Dr Jekyll.
The star of this thriller, Dr Jekyll is an interesting pitful manman of science, and through his research he discovered "that man is not truly one, but truly two" (pg 55). He further proved his theory when he created a drug, that through the power of science, caused the malice within him to take the form of the despicable Mr Hyde.
Jekyll himself was not a complete bad person. He was friendly and well liked by his peers. His servants held a deep respect for him. Once Jekyll created Hyde and began his misadventures, his reputation took a fall. People realized he was associated with a detestable Mr Hyde. Even Utterson, a close friend of Jekyll, though that Jekyll was being tormented by Hyde; Utterson though that Jekyll was being blackmailed by Hyde, which according to him would explain why Hyde was to inherit all of Jekyll's property. Jekyll's reputation was not the only thing that suffered when he introduced Hyde. His own health worsened, and he risked his life when he took multiple doses of his drug. He began to drift away from his two friends: Lanyon and Utterson. It is also safe to assume that his mental health suffered due to all the guilt he felt whenever he did something bad. In the end, he even lost control of Hyde, and the beast within took over completely. I say that Jekyll was a pitiful man because in the end he lost his mind, his health,many of his friends, his reputation and finally his life. |
Mr. Utterson. The story of Jekyll and Hyde is all narrated from the point of view of Mr. Utterson, the main protagonist. Mr. Utterson was a lawyer and not only that, but Dr Jekyll's lawyer. Because of his career, he got to know Jekyll and Lanyon quite well and till the the present time of the story, still considered them both close friends.
Utterson was described as an unexciting character, one who rarely smiled and spoke little to no one. He was "cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse" (pg 5) as well as "lean, long, dusty, dreary and yet somehow lovable" (pg 5). despite being as boring as he was, Utterson did have some redeemable qualities. He was a true and loyal friend to Jekyll. He cared deeply for his old friend so much that he dove headfirst into the danger that surrounded Mr Hyde. Utterson led his own investigation of Hyde due to his own concerns for Jekyll's safety. I believe what drove him was the mysterious will Jekyll created. As more and more things began to happen, Utterson tried to put the pieces together his way. His way involved finding a rational explanation to everything even when none was to be found. Despite being a dry, cold, dusty skeptical man, Utterson's true worth as a character was shown in his efforts to protect his friend. |
Mr Hyde Without a doubt, Hyde is the main villain of this story. He was a manifestation of Jekyll's inner most desires for chaos. His birth was the result of a dangerous potion Jekyll created. Originally, Hyde only appeared when Jekyll drank the potion, but near the end of the story, his will overpowered Jekyll, letting him take over.
Hyde was described, on multiple occasions, as malformed, but not one character can explain how. According to Utterson he had a displeasing smile. Hyde was young, short and staunch.According to Mr Enfield, Hyde "was like a damn Juggernaut" (pg 7). Personality wise, Hyde was a monster. He was unpredictable, as shown when he murdered Mr Carew. He was violent, mercilessly trampling over a young girl for no reason. If I were to describe him in one word, i'd call him a tyrant. After a while, Hyde began to disregard the potion, he soon began to appear when he wanted to, despite Jekyll's attempt. The thing that sets apart Hyde from other villains is that in the end, Hyde was also Jekyll. In other words, Jekyll had the chance to stop Hyde, but he did not and rather, chose to ignore the guilt and consequences. All in all, Hyde is an interesting character who is both spontaneous and dangerous. |
Lanyon Dr Lanyon's role in the story was very short, but not insignificant. His purpose was to contrast Jekyll's belief in the supernatural and science with his own skepticism and belief in what is and what is not possible. He was shown to dislike the way Jekyll acted and what he researched. According to him, "He began to go wrong, wrong in the mind" (pg 12)
He was the first character in the story to know about Jekyll's transformation. I believe Jekyll chose to show Lanyon about his transformation because not only where they good friends, but because there was some rivalry between them. Lanyon always disregarded Jekyll's belief in the supernatural, considering it a waste of time. So when Jekyll proved him wrong, the shock was too much. Shortly after, he passed away. |