effect of scientific advancement on religion: 

  • Rather than a criticism of science though, Stevenson explores reckless and obsessive advancement that does not consider the consequences

Key word or phrase to memorise: “deformity and decay”

What the quotation means: Dr Jekyll writes that he estimated that Hyde was shorter and uglier than he was because the evil side of his nature had been repressed, and because it represented the “lethal” (deadly) side of a human being

Theme: Good and evil

• Dr Jekyll’s full summary of his experiment ends the novella dramatically

• His conclusions on the duality of humans is that the evil side is destructive:

  • The alliterative “deformity and decay” is strikingly macabre 

• After this, though, Jekyll says, rather surprisingly, that the evil side is still natural:

  • He says it is smaller and deformed as it has been suppressed

  • Stevenson conveys ideas about his society’s repression of imperfections, however, he is not suggesting Hyde’s characteristics are good

  • The novella draws attention to the idea that evil behaviour is natural, and will go on even if it is hidden

Key word or phrase to memorise: “Common friends”

What the quotation means: Mr Hyde is nervous when he meets Utterson, especially as Utterson reports that he knows him and that they share friends

Theme: Secrecy and reputation

• When Mr Utterson meets Mr Hyde the exchange is tense:

  • Stevenson shows how each character hides their true feelings

  • He highlights the secrecy resulting from a preoccupation with politeness

• Here, Mr Hyde is nervous that he may be found out for who he really is (Dr Jekyll):

  • The adverb “hoarsely” shows his concern about his reputation 

  • The irony here is that he is, in fact, Jekyll, the “common” friend

Key word or phrase to memorise: “have mercy” 

What the quotation means: Utterson recognises Hyde’s desperate voice from within the laboratory; Hyde asks him to be compassionate

Theme: Good and evil

• Stevenson’s depiction of Hyde is sympathetic despite his violent rage:

  • His character can be seen as a "monster" and victim

  • Hyde’s desperation is conveyed as he begs for “mercy” and forgiveness

• What is notable is his reference to God, although it is spoken blasphemously:

  • He seems to acknowledge the need for spiritual salvation

Key word or phrase to memorise:  “fame and power” 

What the quotation means: Lanyon describes how Jekyll (who appears as Hyde) offers the doctor “new” knowledge that, he says, will bring celebrity and status

Theme: Science and religion

• Stevenson portrays Dr Jekyll as obsessive:

  • His language is persuasive 

  • Stevenson draws attention to the extreme nature of scientific experimentation in his society 

• While Jekyll convinces himself that his experiment is revolutionary and important, here he alludes to another motivation:

  • His offer of “fame and power” either implies that Lanyon may be persuaded by this, or that this is Jekyll’s real ambition

  • Jekyll’s dubious and hyperbolic words do not gain him respect

Key word or phrase to memorise:  “a good rule” 

What the quotation means: Utterson tells Enfield that he agrees with a rule that he lives by, and says that he, too, thinks that asking questions is too judgemental and rude

Theme: Duality

• Stevenson introduces the dichotomies of Victorian society in Chapter 1:

  • Mr Utterson likes rules

  • Here, he agrees with Enfield’s rule, that asking questions of someone is impolite and judgemental 

• Stevenson shows the irony of this:

  • Utterson’s curious nature and need for the truth may be hindered by his polite avoidance of questions

  • Nevertheless, this line portrays Utterson as impartial and keen to avoid judging others

Key word or phrase to memorise:  “a man to be trusted”

What the quotation means: Utterson tells Jekyll that he should tell him the truth because he has a good reputation and can be trusted to keep a secret 

Theme: Secrecy and reputation

• At the beginning of the novella, Stevenson builds suspense by withholding information from the reader and Utterson:

  • This is a typical convention of the mystery and detective genre

• Utterson values his good reputation, evident in the phrase “you know me”:

  • He believes he has proved himself worthy of Jekyll’s secrets 

  • A reputable name, Stevenson shows, is vital amongst gentlemen

Key word or phrase to memorise: “repulsion” 

What the quotation means: Utterson tells Enfield that he met Hyde once, and that he, too, was repulsed and disgusted by him

Theme: Good and evil

• Utterson’s description of Hyde suggests he does indeed pass judgement, in contrast to his initial rule to never do so

• That Utterson, an impartial and reasonable character, felt “repulsion” when he “saw” Hyde confirms Hyde’s ugly appearance:

  • Utterson conveys a strong response in contrast to his usually reserved demeanour

  • Stevenson illustrates his character’s fear at the sight of a deformed man

  • This quote raises questions about the nature of good and evil

Key word or phrase to memorise:  “ too fanciful for me”

What the quotation means: When Utterson is surprised that Lanyon and Jekyll’s friendship has ended, Lanyon explains that it has long been over, and says that it ended because of Jekyll’s wild ideas

Theme: Science and religion

• Stevenson draws attention to conflicts that arose amongst the scientific community:

  • His portrayal of Lanyon and Jekyll’s friendship depicts how this created divisions, and split opinion at the time 

• Certain individuals like Lanyon see experimentation as “fanciful” and unrealistic: 

  • Lanyon serves as a foil for Jekyll as his attitudes to scientific advancement are sceptical

Key word or phrase to memorise:   “right and wrong of this”

What the quotation means: Lanyon says that, perhaps, in the future, clearer conclusions will be drawn about their disagreement, and over the “right and “wrong” of Jekyll’s experimentation

Theme: Good and evil

• Lanyon’s concern about Jekyll’s activities is stressed so that Stevenson can convey the significance of experimentation:

  • His response conveys his doubt over who is “right”, him or Jekyll

  • This offers an unbiased presentation of the conflict between the doctors

• His uncertainty about the morality of scientific advancement may represent Stevenson’s attitudes or, at least, the concerns of his society

Key word or phrase to memorise:    “soul sickened” 

What the quotation means: Lanyon describes his response when Hyde becomes Jekyll before his eyes and implies that he was disgusted by it

Theme: Science and religion

• Stevenson depicts Lanyon’s shock to convey the strength of his values:

  • He illustrates the strength of opinion about new science at the time  

  • The sibilance of “soul sickened” stresses Lanyon’s spiritual values

  • He suggests Jekyll’s scientific experimentation goes against nature