The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Difference between revisions

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Jekyll had been trying to invent a [[Applied Phlebotinum|potion]] which could separate his good and evil sides. When he tested it, he was transformed into Mr Hyde, a manifestation of his evil side with no trace of morality, but his normal personality remained unchanged. In other words, as Dr. Jekyll he was a man with mostly good and some evil urges, and as Hyde he was a man with only evil urges. After some cautious experimenting, Jekyll decided he liked this side-effect. As Mr Hyde, he could indulge himself in every pleasurable vice, and never be suspected as Hyde looked completely different. However, Hyde eventually committed murder, and Jekyll resolved never to use the potion again.
Jekyll had been trying to invent a [[Applied Phlebotinum|potion]] which could separate his good and evil sides. When he tested it, he was transformed into Mr Hyde, a manifestation of his evil side with no trace of morality, but his normal personality remained unchanged. In other words, as Dr. Jekyll he was a man with mostly good and some evil urges, and as Hyde he was a man with only evil urges. After some cautious experimenting, Jekyll decided he liked this side-effect. As Mr Hyde, he could indulge himself in every pleasurable vice, and never be suspected as Hyde looked completely different. However, Hyde eventually committed murder, and Jekyll resolved never to use the potion again.


But after a few months, Jekyll began spontaneously changing into Hyde. Only by drinking the potion could he retain his own form, and the potion was running out -- not to mention that ever since the murder, the police had been searching relentlessly for Edward Hyde. When Jekyll made a new batch of the potion, it didn't work; his original chemical samples had been contaminated, and it was the impurities that had made the transformation possible. At the end of his letter, Jekyll writes that he soon will change into Hyde, and thus his life will end.
But after a few months, Jekyll began spontaneously changing into Hyde. Only by drinking the potion could he retain his own form, and the potion was running out—not to mention that ever since the murder, the police had been searching relentlessly for Edward Hyde. When Jekyll made a new batch of the potion, it didn't work; his original chemical samples had been contaminated, and it was the impurities that had made the transformation possible. At the end of his letter, Jekyll writes that he soon will change into Hyde, and thus his life will end.


There have been several film adaptations and parodies of this book, including:
There have been several film adaptations and parodies of this book, including:
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** Actually, this might be a case of [[Ambiguously Gay]]. As it comes across more like he believes [[Ho Yay|something odd]] is happening between Jekyll and Hyde, and he never once mentions a ''woman'' during the monologue, simply that Jekyll was "wild in his youth". Not to mention that "pede claudo" was an old term that could mean (among other things) a "homeless homosexual".
** Actually, this might be a case of [[Ambiguously Gay]]. As it comes across more like he believes [[Ho Yay|something odd]] is happening between Jekyll and Hyde, and he never once mentions a ''woman'' during the monologue, simply that Jekyll was "wild in his youth". Not to mention that "pede claudo" was an old term that could mean (among other things) a "homeless homosexual".
* [[Body Horror]]
* [[Body Horror]]
* [[A Darker Me]]: See [[Alternative Character Interpretation]]-- a possible subtext of the book is that Hyde is only evil because [[GIFT|Jekyll's anonymity lets him get away with it]].
* [[A Darker Me]]: See [[Alternative Character Interpretation]]—a possible subtext of the book is that Hyde is only evil because [[GIFT|Jekyll's anonymity lets him get away with it]].
* [[Dead Man Writing]]: Jekyll wrote a complete briefing about what happened to him (it's the last chapter of the book), but it mustn't be opened before of his [[Split Personality Takeover|disappearance]] or death.
* [[Dead Man Writing]]: Jekyll wrote a complete briefing about what happened to him (it's the last chapter of the book), but it mustn't be opened before of his [[Split Personality Takeover|disappearance]] or death.
* [[Devil in Plain Sight]]: Used in later adaptations. In the original novel Hyde looks like a normal Victorian era 'gentleman', but everyone can sense that there is something wrong with him, mostly because he is [[Complete Monster|pure evil]].
* [[Devil in Plain Sight]]: Used in later adaptations. In the original novel Hyde looks like a normal Victorian era 'gentleman', but everyone can sense that there is something wrong with him, mostly because he is [[Complete Monster|pure evil]].
* [[Driven to Suicide]]: After Jekyll realizes that Hyde will take all control of him - both of his body and his personality - he restrains himself to his lab until the final transformation. Hyde takes cyanide when Utterson shows up outside the lab and demands to see Jekyll.
* [[Driven to Suicide]]: After Jekyll realizes that Hyde will take all control of him - both of his body and his personality - he restrains himself to his lab until the final transformation. Hyde takes cyanide when Utterson shows up outside the lab and demands to see Jekyll.
* [[Evil Feels Good]]: Only the original version, not the adaptations. This is the very reason Jekyll thinks separating his evil side from his good side is a good idea -- as Hyde, he's free to do anything without restraint from the law -- or, far more importantly, his own conscience. This was a very prescient idea in Victorian England.
* [[Evil Feels Good]]: Only the original version, not the adaptations. This is the very reason Jekyll thinks separating his evil side from his good side is a good idea—as Hyde, he's free to do anything without restraint from the law—or, far more importantly, his own conscience. This was a very prescient idea in Victorian England.
** Also used in the Fredric March version, where its clear Jekyll uses Hyde to indulge his frustrated sexual desires.
** Also used in the Fredric March version, where its clear Jekyll uses Hyde to indulge his frustrated sexual desires.
* [[Evil Is Not a Toy]]: Releasing Hyde -- Easy. Getting rid of him -- Not so much.
* [[Evil Is Not a Toy]]: Releasing Hyde—Easy. Getting rid of him—Not so much.
* [[Freudian Excuse]]: See "alternative character interpretation" above. He's turning evil? Really? Or maybe he just needs an excuse to act on his repressed urges? It doesn't get more Freudian than that, does it. Notably, it predates Freud's development of psychoanalysis by a few years.
* [[Freudian Excuse]]: See "alternative character interpretation" above. He's turning evil? Really? Or maybe he just needs an excuse to act on his repressed urges? It doesn't get more Freudian than that, does it. Notably, it predates Freud's development of psychoanalysis by a few years.
* [[Go Mad From the Revelation]]: Dr. Lanyon after he sees Hyde transform into Jekyll for the first time.
* [[Go Mad From the Revelation]]: Dr. Lanyon after he sees Hyde transform into Jekyll for the first time.
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** This troper's English class rather thought that line was more of a [[Funny Moments (Sugar Wiki)|Funny Moments]], if only because of the juxtaposition of a popular children's game with the odd-sounding formal 19th century language.
** This troper's English class rather thought that line was more of a [[Funny Moments (Sugar Wiki)|Funny Moments]], if only because of the juxtaposition of a popular children's game with the odd-sounding formal 19th century language.
* [[Involuntary Shapeshifter]]
* [[Involuntary Shapeshifter]]
* [[Jekyll and Hyde]]: The [[Trope Namers]] -- oh, and this is now a byword of someone who is nice one minute, nasty the next. Remember what we said about [[All There Is to Know About "The Crying Game"]] and [[It Was His Sled]]?
* [[Jekyll and Hyde]]: The [[Trope Namers]]—oh, and this is now a byword of someone who is nice one minute, nasty the next. Remember what we said about [[All There Is to Know About "The Crying Game"]] and [[It Was His Sled]]?
* [[Mad Scientist]]
* [[Mad Scientist]]
* [[Miraculous Malfunction]]: An impurity of salt is what makes the transformation from Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde possible.
* [[Miraculous Malfunction]]: An impurity of salt is what makes the transformation from Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde possible.
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* [[Never My Fault]]: Even when writing his final letter, Jekyll still insists that, even now, he doesn't consider Hyde's actions ''his'' actions. ([[Hypocrite|His choice of pronouns says otherwise]].)
* [[Never My Fault]]: Even when writing his final letter, Jekyll still insists that, even now, he doesn't consider Hyde's actions ''his'' actions. ([[Hypocrite|His choice of pronouns says otherwise]].)
* [[No Plans, No Prototype, No Backup]]: This is an accident on Jekyll's part, as it turns out to be an unknown impurity that makes the stuff work.
* [[No Plans, No Prototype, No Backup]]: This is an accident on Jekyll's part, as it turns out to be an unknown impurity that makes the stuff work.
* [[No Pronunciation Guide]]: It should be "JEEK-il", not "JECK-il".<ref> Not that THAT has stopped anybody from pronouncing it "JECK-il" for years.</ref>
* [[No Pronunciation Guide]]: It should be "JEEK-il", not "JECK-il".<ref>Not that THAT has stopped anybody from pronouncing it "JECK-il" for years.</ref>
* [[Obviously Evil]]: Hyde's appearance.
* [[Obviously Evil]]: Hyde's appearance.
* [[Professor Guinea Pig]]: The [[Ur Example]], beating out ''[[The Invisible Man (novel)|The Invisible Man]]'' by a decade.
* [[Professor Guinea Pig]]: The [[Ur Example]], beating out ''[[The Invisible Man (novel)|The Invisible Man]]'' by a decade.
* [[Shadow Archetype]]
* [[Shadow Archetype]]
* [[The Smurfette Principle]]: One of critics' favorite subjects is how no nominal women appear in the original book or even get involved in the plot except as spectators or victims. <ref>[[Tropes Are Not Bad]], and the novella is great anyway.</ref> For some reason, you would never know this from most adaptations...
* [[The Smurfette Principle]]: One of critics' favorite subjects is how no nominal women appear in the original book or even get involved in the plot except as spectators or victims.<ref>[[Tropes Are Not Bad]], and the novella is great anyway.</ref> For some reason, you would never know this from most adaptations...
* [[Split Personality Takeover]]
* [[Split Personality Takeover]]
* [[Technicolor Science]]: The potion starts out red and then turns purple before settling on green.
* [[Technicolor Science]]: The potion starts out red and then turns purple before settling on green.
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* [[Unstoppable Rage]]: Hyde has no superego and therefore never restrains his rage.
* [[Unstoppable Rage]]: Hyde has no superego and therefore never restrains his rage.


=== The 1931 movie provides examples of: ===
== The 1931 movie provides examples of ==
* [[Academy Award]]: Frederic March's Best Actor win is one of the very few times the Academy has chosen to honor a horror film. (The clean sweep by ''[[The Silence of the Lambs]]'' is a more dramatic example.)
* [[Academy Award]]: Frederic March's Best Actor win is one of the very few times the Academy has chosen to honor a horror film. (The clean sweep by ''[[The Silence of the Lambs]]'' is a more dramatic example.)
* [[Hays Code]]: This film predates it, and has some racy for its day moments (mostly with Ivy).
* [[Hays Code]]: This film predates it, and has some racy for its day moments (mostly with Ivy).
* [[The Oner]]: The movie begins with a three-minute continuous shot which moves between two interiors across a large set -- both technically and aesthetically daring for the time. Even more impressively, this shot is from Jekyll's point of view. At one point the camera-as-Jekyll even looks in a mirror; the production had the actor standing on the other side of a glassless frame, with a duplicated section of room-scenery behind him.
* [[The Oner]]: The movie begins with a three-minute continuous shot which moves between two interiors across a large set—both technically and aesthetically daring for the time. Even more impressively, this shot is from Jekyll's point of view. At one point the camera-as-Jekyll even looks in a mirror; the production had the actor standing on the other side of a glassless frame, with a duplicated section of room-scenery behind him.


=== The 1941 movie provides examples of: ===
== The 1941 movie provides examples of ==
* [[Does This Remind You of Anything?]]: During one of the hallucinatory montages when Jekyll transforms into Hyde, he has a vision of Ivy the barmaid's head as the cork in a champagne bottle--and the cork pops.
* [[Does This Remind You of Anything?]]: During one of the hallucinatory montages when Jekyll transforms into Hyde, he has a vision of Ivy the barmaid's head as the cork in a champagne bottle—and the cork pops.
* [[Getting Crap Past the Radar]]: A pretty startling example for 1941. During another transformation montage, we see Jekyll as a carriage driver whipping his horses. Then the horses transform into Ingrid Bergman and Lana Turner, and Jekyll continues to whip them.
* [[Getting Crap Past the Radar]]: A pretty startling example for 1941. During another transformation montage, we see Jekyll as a carriage driver whipping his horses. Then the horses transform into Ingrid Bergman and Lana Turner, and Jekyll continues to whip them.
* [[Not Even Bothering with the Accent]]: Tracy.
* [[Not Even Bothering with the Accent]]: Tracy.
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