Character Analysis — Jekyll & Hyde

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde are the most important characters in the novella — and the most complex, because they are the same person. Understanding how Stevenson presents them, both individually and as two aspects of one identity, is essential for the exam.

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Dr Henry Jekyll

Who is Jekyll?

Feature	Detail
Profession	Doctor and scientist
Social status	Wealthy, respected, upper-class gentleman
Appearance	"a large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty" (3)
Key trait	A man who suppresses his darker desires
Motivation	To separate good and evil within himself

Jekyll is a pillar of Victorian respectability — wealthy, charitable, sociable, and well-liked. But beneath this polished exterior, he has desires he considers shameful (Stevenson deliberately never specifies what these are).

Jekyll's duality

Jekyll is not simply a good man who accidentally creates an evil alter ego. He is a man who has always been dual:

"I was in no sense a hypocrite; both sides of me were in dead earnest." (10)

This is crucial. Jekyll does not pretend to be good while secretly being evil. He genuinely is both good and evil — and the tension between these two sides is what drives the experiment.

Jekyll's fatal flaw

Jekyll's fundamental error is not creating Hyde. It is his belief that he can control the experiment:

"the moment I choose, I can be rid of Mr Hyde." (3)

This line is deeply ironic. Jekyll's confidence that he can manage his dual nature is his hamartia — the fatal overconfidence that leads to his destruction.

How Jekyll changes across the novella

Stage	Jekyll's state	Key quote
Before experiment	Respectable but tormented by suppressed desires	"I concealed my pleasures" (10)
Early experiment	Liberated — enjoys the freedom of being Hyde	"I felt younger, lighter, happier in body" (10)
Middle	Increasingly uneasy — tries to stop being Hyde	"I chose the better part" (10)
Loss of control	Terrified — transforms involuntarily	"I had gone to bed Henry Jekyll, I had awakened Edward Hyde" (10)
Final stage	Desperate, trapped, hopeless	"this is my true hour of death" (10)

Key quotes for Jekyll

Quote	What it shows
"I concealed my pleasures" (10)	Victorian repression — Jekyll hides his true self
"man is not truly one, but truly two" (10)	Jekyll's central discovery — duality is fundamental
"I felt younger, lighter, happier in body" (10)	The seductive appeal of Hyde — freedom from conscience
"the moment I choose, I can be rid of Mr Hyde" (3)	Fatal overconfidence
"I have brought on myself a punishment and a danger" (6)	Jekyll accepts responsibility for his actions
"this is my true hour of death" (10)	Jekyll knows he is finished — his identity is dissolving

Examiner's tip: When writing about Jekyll, always address the complexity. He is not simply a victim — he chose to create Hyde because he enjoyed the freedom. A Grade 9 response would argue that Jekyll's tragedy is not that he became Hyde, but that he wanted to be Hyde without consequences.

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Mr Edward Hyde

Who is Hyde?

Feature	Detail
Appearance	Small, pale, dwarfish, deformed — but indescribably so
Age	Younger than Jekyll — evil is "less exercised"
Behaviour	Violent, cruel, remorseless, savage
Effect on others	Inspires instinctive hatred, disgust, and fear
Symbolism	Jekyll's repressed evil given physical form

Hyde's appearance

One of Stevenson's most effective techniques is the way he describes Hyde. No one can quite say what is wrong with him:

"Mr Hyde was pale and dwarfish, he gave an impression of deformity without any nameable malformation." (2)

"There is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something downright detestable." (1)

"He is not easy to describe. There is something wrong with his appearance ... I never saw a man I so disliked, and yet I scarce know why." (1)

This deliberate vagueness is central to Stevenson's technique. Hyde's horror comes not from a specific deformity but from an instinctive, primal revulsion that people feel in his presence.

Why is Hyde described this way?