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How does Stevenson present Hyde in chapter 4
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this document entails a PEELAC structured essay containing an extract of Sir Danvers Carew's murder taken place in chapter 4 of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
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Khushi RaghwaniHow does Stevenson present Edward Hyde as a violent character
Chapter 4 demonstrates the full scope of Hyde's malevolent potential, the murder of Sir Danvers
Carew presents Hyde as a violent figure. Hyde's violent murder of Sir Danvers Carew reveals his
mindless cruelty, whereas before we would have seen of him as nothing more than a cunning
opportunist manipulating Jekyll. Hyde is unpredictable, violent, and shows no regard for his own
safety, as evidenced by his readiness to beat a guy to death in the middle of a busy street. This is
then seen in the extract where it says “nearly a year later, in the month of October, 18—-, London
was startled by a crime”. This phrase illustrates that Jekyll has not changed to Hyde in over a year
hence why when Hyde does eventually come out again his anger is of such. This links to the theme of
addiction and repression due to societies expectations of Victorian gentleman. The use of the word
“London” links to the theme of duality between Jekyll and Hyde as it shows the stark contrasts of the
city as parallels to the contrasts of the person who embodies both Jekyll and Hyde. London can seem
like vastly different places, depending on the neighbourhood, the time, and the local population. A
Victorian audience would probably react with horror and disgust to Stevenson making Hyde kill a
person of high status. This is because the Victorian society was very hierarchical and class-conscious,
and the murder of a respected gentleman like Sir Danvers Carew by a lowly and deformed creature
like Hyde would have been seen as a shocking violation of the social order.
Stevenson presents Hyde as a violent character through the use of personification. This is seen
when it says “it seemed to breathe such an innocent and old-world kindness of disposition, yet with
something high too, as of a well-founded self-content” In this quote the moon is being personified to
show the effect and contrast of Hyde’s behaviour. The moon is also seen in the quote “was brilliantly
lit by the full moon” The phrase “brilliantly lit” romanticises Hyde’s crimes and “the full moon” has
the werewolves, which usually transform on a full moon. Stevenson probably included this to show
how, once again, Jekyll has become an evil, supernatural, beast, in the same way a person becomes a
werewolf. Stevenson comparing Hyde to a werewolf would also evoke fear and revulsion, as the
Victorians were wary of the supernatural and its threat to religion. They saw science as a dangerous
and unnatural force that could interfere with God’s creation and unleash monstrous creatures like
Hyde. Therefore, people who would find Hyde’s actions and appearance attractive or admirable
would be considered as immoral, perverse, and corrupted by the Victorian audience.
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