Dr Jekyll And Hyde Duality Analysis

During the course of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stephenson duality is the central theme, as all the actions that take place revolve around it. The duality that takes place is the 2 sided nature that exist in all humans and the desire to live 2 lives: a life that is burdened onto people by society and are expected to live, and life in which humans desire to fulfill their darker desires. Jekyll and Hyde show sharp contrast of human nature as the qualities of good and evil. Duality is revealed in Jekyll and Hyde through the use 2 separate, opposite aspects of human nature that exist as one character.
Dr. Jekyll can be viewed as a good natured, respectable, and upstanding man in the narrative. He upholds the values that are expected of him in Victorian society. Stephenson shows this through Jekyll’s physical features (“a large, well-made, smooth faced man of fifty”) (Stephenson 35). His larger size and advanced age shows increased maturity and responsibility, hallmarks of his character. Being a doctor, he is required to live the way other upstanding people should live. Likewise, in Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is expected to

Jekyll demonstrates the better qualities of people, and the desire to live a respectable life. He represents goodness through many actions, including his final, unforgivable, sin that destroys himself and Hyde for the betterment of everyone (I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end”). Hyde’s represents the sinister, evil, parallel opposite of Jekyll, as he wishes only to do evil(“Mr. Hyde broke out of all bounds, and clubbed him to the earth”)(Stephenson 43). Hyde’s trampling of the girl, and killing Sir Danvers Carew for no apparent reason other than spite furthers the claims that has no apparent control over his morbid acts. At the end of the story, duality brings about the destruction of the lives of Dr. Jekyll and Mr.