Jekyll and Hyde Context Flashcards
What era was JH written in? Explain what this was like
1837-1901, Victorian Britain
The long reign of Queen Victoria placed a huge importance on morality (doing the right thing) and religion (being a good christian).
What was happening in Britain doing JH?
The Industrial Revolution
Factories making things in huge quantities provided jobs and brought millions to big cities.
What did freud’s theory state?
Early 1900s- Sigmund Freud’s Theory of the Mind
Freud proposed the mind has three parts:
The ID- our hidden unconscious desires.
Ego- Our conscious, logical mind.
Super-ego - the rules society imposes.
These three are in constant conflict.
What was Lombroso’s theory?
1835-1909, Cesare Lombroso’s Physiognomy
Italian Criminologist Cesare Lombroso proposed that the “born criminal” could be recognised by their physical appearance, like asymmetrical facial features or long arms.
What book was published in 1859?
1859- Charles Darwins On The Origin of Species
Darwins book, which introduced the theory of evolution ( that we are not created by God but evolved from apes) terrified and angered many Victorians , as it threatened their entire view of the world.
What year did darwin Write ‘On the origin of Species?’
1859
What link’s to the bible in context of JH?
The Fall Of Satan
The angel Satan became so proud of his own beauty and power that he refused to serve God and was cast out of heaven. The Victorians saw science as running this risk.
What word describes a duplicitous character?
The alter- ego
Many victorian novels (e.g. Frankenstein) focussed on the alter-ego, a second version of the hero that is criminal and evil.
Give an example of a popular book.
The shilling shocker
Short, cheap Gothic stories called “Shilling shockers” became popular and Jekyll and Hyde was one of these.
Explain the genre of JH
The Gothic Genre and the Urban Gothic Genre.
Traditionally Gothic novels had villains like ghosts or vampires and took place in castles.
The Urban Gothic Genre moved the genre to cities like London and focussed on real fears of isolation, crime or disease
Explain three celebrity criminals and what they did
Celebrity criminals
Stories of terrifying urban criminals fascinated the Victorians.
- Jack the Ripper ( a doctor who brutally murdered prostitutes in London) is an example.
- Burke and Hare ( who murdered 16 people in Edinburgh and sold the bodies to doctors for experiments) were another example.
How did the industrial revolution effect London?
There was Urban terror in Victorian London
London’s population shot from 1 million to 5 million in the 1800s. Poverty, disease and crime all increased, and people alone in a new city were terrified of these.
