The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Summary Lesson
 • Dr. Henry Jekyll: Respected doctor, known for charity, secretly struggles
with dark impulses, creates Mr. Hyde to separate his good and evil
selves.
• Edward Hyde: Repugnant, pre-human appearance, violent and cruel
manifestation of Dr. Jekyll's dark side, unleashed by potion.
• Utterson: Dignified lawyer, curious about dark aspects of life, rational
thinker so is ill-equipped to handle supernatural, friend of Jekyll.

Our • Lanyon: Rational doctor, sceptic, serves as foil to Jekyll's mysticism, his
death symbolizes victory of supernatural over materialism.

Characters • Poole: Loyal butler to Jekyll, seeks help from Utterson when concerned
about master's well-being.
• Enfield: Reserved cousin and friend of Utterson, walks together in
silence, shares disdain for gossip.
• Guest: Clerk and confidant of Utterson, expert in handwriting, notices
similarities between Hyde's and Jekyll's scripts.
• Sir Danvers Carew: Well-liked nobleman and client of Utterson, member
of Parliament.
 • Dr. Henry Jekyll: Respected doctor, known for charity, secretly struggles
with dark impulses, creates Mr. Hyde to separate his good and evil
selves.
• Edward Hyde: Repugnant, pre-human appearance, violent and cruel
manifestation of Dr. Jekyll's dark side, unleashed by potion.
• Utterson: Dignified lawyer, curious about dark aspects of life, rational
thinker so is ill-equipped to handle supernatural, friend of Jekyll.

Our • Lanyon: Rational doctor, sceptic, serves as foil to Jekyll's mysticism, his
death symbolizes victory of supernatural over materialism.

Characters • Poole: Loyal butler to Jekyll, seeks help from Utterson when concerned
about master's well-being.
• Enfield: Reserved cousin and friend of Utterson, walks together in
silence, shares disdain for gossip.
• Guest: Clerk and confidant of Utterson, expert in handwriting, notices
similarities between Hyde's and Jekyll's scripts.
• Sir Danvers Carew: Well-liked nobleman and client of Utterson, member
of Parliament.
If I were to summarise the
whole book into a sentence?

In the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and

Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll's pursuit to
separate his good and evil sides leads
to an exploration of human duality,
scientific inquiry, and the
consequences of uncontrolled desires
as Mr. Hyde's actions results in the
death of multiple characters.
 • Utterson and Enfield stumble across a

Chapter building that Enfield relates a story

about.
• E. witnessed a hideous man trampling
1: The over a girl, then giving a check bearing
a respectable man's name to the
angry crowd.
story of • The man, identified as Hyde, escapes
into said building.

the door • The two men speculate that Hyde

must be blackmailing the check’s
owner.
Chapter • Utterson examines the will he drew up for his
friend, Dr. Jekyll. The will states all of Jekyll’s

2: The property will go to Mr Hyde after his death or

disappearance.
• Utterson encounters Hyde by the run-down

search building and is appalled by his appearance.

• Utterson visits Jekyll and is informed by his

for Mr
servants that they must obey Hyde’s commands
and that he has a key to Jekyll’s lab, which further
reinforces Utterson’s suspicion that Jekyll is being

Hyde
blackmailed.
 Chapter
3: Dr. • Jekyll throws a party.

Jekyll • Utterson confronts Jekyll about Hyde but Jekyll

just dismisses Utterson’s concerns and tell him to
just carry out the will.

was quite
at ease
Chapter • One year later, the police summon Utterson to a
crime scene after they discover a note with his

4: The name on it on the body of the victim, Sir Danvers

Carew.

Carew
• Carew was a client of Utterson’s that Hyde had
murdered.
• Utterson takes the police to Hyde’s apartment,

Murder but he is nowhere to be found.

• Police stalk the bank, after discovering H had an
account, but after weeks Hyde never comes.
Case
Chapter • Utterson visits Jekyll. Jekyll looks “deathly sick” in
his lab.

5: • Jekyll shows Utterson a letter from Hyde that

threatens to ruin Jekyll’s reputation.

Incident • Jekyll confirms that Hyde dictated the terms of

Jekyll’s will.
• Utterson thinks Hyde intends to murder Jekyll.

of the • Utterson’s clerk, Guest, compares the letter’s

handwriting with Jekyll’s own and suggests they

Letter
are the same, this baffles Utterson.
Chapter 6: • Hyde’s disappearance initially has positive effects
on Jekyll’s mood, to the point he reconciles with
Lanyon who he had a quarrel with.

Remarkab • Jekyll immediately then returns to a reclusive

state, refusing to meet anybody.

le Incident • Utterson seeks out Lanyon, who is now dying

who absolutely refuses to talk about Jekyll.
• Jekyll tells Utterson that he must stay away as

of Dr Jekyll’s sins are too much to bear.

• Lanyon dies weeks later, leaving a letter meant

Lanyon
for Utterson which can’t be opened until Jekyll
died.
Chapter 7:
Incident at • Utterson and Enfield take their Sunday stroll, and
are discussing the disappearance of Hyde and
stumble upon Jekyll.

the • They invite him to join their walk, but he says no,
he then abruptly closes his window and vanishes.

Window
 • Poole, Jekyll’s butler, tells Utterson to check in on
Chapter 8: Jekyll.
• They approach his lab, an unfamiliar voice

The Last responds and they realise it must be Hyde.

• They break into the lab, only to find Hyde is dead.

Night
• They search the lab, and find a revised will, a
letter instructing Utterson to read Lanyon’s letter
and a sealed packet.
Chapter 9: • Lanyon’s letter time:
Lanyon received a note from Jekyll asking him to

Dr retrieve a drawer and its contents from his lab

and wait for a man at midnight who would reveal
all.

Lanyon’s • Hyde visits Lanyon and concocts a formula, drinks

the formula and transforms into Jekyll.

Narrative
 • Utterson reads Jekyll’s letter that details his early
desire to separate the good and evil nature of

Chapter 10: man.

• His experiments led to the formula that would

Henry Jekyll’s eventually give birth to Hyde.

• Jekyll initially loved being Hyde but realised the

Full Statement more he took of the formula, the likelier he

would remain Hyde forever.

of the Case
• After a few random transformation, Jekyll decides
to concoct one last dose of the formula to write
his letter, not knowing whether Hyde would kill
himself or be captured and hanged.
Starter Quiz
Q1 Mr Utterson believes Dr Jekyll to be a victim of Mr Hyde. Of what
does he suspect Hyde?

A. Blackmail
B. Bribery
C. Libel
D. All of the Above
Starter Quiz
Q2 Which of the following terms of Dr Jekyll’s will gives Mr Utterson the
greatest concern?

A. In the case of Jekyll’s death, all of his possessions will be inherited by Hyde
B. In case of his disappearance, his home and possessions will be immediately
inherited by Hyde
C. With minor exceptions, Hyde will be free from obligations after inheriting
Jekyll’s estate
D. Hyde must pay a few small amounts to the members of Jekyll’s household
after inheriting the estate
Starter Quiz
Q3 What causes Dr Lanyon’s death?

A. Mr Hyde threatens him in public

B. Dr Jekyll gives him a drug which makes him ill
C. Old Age
D. Shock
Starter Quiz
Q4 Where does Dr Jekyll leave his confession?

A. In a safe
B. In a large envelope on his desk
C. With his butler
D. In his filing cabinet
Starter Quiz
Q5 What reason does Dr Jekyll give for experimenting with the potion?

A. He wished to free his primitive nature from the “remorse of his

more upright twin”
B. He wished to free his “upright” nature from the shame caused by
his primitive nature
C. He wished to test his theory of humanity’s dual identity
D. All of the above
Starter Quiz
Q6 Dr Jekyll returns briefly to his former self and spends more time
with his friends following which event?

A. The death of Dr Lanyon

B. One of the key ingredients of his potion becomes unavailable
C. The murder of Sir Danvers Carew
D. Mr Utterson questions him once more about his will
Starter Quiz
Q7 What is the relationship between Mr Utterson and Dr Jekyll?

A. The two men have a purely professional relationship, with Mr

Utterson acting as Dr Jekyll’s lawyer
B. The two men are minor acquaintances
C. The two men are estranged
D. The two men are old friends
Starter Quiz
Q8 How does Mr Utterson first learn of Mr Hyde’s brutish behaviour?

A. Dr Lanyon discusses his suspicions with Mr Utterson

B. Mr Enfield tells him about witnessing Mr Hyde trampling over a
young girl without stopping
C. He witnesses Mr Hyde trampling over a young girl at a street corner
without stopping
D. Dr Jekyll appeals to him for help after Mr Hyde tramples a young girl
in the street
Starter Quiz
Q9 Why does Dr Jekyll become progressively more confined to his
home, and more specifically, his living quarters and lab?

A. He becomes bored with ordinary life, making him unsociable

B. He realises that he has begun to hate all of humankind
C. He can no longer control his transformations in Mr Hyde
D. His servants insist on keeping him confined
Starter Quiz
Q10 Mr Hyde gradually begins to gain the upper hand over Dr Jekyll who
finds himself transforming without consuming his concoction. Which of
the following explains why he struggles to return to his own self?

A. One of the original ingredients for the drug cannot be reproduced

B. He runs out of money to buy the ingredients for the drug
C. The pharmacists become suspicious and refuse to give him the
necessary ingredients for the drug
D. He forgets how to make it
 Your Assessment Objectives
You have four assessment objectives that you are marked on in English Literature
Your Assessment You have four assessment objectives that you are marked on
in English Literature, here are the weightings
Objectives
The Questions
For your 19th Century Novel section of the exam, you are typically offered a choice of 2 questions to
answer.

One question provides an extract and typically asks you to analyse it while referring to other
sections of the text
E.g. Explore how Stevenson presents an incident that is shocking, in this extract and elsewhere in the
novel

The other question does not have an extract but gives you a statement and asks you to what extent
you agree with that view.

E.g. ‘It is difficult to have sympathy for Dr Jekyll.’ How far do agree with this view?
Explore at least two moments from the novel to support your ideas.
Lets have a look at a question
Explore how Stevenson presents ‘evil’ through the presentation of Mr Hyde, in this extract and elsewhere in the
novel.

In this extract, Mr Hyde visits Dr Lanyon to get his ‘powders’.

This person (who had thus, from the first moment of his entrance, struck in me what I can only describe as a disgustful
curiosity) was dressed in a fashion that would have made an ordinary person laughable: his clothes, that is to say, although
they were of rich and sober fabric, were enormously too large for him in every measurement – the trousers hanging on his legs
and rolled up to keep them from the ground, the waist of the coat below his haunches and the collar sprawling wide upon his
shoulders. Strange to relate, this ridiculous accoutrement was far from moving me to laughter. Rather, as there was something
abnormal and misbegotten in the very essence of the creature that now faced me – something seizing, surprising and revolting
– this fresh disparity seemed but to fit in with and to reinforce it; so that to my interest in the man’s nature and character
there was added a curiosity as to his origin, his life, his fortune and status in the world.
“Have you got it?” he cried. “Have you got it?” And so lively was his impatience that he even laid his hand upon my arm and
sought to shake me.
I put him back, conscious at his touch of a certain icy pang along my blood. “Come, sir,” said I. “You forget that I have not yet
the pleasure of your acquaintance. Be seated if you please.”
And I showed him an example, and sat down in my customary seat and with as fair an imitation of my ordinary manner to a
patient as the lateness of the hour, the nature of my pre–occupations, and the horror I had of my visitor, would suffer me to
muster.
Lets have a look at the mark scheme
Lets have a look at a response to it
In this passage, which occurs during Dr. Lanyan’s narrative, Lanyan receives a visit from Mr Hyde. This passage comes after the transformation of
Jekyll into Hyde, but Jekyll needs the powders to turn back to Hyde Jekyll, this reasons for the desperation of Hyde. He is presented as evil in his
manner and appearance. Stevenson presents him this way without being too vivid on his aesthetics and full appearance.

Stevenson the author presents Hyde as evil from the very start of the detail, although in an indirect way, “I can only describe as a disgustful
curiosity”. Although Lanyan is not talking about Hyde the use of the form of the adjective ‘disgust’ sets a tone for his visitor. ‘Disgustful’ has
connotations of something wrong or something different it leaves a bad image. ‘Disgust’ gives the effect that Lanyan is drawn to Hyde from the
very second he lays eyes on him. Calling someone disgustful without even conversing with them sets a tone something is abnormally weird and
odd one is compelled by this ‘curiosity’ to study it.

However, although the clothes Hyde wears is something out of the ordinary, there is not direct text relating to Hyde facial appearance, everything
else is mentioned yet Stevenson chooses not to go into any of Hydes face, this can be interpreted two ways, the elephant in the room, is that no
mention of the face draws an image that the reader has to make up, a dark, evil face to go along with the odd clothing. Leaving Hydes facial
features to ones imagination creates a dark uncertainty which becomes clearer in the mind of the reader as Hydes personality becomes clear.
Another more practical reason is Stevenson wished not to try and define Hyde to stop his Victorian readers trying to relate Hyde to a real person.

At the climax of the first paragraph, Lanyan starts to revel in Hydes ‘abnormality’. ‘Abnormal’ gives the effect that Lanyon is taken back by the
‘creature’ before him. ‘creature’ refers to the way Hyde is presented low down in the evoluntionary ladder. The words ‘ape’ and ‘animal’ are used
throughout to describe Hyde. The last word in the tri-colon, ‘revolting’ is Lanyon expressing in one single word, Hydes appearance to him. Most
other adjectives describing Hyde draw the effect of revultion.
Lets have a look at a response to it
Also, in this passage, Hyde is presented as evil in further depth after his outburst at Lanyon, “impatience”. Hydes in ability to wait draws the
effect that he is not taught to be polite, or even able to control himself, relating back to his ‘disperity’. ‘Icy pang’ This presents Hydes back as
evil, draws emphasis on Hydes outburst. ‘Icy’ gives the effect of a cold load, of Hyde, which could show that he, Hyde, has a cold heart. ‘pang’
is a powerful representation that Hyde causes pain ‘blood’ gives connotations of red which draws to a conclusion that the ‘blood’ is the anger
that Hydes ‘evil’ nature has caused.

Before this passage in the Carew ‘murder case’ Hyde is also represented as evil. “broke out in a great flame of anger” this is a metaphor for a
fire converging on his anger. Immediately ‘fire’ and ‘broke’ suggest spontaneous ad unprovoked anger that he focuses on Carew “with an ape
like face” This continues with the de-evolutionary idea that Hyde is lower on the evolutionary ladder. ‘fury’ implies anger and ferocity,
something someone only so evil can draw.

Hyde is also represented in an evil manner again in the chapter “search for Mr Hyde”. In a paragraph there is much use of adjectives such as
‘deformity’ ‘boldness’ an a certain ‘unknown disgust’ All of which can and are being associated with something very evil. ‘unknown disgust’ is
an oxymoron which draws heavy references to the start of the extract when Hyde wants his powders.

Overall Hyde is presented as evil in the extract and on many other occasions throughout the novel Stevenson does this in a number of ways
but the overall image of Hyde is one with evil very much in the forefront.
Examiner comments
• This response is written in a convincing critical style with some insightful understanding. It is an informed personal response to both text
and task.

• The candidate begins by correctly placing the passage and understanding both its narrative context and Stevenson’s use of Dr Lanyon’s
perspective. There is clear understanding that Mr Hyde’s desperation actually reflects Dr Jekyll’s desire to resume his original identity.
This response quickly moves beyond narrative to consider the writer’s purpose, appreciating that Stevenson wants to present evil
through Hyde’s `manner and appearance’ but for that evil to remain somewhat undefined.

• Lanyon’s `disgustful curiosity’ is immediately referenced and analysed. This paragraph shows how textual references are well-selected
and integrated (AO1). Lanyon is correctly seen as both drawn to Hyde and repulsed by what he sees as abnormally weird. There is
thoughtful and developed analysis of the writer’s decision to say a lot about Hyde’s clothes but almost nothing about his face: the
candidate describes this as `the elephant in the room’. This personal response is further developed. Hyde’s face is imagined as an image
the reader has to make up, a `dark uncertainty’ which gives scope for the imagination to work. There is also awareness that Stevenson
had to be careful not to make Hyde resemble a recognisable real person.

• Lanyon’s rhetorical language is seen as starting to `revel in Hyde’s abnormality’. The writer’s use of the term `creature’ is explored and
related to Victorian concerns about the `evolutionary ladder’. Other animal references in the extract (AO2) are also selected and
integrated to show that this is an element of Hyde’s `evil’ nature. Connotations of language are understood (AO2), as is the term tricolon,
and although oxymoron is incorrectly used for the phrase `unknown disgust”, the climactic term `revolting’ is understood as the most
frequent response to Hyde. There is a sense that Hyde’s evil is actually hard to define but strongly emotive.
Examiner comments
• It is understood that Hyde has never been taught to be polite and that this influences his abrupt behaviour towards Lanyon. Lanyon’s `icy
pang’ is seen as a reaction to Hyde’s own cold heart, and this is understood to have an effect on the `blood’. The candidate’s language and
explanation are not entirely clear here, but there is an appreciation that Hyde creates a visceral reaction with dangerous consequences.

• The candidate moves beyond the passage to consider similar language surrounding Carew’s murder: Hyde is associated with anger and
violence associated with different rungs on the evolutionary ladder from the civilised milieu of the story’s narrators. More consideration of
the difference between the world of the Victorian gentleman and the bestial depravity of the world of Hyde would give this response more
reward.

• Other instances are also cited of language which portrays the `unknown disgust’ provoked by Hyde, showing that evil in the novel is more
pervasive for its lack of clear definition. Knowledge of the text is clearly good and there is understanding of why Stevenson chose to make
`evil’ in the novel so undefined.

• Overall language is analysed effectively and the response is well-developed. It is not yet consistently effective in its use of relevant subject
terminology, but there is a reasonably convincing understanding of some aspects of context and how they inform response to the text. A
more detailed response to the writer’s use of language, form and structure and how they help him to achieve his overall purpose would lift
this high-ability answer further within the top two bands. Spelling and punctuation are mostly accurate, and a wide vocabulary is used.

• What grade do you think it got?