Good and Evil in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert

Good and Evil in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson Throughout the story of â€Å"The Strange Case Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde†, the author, Robert Louis Stevenson, presents his idea of the duality of man- where we all have a dark, wicked side within us, where evil is held in waiting to surface, but we hide it away, we pretend it does not exist, and we keep it tame. He presents this idea by using two protagonists, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, who are actually the same person. One of these characters symbolizes the normal side of a person represented by the respectable Dr Jekyll, who is a typical upper class Victorian, and the other, Mr Hyde, a deformed man, signifies the purest of evil. During the course of this essay I will comment on Stevenson’s presentation of good and evil, and how the two work together to create an outstanding story. The book â€Å"The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde† was published in 1886, in Victorian England. The horror story originated from a dream that Stevenson’s had about a split personality and the central suggestion that evil is potentially far stronger than good. When he awoke he immediately set about putting his thoughts into words and finished the first copy in just three days but was forced to burn it because of the disapproval from his wife. He wrote another version, again in just three days. The second copy was published and was an overnight success. The storyline is about a doctor, who stumbles upon a potion, which he finds can change him into an entirely different person physically. Mr Hyde opens the window for evil deeds, through which Dr Jekyll could commit crimes without ruining his good name. At fist Dr Jekyll can control his transforma... ...easily become out of control and then take over your body. Today there are constantly news stories, pictures and bill boards telling you what drugs can do and in Victorian times drugs use and abuse was increasing, especially the use of opium. Lastly, mentioned before was Mr Hyde being described as ape-like, this can show contemporary relevance because of how Charles Darwin brought up the theory of the â€Å"origin of man† in Victorian times. There was an outrage in the 19th century and not many would believe Charles Darwin’s idea, because most people were strict Christians and â€Å"Adam and Eve† was from where they originated. Today in the southern states of America strict Christians still feel very strongly about their faith and still put down this theory. For these few reasons the story Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is still very relevant in the modern world of today.