Jekyll + Hyde: The June 2022 Exam Question (Dr Jekyll as a Mysterious Character)
In this blog post, we delve into the June 2022 exam question that examined Dr. Jekyll's role as a mysterious character in Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, exploring how Stevenson masterfully crafts suspense and intrigue around Jekyll’s dual nature and hidden secrets.
If you want more help with the text, click the ‘Learn More’ button for our Complete GCSE + iGCSE Jekyll + Hyde course!
THE QUESTION
Read the following extract from Chapter 6 (Remarkable Incident of Dr Lanyon) of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and then answer the following question. In this extract, Utterson thinks about his friendship with Dr Jekyll and how it has changed.
Time ran on; thousands of pounds were offered in reward, for the death of Sir Danvers was resented as a public injury; but Mr. Hyde had disappeared out of the ken of the police as though he had never existed. Much of his past was unearthed, indeed, and all disreputable: tales came out of the man’s cruelty, at once so callous and violent, of his vile life, of his strange associates, of the hatred that seemed to have surrounded his career; but of his present whereabouts, not a whisper. From the time he had left the house in Soho on the morning of the murder, he was simply blotted out; and gradually, as time drew on, Mr. Utterson began to recover from the hotness of his alarm, and to grow more at quiet with himself. The death of Sir Danvers was, to his way of thinking, more than paid for by the disappearance of Mr. Hyde. Now that that evil influence had been withdrawn, a new life began for Dr. Jekyll. He came out of his seclusion, renewed relations with his friends, became once more their familiar guest and entertainer; and whilst he had always been known for charities, he was now no less distinguished for religion. He was busy, he was much in the open air, he did good; his face seemed to open and brighten, as if with an inward consciousness of service; and for more than two months the doctor was at peace. On the 8th of January Utterson had dined at the doctor’s with a small party; Lanyon had been there; and the face of the host had looked from one to the other as in the old days when the trio were inseparable friends. On the 12th, and again on the 14th, the door was shut against the lawyer. “The doctor was confined to the house,” Poole said, “and saw no one.” On the 15th he tried again, and was again refused; and having now been used for the last two months to see his friend almost daily, he found this return of solitude to weigh upon his spirits. The fifth night he had in Guest to dine with him; and the sixth he betook himself to Dr. Lanyon’s.
Starting with this extract, explore how Stevenson presents Dr Jekyll as a mysterious character. Write about:
• How Stevenson presents Dr Jekyll in this extract.
• How Stevenson presents Dr Jekyll as a mysterious character in the novel as a whole. [30 marks]
Thanks for reading!
Need more help? Our Complete Jekyll + Hyde Bundle includes the following:
A breakdown of the story
Themes, context, critical ideas
Key quotations + analysis
Form, structure + language analysis
Essay writing support
A range of student examples, including full-mark essays, with teacher feedback
Video lessons, digital study guides, printable workbooks + more!
Perfect for GCSE + iGCSE, suitable for all exam boards: AQA, OCR, Edexcel, WJEC
Adaptable for teaching and independent revision or study
