'J + H' Context

Question 1

The era in which Stevenson wrote ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’

Answer 1

Victorian.

In the Victorian era (1837-1901) Queen Victoria promoted strict, Christian morality, and people needed to protect their reputation

Question 2

Jekyll’s pride in his experiments, and his fall into ruin, reflects which Bible story?

Answer 2

The Fall of Satan.

Satan fell from Heaven because he was too proud to serve God; Jekyll fell from power because he was too proud of his scientific success

Question 3

Which book did Charles Darwin write that challenged Victorian religious beliefs?

Answer 3

On the Origin of Species.

Darwin proposed that we were descended from apes; this influenced the description of Hyde in Jekyll and Hyde

Question 4

What theory does the fact that Hyde is short, and described as ugly and ‘odd’, relate to?

Answer 4

Lombroso’s theory of physiognomy.

Lombroso was an Italian criminologist, who proposed the horrific idea that criminals look physically less evolved

Question 5

What is urban terror?

Answer 5

Urban terror is the fear of crime and disease in Industrial London; people felt isolated and vulnerable