Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

“The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” is a gothic horror novella

written by Robert Louis Stevenson in the Victorian era. The novella

follows a well-respected doctor - Henry Jekyll - and his struggle

between good and evil when he takes a potion and becomes Mr Hyde.

Robert Louis Stevenson - the author of the novella “The Strange Case

of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”- was born in Edinburgh in 1850 and died at

the young age of forty-four. He wrote the book in 1886. As a child he

was very close to his nurse and when he was ill she used to read him

Bible stories as he was brought up in a strict Catholic tradition,

which he later rebelled against. This led to his fascination for his

city’s low life and for bizarre characters, which proved rich material

for later stories.

Deacon Brodie lived in Edinburgh in the eighteenth century. His double

life is thought to have been the inspiration for Robert Louis

Stevenson to write “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”. Deacon Brodie lived an

extravagant lifestyle, which even his high position in Edinburgh

society could not support, so he turned to crime to finance his

lifestyle. This concept of a doppelganger - a shadow of a different

side of a human - was used in “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” to create the

same effect.

Stevenson may also have found inspiration from a book, called

“Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley as it is of the gothic horror genre

just like Stevenson’s book. A gothic horror story contains a plot

hinged on suspense and mystery, which often involves the supernatural.

Another writer, who may have influenced Stevenson’s writing, is

Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution.

Within Stevenson’s gothic horror story - “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” -

suspense is added by the descrip...

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...nerable. He portrays evil to be strong,

as you only think of yourself and what you want, and this is why Hyde

attempts to take over Jekyll. Although Hyde seems to take over Jekyll

there is still a part of Jekyll there, which makes Hyde take the

potion to become Jekyll again, so that he can then end the evil of the

beast he created which also means ending his life too.

In conclusion I feel Stevenson has successfully portrayed evil through

his characters, setting and language. I enjoyed the different ways it

suggests evil and I believe Robert Louis Stevenson has accomplished

his aim to write a gothic horror book and “The Strange case of Dr

Jekyll and Mr Hyde is truly a book of its time as creating an evil

side that, if made subject to, would alter normal civilized behaviour

and conduct horrific violence was unheard of at the time the book was

published.