Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde Character Analysis

In Robert Louis Stevenson’s gothic novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the two main characters, Dr. Henry Jekyll and Mr. Edward Hyde are the complete opposite of characters. At the beginning of the novella, when each character is introduced, Mr. Hyde is said to be the epitome of evil, while Henry Jekyll is quite the opposite. Throughout the gothic novella, each of the characters come into ones self, meaning that Edward Hyde becomes more evil than many ever believed, but Jekyll becomes weaker and distances himself from his once close friends. Towards the end of the novella when Dr. Jekyll is on his deathbed, he describes the actions of himself and the malicious Mr. Hyde. As the characters change throughout the novel, they are to show still be opposites of each other, either mentally or physically.

In the first few chapters the personalities of the characters is quickly unveiled by their actions, especially the two contrasting characters Mr. Edward Hyde and Dr. Henry Jekyll. When Robert Louis Stevenson’s evil and decrepit character Mr. Hyde is first revealed in the novella, he is painted as a malicious criminal. Even though in the
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the two main characters, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, are conflicting of each other from beginning to end. At the commencement of the novella, when Mr. Hyde is first introduced, he is described as being the epitome of evil, yet Dr. Jekyll is portrayed as being somewhat of a saint. As the gothic novella progresses, Mr. Hyde seems to rule over Dr. Jekyll as he becomes stronger and more powerful and Jekyll becomes weaker and more decrepit, especially when Edward is seen murdering Sir Danvers. At the end of the novel, Dr. Jekyll still remains the saint by his reputation, but he reveals that everyone, including him, has an evil side. Before the end, Mr. Hyde controls and roams the streets whenever he wants, disrupting those around him in an evil