Jekyll and Hyde (Scottish Highers English): Revision Notes
Jekyll and Hyde
Jekyll and Hyde represent two sides of the same person in Stevenson's exploration of the dual nature of humanity. The novel examines how attempting to separate good from evil ultimately fails, with devastating consequences. This theme connects directly to Victorian concerns about respectability and repression.
Jekyll establishes a distinct identity for Hyde
Jekyll attempts to separate himself from his dark impulses by creating an entirely distinct persona for his evil side. He names this persona Mr Edward Hyde, establishes a separate household for him in a different area of London, and employs a housekeeper to maintain this second life. The house Jekyll chooses is in a different part of town, and he dresses Hyde "very plainly", which creates the impression that Hyde belongs to a lower social class than Jekyll. These careful arrangements demonstrate Jekyll's determination to keep his respectable identity separate from his immoral desires.
Jekyll's use of language reveals his attempt to distance himself psychologically from Hyde. He frequently refers to Hyde in the third person, as though Hyde were someone else entirely. For example, Jekyll says "I find it in my heart to pity him", speaking about Hyde as if he were a different individual. This linguistic separation allows Jekyll to avoid accepting full responsibility for Hyde's actions.
Hypocrisy in Jekyll's Language
Jekyll's language also exposes his hypocrisy. He alternates inconsistently between first and third person when discussing Hyde, reflecting his internal struggle to accept that Hyde is part of him. This confusion is most evident when Jekyll says "He, I say — I cannot say, I".
The broken syntax here demonstrates Jekyll's difficulty in reconciling his understanding that man has a dual nature with his unwillingness to acknowledge Hyde as an intrinsic part of himself. The phrase captures the moment where Jekyll's careful separation breaks down, revealing the impossibility of truly divorcing oneself from one's darker impulses.
Jekyll and Hyde appear as opposites but share fundamental characteristics
On the surface, Jekyll and Hyde seem to embody completely contrasting qualities. Jekyll possesses "kindness" whilst Hyde is "callous". Jekyll has "a tall fine build" but Hyde is "dwarfish". Jekyll commands "all men's respect" whereas Hyde is "damnable". These stark contrasts in physical appearance and moral character suggest a clear division between good and evil.
Yet closer examination reveals that Jekyll and Hyde are not complete opposites but rather two aspects of the same personality. Hyde's concern with reputation mirrors Jekyll's own obsession. When Enfield and others threaten to make a "scandal" out of Hyde trampling the child, Hyde responds by saying "No gentleman but wishes to avoid a scene". This reaction is revealing because Hyde theoretically has no reputation to protect. The gentlemanly language and concern for scandal belong to Jekyll's world of respectability. This moment exposes how Hyde thinks like Jekyll, suggesting that the separation between them is not as complete as Jekyll wishes to believe.
Hyde's Intelligence
Hyde is described as "astute", meaning quick-witted and intelligent. When Jekyll unexpectedly transforms into Hyde whilst in the park, Hyde works out how to access the drugs he needs. This demonstrates that Hyde is not merely primitive and animalistic but possesses Jekyll's intelligence and problem-solving abilities. Hyde's intelligence undermines the idea that he represents only base instincts, showing instead that he contains elements of Jekyll's rational mind.
Jekyll's control over Hyde deteriorates progressively
Initially, Jekyll believes he maintains complete control over his darker self. He can choose when to transform into Hyde by taking his specially prepared drug, and he can return to his Jekyll form at will. This control gives Jekyll confidence in his experiment and allows him to enjoy the freedom Hyde represents without permanent consequences.
However, this control begins to erode. One morning, Jekyll wakes to discover he has transformed into Hyde without taking the drug. This involuntary transformation alarms him, and he acknowledges that he is "slowly losing hold of my original and better self". The word "slowly" indicates a gradual process of deterioration that Jekyll recognises but seems unable to stop. The phrase "original and better self" shows Jekyll still believes his respectable persona is his true identity, even as evidence suggests otherwise.
Jekyll becomes addicted to his Hyde persona. He compares himself to a "drunkard", which suggests he has lost control and cannot resist the temptation despite knowing the dangers. Although Jekyll attempts to stop taking the potion, he significantly does not give up the house in Soho that he maintains for Hyde. This reveals how tempting his evil side is. The retention of the house shows that even when Jekyll claims to want to reform, he keeps the means of indulgence available, demonstrating his lack of genuine commitment to abandoning Hyde.
As Jekyll tries harder to suppress Hyde, Hyde only emerges stronger. After Jekyll manages to go two months without transforming into Hyde, Hyde breaks free and murders Carew. This violent act shows that repression does not eliminate evil impulses but intensifies them. The murder represents Hyde's rage at being constrained, and demonstrates that the longer Jekyll tries to deny this part of himself, the more dangerous Hyde becomes.
Victorian Repression and Its Consequences
Finally, Jekyll loses control completely. He can no longer prevent the transformations, and Hyde begins to take over permanently. This complete loss of control suggests that evil may be the stronger side of human personality, or at least that attempting to repress it entirely gives it greater power.
This outcome reflects Victorian anxieties about the dangers of repression. Victorians suppressed their desires to maintain respectability, but Stevenson suggests through Jekyll's fate that such repression can have devastating consequences.
Mutual hostility develops between the two personas
The relationship between Jekyll and Hyde evolves from Jekyll's initial excitement about his experiment to bitter mutual hatred. From the beginning, Hyde shows no care for Jekyll, viewing him merely as a means of concealment. Jekyll describes their relationship using father-son terminology: Hyde has "more than a son's indifference" whilst Jekyll has "more than a father's interest". This language suggests that Jekyll, as Hyde's creator, feels a paternal care and responsibility for Hyde. However, Hyde responds with the cold indifference of an ungrateful child, resenting his dependence on Jekyll.
As Hyde grows stronger, Jekyll begins to hate "the brute that slept" within him. The word "brute" suggests something animalistic and uncivilised, reflecting Jekyll's horror at his own capacity for evil. This hatred may reflect Jekyll's self-loathing – he hates not just Hyde but the fact that Hyde exists within him as part of his true nature. The language reveals Jekyll's inability to accept his dual nature, despite his intellectual understanding that all humans possess both good and evil.
Hyde's Revenge
Hyde, in turn, "resented the dislike" which Jekyll feels towards him. Rather than accepting Jekyll's rejection passively, Hyde actively punishes Jekyll by playing "tricks" on him. These tricks serve as revenge for Jekyll's attempts to suppress and deny him.
This dynamic offers a warning about the dangers of attempting to completely deny one's darker impulses. Rather than leading to moral improvement, such denial creates internal conflict and empowers the very qualities one seeks to eliminate. The message suggests it would be better to acknowledge and manage one's flaws rather than attempting to separate from them entirely.
Jekyll actively enables and enjoys his Hyde persona
Jekyll is not an innocent victim of his experiment. He deliberately creates the conditions that allow him to indulge his immoral desires without facing consequences. Jekyll is "clearly delighted" at the prospect of pleasure without shame. He "smiled at the notion" and finds it "humorous", revealing his pleasure at discovering a way to evade moral responsibility. This delight exposes Jekyll's moral weakness and his desire to escape the ethical constraints of Victorian society.
Jekyll makes thorough and calculated preparations to enable his double life. He furnishes a complete house for Hyde and makes financial arrangements to support Hyde's independent existence. These actions demonstrate premeditation and commitment to living as Hyde. Jekyll does not stumble accidentally into evil; he systematically constructs the means to pursue it.
Jekyll's Moral Evasion
Although Jekyll experiences "remorse" after Hyde commits terrible acts, Jekyll's "conscience slumbered" because he convinces himself it was "Hyde alone" who was guilty. This represents a fundamental moral evasion.
By attributing all guilt to Hyde, Jekyll attempts to enjoy immoral pleasures whilst avoiding personal responsibility. However, this division is false – Hyde's actions are Jekyll's actions, committed by a part of Jekyll's own personality.
Jekyll's language reveals how much he enjoys the freedom of being Hyde. He describes himself as like a "schoolboy", suggesting childish excitement and the throwing off of adult responsibility. He speaks of jumping in the "sea of liberty", which conveys a sense of boundless freedom and escape from constraint. This imagery shows that Jekyll finds being Hyde exhilarating and liberating. Victorian society imposed strict codes of behaviour, particularly on professional gentlemen like Jekyll. As Hyde, Jekyll can escape these restrictions entirely, experiencing a freedom that his respectable identity denies him.
Critically, Jekyll knows what Hyde is capable of and that Hyde might eventually take over permanently, yet he is not strong enough to stop the transformations because he enjoys being Hyde too much. This weakness is Jekyll's tragic flaw. His awareness of the danger makes his continued indulgence inexcusable. The fact that Hyde eventually takes over completely raises the question of whether there was more bad than good in Jekyll all along.
We feel sympathy for Jekyll despite his guilt
By the end of the narrative, Jekyll admits his experiment has failed. He recognises it is not possible to cast off man's evil side because it "returns upon us with more unfamiliar and more awful pressure". This acknowledgement shows Jekyll's development from pride and excitement about his discovery to a recognition of its terrible consequences. The phrase "more unfamiliar and more awful" suggests that denying evil makes it stranger and more powerful when it resurfaces. This contrasts sharply with Jekyll's earlier confidence and represents a tragic recognition that his scientific ambition has destroyed him.
Universal Human Struggles
Despite Jekyll's guilt and moral failings, it is possible to feel sympathy for him because he represents an ordinary man struggling with challenging aspects of human nature. Jekyll's desires are not uniquely evil; rather, he faces the universal human struggle between respectability and desire, between social expectations and personal impulses.
His failure to manage this struggle does not make him a monster but rather a flawed human being whose experiment went catastrophically wrong.
The reader's sympathy increases when considering the horror of Jekyll's fate. Jekyll says he faces "punishment" and that "no one has ever suffered such torments". This emphasises the extreme nature of his suffering. Being trapped in the Hyde form, unable to return to his true identity, knowing he will soon be discovered and face public disgrace and execution, represents a terrible fate. The intensity of this suffering, combined with Jekyll's recognition of his failure, evokes pity even for someone who bears responsibility for his own downfall.
Jekyll's tragedy lies in his inability to accept the dual nature of man. Whilst he understands intellectually that humans possess both good and evil, he cannot emotionally accept that Hyde is part of him. This failure of self-acceptance drives his attempt to separate entirely into good and evil components, an attempt that proves impossible and destructive. His story serves as a warning about the dangers of denying rather than managing the darker aspects of human nature.
Key Points to Remember:
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Jekyll attempts to create a separate identity for Hyde through naming, housing, and language, but his inconsistent use of first and third person reveals his inability to truly separate from his darker self.
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Jekyll and Hyde appear as opposites but share key characteristics, particularly an obsession with reputation and intelligence, showing they are two aspects of the same personality rather than completely distinct beings.
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Jekyll's control over Hyde deteriorates progressively from voluntary transformation to complete loss of control, suggesting that repression of evil impulses makes them stronger rather than eliminating them.
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The relationship between Jekyll and Hyde evolves from Jekyll's paternal interest to mutual hatred, with Hyde resenting his dependence and punishing Jekyll for attempting to suppress him.
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Jekyll is not an innocent victim but actively creates the conditions for his double life, enjoying the freedom Hyde represents whilst attempting to evade moral responsibility through false separation.
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Despite his guilt, Jekyll evokes sympathy through his recognition of failure, his representation of universal human struggles, and the horror of his fate, which involves suffering that exceeds normal human punishment.