Dr Jekyll And Hyde Good Vs Evil Essay
Good and evil are clearly defined but actions themselves may not be so easily defined. Robert Louis Stevenson gives a very literal take on this idea in his novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Robert Louis Stevenson masterfully creates an investigation into the human consciousness with relatable characters and visual details of London that seem to capture the moral state of Dr. Jekyll more than the city. The story revolves around Harry Jekyll who splits his personalities into two very literal personifications of good and evil, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, respectively. Harry Jekyll’s two personalities are polar opposites so their actions should reflect that. Though on careful observation, his personalities seem to represent the moral ambiguity of reason and desire more than good and evil. Dr. Jekyll represents Harry Jekyll’s “good” side. Dr. Jekyll is intelligent, polite, tall, and handsome. Of course, these are all appearances because Dr. Jekyll is just like anybody else, tormented with dark desires. However, Dr. Jekyll rules with reason and knows what he wants is evil and can suppress his inner darkness. In attempt to achieve happiness in both
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worlds, he attempts to completely split his two personalities. Dr. Jekyll explains himself,”the unjust delivered from the aspirations might go his way, and remorse of his more upright twin; and the just could walk steadfastly and securely on his upward path,”,”no longer exposed to disgrace and penitence by the hands of this extraneous evil”(Stevenson 43). This is a case where the action is hard to be judged as purely right or wrong because the good reason matches the bad desire. The conscience will always be at rest when with the good side and will not bother the bad side. Good and bad have equal chance to gain here. Except, Dr. Jekyll performs the experiment mainly so he can let loose all the desire and evil he always wants to do without any consequences. If Jekyll’s main goal was to use his completely good side to completely eradicate his evil desires, then the act would be good. Ironically, it gets more twisted because Mr. Hyde is “pure” evil, yet the one who relishes most in the evil done is Dr. Jekyll himself. It makes sense because one needs a conscience to distinguish right from wrong and therefore enjoy in wrong. Perhaps this begs the question, does good even exist or is man only desire tempered by reason?
Mr. Hyde is the evil side, short statured, ugly, and sadistic, or as Mr. Utterson put it, “Satan’s signature upon a face”(10). Mr. Hyde is Harry Jekyll devoid of a conscience and reason. Dr. Jekyll upon observation of his second form calls it, “natural and human”, a “livelier image of the spirit”, ”Edward Hyde alone, in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil”(45). This description of Edward Hyde leads readers to believe he is completely evil and the default of man but is he? Mr. Hyde is evil because he is devoid of a sense of right much like a child. Children have no or at best an imperfect sense of right because they have not developed a mature knowledge to judge their actions and consequences. They merely do what they are told and in the case of no guidance, they do what they want. In that sense, Mr. Hyde is more natural because that is a stage everyone goes through before learning sympathy. Edward Hyde is like Harry Jekyll but whose mental state regressed to that of a child but also with the protection and resources of Dr. Jekyll. Edward Hyde’s younger age, stature and face reflects this. He is dwarfish, his face would twist and contort with emotion, and he is younger than Dr. Jekyll though still an adult. In a sense he is much more honest than his older, “better self” even when he does evil because he cannot hide his feelings. Mr. Utterson and Dr. Jekyll talk about Hyde like he is pure evil but the murder of Sir Danvers Carew proves that Hyde is like a child and not pure evil. Hyde kills Sir Danvers on a flash of anger, like a child’s tantrum, not premeditated like how an adult would commit a murder. Though immediately after the murder, Hyde knows he has done something that endangers his freedom and life. Like a child who has gotten into trouble and doesn’t know what to do, he retreats to his “father”, Dr. Jekyll, to bail himself out. If Hyde was truly pure evil, he would not care about the consequences and definitely would not have surrendered control to Dr. Jekyll. This makes Edward Hyde not completely evil and culpable but simply immature.
Someone once said that ”Madness is like gravity.
All it takes is a little push.” If this is true it definitely reflects Harry Jekyll. Harry Jekyll is not good or evil intrinsically like almost everybody. He tries his best to do good but is always tempted by evil. Tragically, even when he tries to separate good and evil, Harry Jekyll becomes Dr. Jekyll a gentleman addicted to pleasure and Edward Hyde an irresponsible child. Stevenson gives a bleak picture of man if at best he will still be be plagued by evil. At the end, Harry Jekyll was beyond remorse for his actions but even then he couldn’t control them because his mind was so split Hyde could come in anytime and take over his mind and and body completely. It appears that the constant struggle between good and evil is necessary and it can never truly be
over.
worlds, he attempts to completely split his two personalities. Dr. Jekyll explains himself,”the unjust delivered from the aspirations might go his way, and remorse of his more upright twin; and the just could walk steadfastly and securely on his upward path,”,”no longer exposed to disgrace and penitence by the hands of this extraneous evil”(Stevenson 43). This is a case where the action is hard to be judged as purely right or wrong because the good reason matches the bad desire. The conscience will always be at rest when with the good side and will not bother the bad side. Good and bad have equal chance to gain here. Except, Dr. Jekyll performs the experiment mainly so he can let loose all the desire and evil he always wants to do without any consequences. If Jekyll’s main goal was to use his completely good side to completely eradicate his evil desires, then the act would be good. Ironically, it gets more twisted because Mr. Hyde is “pure” evil, yet the one who relishes most in the evil done is Dr. Jekyll himself. It makes sense because one needs a conscience to distinguish right from wrong and therefore enjoy in wrong. Perhaps this begs the question, does good even exist or is man only desire tempered by reason?
Mr. Hyde is the evil side, short statured, ugly, and sadistic, or as Mr. Utterson put it, “Satan’s signature upon a face”(10). Mr. Hyde is Harry Jekyll devoid of a conscience and reason. Dr. Jekyll upon observation of his second form calls it, “natural and human”, a “livelier image of the spirit”, ”Edward Hyde alone, in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil”(45). This description of Edward Hyde leads readers to believe he is completely evil and the default of man but is he? Mr. Hyde is evil because he is devoid of a sense of right much like a child. Children have no or at best an imperfect sense of right because they have not developed a mature knowledge to judge their actions and consequences. They merely do what they are told and in the case of no guidance, they do what they want. In that sense, Mr. Hyde is more natural because that is a stage everyone goes through before learning sympathy. Edward Hyde is like Harry Jekyll but whose mental state regressed to that of a child but also with the protection and resources of Dr. Jekyll. Edward Hyde’s younger age, stature and face reflects this. He is dwarfish, his face would twist and contort with emotion, and he is younger than Dr. Jekyll though still an adult. In a sense he is much more honest than his older, “better self” even when he does evil because he cannot hide his feelings. Mr. Utterson and Dr. Jekyll talk about Hyde like he is pure evil but the murder of Sir Danvers Carew proves that Hyde is like a child and not pure evil. Hyde kills Sir Danvers on a flash of anger, like a child’s tantrum, not premeditated like how an adult would commit a murder. Though immediately after the murder, Hyde knows he has done something that endangers his freedom and life. Like a child who has gotten into trouble and doesn’t know what to do, he retreats to his “father”, Dr. Jekyll, to bail himself out. If Hyde was truly pure evil, he would not care about the consequences and definitely would not have surrendered control to Dr. Jekyll. This makes Edward Hyde not completely evil and culpable but simply immature.
Someone once said that ”Madness is like gravity.
All it takes is a little push.” If this is true it definitely reflects Harry Jekyll. Harry Jekyll is not good or evil intrinsically like almost everybody. He tries his best to do good but is always tempted by evil. Tragically, even when he tries to separate good and evil, Harry Jekyll becomes Dr. Jekyll a gentleman addicted to pleasure and Edward Hyde an irresponsible child. Stevenson gives a bleak picture of man if at best he will still be be plagued by evil. At the end, Harry Jekyll was beyond remorse for his actions but even then he couldn’t control them because his mind was so split Hyde could come in anytime and take over his mind and and body completely. It appears that the constant struggle between good and evil is necessary and it can never truly be
over.