Jekyll and Hyde characters Flashcards
1
Q
how is Dr Henry Jekyll a pillar of society?
A
- Jekyll appears to be good and respectable. he’s known for his charity work and reads religious texts
- he socialises in upper-class circles and hosts dinner parties. he’s sociable and friendly with ‘every mark of capacity and kindness’
- ## he behaves in a socially acceptable way - he’s very aware of how people perceive him. he carries his ‘head high’ and is ‘fond of the respect’ people give him
- AMBITIOUS: ‘every guarantee of an honourable and distinguished future’
- RESPECTABLE: ‘well known and highly considered’
- TROUBLED: ‘I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end’
2
Q
describe how Dr Jekyll puts on a false face to appear respectable:
A
- has always put on an excessively respectable front. shows ‘a more commonly grave countenance before the public’. he worries about his hidden desires - he thinks they’re far worse than they are as he’s obsessed with appearing respectable
- his hidden desires make him feel very guilty, so he creates a ‘deeper trench’ than most between his good and bad sides. he hides his desires with an ‘almost morbid sense of shame’. criticism of the pressures Victorian society placed on people to appear respectable?
- Jekyll finds himself committed to a ‘profound duplicity of life’
3
Q
describe how Dr Jekyll is an ambitious man of science:
A
- experiments in ‘transcendental medicine’. his research is controversial - he’s lost the respect of Lanyon due to his ‘unscientific balderdash’
- his ‘fanciful’ work isn’t respectable as it crosses the boundary from the science of the material world into the supernatural and mystical
- by splitting his two sides, Jekyll wants to be rid of ‘the curse of mankind’ (that man’s good and bad sides are bound together). he’s motivated by ambition and a selfish desire to be ‘relieved of all that was unbearable’ (a guilty conscience)
- he was so desperate he willingly ‘risked death’. however, he only succeeds in releasing his bad side, and Jekyll remains as divided as ever
4
Q
describe Hyde embodies wickedness:
A
- ‘pure evil’
- violent for the sake of it. the murder of Carew is unprovoked and uncontrollable, which he takes ‘delight’ in - shocking
- ## his evil is reflected in his appearance, it leaves ‘an imprint of deformity and decay’
- ‘he gives a strong feeling of deformity’
- ‘his every act and thought centred on self’
- ‘a man who was without bowels of mercy’
- ‘Edward Hyde, alone in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil’
5
Q
how is Hyde like an animal?
A
- the Victorians considered their society to be civilised - they valued propriety, order, and self control. they didn’t like the idea that people may have a primitive, animalistic side
- tried to hide what they thought were animalistic desires beneath a civilised, respectable exterior to fit in
- Darwin’s theory was widely known at the time of publishing. Hyde is presented as Jekyll’s less evolved side (ape), and is smaller and less respectable
- forces the reader to consider that there could be a dark, immoral side to everyone
6
Q
how does Hyde create strong feelings of hatred and unease?
A
- people loathe him when they meet him. after he tramples the child, the unemotional doctor looked at him as if he had a ‘desire to kill’ him. shows that civilised people have immoral thoughts, but don’t act on them
- characters can’t explain why they dislike Hyde. they can’t (or won’t) make sense of him, reflecting how they’ve repressed their own dark side
- Hyde has a frightening appearance. Enfield says he’s ‘extraordinary looking’ and Utterson says he can ‘read Satan’s signature’ on his face. Hyde is different to other people, not quite human
7
Q
describe Jekyll’s habit of treating Hyde like a separate person/identity:
A
- gives his evil side a name - Mr Edward Hyde
- furnishes a house and employs a housekeeper for Hyde
- chooses a house in a different part of town and dresses Hyde ‘very plainly’. he’s of a lower social class
- refers to him in third person to distance himself from him, ‘I find it in my heart to pity him’
8
Q
describe Jekyll’s reference (1st/3rd person) to Hyde in more detail:
A
alternates between referring to him in the first and third person. reflects his hypocrisy - he understands that man has a dual nature, but he has trouble accepting that Hyde is part of him.
- ‘He, I say - I cannot say, I’
9
Q
how do Jekyll and Hyde seem like opposites?
A
- Jekyll has ‘kindness’ and Hyde is ‘callous’
- Jekyll has ‘a tall fine build’ and Hyde is ‘dwarfish’
- Jekyll has ‘all men’s respect’ and Hyde is ‘damnable’
10
Q
how are Jekyll and Hyde also portrayed as two sides of the same man?
A
- Jekyll’s obsession his with reputation is reflected in Hyde. Enfield and others threaten to make a ‘scandal’ out of Hyde trampling the child, Hyde says that ‘No gentleman but wishes to avoid a scandal’. Hyde has no reputation to protect, suggesting that he’s thinking like Jekyll
- Hyde is ‘astute’ (quick-witted). he’s intelligent like Jekyll
11
Q
describe Jekyll increasingly losing control of Hyde:
A
- at first, Jekyll seems to be in control of his immoral side. however, one morning he wakes as Hyde without having taken the drugs: ‘slowly losing hold of my original and better self’
- Jekyll becomes addicted to this immoral side of his personality. compares himself to a ‘drunkard’, tries to stop himself from turning into Hyde (stops taking potion) but doesn’t give up the Soho house. shows how tempting his evil side is
- fights to control Hyde, but he just comes out stronger - Stevenson may be criticising the dangers in repressing our urges in society
- Jekyll eventually loses control completely - evil is the stronger side of our personality
12
Q
describe how the hatred between Jekyll and Hyde increases:
A
- at the beginning, Hyde doesn’t care about Jekyll. he just sees him as a place to conceal himself
- as Hyde becomes stronger, Jekyll begins to hate ‘the brute that slept within’ him. may reflect Jekyll’s self-loathing
- Hyde ‘resented the dislike’ Jekyll felt towards him and punished him by playing tricks on him. may be a warning that it’s better to live a balanced life than the deny your bad side completely
13
Q
what is the relationship between Jekyll and Hyde like?
A
Hyde has ‘more than a son’s indifference’ and Jekyll has ‘more than a father’s interest’. this father-son terminology suggests that, as Hyde’s creator, Jekyll cares about Hyde, however in the end Hyde hates that he needs Jekyll and wants to be a separate person
14
Q
how is Jekyll definitely not an innocent victim, however?
A
enjoys indulging in his evil side without consequences
- delighted at the thought of pleasure without shame - ‘smiled at the notion’ and finds it ‘humorous’. makes thorough arrangements so this can happen. describes himself as a ‘schoolboy’ throwing off society’s constraints and jumping in the ‘sea of liberty’
- Jekyll is shocked by Hyde’s actions and feels ‘remorse’, but his ‘conscience slumbered’ as he felt it was ‘Hyde alone’ who was guilty
15
Q
why do do we still feel sorry for Jekyll?
A
- in the end, he admits that his experiment failed, and realises it isn’t possible to cast of man’s evil side as it ‘returns upon us with more unfamiliar and more awful pressure’. contrasts with his earlier pride and excitement at his experiment results
- he’s presented as an ordinary man dealing with some challenging issues of human nature - we feel sympathy for him
16
Q
describe how Utterson is a man of reason:
A
- typically rational Victorian gentleman. ‘lover of the sane and customary sides of life’
- lawyer, approaches the mystery in the same way he’d approach a case. weighs up the evidence, tries to give a balanced, unbiased evaluation of the facts
- ## unwilling to consider any explanation that threatens to upset his rational way of thinkingSERIOUS: ‘a rugged countenance, that was never lighted by a smile’
REPUTABLE: ‘the last good influence in the lives of down-going men’
BRAVE: ‘I shall consider it my duty to break in that door’
17
Q
how is it shown that the disturbing nature of the mystery affects Utterson:
A
- Enfield’s story about Hyde gives Utterson nightmares. Hyde has ‘engaged or rather enslaved’ his imagination
- Utterson feels ‘mental perplexity’ when he meets Hyde for the first time. confused, as it’s impossible to use reason to make sense of something with a supernatural explanation
- memory of Hyde makes Utterson feel a ‘shudder in his blood’. the supernatural nature of Hyde is enough to affect Utterson’s emotions, which he usually controls
18
Q
how is it shown that Utterson is interested in Hyde and the mystery?
A
something about Hyde that particularly affects Utterson. feels a ‘singularly strong, almost an inordinate, curiosity’ to see Hyde - he waits outside the door ‘by all lights and at all hours’
19
Q
why is Utterson so interested in Hyde?
A
- to Utterson, maintaining reputation is important, so he’s shocked that Jekyll is willing to harm his reputation for Hyde
- Utterson is frustrated by the mystery surrounding Hyde and wants to use reason to solve it. he wants to see Hyde’s face, believing that the mystery will roll away if it’s ‘well-examined’
- Utterson and the reader may see something of their own darker side in Hyde, and is strangely drawn to him. Stevenson may be suggesting that we’re all drawn to the darker side of life and can see the temptation of it
20
Q
describe how Utterson represses his desires:
A
- ‘austere’. strict with himself, doesn’t allow himself many pleasures.
- doesn’t smile much. is ‘cold’ and ‘dreary’. has a more human side, doesn’t show it in his speech
^ The negative descriptions could be criticising the way Victorian men repressed their emotions - people enjoy his company as his ‘rich silence’ is calming after the ‘strain’ of making light-hearted conversation
21
Q
describe how Utterson is obsessed with reputation:
A
- wants to maintain respectability, order, and propriety (calls the servants’ distress at Jekyll’s behaviour ‘very unseemly’)
- aware of the importance of reputation, which is why he’s so concerned for Jekyll’s good name (aware that Jekyll’s name may appear in trial after the murder of Carew)
- doesn’t gossip or go against restraint to discover the truth. doesn’t read Lanyon’s letter out of ‘professional honour’. partly hampers his ability to solve the mystery, however
22
Q
describe how Utterson is tolerant of man’s darker side:
A
- reputation is important to him, but he’s not judgemental
- loyal to those who get into trouble and tries to help them. although he plays by society’s rules, he’s understanding when people fall foul of them. shows his human side
23
Q
explore Utterson’s complicated attitude towards his own dark side:
A
- although his past was ‘fairly blameless’, he feels bad for what he views as the ‘many ill things’ he’s done. like Jekyll, he sets himself high standards by avoiding what he sees as sinful behaviour
- has been tempted to sin and feels a strange ‘envy’ for those who can indulge in their misdeeds - however, doesn’t want to harm his reputation, so he feels grateful to have avoided committing more sins
24
Q
how is Dr Lanyon portrayed at first?
A
- described as a ‘hearty, healthy, dapper, red-faced gentleman’, who is friendly and sociable. when Utterson goes to see him, he ‘sprang up from his chair and welcomed him with both hands’
- ## this friendliness may seem ‘theatrical’
- FAITHFUL: ‘I felt bound to do as he requested’
- FRIENDLY: ‘welcomed him with both hands’
- CONVENTIONAL: ‘Jekyll became too fanciful for me’
25
Q
describe Dr Lanyon’s portrayal as a rational scientist:
A
- both him an Jekyll are well-respected men and doctors. they were also ‘inseparable friends’
- they have very different views on science. Lanyon deals with rational, material science, and Jekyll experiments with science of a mystical/supernatural nature
- Lanyon sees Jekyll’s work as ‘unscientific balderdash’ and Jekyll thinks Lanyon is an ‘ignorant blatant pedant’ for being so sceptical. they grow apart
26
Q
describe Lanyon’s inability to cope with Jekyll’s secret:
A
- finds Jekyll’s letter asking him to retrieve the drugs strange - as a man of reason, concludes that Jekyll is suffering from a ‘cerebral disease’
- Lanyon is also (like Jekyll) tempted by scientific knowledge. allows himself to watch Hyde take the potion, saying he’s ‘gone too far’ to not find out the truth
- Jekyll shows Lanyon evidence of the supernatural that he can’t ignore. Lanyon can’t cope with the truth, his whole world is turned upside down. his ‘soul sickened’, and he dies
27
Q
how is Lanyon’s shock shown when he watches Hyde transform into Jekyll?
A
shown by the breakdown of his language. repeatedly screams ‘O God!’ as he watches
28
Q
how is Enfield similar to Utterson?
A
- ## distant cousin of Utterson, and introduces him to the mystery around Hyde through is initial storyEMBODIES TYPICAL VICTORIAN VALUES:
- understands the importance of reputation. pressures Hyde into paying for his crime by threatening to ‘make his name stink from one end of London to the other’
- says he doesn’t like to gossip, as it negatively affects a person’s reputation. ‘ashamed’ of his ‘long tongue’ after telling Utterson about Hyde
29
Q
how are Utterson and Enfield different?
A
- don’t have much in common. people wonder ‘what these two could see in each other’, but to them their meetings are the ‘chief jewel of each week’. they’re drawn together despite their apparent differences, linking to Jekyll and Hyde and the idea that differences can be brought together
- hint that Enfield has an immoral side. he’s returning ‘from some place at the end of the world’ at 3am at the beginning, we’re left to speculate where he’s been
- Enfield isn’t curious at all about Hyde, doesn’t ask questions about Jekyll and the cheque. ‘the more it looks like Queer Street, the less I ask’. could be a comment on Victorian society: everybody knew that everyone else was secretly sinning, so they didn’t ask many questions
30
Q
describe the relationship between Jekyll and Poole:
A
- Poole has been Jekyll’s butler for 20 years. he knows Jekyll’s habits well, and recognises when something is badly wrong. makes Utterson’s reluctance to believe him straight away seem unreasonable
- Poole sees Jekyll as respectable, so he’d rather believe he’d been murdered than any other darker explanation
