Duality of Human Nature

The central theme of the novel, explored through Jekyll's experiment and its consequences.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Philosophical Discovery

The Philosophical Discovery The Primitive Duality Jekyll becomes convinced that man is not truly one, but truly two. He sees the struggle between good and evil in his own consciousness. He believes that these elements can be separated. The Scientific Pursuit He uses his scientific knowledge to create a drug that can separate the two natures. He hopes to free the just side from the burden of the unjust. But the experiment goes wrong. The Flaw in the Theory He learns that the drug has no discriminating action. It only shakes the prisonhouse of his disposition. The result is not a pure good and a pure evil, but a Hyde that is all evil and a Jekyll that is still a mixture.

The Embodiment of Evil

The Embodiment of Evil Hyde as Pure Evil Hyde is described as pure evil, alone in the ranks of mankind. He is without conscience, driven by self-interest and cruelty. He is the evil side of Jekyll, given form. The Inevitable Corruption Jekyll's good side is not purified; it remains compromised. The experiment only unleashes the evil without controlling it. The duality is not resolved but exacerbated. The Lesson of the Experiment Jekyll learns that the separation of the two natures is impossible. The attempt to cast off the burden of evil only makes it stronger. The theme is that duality is inherent and cannot be escaped.

The Final Restatement

The Final Restatement The Tragic Conclusion Jekyll's confession is a testament to the duality of man. He acknowledges that man is a 'polity of multifarious, incongruous and independent denizens.' The attempt to separate them leads to disaster. The Moral of the Story The novel suggests that the evil and good in man are inextricably linked. Trying to deny or escape one's darker nature is futile and dangerous. The only way is to accept the struggle. The Enduring Theme Duality is the central theme of the book, and it is explored through every character. Utterson's moral struggle, Lanyon's disbelief, and Hyde's pure evil all reinforce the idea that human nature is complex and divided.

years before the story, in Jekyll's reflections

after the first transformation

the end of the novel, in Jekyll's confession