Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde Research Paper

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Fear resonates amongst those who cannot explain strange occurrences. For instance, in the literary classic entitled The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Stevenson, Dr. Henry Jekyll has secret compulsions of committing dark and sinister acts of evil. He eliminates these compulsions by developing a potion that strangely transforms him into his evil alter ego named Mr. Edward Hyde. Now, Jekyll enjoys the pleasure and freedom of being wicked brings. The infamous antagonist, Mr. Edward Hyde, is arguably the most frightening fictional character due to his strange appearance, evil nature, and horrific crimes. As a result, Stevenson’s literary classic becomes one of the most feared gothic novels of its time. Upon first glance, Hyde’s…show more content…
He realistically portrays real life criminals making him seem more of a cold-blooded and merciless killer to readers, but also to other characters in this novel. Hyde’s first victim becomes publically known after she was almost trampled to death by him. The young girl collides with Hyde who “[calmly tramples] over [her] body [leaving] her screaming on the ground.” (Stevenson, 7) Here, Hyde inflicts violence on the innocent, making everyone a possible victim. No one is safe because Hyde can strike anyone at any time. The nature of Hyde’s crimes quickly escalate with the merciless murder of Sir Danvers Carew, becoming a threat now that he can end human life. On a clear night, with fog slowly seeping in, a maid witnesses Hyde, “with ape-like fury, [trample] his victim under foot, and hailing down a storm of blows, under which the bones were audibly shattered and the body jumped upon the roadway.” (Stevenson, 21) Hyde lacks remorse and sympathy for Carew. The maid, as a result, faints upon seeing the tragedy unfold due to utter fear and shock. The “bones cracking” seems audible to readers, sending a “chill down their spine.” The streets, during the night, are now empty as many fear that Hyde may attack again. Furthermore, Hyde’s strange transformation is also lethal to the eye. For instance, when Hyde tempts Dr. Hastie Lanyon into observing him transform, Lanyon “sprung to [his] feet and leaped back against the wall, [his] arm raised to shield [himself] from that prodigy, [his] mind submerged in terror.” (Stevenson, 51) The strange phenomenon that Dr. Lanyon once regarded as being “scientific balderdash” has just occurred before his very eyes, because of Hyde. Shocked, Lanyon dies from this experience. Furthermore, Stevenson, alludes to the story of Adam and Eve here. Hyde tempts and satisfies Dr. Lanyon’s “thirst for knowledge” and metaphorically “invites him

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