Jekyll And Mr Hyde Duality

In Robert Stevenson’s book The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde duality is a reoccurring theme. Stevenson shows his duality through the plot, setting, and character’s dialogue throughout the novel. William Shakespeare shares the theme of duality in his play Romeo and Juliet. The duality of society and the duality of good and evil are a couple of the dualities revealed.

Robert Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is set in Victorian society, when there were only good and bad people. Society refused to believe there is evil in all good. Mr. Utterson says, “The last I think; for, O poor old Henry Jekyll, if ever I read Satan’s signature upon a face, it is that of your new friend”(Stevenson, 11) he believes that Mr. Hyde

Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll is a respected man, but out of his intentions to stay good comes an intense evil. He wanted to keep his good name, yet find a way to unleash his evil side. When Mr. Hyde is created it is with good intensions, but soon the evil becomes overwhelming and begins to control Mr. Jekyll. He only shows one person, Mr. Lanyon, his fatal second side. Lanyon says, “My life is shaken to its roots; sleep has left me; the deadliest terror sits by me at all hours of the day and night; and I feel that my days are numbered, and that I must die; and yet I shall die incredulous. As for the moral turpitude that man unveiled to me, even with tears of penitence, I can not, even in memory, dwell on it without a start of horror” (Stevenson, 45-46). Mr. Lanyon is shocked, so shocked that the discovery puts him into his own grave. Once more, with only good intentions, Mr. Jekyll has allowed yet another fatality. Dr. Jekyll wants to put an end to these spasmodic murders, but the only way to save everyone else’s lives is to end his own. Mr. Poole says to Mr. Utterson after finding Dr. Jekyll dead," No, sir, that thing in the mask was never Dr. Jekyll--God knows what it was, but it was never Dr. Jekyll; and it is the belief of my heart that there was murder done"(34) the murder that is mentioned is that of evil. In reality Jekyll had killed himself to get rid of Hyde,