Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde Character Quotations edexcel 3-19th-Century-Novel

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GCSE English Literature exam questions usually focus on a theme, a character or a relationship between two or more characters. Examiners reward responses that track the development of characters or themes through the novella.

When revising, try to consider quotes in terms of their narrative effects — how characters are presented, what attitudes or relationships are presented and why these ideas have been shown to the reader.

We’ve included the best Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde quotes — with detailed analysis — to help you to revise and organised them by the following characters:

Dr Henry Jekyll
Mr Edward Hyde
Mr Gabriel John Utterson
Dr Hastie Lanyon

Examiner Tips and Tricks

Examiners say that the strongest responses explore how Stevenson presents his characters and what ideas are conveyed through them. You could consider, for example, their attitude and motivations, or how they contrast with other characters. Examiners suggest that you explore the way characters in Stevenson’s novella convey individual, societal, scientific and religious values.

To help you revise precise references, we’ve included a “key word or phrase” from every one of our longer quotations to help you keep your focus on the most important part.

Dr Henry Jekyll

“It is not so bad as that; and just to put your good heart at rest, I will tell you one thing: the moment I choose, I can be rid of Mr Hyde” – Dr Henry Jekyll, Chapter 3

Illustrated portrait of Henry Jekyll as a man in Victorian-era attire, featuring a dark jacket and a white collar. — **Dr Henry Jekyll**

Key word or phrase to memorise: “the moment I choose”

What the quotation means: Dr Jekyll tries to reassure Utterson that he has nothing to worry about regarding his relationship with Mr Hyde, and that he has complete control over the situation

Theme: Duality

Stevenson presents Dr Jekyll as a suspiciously confused character:
- Having told Utterson he is “painfully situated” a few lines prior, here, he tells him he has full control
- The emphatic “the moment I choose” stresses his autonomy to Utterson
In this line, Stevenson perhaps introduces the binary attitudes that Jekyll represents:
- He juxtaposes “bad” with “good” to convince Utterson he is overstating matters

“Unless it were that hide-bound pedant, Lanyon, at what he called my scientific heresies” – Dr Henry Jekyll, Chapter 3

Key word or phrase to memorise: “scientific heresies”

What the quotation means: Dr Jekyll expresses his dislike for Dr Lanyon (who he calls conservative and petty), suggesting that Lanyon criticised his scientific experiments for their anti-religious nature

Theme: Science and religion

Stevenson contrasts Lanyon and Jekyll’s characters to illustrate the conflicts between science and religion in Victorian England:
- Jekyll thinks Lanyon is too focused on the rules, and too cautious
- Stevenson portrays Lanyon as less reckless than the radical Jekyll
The reference to heresy refers to contemporary debates about the effect of scientific advancement on religion:
- Rather than a criticism of science though, Stevenson critiques scientific ambition that ignores moral consequences

“Evil besides (which I must still believe to be the lethal side of man) had left on that body an imprint of deformity and decay” – Dr Henry Jekyll, Chapter 10

Dr Henry Jekyll	Key word or phrase to memorise: “deformity and decay”	What the quotation means: Dr Jekyll writes that he estimated that Hyde was shorter and uglier than he was because the evil side of his nature had been repressed, and because it represented the “lethal” (deadly) side of a human being	Theme: Good and evil
Dr Jekyll’s full summary of his experiment ends the novella dramatically His conclusions on the duality of humans is that the evil side is destructive: The alliterative “deformity and decay” is strikingly macabre After this, though, Jekyll says, rather surprisingly, that the evil side is still natural: He says it is smaller and deformed as it has been suppressed Stevenson conveys ideas about his society’s repression of imperfections, however, he is not suggesting Hyde’s characteristics are good The novella draws attention to the idea that evil behaviour is natural, and will go on even if it is hidden

Mr Edward Hyde

“‘Common friends,’ echoed Mr Hyde, a little hoarsely. ‘Who are they?’” – Mr Edward Hyde, Chapter 2

Illustration of Edward Hyde as a man with short dark hair, wearing a dark suit and white shirt, within a circular frame. The image is a caricature with distinctive facial lines. — **Mr Edward Hyde**

Key word or phrase to memorise: “Common friends”

What the quotation means: Mr Hyde is nervous when he meets Utterson, especially as Utterson reports that he knows him and that they share friends

Theme: Secrecy and reputation

When Mr Utterson meets Mr Hyde the exchange is tense:
- Stevenson shows how each character hides their true feelings
- He highlights the secrecy resulting from a preoccupation with politeness
Here, Mr Hyde is nervous that he may be found out for who he really is (Dr Jekyll):
- Hyde’s secrecy may reflect his need to avoid detection rather than conventional concern for reputation
- The irony here is that he is, in fact, Jekyll, the “common” friend

“‘Utterson,’ said the voice, ‘for God’s sake, have mercy!’” – Mr Edward Hyde, Chapter 8

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English Literature GCSE EDEXCEL

Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde Character Quotations edexcel 3-19th-Century-Novel

Examiner Tips and Tricks

Dr Henry Jekyll

Mr Edward Hyde

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