Characters (Grade 12 NSC Matric English FAL): Revision Notes
Characters
Overview
Robert Louis Stevenson crafts his characters to explore the complex nature of humanity, particularly the concept that both good and evil exist within every person. The story demonstrates how easily respectability can mask darker impulses, and how Victorian society's emphasis on appearance often concealed moral corruption.
Each character in the novella serves a specific purpose in examining different aspects of Victorian London society. Through their interactions and responses to Jekyll's transformation, Stevenson reveals the tensions between:
- Public respectability and private desires
- Scientific curiosity and moral boundaries
- Social appearance and hidden truth
- Rational thinking and emotional horror
The central conflict between Jekyll and Hyde illustrates how attempting to separate good from evil can lead to the complete dominance of one's darker nature.
Stevenson uses each character as a lens through which to examine different Victorian social values and moral perspectives. Understanding how each character responds to the Jekyll/Hyde revelation helps us understand the broader themes about human nature and social hypocrisy.
Dr Henry Jekyll
Role in the story
Dr Jekyll functions as the central figure whose scientific experiment drives the entire plot. As a well-respected physician and scientist in London, he represents the Victorian gentleman who maintains a proper public image whilst secretly yearning for freedom from social constraints.
His creation of the transformation potion stems from his belief that human nature contains both moral and immoral impulses. Jekyll's desire to experience forbidden pleasures without damaging his reputation leads him to develop a way to literally separate his good and evil sides, giving physical form to Mr Hyde.
Character development
Jekyll demonstrates remarkable intelligence and ambition in his scientific pursuits, constantly seeking to understand the mysteries of human behaviour. However, this intellectual curiosity becomes his tragic flaw when combined with his internal conflict about morality.
Initially, Jekyll feels proud of his discovery and secretly enjoys the freedom that Hyde's form provides. He can indulge in cruel and selfish acts without facing social consequences, as no one connects Hyde to the respectable Dr Jekyll.
As the story progresses, Jekyll becomes increasingly remorseful and tragic as he realises he cannot control the evil he has unleashed. The transformation begins happening involuntarily, and Hyde grows stronger with each change, ultimately consuming Jekyll's identity entirely.
Symbolic significance
Jekyll embodies the universal human struggle between doing what is right and giving in to temptation. His character demonstrates Stevenson's central theme about the dual nature of humanity - that every person contains both noble and base impulses.
The physical structure of Jekyll's house reinforces this symbolism. The front entrance, used by respectable visitors, represents his public persona, whilst the back door, which Hyde uses, symbolises his hidden, shameful desires.
Key quote
Man is not truly one, but truly two.
This statement reveals Jekyll's fundamental belief that human beings are not single, unified personalities but rather complex combinations of opposing moral forces.
Mr Edward Hyde
Role in the story
Hyde represents the physical manifestation of Jekyll's evil nature, created through scientific experimentation. He serves as the antagonist who commits increasingly violent acts, including trampling a young girl and murdering Sir Danvers Carew.
Hyde lives a completely separate existence from Jekyll, maintaining his own residence and conducting a life filled with cruelty and personal gratification. His actions create the mystery that drives the plot, as other characters struggle to understand his connection to the respectable Dr Jekyll.
Character development
Hyde begins as a relatively minor nuisance but grows progressively more violent and uncontrollable throughout the story. Stevenson describes him as physically smaller than Jekyll initially, suggesting that evil starts as a smaller part of human nature.
However, as Jekyll continues using the transformation, Hyde becomes stronger and more dominant. He develops from someone who merely acts selfishly to a murderer capable of extreme violence. This progression shows how unchecked evil can grow and eventually overpower good intentions.
Hyde's character is consistently described as animalistic and primitive, representing humanity's most basic and destructive instincts when freed from social and moral constraints.
Symbolic significance
Hyde symbolises pure evil and moral corruption - what happens when society's rules are completely abandoned and natural instincts take control. His very name suggests "hiding," representing the dark aspects of human nature that people typically conceal.
He demonstrates the consequences of separating morality from human behaviour, showing that evil without any balancing goodness becomes monstrous and destructive. Through Hyde, Stevenson warns against the dangers of ignoring moral responsibility.
Key quote
There is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something downright detestable.
This description captures how people instinctively recognise evil, even without understanding its source. Hyde's appearance disturbs others because it reflects pure malevolence.
Mr Gabriel John Utterson
Role in the story
Utterson serves as the primary narrator and investigator throughout most of the novella. As Jekyll's lawyer and close friend, he provides the reader's main perspective on the mysterious events surrounding Hyde's activities.
His profession as a lawyer makes him naturally inclined to seek truth and follow evidence logically. When he learns about Jekyll's unusual will leaving everything to Hyde, Utterson becomes determined to protect his friend's interests and reputation.
Utterson represents the voice of reason, law, and conventional morality throughout the story. His steady investigation gradually uncovers the truth about Jekyll's transformation, though he struggles to accept such an unnatural explanation.
Character development
Utterson demonstrates unwavering loyalty to Jekyll despite growing evidence of his friend's involvement with the notorious Hyde. His serious and rational approach to the mystery contrasts sharply with the supernatural elements of the story.
While naturally curious about the truth, Utterson also shows caution about what he might discover. He fears that learning Jekyll's secrets could destroy his friend's reputation or reveal something terrible about someone he respects.
His trustworthy nature makes him the ideal character to witness and report the story's events, as readers can rely on his honest and methodical approach to understanding the mystery.
Symbolic significance
Utterson represents Victorian respectability and moral duty in their most positive forms. Unlike Jekyll, he doesn't struggle with hidden desires but instead embodies consistent ethical behaviour and genuine concern for others.
Through Utterson's perspective, readers experience the fear of discovering what lies beneath polite society's surface. His investigation reveals how even the most respectable people may harbour dark secrets that challenge conventional understanding of human nature.
Key quote
If he be Mr Hyde, I shall be Mr Seek.
This statement demonstrates Utterson's determination to uncover the mystery, using a play on Hyde's name to show his commitment to finding the truth regardless of personal cost.
Dr Hastie Lanyon
Role in the story
Dr Lanyon serves as Jekyll's former friend and colleague who represents traditional scientific thinking. His relationship with Jekyll deteriorated due to their disagreement about scientific methods and ethical boundaries.
When Jekyll asks Lanyon to retrieve chemicals from his laboratory, Lanyon unknowingly becomes involved in the transformation process. He witnesses Jekyll changing into Hyde, an experience that completely destroys his understanding of natural law and scientific possibility.
Lanyon's character provides crucial evidence about Jekyll's experiments whilst also demonstrating the psychological cost of discovering such forbidden knowledge.
Character development
Initially, Lanyon appears as a rational, traditional scientist who believes in established scientific principles. He cannot accept Jekyll's unconventional experiments, viewing them as unscientific and dangerous.
After witnessing the transformation, Lanyon becomes shocked and traumatised, unable to cope with what he has seen. The experience destroys his peace of mind and ultimately leads to his death, showing how some truths are too terrible for conventional minds to accept.
His moral and conservative nature makes him unable to adapt to or understand Jekyll's discovery, representing how traditional thinking can be completely overwhelmed by revolutionary but dangerous knowledge.
Symbolic significance
Lanyon symbolises rational science versus corrupt experimentation, showing the conflict between responsible research and dangerous boundary-crossing. His death represents the psychological cost of uncovering forbidden truths that challenge fundamental beliefs about human nature.
Through Lanyon's fate, Stevenson suggests that some knowledge is too dangerous for humanity to possess, and that crossing certain moral boundaries in scientific research can have devastating consequences.
Key quote
O God! I screamed, and 'O God' again and again; for there before my eyes ... stood Henry Jekyll.
This quote captures Lanyon's horror at witnessing the impossible transformation, showing how the discovery of such unnatural phenomena can destroy a person's entire understanding of reality.
Mr Poole
Role in the story
Poole functions as Jekyll's loyal butler who has served the household faithfully for many years. His position allows him to observe changes in Jekyll's behaviour that others might miss, making him an important witness to the story's events.
When Jekyll locks himself away and refuses to see anyone, Poole becomes increasingly concerned about his master's welfare. His observations about Jekyll's strange behaviour and the mysterious figure in the laboratory provide crucial evidence for Utterson's investigation.
In the story's climax, Poole helps Utterson break into Jekyll's laboratory, showing courage despite his fear of what they might discover inside.
Character development
Poole demonstrates unwavering faithfulness and respect for Jekyll throughout the story, even as his master's behaviour becomes increasingly erratic and disturbing. His deep care for Jekyll's wellbeing motivates him to seek help despite his natural deference to authority.
As a keen observer of household routines, Poole notices subtle changes in Jekyll's habits and appearance that others might overlook. His growing suspicion that something terrible has happened shows his protective instincts towards someone he has served loyally.
Despite his fear of the truth, Poole shows remarkable courage in confronting the mystery directly, willing to face unknown dangers to help his master.
Symbolic significance
Poole represents the loyal working class who often see truth more clearly than their social superiors because they are not blinded by social pretensions or professional relationships. His honest observations contrast with the secrecy and denial shown by Jekyll's upper-class friends.
His character demonstrates how ordinary people, despite their lower social status, can show greater moral courage than those who appear more respectable. Poole's actions highlight the theme of appearance versus reality in Victorian society.
Sir Danvers Carew
Role in the story
Sir Danvers Carew appears as Hyde's murder victim, representing innocence and respectability destroyed by evil. As an elderly, gentle man who shows kindness even to strangers, his brutal murder shocks London society and draws public attention to Hyde's crimes.
His death serves as the turning point that makes Hyde's violence impossible to ignore or conceal. The murder transforms Hyde from a mysterious nuisance into a wanted criminal, forcing Jekyll to confront the terrible consequences of his experiment.
Symbolic significance
Carew represents innocence, morality, and social order - precisely the values that Hyde's violence destroys. His murder symbolises how evil can attack and destroy even the most harmless and virtuous members of society.
The brutal nature of his death demonstrates the breakdown of social and moral boundaries in Victorian society. Through Carew's fate, Stevenson shows how unchecked evil inevitably leads to the destruction of everything good and civilised.
Enfield, the maid, and minor characters
Their function in the story
Mr Enfield serves as Utterson's walking companion who first tells the story of Hyde trampling the young girl, setting the mystery in motion. He acts as a witness to evil and provides the initial evidence that something sinister surrounds Hyde's activities.
The maid witnesses Sir Danvers Carew's murder and provides crucial testimony that creates suspense whilst revealing the shocking brutality of Hyde's violence. Her account helps establish the timeline and circumstances of the crime.
Symbolic significance
These minor characters represent the everyday people of London who glimpse evil but cannot fully understand or explain it. They highlight the theme of ignorance versus awareness in a society built on maintaining appearances rather than confronting uncomfortable truths.
Their limited perspectives show how ordinary citizens encounter the consequences of hidden moral corruption without understanding its sources, reflecting the broader Victorian society's unwillingness to examine the darker aspects of human nature.
Summary of character relationships
Each character in the novella serves to illuminate different aspects of the central conflict between good and evil. Jekyll's transformation into Hyde affects every other character, revealing their own moral strengths and weaknesses.
Utterson's loyal investigation contrasts with Lanyon's inability to cope with terrible knowledge. Poole's honest observations differ from the denial shown by Jekyll's professional colleagues. The innocent victims like Carew highlight the destructive power of uncontrolled evil.
Together, these characters create a complete picture of Victorian society grappling with the realisation that respectability and morality are not the same thing, and that every person contains the potential for both nobility and corruption.
Key Points to Remember:
- Jekyll represents the dual nature of humanity - every person's internal struggle between good and evil impulses
- Hyde symbolises pure evil without moral constraints - showing what happens when dark impulses are given complete freedom
- Utterson embodies Victorian respectability and moral duty - serving as the rational investigator who gradually uncovers the truth
- Each character reveals different responses to moral corruption - from Lanyon's traumatic shock to Poole's loyal courage
- The characters work together to explore Stevenson's central theme - that denying the complexity of human nature leads to destruction rather than moral purity