Studying Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde? Here are the Top 5 quotes for every main character

Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a profound exploration of the dual nature of humanity, where the line between good and evil becomes blurred. Through the characters of Utterson, Jekyll, Lanyon, and Hyde, Stevenson delves into themes of repression, morality, and the darker instincts of man. Here are the top five quotes for each of the main characters.

Gabriel John Utterson

As a lawyer and the central figure of reason and morality, Utterson serves as the novel’s detective, slowly uncovering the unsettling truths behind Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

1. “If he be Mr. Hyde, I shall be Mr. Seek.”Utterson’s clever wordplay reflects his determination to uncover the mystery behind Hyde, embodying his role as the rational investigator.

2. “I let my brother go to the devil in his own way.”Utterson’s tolerant and non-judgmental nature is captured here. He believes in letting others follow their own paths, even if they lead to ruin.

3. “The last good influence in the lives of down-going men.”Utterson is described as a person who stands by his friends even in their moral decline, showing his steadfast loyalty.

4. “Drank gin to mortify a taste for vintages” This quote highlights Utterson’s role as a moral compass, constantly striving to keep himself and his friends from destructive paths.

5. “I am ashamed of my long tongue. Let us make a bargain never to refer to this again.” Utterson's cousin, Enfield, shows how Utterson is able to understand a situation in more depth than people realize, making him the perfect 'detective' for the novel's mystery.

Dr. Henry Jekyll

Dr. Jekyll represents the struggle between societal respectability and the darker, hidden desires of the human psyche. His creation of Mr. Hyde allows him to explore this duality.

1. “Man is not truly one, but truly two.”This quote encapsulates the novel’s central theme: the duality of human nature. Jekyll recognizes that every person has both good and evil within them.

2. “The moment I choose, I can be rid of Mr. Hyde.”Jekyll’s arrogance and belief that he has full control over Hyde reflects his hubris and the illusion of mastery over his darker impulses.

3. “I concealed my pleasures... I stood already committed to a profound duplicity of life.”Jekyll admits to leading a double life, suppressing his darker desires to maintain his social reputation. This repression ultimately leads to the creation of Hyde.

4. “I was slowly losing hold of my original and better self, and becoming slowly incorporated with my second and worse.”Jekyll’s realization that Hyde is overtaking him reflects his loss of control and the destructive consequences of giving in to his darker nature.

5. “I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end.”Jekyll’s final words in his confession reveal his tragic downfall. Unable to control Hyde, he chooses to end his own life rather than continue living in torment.

Dr. Hastie Lanyon

Lanyon is a practical man of science and former friend of Dr. Jekyll. His rational mind is shaken to the core when he discovers the truth about Jekyll and Hyde.

1. “He began to go wrong, wrong in the mind.”Lanyon’s early judgment of Jekyll’s experiments shows his disbelief in Jekyll’s unconventional and dangerous pursuit of splitting the human soul.

2. “I saw what I saw, I heard what I heard, and my soul sickened at it.”Lanyon’s horrified reaction to witnessing Jekyll’s transformation into Hyde emphasizes the traumatic impact of the revelation on his rational worldview.

3. “I have had a shock... and I shall never recover.”Lanyon, after learning the truth about Jekyll and Hyde, acknowledges that this knowledge has irreversibly damaged him, foretelling his death.

4. “I sometimes think if we knew all, we should be more glad to get away.”This reflection hints at Lanyon’s belief that some truths are too horrible to bear, a key theme in the novel's exploration of the dangers of unrestrained scientific inquiry.

5. “O God!... O God!”In his letter to Utterson, Lanyon’s shock and disbelief at Jekyll’s transformation manifests in this desperate cry, showing how completely shattered his rational mind has become.

Edward Hyde

Hyde is the embodiment of pure evil and the darker side of Jekyll. His actions are violent and uncontrollable, representing the chaos that emerges when repression is unleashed.

1. “It wasn’t like a man; it was like some damned Juggernaut.”Utterson’s description of Hyde’s violent attack on a young girl captures Hyde’s inhuman and unstoppable nature, a manifestation of unchecked aggression.

2. “He is not easy to describe... something downright detestable.”This quote reflects the physical and moral repulsiveness of Hyde, who evokes a deep instinctual revulsion in others.

3. “With ape-like fury, he was trampling his victim under foot.”Hyde’s brutal murder of Sir Danvers Carew reveals his animalistic violence, representing the darkest, most primitive urges within humanity.

4. “I never saw a man so distressed as you were by my will; unless it were that hide-bound pedant, Lanyon, at what he called my scientific heresies.”Hyde, speaking to Utterson, reveals his scorn for conventional morality and Lanyon’s scientific conservatism. His words hint at the destructive power of his existence.

5. “I am the chief of sinners, I am the chief of sufferers also.”In this quote, Hyde expresses the paradox of his existence. He acknowledges his evil deeds but also hints at the suffering caused by living as the embodiment of Jekyll’s repressed desires.

Conclusion:Each of these characters—Utterson, Jekyll, Lanyon, and Hyde—plays a crucial role in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’s exploration of the duality of human nature and the consequences of suppressing or indulging one’s darker side. Their quotes serve as windows into the complexities of their personalities and the broader moral questions at the heart of the novel. Through these characters, Stevenson creates a narrative that asks us to reflect on the balance between good and evil within us all.