Archetypes In Dr Jekyll And Hyde

Both Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Christopher Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus display Mr. Hyde and Mephistophilis, respectively, as the devil archetype, as shown through Hyde’s selfish and wicked actions that lead to Jekyll’s death and Mephistophilis’s deceitful actions that lead to Faustus’s death.

Hyde’s appearances as the devil figure emphasizes him as inhuman. When Utterson first meets Hyde, he describes him as “hardly human” with “Satan’s signature upon a face [Hyde]” (Stevenson 43). In this way Hyde’s physical appearance reflects the devil archetype as grotesque. Hyde then distinguishes himself from Jekyll through his hideous demeanor. Judy Cornes suggests that Hyde is a “homicidal creep with the physical appearance

When Utterson and Enfield take their early morning stroll, Enfield remembers vividly that a “man [Hyde] trampled calmly over the child’s body and left her screaming on the ground” (Stevenson 35). Hyde clearly has no compassion when it comes to the well-being of others. Even a child in his path does nothing to sway any human emotions. Judy Cornes suggest that, “Utterson and Enfield… both are curious about his [Hyde’s] odd, sybarite relationship to Dr.Jekyll”; they were “afraid of…the nature of such a disquieting creature [Hyde].” Utterson and Enfield seem to recognize the fearful nature of Hyde. In those who are themselves human, compassionate and thoughtful, Hyde raises some red flags. Even Jekyll fairly quickly recognizes the nature of Hyde: “Instantly the spirit of hell awoke in me [Jekyll] and raged… My devil [Hyde]… came out roaring” (Stevenson 84). However unlike Utterson and Enfield, Jekyll is taken by the “lust for evil.” Even a man as good as Jekyll can be swayed by the dark side. Judy Cornes suggests that when Hyde “brutally clubs” Carew “to death,” he is shown to be “pushing Jekyll down that slide into hell.” Jekyll cannot help being brought down with his counterpart. He and Hyde are one, two sides of the same coin. The devil archetype, while not itself human, can indeed cause humans to fall victim to the power of

As Robin and Ralph looks down upon Mephistophilis, Mephistophilis says, “Well, villains [Robin and Ralph] for your presumptions, I transform thee into an ape and thee into a dog; and so begone” (Marlowe 38). Mephistophilis has no tolerance for those who disagree with his methods. He gives no second thought to exercising his power to do evil. Glyn Austen writes, “Mephistophilis, ironically, is a supremely honest devil, and he declares to Faustus the eternal and universal nature of damnation.” Mephistophilis understands that honesty , in a way, can help him get what he wants. Such is the attraction of power; he knows that those who sign over their souls will do so regardless of their consequences. When the Old Man persuades Faustus to repent, Mephistophilis threatens Faustus by saying, “Thou traitor, Faustus. I [Mephistophilis] arrest thy [Faustus] soul For disobedience to my [Mephistophilis] sovereign lord [Lucifer]; Revolt, or I’ll inpiecemeal tear thy [Faustus] flesh” (Marlowe 51). Maurice A. Hunt suggests that when the “Old Man tried... to save his [Faustus’s] soul,” Mephistophilis threatened Faustus, which leads to Faustus “collapsed in fear of the devil’s