To install StudyMoose App tap and then “Add to Home Screen”
Save to my list
Remove from my list
In the shorty story The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stenson, Dr. Jekyll the main protagonist throughout is able to change his own body physically, and his mind morally by becoming a different breed of human with no moral remorse for his victims. Throughout the short-story, Robert uses many forms of ethos and pathos between the two characters to draw the reader in effectively and make the reader feel remorse in a sense for both characters.
Robert Stenson begins the story by describing Dr.
Jekyll’s life as a very respectable and wise man among his fellow peers, someone who lives a great life with no problems, almost the picture-perfect person. But on the other hand, he has a weird urge of being evil and that the only way he would be able to live out his secondary life would be to drink a potion converting him into Edward Hyde, “I compounded the elements, watched them boil and smoke together in the glass, and when the ebullition had subsided, with a strong glow of courage, drank off the potion.” (Stenson 83).
Verified writer
Proficient in: Free Essays
4.7 (346)
“ This writer never make an mistake for me always deliver long before due date. Am telling you man this writer is absolutely the best. ”
In this quote is when he ultimately turned into this new person know as Edward Hyde. He goes on to describe the feeling of the transformation exceeded the pain felt from “a grinding in the bones, deadly nausea, and the horror of the spirit that cannot be exceeded at the hour of birth or death” (Stenson 83). These descriptive words really put a strange image in the readers head as they try to just piece together the pain and horror, he must have been going through that was worse than all of these things.
After transforming he felt great in his new body, and quickly rushed over to his room which technically belonged to Dr. Jekyll to see himself for the first time.
One quote that stuck out the most was society’s initial acceptance of Edward Hyde. “I have observed that when I wore the semblance of Edward Hyde, none could come near me at first without a visible misgiving of the flesh.” (Stevenson 84). This gives the main protagonist a feeling of unacceptance and draws the reader to feel bad for him even though Edward Hyde is a person full of pure evil. It never mentions if he killed anyone, but we can make the inference that Edward Hyde must have done something evil, since he mentions that police are looking for Edward Hyde “I took and furnished that house in Soho, to which Hyde was tracked by the police.” (Stevenson 85).
As the story goes on Dr. Jekyll seems to be transforming between the two personas at random points without his own doing of drinking any potion, even at one-point mention going to bed as Dr. Jekyll and waking up the next morning as Edward Hyde. At this point, Dr. Jekyll is feeling a sense of distress and urgency because he doesn’t know if he’ll be able to reverse the effects when he becomes Edward Hyde again or if he’ll permanently be stuck as this evil person. Dr. Jekyll progressively gets sicker and sicker from all of his transformations that are happening, that it actually ends up empowering Edward Hyde even more. “The powers of Hyde seemed to have grown with the sickliness of Jekyll. And certainly, that hate that now divided them was equal on each side.” (Stevenson 92). The author goes on to end the story by having Jekyll commit temporary suicide, which then permanently puts him in the body of Edward Hyde.
Finally, Edward Hyde tries to transform back to who he is as Dr. Jekyll, but it doesn’t seem to work, and the reason the formula didn’t work was due to the impurity of the batch of potion he made by using the wrong salt “…and I am now persuaded that my first supply was impure, and that it was that unknown impurity which lent efficacy to the draught.” (Stevenson 93). The reader is left wondering how the story ended as the author doesn’t make it clear if he ever transforms back or if he ends up dying. We’re left questioning what will end up happening to both characters, and it is truly up to us as the reader to draw our own conclusions from the text.
The Combination of Good and Evil in One Body. (2021, Dec 15). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/the-combination-of-good-and-evil-in-one-body-essay
👋 Hi! I’m your smart assistant Amy!
Don’t know where to start? Type your requirements and I’ll connect you to an academic expert within 3 minutes.
get help with your assignment
