ipl-logo

Jekyll And Mr Hyde Morality

951 Words4 Pages

“Do what is right not what’s easy,”(Roy Bennett) is a quite simple yet, common saying in life. Sometimes we choose to take the easy way instead of doing what's right, this stems from our morals. The message of morality is evident by what's considered good or evil within The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr.Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. The story shows one of the major characters, Dr. Jekyll who shows more of a good side but also another more devious and evil side of Mr. Hyde. As a scientist, Dr. Jekyll is able to switch between the two characters by making Mr. Hyde more of a hidden life. The main way morals are conveyed in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde are through the personas of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
In the story the Dr. …show more content…

Jekyll has a much more evil side that would appear from time to time, he went by the alias Mr. Hyde. Mr. Hyde shows many evil actions within the story, some with little explanation as to why he did it. This connects to morality as the fact that every person can perceive morality is various ways. One of his most unpredictable moments being “Mr. Hyde broke out of all bounds and clubbed him to the earth. And next moment, with ape-like fury, he was trampling his victim under foot and hailing down a storm of blows, under which the bones were audibly shattered and the body jumped upon the roadway,”(Stevenson 4.1). This scene was one of true evil as Hyde decided to brutally murder Sir Danvers Carew with almost no reasoning behind it. Only true evil can spew from such a type of murder. Mr. Hyde had little sense about morality and as portrayed by Robert Louis Stevenson he seems to believe that even bad deeds such as murder could be considered right. As later seen in the story Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are the same person, Dr. Jekyll states “effulgence of certain of the powers that made up my spirit... nonetheless natural to me because they were the expression, and bore the stamp of lower elements in my soul,” (Stevenson 10.2). Within Dr. Jekyll’s letter he speaks of the fact that his experiments were only results of pure evil. He knew that every time he drank his potion to become Mr. Hyde that bad things would occur. Stevenson conveys that evil overcomes the

Show More
Related
493 Words | 2 Pages

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.

Read More
380 Words | 2 Pages

However, Jekyll’s good psyche was quick to act and regain control of their mind. Months later, when Utterson is reading the full statement of the case, he discovered that “[t]he power of Hyde seemed to have grown with the sickliness of Jekyll” (Stevenson 62). Jekyll has become sick literally and metaphorically from Hyde. The actions of Hyde in the murder caused Jekyll to become mentally ill from the constant fear of Hyde’s power. Jekyll is also “sick” with himself for creating the monster Hyde has become.

Read More
327 Words | 2 Pages

Throughout the book ,The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde the author Robert Louis Stevenson portrays the theme of temptation repeatedly through the story. An example of this theme in the story is the temptation for Dr.Jekyll to turn into Mr.Hyde(by taking a drug). During the novel the temptation for Dr.Jekyll to turn into Mr.Hyde who is the”evil” side of Dr.Jekyll dramatically increases due to the moral weakness of Dr.Jekyll .The reason why Dr.Jekyll enjoys turning into Mr.Hyde is because of the pleasures and adventures that occur while being Mr.Hyde. However Dr.Jekyll had come to a point of decision,to be Jekyll who “had more of a father’s interest” (page 48),or Hyde “who had more than a son's indifference”(page 48) Stevenson compares

Read More
731 Words | 3 Pages

“The man trampled calmly over the child’s body and left her screaming on the ground” (3). Mr. Hyde ran over a young girl late into the night without feeling any guilt. Robert Louis Stevenson shows the archetypal theme of good and evil exists in all people in the novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde. Good and evil exist in all people and we struggle with these two forces. This is shown through Jekyll because he is good with a little bad in him, this is also shown through Hyde, who is evil with some good, and it is lastly shown with the lab because it brings good and evil into Jekyll’s life.

Read More
525 Words | 3 Pages

Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” because the story takes place in Victorian England we see that the characters have no room for expression of emotions or violence. Everything they do is secret, so the more Dr Jekyll is repressed, the more he wants to be Mr Hyde. The original characteristics of Henry Jekyll are reflected as “...life of effort, virtue, and control” (pg. 172) because, most of his life his vice activities were maintained a secret. According to Jekyll, when evil is separated into one body, one will not know right from wrong because there is no conscious in a being of complete evil which was Hyde for

Read More
463 Words | 2 Pages

The Analysis of Symbolistic Commodities in The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Man consists of more than what is seen on the surface, beneath there is a conflict of moral choosing between what is perceived as right and wrong. It is a struggle that all men face within themselves, which alludes to the fact that we may understand the general idea but fail to grasp the ultimate struggle. With the case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde, the reader is allowed an insight on how one man copes with his struggle of right and wrong. Being able to physically see the conflict that encompases Dr.Jekyll, allows for a deeper understanding of the moral decisions that must be faced. The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde symbolizes more than the confliction of moral standards although that is the key focus in the story.

Read More
702 Words | 3 Pages

One of the reasons I personally believe Jekyll creates Hyde is to not face the consequences of murdering someone. As most know, Jekyll is a well-respected man and has a good reputation. The man he creates "Hyde" is almost the opposite. Hyde murders a man named Sir Danvers Carew in the novella. Hyde then has an awful reputation after trampling a girl, and murdering

Read More
532 Words | 3 Pages

Dr. Jekyll is seemingly good, kind, and benevolent; while is not purely good he is a moral gentleman. He started his experiment so he could totally separate the bad and the good in himself into two separate beings. He did not succeed, however, for Dr. Jekyll is plagued by the feeling that he wants to become evil again, thus he wants to become Mr. Hyde. It is important to note that Mr. Hyde is completely evil; he has no goodness in him, in contrast to Dr. Jekyll who was a troubled mix. Mr. Hyde feels no remorse for any evil he has done and actually feels elated when he does commit a moral sin.

Read More
998 Words | 4 Pages

Through Dr. Jekyll’s struggle of the duality of man, Stevenson illuminates the fact that it is social expectations that establish a value system of good and evil. When Dr. Jekyll successfully disconnects from the good and the evil within, he is able to live in dual life that allows him to please society and himself simultaneously. Jekyll maintains his elite status and respectable role in the community, while Hyde engages in activities that society deplores of. However, Jekyll, consciously, cannot accept the outrages and negative responses from society on his innate desire so, he chooses to conform before ultimately dying. His death symbolizes that good and evil cannot coexist without each other: where there is good there is evil, without evil, there is no

Read More
1963 Words | 8 Pages

While the behaviors of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde differed immensely, it is important to note that all of these actions were performed by the same being; the only thing that changed was his appearance. The question then becomes: what is so significant about the changing of identity that drastically alters the behavior of Dr. Jekyll? The answer to this question is accountability. It is human nature to experience immoral desires, but often one’s public image and fear of being caught keep them from acting immorally. Having a second identity, such as Mr. Hyde, provided Dr. Jekyll an escape from his reality.

Read More
1037 Words | 5 Pages

The novella Jekyll and Hyde tells the tragic story of a battle between good and evil, a battle for total control over the mind and soul. The clash between the pure and impure sides of man: a fight to the finish. It explores the aspect of a person’s good and bad side; holy and unholy, the one who bathes himself in God’s light and the one whom plays with The Devil’s fire. The battle between the good-willed Dr. Jekyll, and his evil persona: the murderous Mr. Hyde. The author, Stevenson, presents this in numerous ways and describes the two conflicting sides well.

Read More
642 Words | 3 Pages

“It is one thing to mortify curiosity, it is another thing to conquer it.” “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” is an 1886 gothic novella written by Robert Louis Stevenson. This book talks about the concept of good and evil that exists in all of us and how man is not truly one, but instead two. In chapter three, Jekyll tries to hide his second identity, Mr. Hyde. In the story, Hyde tells us “I am painfully situated, Utterson.

Read More
813 Words | 4 Pages

In the novel, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson explores the complexity of human nature. He uses characters and events in the novel to present his stance on the major theme: “man is not truly one, but truly two” (125). Branching from this major theme are many more specific views on the idea that human nature is divided into good and evil. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are two very different people who occupy the same body. Human beings struggle with good and evil and Stevenson goes to the extreme to to show this relationship.

Read More
1002 Words | 5 Pages

Jekyll and Hyde TCEA In the novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, the predominant archetypal theme is “good and evil exist in all humans, and we live our lives struggling with these two forces.” This theme describes the duality of good and evil in Dr. Jekyll—the good being Jekyll and bad being Hyde— and the struggle he has with both sides fighting for dominance within himself. The emotional mindset and the physical attributes of Jekyll and Hyde show the good and evil within themselves.

Read More
1065 Words | 5 Pages

Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" brings the double personality theme, but, the story itself is about the mystery behind Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde's connection. The whole story goes around Mr. Utterson - a decent lawyer - trying to find out what is wrong with his dear friend, Henry Jekyll, and what is his relationship with the devilish man, also known as Mr. Hyde. On the end of the story, the reader finds out that Mr. Hyde is Jekyll's evil side: the doctor was fascinated by the duality of human nature and decided to do some experiments to separate his two sides, the good one and the evil one. Henry Jekyll wanted to do things that he couldn't because of his reputation and social morals, therefore, the best and only way of doing what he really wanted to was to have another side that no one knew. On the other hand, he didn't know how evil his other side could be: Mr. Hyde was purely evil and Dr. Jekyll wasn't purely good.

Read More

More about Jekyll And Mr Hyde Morality

Related Topics

Open Document