Is Mr Hyde Inherently Good Or Evil

The American Civil War brought morals into further question. Are humans innately good or evil? Robert Louis Stevenson uses Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde to explore this idea. In this novel, one person is divided into two: a side that represents good and a side that represents evil. Throughout the story, Dr. Jekyll, the “good” side, transforms into Mr. Hyde, the “evil” side. These transformations are, at first, set off by a potion made by Dr. Jekyll as part of an experiment to test good and evil. Edward Hyde is constantly doing disgraceful things while Henry Jekyll sits back and watches, but Hyde murdering Sir Danvers Carew is the turning point of Hyde’s madness for Jekyll. Throughout the novel, Dr. Jekyll grapples with being Mr. Hyde as the

Henry Jekyll’s indulgence in the thrills of being Edward Hyde has affected his “true” self. At first, Jekyll was an upstanding citizen, but transforming into Mr. Hyde has granted him dishonorable qualities. Jekyll’s reputable character did not have a similar impact on Edward Hyde. This occurrence leads one to wonder if it is easier to be evil than good or did Jekyll always have a corrupt side to him. Roy Perret claims, “Evil is…often understood to be a very special moral category: it involves not just wrongdoing, but a special kind of intentional wrongdoing…evil wrongdoing must flow from a particular kind of character…it must be done because it is wrong…the agent will take pleasure in the wrongness of the action…the agent will fail to exhibit the morally appropriate reactive attitudes” (Perrett). Unlike Hyde, Jekyll does not do bad things because they are bad. Jekyll adds, “I lay down the pen and proceed to seal up my confession, I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end” (Stevenson 401). Even if Jekyll had been doing wrong for the satisfaction of it, he still has a principled moral compass. Dr. Jekyll’s immoral behavior has weighed heavily enough on his conscience to the point where he would rather take his own life than let Mr. Hyde continue to exist. Joyce Oats argues, “When Jekyll returns to himself after having been Hyde he is plunged into wonder rather than remorse…The creature summoned out of his soul

Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Humans have been pondering good and evil for centuries. What causes someone to do something so terrible when others refrain from such things? Were they born with poor intentions? Is everyone inherently malicious? Robert Louis Stevenson attempts to depict one perspective of good and evil and human nature. Henry Jekyll has an upstanding reputation and is a well-respected man in society. Nonetheless, his character is questioned as Jekyll starts to be associated with being a friend of Mr. Hyde. Robert Louis Stevenson alludes to a darker side of Dr. Jekyll through Jekyll’s appreciation for experiencing life as Mr. Hyde. Though when he is back to being reputable Dr. Jekyll, Jekyll displays signs of guilt for the sins of Mr. Hyde. Hyde is described using animal-like terms and acts accordingly. Edward Hyde’s savagery mimics the way he is physically perceived. Dr. Jekyll has complicated feelings toward Mr. Hyde. The fact that Hyde comes from something within himself is a hard concept for Jekyll to grasp. Towards the end of the story, Edward Hyde’s “evil” appears to be taking over Henry Jekyll. This can be perceived as the “bad” taking over the “good”. Dr. Jekyll comes to terms with the truth that Mr. Hyde is becoming too strong for Jekyll to handle. Furthermore, at the end of the story, “good” wins when Jekyll kills himself and