Essay 3

INTRODUCTION

In The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson presents the villain Edward Hyde as a monstrous and immoral figure¹ whose presence on the streets of London exposes the repressed vices of nineteenth century society.² The Victorian era was the spawning ground for many new theories and advancements, such as Darwin’s Origin of Species which challenged preconceived notions of humanity’s creation and threatened the religious structures of morality inherent within society. In his text, Stevenson uses a variety of techniques to effectively create an antagonist who inspires fear within his reader, presenting the threatening and dangerous character of Hyde to embody the repressed evil inherent within mankind.³

1. When writing introductions, make sure you name the character and provide your interpretive judgement early so the examiner knows exactly what your argument will centre on.

2. This phrase shows we are already thinking beyond character and considering what Stevenson is communicating in terms of his societal context.

3. This sentence clearly articulates a conceptual argument about duality and repression. This gives the introduction a strong critical foundation that we will then return to throughout each body paragraph.

PARAGRAPH 1

One device which Stevenson uses to evidence the danger of Hyde is through religious rhetoric. Victorian society was heavily constructed on the pillars of Christian teachings such as purity, repression, compassion and God’s divine power over the fate of mankind.⁵ Stevenson personifies the binary evil of Christianity in Hyde, with Enfield describing him as “really like Satan.”⁶ Just as Satan is evil incarnate, so too does this metaphor play on religious associations with the Devil to instil fear in the reader, highlighting Hyde’s base and allencompassing wickedness.⁷ The allusions to Hyde as devilish are continued by his creator Henry Jekyll. After falling victim to Hydes’ power and losing his control, Jekyll describes as a “child of Hell.”⁸ The antithesis of ‘child’, connoting innocence and purity so valued by Victorian society, and of ‘Hell’, connoting the abode of abhorrent spirits, suffering and condemnation, demonstrates Hyde’s deep depravity and lack of humanity. This highlights Hyde’s displacement within the natural order, isolating him from the rest of humanity and thereby posing a threat to the civilised ideologies of Victorian society.⁹

4. This topic sentence clearly identifies the key concept that will be analysed in this body paragraph, giving both you and the marker a clear sense of structure.

5. Here, we have included some concise, relevant context before analysis. When revising, practise front-loading context so quotations make immediate sense later, and you don’t have to backtrack in order to explain yourself.

6. This quotation is short but conceptually dense. Selecting evidence that allows you to explore symbolism is more effective than long narrative quotations.

7. This sentence explains the metaphor clearly and directly. This is effective because we cannot assume the implication is obvious – always spell out the effect on the reader.

8. Analysing techniques like antithesis shows that you are alert to contrasting ideas which is a key idea across many essay questions.

9. We conclude the paragraph by scaling up to societal threat, not just character description. This is an effective way to end analytical paragraphs.

PARAGRAPH 2

Furthermore, Hyde’s violent acts are portrayed by Stevenson in a way which furthers his image as a threatening and dangerous character.¹⁰ The turning point of the novel sees the brutal murder of Sir Danvers Carew, a renowned and admired politician. After this event, Hyde’s criminal reputation forces Jekyll to relinquish his lust for immoral freedoms, showing the catalytic effect this violence has on the narrative.¹¹ A maid recounts how she witnessed Hyde and Carew talking, before the former “broke out in a great flame of anger” and proceeded to beat the old man to death. Stevenson uses the metaphor of the “flame of anger,” representing uncontrolled power, to symbolise the destructive nature of Hyde.¹² The maid goes on to detail how he acted “like a madman” lacking reason and sanity. Hence, this simile suggests that Hyde’s behaviour was unwarranted and crazed. This highlights Hyde’s deviation from the Victorian norms of propriety and sense,¹³ communicating to the reader that they are in a reality which has become uncanny and chaotic.¹⁴ Stevenson uses this trope of Gothic literature to emphasise the release of evil upon society and to create an atmosphere of impending danger for the reader, thus cementing Hyde as a threatening and dangerous character. Additionally, the murder is the exhibition of Hyde’s primitive and animal passions, attacking Carew with “ape-like fury.” The metaphor not only conveys the uncontrolled primal anger with which Hyde murdered Carew, but distinctly uses contemporary debates to present the anxieties of the time. With the publication of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species in 1859, the understanding of man’s creation was blown apart, leading to a shattering of identity within the period. By drawing parallels between Hyde and the very creature Darwin proposes humanity shares origins with, Stevenson instils fear of man’s regression into beasts in the reader, making the prospect of Hyde within the reader’s world all the more threatening and dangerous.¹⁵

10. This topic sentence clearly shifts focus from symbolism to action, showing range in your analysis. Aim to vary paragraph focus while maintaining a consistent argument.

11. Here, we are connecting violence to structure and plot development to demonstrate how various elements of the text all work together to achieve an overall effect or message.

12. This sentence identifies a metaphor and then immediately interprets it, moving straight from technique to implication through precise analysis.

13. This explains the simile of a “madman” in terms of Victorian values such as reason and sanity. This shows how language reflects cultural expectations, a key skill for higher-level responses.

14. This phrasing shows engagement with Gothic conventions. Using genre terminology accurately strengthens your analytical authority.

15. The final sentence of this paragraph explicitly links Hyde to fears of regression. Ending paragraphs with broader context like this helps keep analysis evaluative rather than descriptive.

PARAGRAPH 3

As well as this, Hyde’s malice is communicated through Stevenson’s description of other character’s reactions to him.¹⁶ A common thread within the text, many characters express feelings of disgust and discomfort in Hyde’s presence, first mentioned by Enfield as he recounts his interaction to Utterson: “he [Hyde] gives a strong feeling of deformity.” The word choice of “deformity” connotes malformation and defect,¹⁷ suggesting to the reader that Hyde is in some way abnormal in both appearance and character. Stevenson engages here with contemporary theories surrounding physiognomy to reflect Hyde’s innate wickedness: Cesare Lombroso’s Criminal Man¹⁸ was a work published during the nineteenth century which hypothesised that a criminal’s biological makeup and appearance made them more predisposed to commit heinous acts. Bearing this in mind, Stevenson’s depiction of Hyde’s ill-formed appearance illustrates the viciousness and immorality within, thereby cementing him as a dangerous character. In the first description of Hyde, Enfield also recounts how, following his trampling of a little girl, the gathered crowd had to keep the women away from him as they were “as wild as harpies.” The metaphor of the women as “harpies,” classical agents of divine punishment who were half bird and half woman,¹⁹ further creates a nonhuman atmosphere, showing Stevenson’s use of the Gothic to destabilise his reader’s sense of reality.²⁰ The women’s desire to enact revenge also emphasises the deep hatred that the character inspires in others, suggesting Hyde’s monstrous actions have bled into the sensibilities of others and thereby posing a direct threat to the natural order of society. Through his depiction of Hyde’s appearance and the response it causes from others, Stevenson establishes him as a Gothic monster who symbolises the hidden evil within all humanity, exposing the inherent duality of man and the potential repercussions of repressing our natural vices.²¹

16. This shifts perspective from Hyde himself to others’ responses, which adds analytical depth. Consider viewpoint as a deliberate technique, and remember to draw upon the other characters in the novella (even minor ones like Enfield, Poole, or the maid) to use as supplementary evidence.

17. This is another example of closely examining a single word. Keep an eye out for loaded words or parts of quotes that stand out to you, as these are often worth unpacking in more detail in your essays.

18. The specialist context of Lombroso and physiognomy is integrated swiftly and purposefully. This works because it explains why appearance matters in the novel.

19. Here, we’re identifying a classical allusion and linking it to the Gothic. This shows an ability to layer interpretations, which is key for advanced essays.

20. Consistently returning to consider the reader’s response is a guaranteed way to avoid merely summarising the text and maintaining a focus on interpretation and evaluation.

21. The final sentence of this paragraph ties Hyde back to duality and repression, reinforcing the main argument. This kind of conceptual echo helps maintain coherence across the essay.

CONCLUSION

To conclude, Robert Louis Stevenson effectively presents his antagonist Mr Hyde as a threatening and dangerous character. Through a variety of literary techniques, the reader encounters the physical menace of Hyde, as well as his psychological symbol of humanity’s capacity for evil.²² Hyde’s behaviour and appearance, as well as the language used to describe him, all work together to show how this character challenges and threatens Victorian ideology and sensibilities. Ultimately, Stevenson uses Hyde to represent the duality of the human condition, encouraging the reader to question their own nature and how aspects of Hyde may well be within all of us.²³

22. These concluding sentences synthesise different strands of analysis. Aim to group ideas rather than list techniques again.

23. We end by universalising the message of the novella. This is effective because it leaves the reader considering human nature, not just Hyde as a character.