Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essa

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a knightly horror novelettewritten by Robert Louis Stevenson in the Victorian era. The novellafollows a well-respected doctor - Henry Jekyll - and his strugglebetween good and evil when he takes a potion and becomes Mr Hyde.Robert Louis Stevenson - the motive of the novella The Strange Caseof Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde- was born in Edinburgh in 1850 and died atthe young age of forty-four. He wrote the book in 1886. As a babe hewas very close to his nurse and when he was ill she used to read himBible stories as he was brought up in a grim Catholic tradition,which he later rebelled against. This led to his fascination for hiscitys low life and for bizarre characters, which proved rich materialfor later stories.deacon Brodie lived in Edinburgh in the eighteenth century. His doublelife is thought to have been the inspiration for Robert LouisStevenson to write Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Deacon Brodie lived anextravagant lifestyle, which even his hi gh position in Edinburghsociety could not support, so he turned to crime to finance hislifestyle. This concept of a doppelganger - a shadow of a differentside of a human - was used in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde to create thesame effect.Stevenson may also have found inspiration from a book, calledFrankenstein by Mary Shelley as it is of the mediaeval horror genrejust like Stevensons book. A gothic horror story contains a plothinged on suspense and mystery, which often involves the supernatural.another(prenominal) writer, who may have influenced Stevensons writing, isCharles Darwin and his theory of evolution.Within Stevensons gothic horror story - Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde -suspense is added by the descrip... ...nerable. He portrays evil to be strong,as you only think of yourself and what you want, and this is why Hydeattempts to take over Jekyll. Although Hyde seems to take over Jekyllthere is still a part of Jekyll there, which makes Hyde take thepotion to become Jekyll again, so that he can then end the evil of thebeast he created which also means ending his life too.In conclusion I feel Stevenson has successfully portrayed evil throughhis characters, setting and language. I enjoyed the different ways itsuggests evil and I believe Robert Louis Stevenson has accomplishedhis aim to write a gothic horror book and The Strange case of DrJekyll and Mr Hyde is truly a book of its time as creating an evilside that, if made subject to, would alter prescript civilized behaviourand conduct horrific violence was unheard of at the time the book waspublished.