The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr.

Hyde Useful vocabulary Plot

by Robert Louis Stephenson (1886) Aberration Abnormal Passing a strange-looking door whilst out for a
Abhorrent Disgusting
Story of the
1 walk, Enfield tells Utterson about incident
Context door
Allegory Story with a moral parallel involving Hyde trampling on a young girl.
End C19th anxiety of societal collapse: migration, disease, promiscuity, moral
Fin-de-siecle Allusion Reference
degeneration, decadence Utterson looks at Jekyll’s will which leaves his
Anxiety Nervousness
1837-1901: outwardly displayed values restraint, religious morality, strict social possessions to Hyde in the event of his
Victorian values
code of conduct Atavism Evolutionary throwback Search for
2 disappearance. Utterson watches the door
Consciousness Awareness Mr Hyde and sees Hyde unlock it. Poole tells him that
Discovery of humans evolving from apes and amphibians led to fears about
Darwin and evolution
humanity’s reversion to primitive/animal state Debased Become lower the servants have been told to obey Hyde.
Theory that facial features indicate character. It was believed ‘born criminals’ Degenerate Disgusting
Physiognomy Dr Jekyll was Utterson goes to a dinner party at Jekyll’s
could be recognised by physical characteristics. 3
Depraved Morally corrupt
Became biggest and wealthiest city in the world and global capital for politics, quite at ease house and tells him about his concerns.
Victorian London Duality Two aspects explored
finance and trade under Victoria, but overcrowding, poverty and crime grew.
Duplicity Lying or dissembling Carew is murdered in the street by Hyde.
Born and raised in Edinburgh; dual identity British and Scottish. Raised in The Carew
Robert Louis 4 Utterson recognises the murder weapon as a
wealthy New Town area of Edinburgh, but spent youth exploring darker side of Epistolary Story written in letter form murder case walking cane of Jekyll’s.
Stevenson
town Ethics Moral rules you live your life by
Respectable member of Edinburgh’s society and town councillor; secret life as Eugenics Population control Utterson goes to Jekyll’s house and finds him
Deacon Brodie burglar, womaniser, gambler; hanged 1788. As a youth, Stevenson wrote play Evolution Slow change over many years Incident of ‘looking deadly sick’. He asks about Hyde but
about him. 5
Feral Wild the letter Jekyll shows him a letter that says he won’t be
back.
Metamorphosis Change or transformation
Perversion Corruption from original Some time passes without Hyde’s
Characters Professional Belonging to a profession; respectable appearance, Jekyll seems more happy until a
Dr Henry Jekyll Respected doctor and experimental scientist Respectability Socially acceptable Remarkable sudden depression. Utterson visits Dr Lanyon
Mr Edward Hyde Violent and cruel; dark side of Jekyll Restraint Holding oneself back 6 incident of on his death-bed, who hints that Jekyll is the
Gabriel John Utterson Calm, rational, respected lawyer and friend of Jekyll Savage Wild Dr Lanyon cause of his illness. Lanyon dies and leaves a
Dr Hastie Lanyon Reputable London doctor
note for Utterson to open only after the death
Subconscious Part of the mind not aware of
or disappearance of Jekyll.
Mr Poole Jekyll’s loyal butler of 20 years Suppression Holding something down
Mr Enfield Distant cousin of Utterson Supernatural Beyond the natural Utterson and Enfield, out for walk, pass Jekyll’s
Incident at
Mr Guest Utterson’s clerk and handwriting expert Unorthodox Against the usual 7 window; they see him confined like a prisoner
the window and looks in ‘abject terror and despair’.
Sir Danvers Carew Well respected gentleman, beaten to death by Hyde Victorian During the reign of Queen Victoria
Poole asks Utterson to come to Jekyll’s house.
Themes
Language Techniques The laboratory is locked and the voice inside
The idea that humans are made from two aspects; the civilized man and The Last sounds like Hyde. They break down the door
Duality of human nature 8
primitive animal. Imagery Painting a picture with words
Night and find Hyde’s twitching body with a vial in
The rapid advance of science during the Victorian period was a source of Simile Comparison using ‘like’ or ‘as’ hand. There is also a will which leaves
Science and discovery
pride but also fear of man ‘playing God’. Sensory Language which involves the senses everything to Utterson and Jekyll’s confession.
Supernatural That which is beyond science; unexplainable Metaphor Comparison by saying something is something else
The way people are viewed by society; importance of outward appearance, Lanyon’s letter tells of how he sees Hyde drink
Reputation The weather or environment reflects the emotions or Dr Lanyon’s
doesn’t always map to inward Pathetic fallacy 9 the potion which transforms him into Jekyll,
setting narrative
Rationality Basing your world view on facts and logic causing Lanyon to fall ill with shock.
Words beginning with the same sound in the same
Alliteration
Urban terror Fear of crime in the big, anonymous city: a trope of Victorian literature sentence
Henry Jekyll’s confession explains how he became
Secrecy and silence Throughout the novella secrets are kept Antithesis Two conflicting ideas balanced in a sentence
Jekyll’s full Hyde. It began as an attempt to destroy his
Popular, often sensationalist, genre which often gives voice to taboos and Oxymoron Something is used to describe its opposite 10
Gothic statement of ‘darker self’. Eventually he became addicted
that which we are afraid to confront to being Hyde, who increasingly took over.
the case
 Key Quotations
Ch. Spoken about Quotation: Techniques Explanation
Listing Mr Utterson is a serious and solemn lawyer who is not explicitly expressive. Despite being unemotional, old, worn and bored or boring, he
1 Utterson "lean, long, dusty, dreary and yet somehow lovable"
Contrast is still likable.
1 Utterson "wondering with envy at the high pressures of spirits involved in their misdeeds" Theme: Reputation Mr Utterson is inquisitive and curious about other people's wicked and illegal acts.
Sibilance
1 back of Jekyll’s house "a certain sinister block of building thrust forward" he back of Jekyll's house represents Hyde's persona. The rear door is truly the hidden-self, private face of Hyde.
Alliteration
1 Laboratory door "blistered and distained" Disease imagery The back door is physically in poor condition - similarly to Hyde's deformed appearance.
1 Hyde "the man trampled calmly over the child's body and left her screaming" Juxtoposition Hyde's first known crime. The juxtaposition of the brutality of Hyde's actions with the complacency of his reaction adds to the horror.
1 trampling of girl "it was hellish to see" Theme: Supernatural Mr Enfield describes to Hyde's trampling to be evil. Reference to a Satanic act.
1 Hyde "like some damned Juggernaut" Simile Hyde is compared to a large lorry suggesting his strength and brutality. Reference to hell in the sentence again.
1 Hyde "gave me one look, so ugly that it bought out the sweat on me" Context: Physiognomy Hyde's demeanor has a long-lasting and soul-piercing affect.
1 Hyde "make his name stink from one end of London to the other" Metaphor Mr Enfield promised revenge on Hyde. Highlights the importance of reputation in a Victorian society.
1 Hyde "really like Satan" Simile Hyde is again, compared to the devil himself.
2 Jekyll's experiments "unscientific balderdash" Theme: Science Dr Lanyon is overscrupulous and calls Jekyll's science to be nonsense.
2 Hyde "Mr Hyde shrank back with a hissing intake of the breath..." Imagery Mr Utterson's first encounter with Hyde. "Hissing" symbolises a snake which could represent the devil.
2 Hyde "snarled aloud into a savage laugh" Sibilance Hyde has no regard or understanding of polite conversation - his behaviour is barbaric.
2 Hyde "pale and dwarfish, he gave an impression of deformity" Context: Physiognomy Mr Utterson's description of Hyde - echoes previous description by Enfield. Hyde's appearance bears a mark into the soul.
2 Hyde "seems hardly human... Something troglodytic..." Theme: Evolution Hyde is compared to a thing of degraded, primitive, or brutal character. He is sub-human.
Jekyll's house represents his secret, inner experiments which are now sinful. Metaphor; the "darkness" represents experimentation with
2 Jekyll's house "wore a great air of wealth and comfort though it was now plunged into darkness" Imagery: Light & Dark
Hyde.
2 Jekyll's room "the pleasantest room in London" Superlative Description of Jekyll's room. Irony and justaposition as Jekyll's room is a facade for the true sinful and ungodly experiments.
Jekyll reassuring Mr Utterson that Hyde can be easily removed - yet it is ironic that Jekyll continues to return back to Hyde as he cannot
3 Hyde "the moment I choose, I can be rid of Mr Hyde" Irony
overcome his temptation
4 London "the night was brilliantly lit by the full moon" Theme: Gothic Gothic setting of London.
4 Sir Danvers Carew "an aged and beautiful gentleman with white hair" Description of Sir Danver Carew which highlights on his innocence.
"with ape-like fury, he was trampling his victim under foot and hailing down a Simile, Metaphor
4 Hyde The brutality of Hyde's murder of Carew. Described in animalistic terms.
storm of blows" Context: Evolution
5 Jekyll's laboratory "dusty windows barred with iron" Prison imagery The house has no windows. Links in with Jekyll being a "disconsolate prisoner."
5 Jekyll "Dr Jekyll looking deadly sick..." Emotive language Jekyll conversing with Utterson. He appears to be physically deteriorating.
5 Hyde "I bind my honour to you that I am done with him in this world." Theme: Addiction Jekyll promising Utterson that he will have nothing to do with Hyde anymore. Swears on his honour but later breaks his promise.
5 London "The fog still slept on the wing above the drowned city" Personification Repetition of the fog. Gothic setting.
6 Lanyon "the rosy man had grown pale; his flesh had fallen away" Contrast Lanyon's sick appearance now contrasts to previous description of a "healthy, hearty" doctor.
Lanyon is intolerant to what he has witnessed and has been defeated by Jekyll. Lanyon knows he cannot comprehend what he has
6 Lanyon "I have had a shock and I shall never recover..." Foreshadowing
witnessed.
6 Jekyll "I am the chief of sinners, I am the chief of sufferers also." Anaphora Jekyll has realised what he has done and understand only he can deal with it in his letter to Utterson.
7 Jekyll "like some disconsolate prisoner" Simile Jekyll is described as being unhappy and appears to be trapped. Links to "windows barred iron".
7 Jekyll “an expression of such abject terror and despair" Emotive language Jekyll is aghast by his realisation of his change into Hyde.
7 Utterson & Enfield "froze the very blood of the two gentlemen below" Metaphor Utterson and Enfield are shocked by what they have witnessed at the window.
7 Utterson & Enfield "God forgive us! God forgive us!" Repetition Jekyll's transformation is unnatural. Utterson asks God for forgiveness as in Victorian society, only God has the power to create things.
8 Hyde "that masked thing like a monkey" Theme: Evolution Hyde is compared to a monkey.
9 Hyde "like a man restored from death" Simile Dr Lanyon appears to use impossible language to describe what he has just seen.
9 Lanyon "my soul sicked at it" Theme: Supernatural Dr Lanyon has an almost spiritual/religious repulsion to the transformation.
Despite Dr Lanyon seeing the transformation with his own eyes, he is still not willing to accept what he saw and this therefore leads him to
9 Lanyon "I must die ; and yet I shall die incredulous." Theme: Rationality
his own impending doom.
10 Jekyll "I concealed my pleasures" Cont.: Victorian values Dr Jekyll's beginnings of his duality. He hid his true self to meet social expectations.
10 Jekyll "I stood already committed to a profound duplicity of life" Theme: Duality Dr Jekyll is fully immersed in duality from early age.