Jekyll

• Stevenson's intentions: Jekyll

  Stevenson portrays Jekyll in a paradoxical (conflicting) and unorthodox (unconventional manner to demonstrate the repressive and stifling nature of Victorian respectable gentlemen who were expected to be civilised by these rigid social constructs
• Jekyll

  • Microcosmic for Victorian gentleman
  • Juxtaposing Hyde's depravity
  • Reveals the ambiguity (vague) and blurred lines between morality and immorality in Victorian society
  • Reveals hypocrisy, duality and suffering
• Reveal about Jekyll: Stevenson's novella serves as a cautionary tale against the dangers of moral purification in Victorian society which denies natural impulses and desires due to favouring simplistic moral absolutes
• Reveal about Jekyll: Stevenson suggests that the attempt to deny or eradicate this inherent duality is not only futile (pointless) but also detrimental to the individual and society as a whole
• Smooth-faced man of fifty

  Unorthodox and paradoxical description, as a fifty-year-old man would typically have wrinkles and signs of age
• Jekyll's appearance


  • “Large, well-made, smooth faced man”
  • Archetype of a respectable gentleman “every mark of capacity and kindness”
  • Almost artificial or manufactured
• Jekyll's flawless exterior

  Foreshadows the bleak consequences of such repression
• Jekyll's sanitised appearance

  Becomes an ironic counterpoint to the contrari his Wring buriosity, a monstrous reflection of the darkness he seeks to
• Jekyll's unblemished facade


  Suggests his mastery of social performance and symbolises the conflict between surface appearances and deeper realities
• Jekyll can suppress aspects of himself deemed unacceptable, alike to his later fascination with indulging darker desires, without raising suspicion
• Utterson's affinity with Jekyll

  Foreshadows a hidden stain on Jekyll's morality
• C.6: '"If I am the chief of sinners, I am the chief of sufferers also"'
• Alliteration

  • The alliteration of "sinners" and "suffers" blurs the distinction between these concepts, suggesting an intertwined relationship
  • As Jekyll is microcosmic for Victorian gentleman, it reveals the ambiguity (vague) and blurred lines between morality and immorality in Victorian society, as well as good and evil
  • This interconnection ridicules how this 'progressive' society is in reality founded on hypocrisy, duality and suffering
• Jekyll's internal struggle, embodying both "sinner" and "sufferer"

  Epitomises the paradox of indulging in sinful darker desires while undergoing the suffering imposed by societal repression in Victorian society
• Despite Jekyll's religious transgressions (going against) in his pursuit of "scientific balderdash," he acknowledges he is still subject to divine condemnation
• The biblical allusion to hell, embedded in the term "sinner," accentuates that despite his defiance and rejection of societal norms, he remains accountable to God's judgement
• This inner turmoil reflects the Victorian struggle between scientific progress and religious faith
• Despite the growing disillusionment with the rise of scientific theories, the judgement of God was inescapable and still prevalent in society
• Dr Jekyll's repression and denial of his true desires


  Ultimately led to the bleak scientific discovery of his dual identity as Mr. Hyde
• The discovery of his dual identity as Mr. Hyde

  Shatters the illusion of his respectability and exposes the depths of his inner conflict
• The superficiality of clothes

  Reinforces the motif (recurring symbol/theme) of appearance versus reality, as it becomes evident that the virtuous (moral) Dr. Jekyll was merely a disguise, concealing the darker reality of his inner turmoil as Hyde
• “Clothes of the doctor’s bigness” C.8

  Metaphor: The metaphor of "doctor's bigness" serves as a reminder of how Dr Jekyll was once the more developed aspect of his nature, although we now mourn the loss of this respectable individual as all that is left of him is his clothes - he has been replaced by his callous (cruel) and depraved (evil) counterpart.
• Good vs Evil

  The emphasis on the physical “bigness” of Jekyll’s clothes showcases his former dominance over the internal conflict between his dual natures of good and evil. However, as he succumbed to the temptation of his repressed desires, he diminished both morally and physically, transforming into the malevolent Hyde.
• C.10: '"My devil had been long caged, he came out roaring"'
• Verb "caged"


  Signifies societal and religious repression, perpetuates the theme of suffering and toxic austerity (stern/strictness)
• Idea of being "caged" and "roaring"

  • Carries animalistic allusions linking with Darwinism
• Zoomorphism (giving something animal qualities)

  Jekyll's degenerate (corrupt and backwards) desires are symbolically portrayed as "roaring," a zoomorphic description that hints at a deeper exploration of his descent into his primitive form
• Societal constraints

  Compel Jekyll to suppress his desires, leading to the emergence of a beastly, animalistic force, personified through Hyde
• Transmogrification (change in a surprising way)

  Jekyll's indulgence into pleasure was incoherent with the expectations of his society, thus he was forced to resort to secrecy
• Dishonesty is incompatible with the blueprint of a respectable gentleman
• C.10: '"Agonised womb of consciousness, these polar twins should be continually struggling"'
• Agonised

  The painful verb "agonised" suggests Jekyll made an egregious (shocking) mistake in attempting to separate the two aspects of his nature. It illustrates the perpetual pain between the dichotomy of moral duty and personal pleasure.
• Stevenson satirises (mocks) the Victorian want to sterilise (free from this inherent human flaw showing it is an immutable (permanent) trait inherent to each individual from the moment of creation.
• Stevenson challenges the Victorian notion that duality is synonymous with evil, instead suggesting that it is an intrinsic aspect of the human condition.
• Friendship and loyalty

  Alternative perspective on Jekyll’s loyalty to his “polar twin” considered despite outwardly aligning himself with morality and Victorian societal norms Jekyll’s true loyalties lie in indulging his deepest desires in private- desires of Hyde. Appears loyal, but innermost loyalties are devoted to satisfying his personal indulgent cravings
• Science and religion

  The Biblical reference is then shown by the metaphor of the “womb” and “twins”, alluding to the story of Jacob and Esau - opposite twins who fought for their birthright using deception, ultimately leading to a war between nations. This follows the Calvinist beliefs of the time that every person is ‘enslaved to sin’ and God predetermines who achieves salvation.