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

Characters

It is vital that you understand that characters are often used symbolically to express ideas. Stevenson uses all of his characters to symbolise various ideas prevalent in his society, and the differences between characters reflect contemporary debates. Therefore, it is very useful not only to learn about each character individually but how they compare and contrast with other characters in the novel. 

It is important to consider the range of strategies used by Stevenson to create and develop characters within the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. This includes:

• how characters are established 

• how characters are presented: 

  • physical appearance or suggestions about this 

  • actions and motives for them

  • what they say and think

  • how they interact with others

  • what others say and think about them 

• how far the characters conform to or subvert stereotypes 

• their relationships between other characters

Below you will find character profiles of:

• Dr Henry Jekyll

• Mr Edward Hyde

• Mr Gabriel John Utterson

• Dr Hastie Lanyon

Minor Characters:

• Mr Enfield

• Sir Danvers Carew

• Mr Poole

Dr Henry Jekyll

• The character of Dr Henry Jekyll is only introduced in Chapter III of the novella:

  • Hyde appears in the narrative before Jekyll which reinforces the reader’s perception that he is a separate entity 

• Jekyll is first depicted as a model Victorian gentleman: he is well-mannered, has a wide circle of acquaintances and is religious

• Jekyll is introduced as a “charitable man” and is described as a “large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty, with something of a slyish cast perhaps, but every mark of capacity and kindness”:

  • Stevenson’s initial description presents Jekyll as a respectable man but he also hints at his cunning, secretive and deceitful nature which prepares the reader for what is about to unfold

• Jekyll is presented as a scientist who has spent many years conducting experiments in order to explore the duality of human nature:

  • He believes that every person has both good and evil within them and is determined to use his research to understand and explain this dichotomy

  • His experimentation into matters of modern science however may have concerned some Victorians

• Jekyll is presented as highly intelligent with an inquiring mind:

  • His motivation for creating Hyde demonstrates his ability to question societal beliefs about science and religion

  • Jekyll’s experiments lead to a feud with his friend, Lanyon, as he believes Jekyll’s experiments are morally objectionable and should not be conducted

• Jekyll’s experimental concoction separates both the good and evil aspects of his character and seemingly creates the separate person of Hyde, who partakes in hideous and violent crimes:

  • The true nature of Jekyll and Hyde’s relationship is finally revealed to the reader in the final chapter of the novella, though Stevenson does give hints to this throughout the narrative

• Jekyll finds himself living a double life and he is unable to reconcile the two sides of his character:

  • He wishes to be a respected doctor adhering to the highest moral standards; however, he also yearns to engage in malevolent acts

• As the novella progresses, Jekyll’s behaviour becomes increasingly erratic and unpredictable:

  • By Chapter V, it is evident that Hyde is having a detrimental influence over Jekyll

  • Jekyll becomes increasingly isolated and is deeply perturbed when his transformation into Hyde occurs without his chemical concoction

• In the final chapter of the novella, Jekyll’s battle within himself to be ‘respectable’ is revealed:

  • Indeed, it could be viewed that Hyde would not exist if Jekyll could live without rigid social constraints

• While Jekyll firmly believes he is in charge of the transformation between him and Hyde, the conclusion of the novella illustrates that it is Hyde who is in control:

  • This ironic reversal of power illustrates the power of Hyde and Jekyll's struggle against the more sinister side of his nature

• Stevenson lets the reader decide whether Jekyll is a character who is morally worthy of any sympathy:

  • While the reader may feel some empathy for Jekyll, he cannot be viewed as wholly good

Mr Edward Hyde

• Hyde is first presented in the novella indirectly through Enfield’s account and also  Utterson’s dream, which both serve to present him as a villainous character but also as highly elusive 

• At first, he is referred simply to as “the man” which creates an air of mysteriousness and he is depicted as both violent and cruel: for example, “the man trampled calmly over the child’s body”

  • Stevenson uses the juxtaposition of the words “calmly” and “trampled” to establish the brutality and horror of Hyde’s character

• Hyde is described throughout in terms of animalistic imagery which increases as the novella develops: “savage”, “snarled”, “with ape-like fury” and “hardly human” all allude to his aggressive, predatory and primitive nature:

  • Stevenson’s deliberate use of animal imagery is used to suggest Hyde’s separateness from human society and his unrestrained nature

  • The use of the word “troglodytic” is used which implies caveman-like behaviour which links to Darwin's Theory of Evolution, which challenged the largely Christian views of many Victorians

• Although Stevenson presents him using animalistic imagery there is also a vagueness to his description which creates apprehension and mystery: 

  • Stevenson suggests that “he gives a strong feeling of deformity” though he does not specify as to what this deformity is 

  • This casts an uncertainty as to Hyde’s character and also hints at a supernatural element as the descriptions of him are quite ambiguous

• Hyde’s first violent incident in Chapter I foreshadows the events in Chapter IV, when he savagely beats Sir Danvers Carew to death:

  • Stevenson parallels these two incidents: 

    • They both occur late at night

    • There is an innocent victim

    • Excessive violence is used

    • There are witnesses to the event 

• These incidents are used to demonstrate his character spiralling out of control, as each subsequent event becomes more brutal and violent in its nature

• This corresponds to Jekyll’s description of Hyde becoming the stronger and more dominant personality

• Hyde is depicted as an inherently violent character and he displays no remorse for his crimes:

  • Further, both of Hyde’s victims are presented as innocent and vulnerable (one a young child and the other an elderly gentleman) which elicits sympathy from the reader and makes them horrified at the depravity of Hyde’s actions

• Stevenson presents Hyde as an outsider within the narrative and he is both mysterious and callous:

  • Apart from his violent deeds, the reader learns very little about him

  • Further, while Hyde is largely depicted as grotesque, Stevenson does present him as somewhat pathetic and helpless at times

• Hyde could be viewed as a representation of the dangers of repression and serves as a criticism of conventional social and moral codes

• Hyde invokes terror in other characters:

  • This may hint at the possibility of the inner evil that resides within everyone

Mr Gabriel John Utterson

• Gabriel Utterson is presented as having “an approved tolerance for others” and that “something eminently human beaconed in his eye” which suggests he is a kind and genial character

• He is depicted as a respectable lawyer and as a trustworthy, discreet and loyal friend to Jekyll:

  • One of Utterson’s roles in the novella is to help advise his friend, despite Jekyll’s repeated objections to assistance

    • He is referenced as “the last reputable acquaintance and the last good influence in the lives of down-going men”

  • He places his duty to friendship above his duty to the law and although he suspects forgery of a letter, his protectiveness towards Jekyll outweighs his regard for the law

  • Utterson also desperately tries to avert any scandal which could damage Jekyll’s reputation 

• He is presented as both rational and calm and through his objective perspective, Stevenson enables the reader to judge the evidence alongside him:

  • At no point does he suspect Jekyll and Hyde are the same person and although he accurately suspects something odd about their letters, the conclusion he draws is incorrect which perhaps illustrates his fallibility

• He has a persistent and inquisitive manner and he is committed to uncovering the truth:

  • In the beginning, he is described as a man of steady habits and acquaintances though as the novella progresses, he increasingly engages in activities which are outside of his normal behaviour

  • He begins to behave more impulsively: for example, he breaks into Jekyll’s laboratory which demonstrates his bravery

• Utterson is used to present the main narrative viewpoint and he drives much of the plot action: for example, tracking down Hyde, identifying Carew’s body, assisting the police and receiving the letters from Jekyll and Lanyon:

  • It is through the character of Utterson that all of the other characters are presented and he is used by Stevenson to link all of them together

• Stevenson concludes the novella with two letters which are read by Utterson:

  • This adds an air of mysteriousness as his reaction is never revealed and the reader is unaware of what action he takes

Dr Hastie Lanyon

• Dr Hastie Lanyon is first depicted as a “hearty, healthy, dapper, red-faced gentleman” with a “boisterous…manner” which suggests he is a robust, energetic and amiable character:

  • Stevenson contrasts this initial presentation of Lanyon with his dramatic physical and mental decline later in the novella, where he is described as “rosy…grown pale” and “balder and older”

• Jekyll’s experiments lead to a feud with his friend, Lanyon, as he believes Jekyll’s experiments are morally objectionable and should not be conducted:

  • Lanyon is a respectable and conventional scientist and stands in contrast to Jekyll, as he views Jekyll’s experiments as dangerous and describes them as “unscientific balderdash”

• His character increases the sense of mystery within the narrative when he refuses to inform Utterson as to what occurred between him and Jekyll

• He is also established as one of Jekyll’s “oldest friends” and as his “colleague and old-school companion”:

  • Stevenson does so in order to depict how repulsed Lanyon is about Jekyll’s experiments, as he distances himself completely from his former friend

  • Lanyon is unable to reconcile his opposition to Jekyll’s experiments and as a result, their friendship ceases to exist

• Lanyon is the first character to discover that Hyde and Jekyll are the same person:

  • When Lanyon witnesses Hyde transform back into Jekyll, his shock that a vile beast lurks within a respectable gentleman such as Jekyll becomes too distressing for him to bear

  • Indeed, Stevenson positions Lanyon as the only character to witness Jekyll’s transformation as his belief in the laws of science does not enable him to accept what he has witnesses: “My life is shaken to its roots":

Minor Characters

Mr Enfield

• A distant relative and friend of Utterson, Mr Enfield is first presented in Chapter I:

  • He stands in sharp contrast to Utterson and is wholly uninterested and indifferent to Hyde’s violent behaviour

• Enfield is used to introduce the character of Hyde and he reveals Hyde’s connection to Utterson’s friend, Jekyll:

  • Stevenson uses Enfield to drive the narrative forwards as his account of Hyde instigates Utterson’s investigation 

  • Although never firmly stated, Stevenson hints that Enfield has all the exterior of a gentleman, though may also have sinister secrets of his own

Sir Danvers Carew

• Sir Danvers Carew is presented as a distinguished, respected gentleman and Member of Parliament who is violently beaten to death by Hyde:

  • He is described as having an “old-world kindness” and a “well-founded self-content” and is presented as a model Victorian gentleman

  • His death presents a turning point in the novella and the violent and horrific depiction of his death is heavily contrasted with his kind demeanor, making his death appear even more appalling to the reader:

    • By attacking Carew, Hyde could be seen as attacking key values held by Victorian society 

Mr Poole

• Poole is presented as Jekyll’s faithful and honest servant who demonstrates his discretion by trying to avert a scandal for his employer