Human Nature The Double Character of Dr. Jekyll Essay

Naturally, it is human nature to yearn for some sort of evil. Sinning is common on a daily basis. Kids lean towards destruction. Countless people have the urge to gamble at casinos. Human beings are lustful creatures and have sexual notions constantly in their minds. Evil is not something that can be avoided. For those who appear perfect, their evil is well hidden. Thus, ...humanity is...synonymous with the struggle of good and evil (Abbey, et al. 328). Robert Louis Stevensons The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde centers on the dual nature of the human personality through the good and evil facets of Dr. Jekylls character. Victorian morals are significant in the establishment of duality due to the moral conflict†¦show more content†¦The division of good and evil in London mirrors the division between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Imagery plays a key role in the exploration of Dr. Jekylls double character. Stevensons use of imagery intensifies the plot and its relationship between good and evil (Rollyson 1863-1864). For example, Hyde is described as apelike and like a monkey while Dr. Jekyll is portrayed as handsome and elegant with proper stature (25-26, 38). This example indicates a reverse evolutionary process and confirms Jekylls disastrous attempt to interfere with the order of nature (Page 763). In general, Hyde is illustrated as animalistic, ugly, and deformed mainly to conjure an evil opinion of this character. However, the physical description may be more than simply symbolic. During the Victorian era, many believed in physiognomy, which was the belief that one could judge a criminal from his or her physical appearance. Hyde is depicted as a vampire who feeds on the very life of his victims (Abbey, et al. 327). ...[Hyde was] drinking pleasure with bestial avidity from any degree of torture to another, relentless like a man of stone (33). This vampire image suggests the way in which indulgence of evil eats away mans capacity for goodness. Lastly, Stevenson chose ideal names to suit and describe the personalities or actions of his characters. Just as Hyde hides in Jekyll, Je kyll hides in Jekyll. In French, Je means I and kyll probablyShow MoreRelatedThe Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1052 Words   |  5 PagesStevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Apart from being an exceptional Gothic work, Stevenson’s novella is an excellent critique of the hypocrisy that dominated the Victorian era. In his novella, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson uses the characters of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to expose the double standards and moral pretensions that governed Victorian society. Dr. Jekyll, the protagonist in Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, is the ultimateRead MoreDuality Of Human Nature949 Words   |  4 PagesOne of the most predominant themes in literature is the duality of human nature. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, dualism is a view of human beings as constituted of two irreducible elements. Many pieces of literature concentrate on how every human possesses an animalistic and barbarous nature. In the novel The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, and the short story William Wilson by Edgar Allan Poe, the ideaRead MoreLiterary Analysis of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde† by Robert Louis Stevenson1530 Words   |  7 PagesThe city of London proved to be the sole dominant location in the 1800’s during the Victorian era in this novel. As the story unfolds in the classic literature novel, â€Å"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde† written by Robert Louis Stevenson, the magnificent city of London becomes a darker and mysterious location. The powerful city of London embodied the freedom and solitude required for the antagonist of the story, Mr. Hyde to hide his wicked behavior from the society as a whole. AccordingRead MoreJekyll And Hyde Character Analysis708 Words   |  3 Pagespotions. Dr. Jekyll tried several things to stop the transformations, but nothing worked. He knew he would transform into Hyde permanently. The letter was his last conscious act as Dr. Jekyll. For this reason, Dr. Jekyll makes the decision to kill himself rather than allow Mr. Hyde liberate on the world. In the novel, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde focuses on a conception of humanity as dual in nature, although the theme does not emerge fully until the last chapter, when the complete storyRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Hyde1436 Words   |  6 PagesNovels, plays, and movies often depict characters caught in a conflict with their doubles. Such collisions call a character’s sense of identity into question. Robert Louis Stevenson takes this idea of doubles to a whole new level in his novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Hyde. Upon closer examination of Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Hyde and his reoccurring theme of duality, we see that however constrained a society is, a person must break free, be multifarious, exploratoryRead More The Importance of the House in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde1117 Words   |  5 PagesImportance of the House in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Steveson used the architecture of Dr. Jekylls house very intelligently. The house can be regarded to be parallel to Dr. Jekylls double personality. Throughout the book, the house lends itself as a powerful prop, by which it is possible for Dr. Jekyll to use his house even when he is in the form of Mr. Hyde. The house, like Dr. Jekyll, has a dark side. On the front side of the houseRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1291 Words   |  6 PagesRobert Louis Stevenson reveals the result of the social expectations on Victorians’ personalities in his novella, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Stevenson uses the motif of the double to make a commentary on the conflict between human nature and Victorian society; specifically, by presenting the dualities that exist in the lives of Utterson and Dr. Jekyll, as well as through the symbolism of the doors in the narrative. In the initial paragraphs of the novella, Stevenson introduces MrRead MoreJekyll and Hyde: A Comparision Essay1210 Words   |  5 PagesDr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Stevenson’s â€Å"The strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde† was one of the most famous works of horror fiction of all time in English literature. It was based in the nineteenth century. It reflects the influence of two important ideological forces in the Victorian era. The text uses gothic and detective elements to interest the reader as they were very popular at the time. The focus of the text is concentrated on the issue of Jekyll and Hyde’s personality which was describedRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray1608 Words   |  7 Pagesand Mr. Hyde Double is one of the most frightening themes of Gothic literature as it discloses humans’ darkly hidden desires or natures through their transformations. The characters’ transformation into double can be either literal or figurative. Either way, it demonstrates the decay of ones’ souls when the controls of their desires are lost, which result identity crisis or extreme panic and usually end in death. In Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, the picture illustrates Dorian’sRead MoreThe Duality of Man in Literary Works and Critical Essays1580 Words   |  7 PagesCritical Essays The lifelong struggle for control and recognition of the human mind has been a popular and evolving science since the late-nineteenth-century. Many notable authors, scientists, and laymen have been fascinated with the study since then. Robert Louis Stevenson is one of the more notable authors to write about dual personalities with his short story, â€Å"Markheim,† and the novella, †The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.† The latter of these two stories has inspired the study of multiple