Henry Jekyll & Edward Hyde Flashcards
(21 cards)
Give an example that shows Jekyll is a respected man.
He describes himself as âwell known and highly consideredâ.
Does Jekyll think his desires were worse than other menâs before he creates Hyde?
Jekyll says many men would have âblazonedâ (flaunted) his flaws, which suggests they are minor compared to other peopleâs
Give an example from the novella that shows Jekyll is troubled by Hydeâs actions.
Jekyll looks physically ill after Hyde murders Carew. He is described as âlooking deadly sickâ, which suggests that he is so distressed about Hydeâs actions that itâs made him ill.
What impression do you get of Jekyll when he first appears in the story?
Jekyll seems to be friendly, although there are hints that he has a dark side. He is described as having âevery markâ of âkindnessâ in his face, which suggests he is a good person. However, he does have a âslyish castâ, which hints that he is hiding something.
Do you think Jekyll has any negative personality traits when he isnât Hyde? Explain your answer.
Jekyll does have some negative personality traits. The fact that his âconscience slumberedâ shows he doesnât feel any remorse for Hydeâs actions, which suggests he isnât moral. He also has âvaingloriousâ thoughts in the park, which suggests he can be arrogant and self-satisfied.
Give two events that show Hydeâs violent nature.
He tramples a little girl and he murders Carew for no reason.
True or False? Hyde doesnât care about getting caught for his crimes.
False. Hyde is described as having a âterror of the gallowsâ â he is scared of getting caught and hanged for his crimes.
Give an example that shows Hyde has little respect for religion.
He writes âblasphemiesâ (things that are disrespectful towards a religion or god) on the pages of Jekyllâs books.
Hydeâs laugh is described as âsavageâ. What is the effect of this language?
The word âsavageâ is often used to describe untamed animals â this suggests that Hyde has inhuman qualities.
Describe the effect that Hyde has on the people he meets. Use examples in your answer.
People loathe Hyde as soon as they meet him. For example, in âStory of the Doorâ Enfield describes how the doctor turned âwhite with the desire to killâ Hyde, and Utterson feels âdisgust, loathing and fearâ for him. However, they also find it difficult to put their negative impression of Hyde into words â e.g. Enfield says he canât âspecifyâ how Hyde is âdeformedâ.
Is there are any point in the story where the reader feels sympathy for Hyde? Explain your answer.
Hyde is portrayed as being âpure evilâ, which makes it difficult for the reader to sympathise with him. However, the reader might feel sympathy for Hyde at the end of the story, as Stevenson emphasises his painful death by describing him as âsorely contortedâ.
True or False? Hyde appears to be of a higher social class than Jekyll.
False. Hydeâs house in Soho and the fact he dresses âvery plainlyâ indicate that he is of a lower social class than Jekyll.
How does Jekyll ensure that he can enter his house freely as Hyde?
He tells the servants to give Hyde âfull liberty and powerâ about his house, and calls at the house as Hyde so that the servants are familiar with what Hyde looks like.
Give an example where Jekyll and Hydeâs relationship is compared to a relationship between a parent and a child.
Jekyll says he has âmore than a fatherâs interestâ in Hyde, while Hyde has âmore than a sonâs indifferenceâ towards Jekyll. This suggests Jekyll cares about Hydeâs actions even more than a farther would, while Hydeâs attitude to Jekyll is like that of a disinterested child.
Jekyll compares himself to a âdrunkardâ. What does this suggest about his transformations into Hyde?
The comparison to a âdrunkardâ suggests that Jekyll is addicted to turning into Hyde, like an alcoholic is addicted to drinking. It also emphasises that Jekyllâs habit of turning into Hyde is unhealthy and dangerous.
Do you think Stevenson wants the reader to feel sorry for Jekyll? Use examples in your answer.
Even though Jekyll acts immorally, it seems as if Stevenson wants the reader to feel sorry for him. He creates sympathy by emphasising Jekyllâs pain, e.g. Jekyll writes that âno one has ever suffered such tormentsâ. Stevenson also takes away Jekyllâs power to decide when to turn into Hyde â Jekyll describes this as a âdoomâ that is âcontinually impendingâ. His loss of control and the anxiety this causes make the reader feel sorry for him.
Briefly describe how Hydeâs physical appearance is different to Jekyllâs.
Hyde is âsmaller, slighter and youngerâ than Jekyll. He is also described as having âevilâ on his face, while Jekyll has âevery mark of capacity and kindnessâ.
Jekyll refers to Hyde in the third person. What is the effect of this?
This makes it seem like Jekyll and Hyde are two separate people â Jekyll is trying to distance himself from himself from his actions as Hyde.
After Jekyll turns into Hyde accidentally in his sleep, he decides to stop taking the potion that turns him into Hyde. What evidence is there that he isnât fully committed to this decision?
Jekyll doesnât get rid of the house in Soho or destroy Hydeâs clothes, which âstill lay readyâ to be worn.
Describe how the balance of power between Jekyll and Hyde changes throughout the novella.
When Jekyll first begins experimenting with Hyde, he is the one in control â he controls when he takes the potion to turn himself into Hyde. However, this balance changes â Jekyll begins turning into Hyde involuntarily and relies on Hyde drinking the potion to turn back into himself. When the potion runs out, he then loses power completely and is permanently changed into Hyde.
Do you think Jekyll and Hyde show any similarities in their behaviour or personalities? Explain your answer.
Jekyll and Hyde both have the desire to act sinfully â Hyde commits many sinful acts and Jekyllâs desire to sin is what leads him to create Hyde. Hyde is also âastuteâ and works out the plan to get his drugs when Jekyll transforms in the park. This shows that Hyde is intelligent like Jekyll.
