Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde — GCSE Student Guide

Good and evil. Reputation. Secrecy. Science. What happens when the darker side of human nature is given freedom?

Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is one of the defining works of Gothic literature and a major text for GCSE English Literature.

This comprehensive Coleman’s Notes® Student Guide helps students move from understanding Stevenson’s novella to analysing its characters, themes, language, structure, context and literary techniques and preparing confidently for examination questions.

Respectable London lawyer Mr Utterson becomes increasingly disturbed by the mysterious relationship between his friend Dr Henry Jekyll and the sinister Edward Hyde. As Hyde’s behaviour becomes increasingly violent, Utterson attempts to discover why Jekyll appears determined to protect him.

The eventual revelation transforms our understanding of everything that has happened: Jekyll and Hyde are not separate men, but two identities occupying the same body.

Stevenson uses Jekyll’s experiment to explore the divided nature of humanity and the dangers of attempting to separate respectable behaviour from suppressed desires. At the same time, the novella raises questions about Victorian society, scientific progress, reputation, masculinity and the consequences of secrecy.

Inside the guide: detailed chapter-by-chapter coverage; character studies and relationships; major themes; Gothic conventions; motifs, symbols and imagery; language, form and structure; narrative perspective; key quotations and their significance; Victorian historical and social context; examination technique; essay planning; model answers; practice examination questions; 25 Exam & Revision Questions; and focused revision material.

Particular attention is given to Dr Henry Jekyll, Edward Hyde, Mr Utterson, Dr Lanyon and Mr Enfield, as well as Stevenson’s gradual revelation of the relationship between Jekyll and Hyde.

Major areas of study include duality of human nature, good and evil, repression, secrecy and reputation, science and religion, violence, friendship, Victorian society and the Gothic.

The guide also explores Stevenson’s use of setting, symbolism, contrasting descriptions, narrative viewpoints, withheld information and the novella’s unusual structure, helping students understand how mystery and suspense are created before the final revelations.

Designed specifically for GCSE study and revision, the guide provides a structured route from knowing the story to developing stronger literary analysis and well-supported examination arguments.

Individual Student Guide — £6.95
Complete Classic Literature Collection 1 — £39.95

UNDERSTAND • ANALYSE • REVISE • SUCCEED

Coleman’s Notes® is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by examination boards, publishers or other rights holders.