The Best Way To Revise for GCSE Jekyll + Hyde
First off, it’s quite a short book, so I’d really recommend re-reading the whole thing - it doesn’t take long. If you struggle to read on paper, listen to an audiobook and read at the same time, or just listen to the audio while you’re doing other things, if you don’t have much free time to revise.
Listen to an audiobook here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeDVOrzbORI
Beyond re-reading the book, you want to make sure that you make detailed and thorough revision notes on all the key elements of the story - including plot, character, themes, context, quotes and setting. Then, start to memorise and analyse quotations. Finally, read lots of example essays and try your own.
We’ve made a Complete Jekyll + Hyde course that goes through all of these steps - if you want to speed up your studying or make sure you’ve covered everything in detail, check it below:
Here’s a complete list of how to revise the novella:
1. Master Key Themes & Context
Science vs. Religion
Duality of Man
Victorian Morality & Repression
Gothic Horror & the Supernatural
Fear of Scientific Progress
Good vs. Evil
⭐ How?
Create mind maps linking themes to characters, quotes, and context.
Write short summaries explaining how Stevenson presents each theme.
2. Understand the Story & Characters Deeply
Jekyll – Ambitious, morally conflicted scientist.
Hyde – Pure evil, violent, and uncontrollable.
Lanyon – Rational scientist, shocked by Jekyll’s experiments.
Utterson – Rational, logical lawyer who unravels the mystery.
Poole – Loyal but fearful servant.
⭐ How?
Make character profiles with key traits, quotes, and their links to themes.
Compare and contrast characters (e.g., Jekyll vs. Lanyon).
3. Learn & Analyse Key Quotes
"Man is not truly one, but truly two." (Jekyll, duality)
"If he be Mr. Hyde, I shall be Mr. Seek." (Utterson, mystery)
"Unscientific balderdash." (Lanyon, science vs. supernatural)
"Like some damned Juggernaut." (Hyde’s violence)
"I concealed my pleasures." (Jekyll, repression)
⭐ How?
Use flashcards: one side with the quote, the other with its meaning.
Practise embedding quotes naturally in essay paragraphs.
4. Perfect Exam Essay Structure
PEE (Point, Evidence, Explanation) / PEEL (Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link)
Point: Make a clear argument answering the question.
Evidence: Use a relevant quote.
Explanation: Analyse the language and how it links to themes/context.
Link: Tie back to the question and overall theme.
⭐ How?
Write practice essays under timed conditions.
Read example essays and make notes on good phrases, points or quotes that the student uses.
Plan answers using bullet points before writing full essays.
5. Test Yourself with Active Recall
Create quizzes on themes, characters, and context.
Teach the content to someone else—if you can explain it, you understand it.
Use past papers and practise writing introductions and conclusions.
6. Watch & Read Different Interpretations
Watch film adaptations to see how different versions interpret key scenes.
Listen to audiobooks while making notes on themes and characters.
Read revision guides!
Thanks for reading!
Need more help? Our Complete Jekyll + Hyde course 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
