Jekyll & Hyde Quote Bank
character | quote | analysis |
about Dr Jekyll | “he began to go wrong, wrong in mind” | repetition to enforce point as well as the severity of his moral decline, reflects conflict in the character of Jekyll and his gradual deterioration of mental state |
about Dr Jekyll | “he was wild when he was young” | shows that Jekyll was never fully good and always had the tendency to do evil, as well as suggestions of repressed homosexuality |
about Dr Jekyll | “there came a blackness to his eyes” | often said that the eyes are a window to the soul - shows that Hyde is hidden deep in Jekyll’s soul but he is starting to be seen through Jekyll |
Dr Jekyll | “Utterson, I swear to God” | unusually restrained, out of character. not considered appropriate in Victorian society showing how he is slipping more into Utterson → he is pleading to God, showing his desperation and emotional turmoil |
Dr Jekyll | “if i am the chief of sinners, i am the chief of sufferers also” | saying he brought this fate upon himself and shows that he is aware of the moral conflict within himself. by referring to himself as “chief of sinners” he acknowledges his transgressions |
about Dr Jekyll | “before the smile was struck out of his face” | shows that he no longer controls his transformations, ‘struck’ might even have religious connotations also suggests a loss of innocence and control over his own body |
about Dr Jekyll | “weeping like a woman or a lost soul” | this shows that Jekyll is experiencing profound inner turmoil, revealing his vulnerability and despair at becoming a mere puppet to his darker self and moreover he has become lost to his alter-ego |
about Sir Danvers Carew | “such an innocent and old-world kindness” | this juxtaposes with Hyde’s evil so that Stevenson can point out how evil the killer is compared to the killed links to Lombroso’s theory |
about Mr Hyde | “like Satan” | religious connotations promotes fear in the audience by comparing him to Satan |
about Mr Hyde | “some creature” | comparing him to a creature links to Darwin’s theory of evolution and promotes fear in the audience |
about Mr Hyde | “some sense of deformity” | links to Lombroso’s theory (1876) that we can tell who will be a criminal based on their appearance to create fear |
Mr Utterson | “if he be Mr Hyde, i shall be Mr Seek” | shows his naturally curious nature as a lawyer |
Mr Utterson | “God forgive us!” | connotations with religion shows the audience that they should relate to him he contrasts with Hyde who is described as satanic |
about Mr Utterson | “the last good influence in the lives of down going men” | shows the importance of reputation shows how he was good |
Dr Lanyon | “my soul sickened at it…i must die” | Lanyon is much more moral than Jekyll, to the point where he is so deeply disturbed it kills him |
Dr Lanyon | “O God!” | religious connotations |
Dr Lanyon about Dr Jekyll | “he began to go wrong, wrong in mind” | this quote reflects Lanyon's growing concern over Jekyll's moral decline and the dangers of unrestrained scientific exploration |
Poole | “if it was my master, why did he cry out like a rat, and run from me?” | this statement highlights Poole's confusion and fear regarding Jekyll's transformation, emphasizing the contrast between the man he knew and the strange behaviour exhibited when influenced by Hyde. also shows that Poole cared a lot for Jekyll |
Poole | “i’ve been concerned for about a week” | the changes to Jekyll are alarming |
Enfield | “the more it looks like queer street the less i ask” | this quote reflects Enfield's discomfort with the strange and unsettling transformations he perceives in Jekyll, suggesting that the more out of place or bizarre the situation appears, the more hesitant he is to probe further into the mystery → he is opposite to Jekyll in this way |
Enfield | “i was coming home from some place at the end of the world” | links to repression and secrecy of Victorian society |
theme | quote | analysis |
violence | “incredibly mangled” | imagery to describe the brutality of Hyde and what he did to Carew |
violence | “Hyde trampled calmly” | trampled calmly is an oxymoron which reflects the nature of Hyde’s violence compared to his lack of remorse |
violence | “ape-like fury” | shows Hyde’s violence |
setting | “nocturnal city” | connotations of dark, and nights create an atmosphere of fear and unpredictability |
setting | “fog” | sinister atmosphere of secrecy and fear |
setting | “dismal quarter of Soho” | the pervasive mist enhances the theme of duality, reflecting the hidden nature of Hyde's character and the moral ambiguity within Jekyll |
appearance vs reality | “he gave an impression of deformity without any nameable malformation” | describes how Hyde’s appearance reflects the inner lurid and dark personality within Jekyll’s respectable façade |
duality | “all human beings, as we meet them, are commingled out of good and evil” | suggests a thin line between good and evil juxtaposition |
duality | “man is not truly one, but truly two” | man is inherently dual → seen in Jekyll and Hyde |
duality | “my devil had long been caged and it came out roaring” | everyone has a caged devil within them which can emerge, like seen in Jekyll |
friendship | “i have buried one friend to-day” | this quote reflects the profound impact of inner turmoil and the struggle within relationships |
friendship | “we may at least save his credit” | emphasizing the importance of loyalty and the lengths to which one may go to protect a friend |
supernatural | “something wrong with his appearance” | duality within human nature, suggesting that appearances can mask deeper moral conflicts and truths that lie beneath the surface |
religion | “i let my brother go to Cain’s heresy” | this demonstrates Hyde's literal connection to biblical references, emphasizing the theme of sin |
religion | “the hard law of life, which lies in the root of religion” | links to the bible and the moral struggle, provokes fear |
science | “chief of sufferers” | highlights how Jekyll is suffering due to being unable to reconcile his dual nature, or to fight the impulses of science and evil |
science | “deadly nausea” | this phrase reflects the intense duality of Jekyll's experiments and the psychological turmoil that accompanies his transformation into Hyde, signifying both a physical and moral decay |
science | “he was a little too much of a scientist” | this suggests that Jekyll is overly consumed by his scientific pursuits, blurring the lines between ethical exploration and reckless ambition |
repression | “i am ashamed of my long tongue” | this indicates Jekyll's inner conflict and the struggle between his desire for knowledge and the shame that comes from expressing his darker inclinations → Victorian society is very repressive |
repression | “showed no windows” | conflict between the public persona and private desires. |
repression | “there came a blackness about his eyes” | eyes are the window to the soul → we can see the repressed emotion that is Hyde |
reputation | “down-going men” | emphasizes the societal perception of those who succumb to their darker impulses shows how important one’s reputation is in the Victorian era |
reputation | “the more it looks like queer street the less i ask” | people are reluctant to get involved with drama |
reputation | “make his name stink from one end of London to the other” | highlights the theme of reputation and the fear of social ostracism |
secrecy | “as though many papers had been burned” | theme of reputation and secrecy |
secrecy | “the door was very strong” | this reflects the theme of hidden identities and the barriers and secrecy |