The concept of duality has been explored for ages and the idea continues to develop. The idea is often explored in literature and explained through metaphors and intricate story lines. One such example that uses this idea and integrates it into the central theme is Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." The novella revolves around the duality of human nature and the idea that both good and evil exist within a person. The “good” persona in the story is represented by the respectable Dr. Henry Jekyll, and his evil alter ego is portrayed by the destructive Mr. Edward Hyde. Both characters depict the struggle of giving in to the devil on your shoulder and overall morality. The complexities of duality in the characters of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde illustrate the danger in suppressing inner desires, and the consequences of giving in to evil, further suggesting all humans have both …show more content…
Hyde is a complete embodiment of evil. He acts as a physical manifestation of Jekyll's repressed and immoral desires. He indulges in acts of violence and cruelty, without any sense of remorse. And as Jekyll falls further to his darker impulses through transforming into Hyde, he finds a sense of freedom from societal expectations and ideals. “This, as I take it, was because all human beings, as we meet them, are commingled out of good and evil: and Edward Hyde, alone in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil,” Jekyll writes in his statement. Jekyll is regarded as a good personality, but Hyde is extremely looked down on. Though there's nothing physically wrong with Hyde, the people around him cower. He gives off bad energy, and disgusts the people around him. “All human beings are commingled out of good and evil,.” Jekyll writes. Jekyll ends up finding a shameful freedom in Hyde's acts. Jekyll, who is intelligent and widely respected, still has deep the desire to embrace his immoral side and ends up acting on it, giving in to his hidden