Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde: Dr Henry Jekyll Character Analysis (AQA GCSE English Literature): Revision Note
Jekyll finds himself living a double life and he is unable to reconcile the two sides of his character.
Dr Jekyll character summary
Dr Jekyll | |||
Key characteristics | Role | Themes | Overview |
| Dr Jekyll’s character exposes the tension between good and evil inherent in human nature |
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Why is Dr Jekyll important?
Jekyll is a symbol of the duality of human nature and while he is aware of his good side, he also acknowledges that there is evil within him.
Dr Jekyll is depicted as:
Ambitious: Jekyll is presented as a scientist who has spent many years conducting experiments in order to explore the duality of human nature. He is presented as highly intelligent with an inquiring mind. While he is desperate to maintain his good reputation, he is tempted to enjoy and indulge in his evil side, which is why he is motivated to create his alter ego, Mr Hyde
Morally conflicted: Jekyll is fascinated with the duality of man and wishes to separate the good and the bad sides of his personality; he confesses that he enjoys being evil in his final statement. The "character" of Dr Jekyll maintains his good reputation while Mr Hyde is the incarnation of his bad reputation. The epistolary nature of the end of the narrative gives the reader an insight into Jekyll’s fears and desperate situation.
Secretive: Jekyll’s secrecy isolates him from his friends and colleagues. His experiments lead to a feud with his friend, Dr Lanyon, who believes Jekyll’s experiments are morally objectionable and should not be conducted
Tragic figure: Jekyll enjoys the façade of Dr Hyde, as he can do terrible things, such as the “juggernaut” incident and the murder of Sir Danvers Carew, without anyone suspecting him. However, he becomes a victim of his own experiments. Although Jekyll tries to assure Utterson that he does not need his help nor interference and that “the moment I choose, I can be rid of Mr Hyde”, he ultimately succumbs to his evil side
Dr Jekyll’s use of language
Dr Jekyll uses language that reflects his intellectual curiosity and moral conflict and his language shifts between rational thoughts with his more darker and sinister impulses.
Emotive: Jekyll repeats “my life, my honour, my reason” to emphasise his desperate plea for help and says that he would “sacrifice” his “fortune” or “left hand” if Lanyon were to need his help. For example, Jekyll describes the different stages of his transformation: “racking pangs… grinding in the bones, deadly nausea, and a horror of the spirit” and his transformation affects him both physically and psychologically.
Introspective: Jekyll realises that the evil side of his nature is “less robust and less developed than the good”. Following the murder of Sir Danvers Carew, Jekyll reflects that Mr Hyde has gone too far and that he needs to be contained. Whenever Jekyll controls his lust for evil, he comes out of seclusion and renews his friendships, reinforcing his good reputation among them.
Sinister: Jekyll knows that his transformation has affected him greatly and uses repetition to emphasise how he is “more wicked, tenfold more wicked” and that he is metaphorically “sold a slave to my [his] original evil”. He celebrates knowing that he is evil with the simile “braced and delighted me like wine” and his feelings are intoxicating.
Religious and moralistic: Jekyll’s use of terms and references to religious symbolism and biblical allusions are used repeatedly throughout the novella. For example, his repeated use of terms linked to “hell” (“devil” and “damned”) reflect his moral anguish.
Dr Jekyll key quotes
“The moment I choose, I can be rid of Mr Hyde”
“My devil had long been caged; he came out roaring”
“All human beings… are commingled out of good and evil”
Dr Jekyll character development
Chapter 3 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 10 |
The Dinner Party: In this chapter, Stevenson presents Dr Jekyll as a charming and respectable gentleman. He is both the centre of polite conversation and is described as physically robust and handsome. He deflects Mr Utterson’s concerns about his will and his association with Mr Hyde.
| Incident of the Letter: Utterson visits Jekyll after Hyde has committed murder and Jekyll’s secrecy and fragmented language reveal his growing moral conflict, as revealed by the forgery of the letter supposedly written by Mr Hyde.
| Henry Jekyll’s Full Statement: In his final confession, Jekyll’s battle within himself to be “respectable” is revealed. Despite his efforts, he could no longer contain Mr Hyde, and Jekyll realises that man does not only have one nature, but is “truly two”: evil resides in all men and wants to break out.
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Dr Jekyll character interpretation
Victorian repression
The rigid expectations of Victorian society could be viewed as compelling certain individuals to repress certain aspects of their character. Repression is evident in the character of Jekyll who can not suppress his inner desires, which results in the creation of Hyde. Through the version of himself called “Mr Hyde”, Jekyll can take part in the immoral or criminal activities that are not permitted by polite Victorian society, but that, deep down, he wishes to engage in.
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