Irony in Jekyll and Hyde

Verbal irony presents itself well in Stevenson’s story (Stevenson 1-78). “I am quite sure of him,” replied Jekyll, “I have grounds for certainty that I cannot share with anyone.” (Stevenson 30). Jekyll is speaking about his good friend Mr. Hyde, whom no one knows is his divided “other” personality (Stevenson 30). Literally, Jekyll knows Hyde very well, but cannot disclose certain personal information about Hyde’s life that he does not wish to share; yet the reader finds out later, that Jekyll is merely looking for a loophole in order to diverge from talking about his evil alter ego (Stevenson 30). Stevenson puts subtle details into the things his characters say and do, and one who is smart will catch the verbal ironies that sprout from these sayings (Stevenson 1-78). Verbal irony presents itself well in Stevenson’s story (Stevenson 1-78). “I am quite sure of him,” replied Jekyll, “I have grounds for certainty that I cannot share with anyone.” (Stevenson 30). Jekyll is speaking about his good friend Mr. Hyde, whom no one knows is his divided “other” personality (Stevenson 30). Literally, Jekyll knows Hyde very well, but cannot disclose certain personal information about Hyde’s life that he does not wish to share; yet the reader finds out later, that Jekyll is merely looking for a loophole in order to diverge from talking about his evil alter ego (Stevenson 30). Stevenson puts subtle details into the things his characters say and do, and one who is smart will catch the verbal ironies that sprout from these sayings (Stevenson 1-78).

As shown throughout the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson examines the duality of human nature and how it can affect the lives of anyone. The multiple sides of a person are most clearly illustrated by the revelation that Mr. Hyde and Dr. Jekyll are the same person. Stevenson lays the evidence for the extreme duality found in human nature in Hyde’s powerfully vicious and violent characteristics contrasting with Jekyll’s kind, gentle and honorable qualities. In fact, Jekyll claims whilst pursuing his scientific experiments and validating his work that “man is not truly one, but two” (page 55). From his perspective, every soul contains elements of both good and bad, but one is always dominant and prevails over the other. While Jekyll is truly a mixture of good and bad, Hyde is just pure evil and without counterbalancing his other side, Hyde grows surprisingly strong and obtains the ability to completely take over Jekyll, and destroying whatever good left remained in his system. Seeing how Jekyll is a respectable member of society, he cannot fulfill his evil desires and he feels crushed by society’s judgmental ways and begins to ponder what life would be like if he were allowed to be different. He gives into his fascination and starts to experiment using the power of science and in turn concocts a potion which allows him to transform into Hyde, his evil “twin”. At first, he was satisfied, living this other side of himself, but then it turned into something horrific, causing him to trample a young girl and killing a completely innocent man. Jekyll states in his letter to Utterman “…I was still cursed with my duality of purpose…” (page 72).

Stevenson concludes that man is not in fact a purely dual being, but a primitive being, tamed and civilized by the laws of society. Stevenson portrays Hyde in highly animalistic terms – short and hairy with gnarled hands and a horrific face. In contrast, Jekyll is described in the most gentlemanly terms – tall, refined, polite and honorable, with long elegant fingers and a handsome appearance. Thus, perhaps Jekyll’s experiment reduces his being to its most basic form, in which evil runs freely without considering the constraints of society and civilization. Jekyll and Hyde are not the only examples of duality in the novel. The city of London is also portrayed in contrasting terms, as both a foggy, dreary, nightmarish place, and a well-kept, bustling center of commerce. Indeed, just as men have both positive and negative qualities, so does society. The street where Edward Hyde lives is shrouded in darkness, mirroring his cruelty and almost conspiring against society, whereas Dr. Jekyll’s home is warm and welcoming, portraying his personality.

Also the city of London itself is described as “still three parts jungle. Except for the residential and shopping areas… hardly a district was really `public’ in the sense that ordinary folk went to and fro…” (Page 45). London was like its inhabitants, London represented that division-within-essential-unity which is the very meaning of Jekyll and Hyde. This setting allows Dr. Jekyll to become a more sympathetic character. It also explains why he needed to unleash his inner Hyde. Repression is no joke. In fact, you could go so far as to say that this book, because of its setting, provides social commentary on the place and times.

As shown throughout the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson examines the duality of human nature and how it can affect the lives of anyone. The multiple sides of a person are most clearly illustrated by the revelation that Mr. Hyde and Dr. Jekyll are the same person. Stevenson lays the evidence for the extreme duality found in human nature in Hyde’s powerfully vicious and violent characteristics contrasting with Jekyll’s kind, gentle and honorable qualities. In fact, Jekyll claims whilst pursuing his scientific experiments and validating his work that “man is not truly one, but two” (page 55). From his perspective, every soul contains elements of both good and bad, but one is always dominant and prevails over the other. While Jekyll is truly a mixture of good and bad, Hyde is just pure evil and without counterbalancing his other side, Hyde grows surprisingly strong and obtains the ability to completely take over Jekyll, and destroying whatever good left remained in his system. Seeing how Jekyll is a respectable member of society, he cannot fulfill his evil desires and he feels crushed by society’s judgmental ways and begins to ponder what life would be like if he were allowed to be different. He gives into his fascination and starts to experiment using the power of science and in turn concocts a potion which allows him to transform into Hyde, his evil “twin”. At first, he was satisfied, living this other side of himself, but then it turned into something horrific, causing him to trample a young girl and killing a completely innocent man. Jekyll states in his letter to Utterman “…I was still cursed with my duality of purpose…” (page 72).

Stevenson concludes that man is not in fact a purely dual being, but a primitive being, tamed and civilized by the laws of society. Stevenson portrays Hyde in highly animalistic terms – short and hairy with gnarled hands and a horrific face. In contrast, Jekyll is described in the most gentlemanly terms – tall, refined, polite and honorable, with long elegant fingers and a handsome appearance. Thus, perhaps Jekyll’s experiment reduces his being to its most basic form, in which evil runs freely without considering the constraints of society and civilization. Jekyll and Hyde are not the only examples of duality in the novel. The city of London is also portrayed in contrasting terms, as both a foggy, dreary, nightmarish place, and a well-kept, bustling center of commerce. Indeed, just as men have both positive and negative qualities, so does society. The street where Edward Hyde lives is shrouded in darkness, mirroring his cruelty and almost conspiring against society, whereas Dr. Jekyll’s home is warm and welcoming, portraying his personality. Also the city of London itself is described as “still three parts jungle. Except for the residential and shopping areas… hardly a district was really `public’ in the sense that ordinary folk went to and fro…” (Page 45). London was like its inhabitants, London represented that division-within-essential-unity which is the very meaning of Jekyll and Hyde.

This setting allows Dr. Jekyll to become a more sympathetic character. It also explains why he needed to unleash his inner Hyde. Repression is no joke. In fact, you could go so far as to say that this book, because of its setting, provides social commentary on the place and times. As shown throughout the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson examines the duality of human nature and how it can affect the lives of anyone. The multiple sides of a person are most clearly illustrated by the revelation that Mr. Hyde and Dr. Jekyll are the same person. Stevenson lays the evidence for the extreme duality found in human nature in Hyde’s powerfully vicious and violent characteristics contrasting with Jekyll’s kind, gentle and honorable qualities. In fact, Jekyll claims whilst pursuing his scientific experiments and validating his work that “man is not truly one, but two” (page 55). From his perspective, every soul contains elements of both good and bad, but one is always dominant and prevails over the other. While Jekyll is truly a mixture of good and bad, Hyde is just pure evil and without counterbalancing his other side, Hyde grows surprisingly strong and obtains the ability to completely take over Jekyll, and destroying whatever good left remained in his system. Seeing how Jekyll is a respectable member of society, he cannot fulfill his evil desires and he feels crushed by society’s judgmental ways and begins to ponder what life would be like if he were allowed to be different.

He gives into his fascination and starts to experiment using the power of science and in turn concocts a potion which allows him to transform into Hyde, his evil “twin”. At first, he was satisfied, living this other side of himself, but then it turned into something horrific, causing him to trample a young girl and killing a completely innocent man. Jekyll states in his letter to Utterman “…I was still cursed with my duality of purpose…” (page 72). Stevenson concludes that man is not in fact a purely dual being, but a primitive being, tamed and civilized by the laws of society. Stevenson portrays Hyde in highly animalistic terms – short and hairy with gnarled hands and a horrific face. In contrast, Jekyll is described in the most gentlemanly terms – tall, refined, polite and honorable, with long elegant fingers and a handsome appearance. Thus, perhaps Jekyll’s experiment reduces his being to its most basic form, in which evil runs freely without considering the constraints of society and civilization. Jekyll and Hyde are not the only examples of duality in the novel. The city of London is also portrayed in contrasting terms, as both a foggy, dreary, nightmarish place, and a well-kept, bustling center of commerce. Indeed, just as men have both positive and negative qualities, so does society. The street where Edward Hyde lives is shrouded in darkness, mirroring his cruelty and almost conspiring against society, whereas Dr. Jekyll’s home is warm and welcoming, portraying his personality. Also the city of London itself is described as “still three parts jungle. Except for the residential and shopping areas… hardly a district was really `public’ in the sense that ordinary folk went to and fro…” (Page 45). London was like its inhabitants, London represented that division-within-essential-unity which is the very meaning of Jekyll and Hyde.

This setting allows Dr. Jekyll to become a more sympathetic character. It also explains why he needed to unleash his inner Hyde. Repression is no joke. In fact, you could go so far as to say that this book, because of its setting, provides social commentary on the place and times. As shown throughout the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson examines the duality of human nature and how it can affect the lives of anyone. The multiple sides of a person are most clearly illustrated by the revelation that Mr. Hyde and Dr. Jekyll are the same person. Stevenson lays the evidence for the extreme duality found in human nature in Hyde’s powerfully vicious and violent characteristics contrasting with Jekyll’s kind, gentle and honorable qualities. In fact, Jekyll claims whilst pursuing his scientific experiments and validating his work that “man is not truly one, but two” (page 55). From his perspective, every soul contains elements of both good and bad, but one is always dominant and prevails over the other. While Jekyll is truly a mixture of good and bad, Hyde is just pure evil and without counterbalancing his other side, Hyde grows surprisingly strong and obtains the ability to completely take over Jekyll, and destroying whatever good left remained in his system. Seeing how Jekyll is a respectable member of society, he cannot fulfill his evil desires and he feels crushed by society’s judgmental ways and begins to ponder what life would be like if he were allowed to be different. He gives into his fascination and starts to experiment using the power of science and in turn concocts a potion which allows him to transform into Hyde, his evil “twin”. At first, he was satisfied, living this other side of himself, but then it turned into something horrific, causing him to trample a young girl and killing a completely innocent man.

Jekyll states in his letter to Utterman “…I was still cursed with my duality of purpose…” (page 72). Stevenson concludes that man is not in fact a purely dual being, but a primitive being, tamed and civilized by the laws of society. Stevenson portrays Hyde in highly animalistic terms – short and hairy with gnarled hands and a horrific face. In contrast, Jekyll is described in the most gentlemanly terms – tall, refined, polite and honorable, with long elegant fingers and a handsome appearance. Thus, perhaps Jekyll’s experiment reduces his being to its most basic form, in which evil runs freely without considering the constraints of society and civilization. Jekyll and Hyde are not the only examples of duality in the novel. The city of London is also portrayed in contrasting terms, as both a foggy, dreary, nightmarish place, and a well-kept, bustling center of commerce. Indeed, just as men have both positive and negative qualities, so does society. The street where Edward Hyde lives is shrouded in darkness, mirroring his cruelty and almost conspiring against society, whereas Dr. Jekyll’s home is warm and welcoming, portraying his personality. Also the city of London itself is described as “still three parts jungle.

Except for the residential and shopping areas… hardly a district was really `public’ in the sense that ordinary folk went to and fro…” (Page 45). London was like its inhabitants, London represented that division-within-essential-unity which is the very meaning of Jekyll and Hyde. This setting allows Dr. Jekyll to become a more sympathetic character. It also explains why he needed to unleash his inner Hyde. Repression is no joke. In fact, you could go so far as to say that this book, because of its setting, provides social commentary on the place and times.