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Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde revision
A complete analysis of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde with language techniques, analysis and plot summaries. Using this resource got me a grade 9 in English Literature.
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Jekyll and HydePlot summary
Chapter 1- Story of the door
Mr Utterson, a lawyer, is walking with his friend Mr Enfield when they come to a shabby
door. Enfield tells him that he once saw a strangely repellent man called Mr Hyde trample a
child and then go through the door to fetch money to pay off the girl’s family.
Chapter 2- The search for Mr Hyde
Utterson is Jekyll’s lawyer and he looks after Jekyll’s will which leaves all of Jekyll’s
possessions to Hyde in case of Jekyll’s death or disappearance. Disturbed, Utterson visits
Lanyon, a colleague and friend of Jekyll’s, Lanyon has not heard of Hyde and says he has
fallen out with Jekyll. Utterson waits near the door until he manages to see and speak to
Hyde, he finds him as unpleasant as Enfield had said he was.
Chapter 3- Dr Jekyll was quite at ease
Utterson asks Jekyll about Hyde and the will. Jekyll refuses to talk about either, saying the
will cannot be changed and he has an interest in Hyde that he will not discuss.
Chapter 4- The Carew Murder
A year later, Hyde murders a man in the street. The police find a letter addressed to Utterson
on the body. Utterson identifies the body of Sir Danvers Carew and leads the police to
Hyde’s home, he is not in. Looking in his rooms, they find evidence of a hurried departure
and half of the walking stick used to kill Carew.
Chapter 5- Incident of the letter
Utterson visit Jekyll and he finds him sick and distraught. He assures Utterson he will never
see Hyde again, and shows him a letter apparently from Hyde saying he can escape. Utterson
shows the letter to Mr Guest, who’s a handwriting expert. Comparing it with a note from
Jekyll, Guest notices that the two samples of writing are very similar.
Chapter 6- Remarkable incident of Dr Lanyon
Utterson dines with Jekyll and Lanyon, the a few days later Jekyll will not see him. Utterson
visits Lanyon, but finds him very sick, blaming a terrible shock he has had. Lanyon refuses to
discuss Jekyll. A few days later, Lanyon dies. He leaves a letter for Utterson to read if Jekyll
dies or disappears.
Chapter 7- Incident at the window
Walking with Enfield again, Utterson sees Jekyll at his window. Jekyll said he is too sick to
come out. They agreed to talk through the window, but a look of horror crosses Jekyll’s face
and he slams the window shut.
Chapter 8- The last night
Jekyll’s butler Poole, begs Utterson to go with him to Jekyll’s laboratory, he says Jekyll has
been murdered. They break the door down and find Hyde’s body on the floor, he has just
killed himself by taking poison. They find a new will made out to benefit Utterson, and a
long statement from Jekyll, but no sign of Jekyll himself.
Chapter 9- Lanyon’s letter
This chapter is told in Lanyon’s letter. One night, Lanyon has received strange note from
Jekyll begging him to fetch a drawer of chemicals from the laboratory and give it to a man
,who would visit him at midnight. Lanyon is visited by small, ugly man. The man mixes the
chemicals to make a potion, which he drinks. Moments later he is transformed into Jekyll.
The shock is more than Lanyon and can stand.
Chapter 10- Jekyll’s Statement
This chapter takes the form of a statement from Jekyll. He had long felt that he had a dual
nature: one hard working and serious, and the other self-indulgent and pleasure seeking. His
scientific work led him to a way of separating the two. He made a potion which freed the
negative part himself to take its pleasures without incriminating him too. Soon, this part grew
in strength and indulged in more violent and unpleasant acts. Until the murder of Carew,
Jekyll switches between the two identities using a potion. After taking the final dose, he
wrote his statement for Utterson to read.
, Story of the door
What happens?
Utterson is introduced and is going on a Sunday walk with his relative, Enfield. In a well-kept
street, they see a battered door which prompts Enfield to tell Utterson of the story of Hyde
trampling a girl. The man pays compensation of £100 in gold and a cheque from Coutts,
signed by a respectable citizen who is not yet named. Enfield then concluded, Hyde was
blackmailing the person who signed the cheque. Utterson enquires about the man to which
Enfield replies, there was something wrong about him, but he can’t quite say what.
Key Quotes
Quote Technique Analysis Context
I incline to Cain’s heresy Allusion Utterson means that he does not take The bible story is of Cain
responsibility for other people. He is killing his brother Abel, when
referring to the Bible story. Ironic as God asks where Abel is, Cain
Cain is evil and kills his good brother, replies, “Am I my brother’s
much like Hyde will be the death of keeper?”
Jekyll.
It was frequently his fortune to be the last Emotive language Utterson was constantly there to help
reputable acquaintance and the last good those who did bad things, which may be
influence in the lives of down-going men driven by his guilt from his youth or to
try and portray an image of a proper
Victorian gentleman. He represents
Victorian rationalism, always searching
out for logical explanations and
dismissing the supernatural.
A certain sinister block of building thrust Foreboding The fact the building is thrusting
forward its gable on the street Personification forward highlights the building is
unusual, possibly like the person who
lives in it. Thrust, makes the building
seem intimidating and aggressive. The
person may be up to no good. Sinister
connotes the building is evil and is
alluding to it having a purpose in the
play.
sordid negligence Metaphor The door is judged as it is out of place, Darwins theory of Evolution
Adjectives but no one opens the door to understand Gothic genre- evil lurks in
that Hyde is the result of addiction and cities
science. Sordid connotes to immoral
activity, reflecting the actions of Hyde
but also society as everyone has this
inclination to do immoral things.
Negligence shows that the door and
Hyde are abandoned by society and are
left to rot.
Blistered and distained Symbolism The door is holding back secrets, the
description of the door reflects that of
the user. Hyde is corrupted and
deformed, hence he is blistered.
I was coming home from some place at the Vague or ambiguous Clear biblical reference to judgement
end of the world, about three o’clock day, the idea here is that he has been in
a place where we might expect sins to
be committed, he has done it far away
from the upper-class area to get away
with it. Exactly what Enfield is doing
hasn't made clear but sounds far from
innocent.
The fact that it is very late and isn't
drunk suggests what he has done is
purposeful. The use of the adjective
'black' links to evil, the fact that it is
winter makes it seem deliberately cold,
all these words are symbolic for how
the apparent upper-class men are evil.
Trampled calmly over the child’s body… Oxymoron The way he tramples over the girl and
hellish to see shows no remorse for his actions is
unnatural and alludes to there being
something evil about Hyde.
Like some dammed Juggernaut Stevenson refers to the juggernaut to A juggernaut was a huge
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