Jekyll and Hyde Theme Quotes

‘‘ such unscientific balderdash’’/ ‘‘my life is shaken to its roots’’

SCIENCE/RATIONAL

Lanyon is saying that Jekyll has ventured and explored so far that it is not within the bounds of science anymore, links to the theme of irrational vs rational, as lanyon is the epitomie of a rational man and after hearing the full extent of Jekyll’s experiments Lanyon was ‘ shaken to its roots’ and it lead to his subsequent death. Lanyon’s death represents the deterioration of logic in the face of logic the supernatural.

‘‘ if i ever read satan’s signature upon a face it is that of your new friend’’

EVIL

CLASS

• what does Hyde’s animalistic features say about class

• what does this description of Hyde say about his nature?

- satan has given hyde the seal of approval, shows the extent of hyde’s evil

- juxtaposition of new friend as these are the type of friends we do not keep

- Utterson suggests that Hyde is the physical manifestation of pure evil. The idea of Satan’s "signature" implies that Hyde carries a mark of corruption that is immediately recognizable, even though he appears outwardly human.

- Hyde's inhuman or animalistic features, as implied throughout the novel, symbolize his rejection of societal norms and his association with the lower class, which was often linked to immorality and savagery in the Victorian mindset

‘‘ I incline to Cain’’s heresy … ‘‘I let my brother go to the devil in his own way’’

REPUTATION

FRATERNITY

- foreshadows the text as jekyll is utterson’s brother in terms of friendship, and utterson watches jekyll decline, and only gets involved at the end of the novel when he is forced to get involved

- the second part of the quote is juxtaposition as why would someone let their brother go to the devil, this is as they ignore each other’s sins as gentlemen to keep each other’s secrets, eg. when Enfield was returning from a place at 3am and utterson didn’t question it, this leaves us to speculate and wonder what enfield was really up to

‘‘ I felt younger, lighter, happier in body’’

REPRESSION

• what does this quote explore about sin?

- hyde romanticizes sin, the moment he let his inner evil out, Jekyll felt happier, he is enslaved to his desires

- the ideology of instant gratification ( giving in to desires), Hyde directly goes against God and the Bible which preaches self control, reveals his inclination to evil

- jekyll becomes increasingly addicted to the immoral sid of his identity. He compares himself to a ‘drunkard’ and even though he tries to stop taking the potion that turns him into hyde he doesn’t give up the house in Soho. This shows how tempting his evil side is.

‘‘ all human beings as we meet them are commingled out of good and evil, edward hyde alone in the ranks of mankind was pure evil’’

DUALITY

• what does this quote say about controlling our duality and dangers of duality?

• What does this quote say about Hyde?

- if we do not control our duality, we will become broken, lost and shattered and we may fully succumb to the worser part of ourselves becoming ‘‘ pure evil’’

- Jekyll is a slave to his inner evil, this led to Jekyll being enslaved by this inner evil through Hyde

- the novel shows that we need to control our ‘‘ primitive duality’’

- the fact that Hyde is pure evil shows that he is incomplete and not fully human he is supernatural

‘‘ if i am the chief of sinners I am the chief of sufferrers also’’

DUALITY

- Jekyll knows he is playing God and is out of his depth and is doing wrong as we see his remorse here, he is miserable in his predicament

- The parallel structure of the sentence mirrors the duality theme central to the novel Jekyll is both the cause of evil (through Hyde) and the victim of that evil. His use of the word “chief” emphasizes the extremity of both roles, suggesting he recognises the unique and overwhelming scale of his sin and subsequent torment.

- Jekyll’s self-awareness here also evokes sympathy from the reader, as Stevenson presents him not as purely evil, but as a tragic figure destroyed by his attempt to separate good and evil within the self.

‘‘ this was a back way to dr jekyll’s ‘‘

DUALITY

SECRECY

• what does this quote say about the relationship between Jekyll and Hyde?

• how does this quote explore secrecy?

- physical represenation of their duality, as the novel progresses the more Jekyll finds it difficult to keep the two men separate , before jekyll was ‘‘ smooth faced’’ now he’s looking ‘‘deathly sick’’ the more the two men merge, also represents the hidden side of jekyll, jekyll begins to physically represent his rotten core

- the fact that it is a back way represents secrecy and Jekyll’s attempt to hide his evil side

- Jekyll tries to separate himself from Hyde referring to him as a ‘’child of hell’ as if he is a separate entity, that no matter what Hyde is an integral part of him and he cannot escape this fact.

‘‘ i had fallen asleep henry jekyll, i had awakened edward hyde’’

DUALITY

REPRESSION

• what does this quote say about how much control Jekyll has at this point?

• what does this quote say about the dangers of repression?

• which is jekyll’s more dominant identity at this point?

- The passivity of the verbs "fallen" and "awakened" reflects Jekyll's powerlessness and suggests that his transformation is almost automatic, a loss of self that he cannot prevent.

- emphasizes Jekyll's complete loss of control over his transformation into Hyde, he said that he ‘‘fell into slavery’’ and rightly so as at this point Hyde is Jekyll’s more dominant identity and jekyll identity as a morally upstanding citizen is merely a temporary state

- This statement suggests that Jekyll does not recognize Hyde as a part of himself, but rather as a completely different entity, one that emerges independently

- it highlights how the repression of one's darker instincts can lead to them taking control.

- the fact Hyde eventually takes over makes us wonder whether Jekyll had more bad than good in him after all

‘‘ my devil had long been caged, he came out roaring’’

REPRESSION

• what does this quote say about duality

• what does this quote say about the dangers of repression

• crucial moment in the novel, revealing the internal conflict Jekyll has faced throughout the story. This quote encapsulates the theme of duality, repression, and the unleashing of the darker self.

• ‘‘devil’’ the darker part of Jekyll’s nature is not just a moral flaw but something demonic, something external, almost supernatural.

• had long been caged" suggests that Jekyll has made a conscious effort to suppress or repress his darker instincts for much of his life. The use of the word "caged" indicates that Jekyll had previously sought to control and restrain this part of himself, locking it away out of sight, perhaps to maintain his reputation

• this repression comes at a cost: by caging the devil within him, Jekyll is not eliminating the darker side of his nature but rather merely suppressing it. The imagery of caging implies that this evil force is still present, waiting to be released.

• when that part of him is finally unleashed, it comes with violent, uncontrollable force.

• Jekyll fights to control Hyde, but Hyde comes out stronger - for example Hyde murders Carew after Jekyll goes for two months without turning into Hyde, however finally Jekyll loses control completely which could suggest that evil is the stronger side of our personality

Henry Jekyll…had fallen upon his knees and lifted his clasped hands to God

RELIGION

In this moment, Jekyll’s physical actions—falling to his knees and clasping his hands—demonstrate his desperation and emotional intensity. The phrase "streaming tears of gratitude and remorse" suggests he is overwhelmed with mixed emotions: gratitude for being temporarily freed from Hyde’s influence, but also deep guilt for unleashing such evil. His act of lifting his hands to God implies he seeks divine forgiveness, reinforcing the novel’s religious undertones

if your master is dead or has fled we may at least save his credit

REPUTATION

• Utterson’s statement reveals his preoccupation with appearance—if Jekyll is dead or has fled, Utterson is not as concerned with the true reasons behind his disappearance, but with ensuring that Jekyll’s honor and legacy remain intact, their fraternity is based on reputation and class not true friendship

• shows that even in moments of crisis, reputation was more important than personal well-being or emotional truth.

• also when utterson saw hyde in jekyll’s lab and dismissed it as an illness that changed his whole appearance, he was even reluctant to kick down the door perhaps as he knew that something fishy was going on but wanted to preserve jekyll’s reputation

polar twins / that child of hell

DUALITY

RELIGION

• what does this quote say about the relationship between Jekyll and Hyde

• reinforcing the novel’s central theme of dual nature—Jekyll and Hyde are two extremes of human existence: good and evil. However, the word “twins” implies an inescapable bond; rather than being separate, they are intimately connected. This reflects Stevenson’s suggestion that good and evil are not just opposites but inherently linked within every human. Jekyll is not simply corrupted by Hyde—Hyde is an integral part of him.

• Jekyll alternates between referring to Hyde in the first and third person, shows his hypocrisy he understands that man has dual nature but has trouble accepting that Hyde is a [art of him

• Hyde is amoral, he is unaware of the social codes he is just ‘‘pure evil’’ again reveals how he is not fully human he is supernatural as he doesn’t posses the good parts of human nature. Hyde can also be described as barbaric and merciless ( the carew murder)

• This phrase also conveys Jekyll’s regret. By calling Hyde a “child,” Jekyll acknowledges that he nurtured and allowed him to grow, much like a parent to a child. This reinforces the idea that Jekyll has lost control of his creation,

‘‘ sinister block of building’’

CLASS

• what does this quote say about the difference between the upper class and lower class eg. the divide etc

• the signinficance of jekyll’s lab being connected to both worlds

• This refers to Hyde’s door and contrasts with the well-kept, respectable buildings around it. Stevenson uses setting to show the divide between the upper-class world of order and the hidden, lower-class world of chaos and crime.

• The fact that Jekyll’s laboratory is connected to both spaces suggests that these worlds are not as separate as they appear—evil and immorality exist in both.

• The ugly appearance of Hyde’s building reflects his rotten evil core

‘‘dismal quarter of soho’’

CLASS

• highlights the stark contrast between the respectable, affluent areas of London and the impoverished, criminal underworld represented by Hyde.

• The use of the word "dismal" suggests a place that is dark, unpleasant, and morally corrupt, which directly contrasts with the clean, well-kept environment associated with Jekyll's residence.

• The description of the setting also suggests a sense of moral and physical degeneration, which the upper classes feared could spill into their own world that lower classes could disrupt social order threatening the stability of the upper class

• "Dismal" creates a sense of moral decay, implying that Soho is a low-class, neglected area, marking a sharp contrast to the respectable, upper-class image of Jekyll.

‘‘dismal quarter of soho’’

DUALITY

• how does this quote compare upper and lower class areas

• what do lower class areas represent compared to upper class areas

• what does the physical divide between the two locations mirror

- contrast between the affluent areas and places such as soho where places are rife with poverty. Hyde’s residence in soho directly contrasts Jekyll’s place which had a ‘’great air of wealth and comfort’’.

- The poor areas in London represent moral decay, and the upper class areas represent respectability however these two areas intertwine as Hyde’s residence was a back way to dr jekyll’s showing how these two different areas are still one big integral part of London. 

- this explores duality physically through setting

- These settings represent the two sides of society — public respectability versus private immorality. The physical divide between the locations mirrors the psychological divide within Jekyll himself.

how is class explored through the murder of sir danvers

• why wasn’t his murder taken so lightly

• what does hyde pose a threat to in a symbolic way

• why was this murder ciewed as more shocking

• The violence against Carew is seen as particularly heinous because of his position in society. His death is a symbolic attack on order, respectability, and hierarchy. The brutality of the murder also suggests the idea of the upper class being endangered by the darker, baser instincts of the lower class.

• Hyde, who embodies the repressed evil side of Jekyll, is a manifestation of the threat that the lower classes posed to the social order in the eyes of Victorians.

• the murder of Carew—a member of the upper class—is viewed as more immoral and shocking because it threatens the social order.

how is class presented through the trampling of the little girl

• how was her attack presented and described'

• what does this say about attitudes to the lower class

• what are Stevenson’s intentions

• The fact that this event is described in a much more casual, almost matter-of-fact way compared to Carew’s murder reflects a social hierarchy where the suffering of lower-class individuals is often ignored or minimized.

• The violence here is not as shocking because the lower class is viewed as expendable or less significant. Stevenson shows how the lower class (represented by the child) is often dehumanized and their pain is less visible or less worthy of attention.

how is class presented in jekyll and hyde

• through setting in descriptions of london

• through the differences in the reaction of the trampling of the little girl and carew’s murder

• treatment of lower class characters eg. hyde and poole

• as the main end goal everyone wants to achieve eg. Jekyll trying to seprate his bad side, the strongest friendships die in order to maintain class and reputation

‘‘ your master would be far from pleased’’

CLASS

REPUTATION

• what does this say about the relationshio between lower class and upper class eg. roles etc, social divide

• why is Jekyll’s transformation into Hyde here significant

• what does this say about Utterson’s character

• highlights the hierarchical nature of the relationship between masters and servants in Victorian society. By addressing Poole as a servant and referring to his master, Mr. Utterson reinforces the social divide between the two characters

• illustrates that Poole is expected to maintain the reputation of Jekyll, which is why Utterson reminds him that Jekyll would not be pleased by what is happening, as poole is more concerned about jekyll’s wellbeing and finding out what’s happening whereas utterson is more concerned with reputation utterson’s obsession with keeping up appearances could be seen as suspicious as what is he hiding about himself if he goes to these lengths to protect someone elses’ reputation

• This quote also subtly hints at the disruption of the established class order in the novel. Dr. Jekyll’s transformation into Edward Hyde represents the breaking down of social boundaries, and as Jekyll’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic and alarming, it creates a crisis for those around him, including his servant, Poole.

how is duality explored in jekyll and hyde

1. through the duality of human nature

2. through duality of setting

3. through duality in victorian society and their obsession with reputation

4. through Jekyll’s scientific work, Stevenson presents science as a double edged sword capable of discovery but also destruction

‘‘ i concealed my pleasures’’

DUALITY ( of victorian society)

• what does this quote reveal about victorian society

• what are stevenson’s intentions

• dangers of reputation

-  It reveals how Jekyll suppressed his desires in order to remain respectable in public and maintain his reputation.

- This obsession with reputation lead to him indulging in private crimes and scandals that graduallly got worse as he continued to supress his desires. This reveals the dangers of a society based upon reputation as it can lead to more crimes.

- I think Stevenson’s intentions here was to criticise the basis of victorian society and show that people don’t always appear as you think they are. Do not trust appearances, Victorian society is plastic and fake.

- Jekyll is a secret sinner and Stevenson criticises his hypocrisy