Introduction
The question about the dual nature of human beings has been raised many times. There have been many literature works that deal with this topic. The novel ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ written by Robert Louis Stevenson tries to cover the mystery of human nature. This essay deals with the wicked and virtuous personalities in human that has been mentioned in the novel.
Human nature
Every human has two sides inside him. It is each one’s choice which side should be shown. The character of human beings is all about the switching between these two sides. Dr. Henry Jekyll wanted to experience both sides inside him. For that, he discovers drugs to take his wicked and virtuous face out as his choice. When Dr. Jekyll takes the drug he becomes Mr. Hyde who is a man like an animal. He tries to do all wicked things he could. Still, we cannot say that Dr. Jekyll is a good fellow and the other one is worst as both come out of the same person. A man becomes good one when he covers the beast inside him. When the reverse thing happens he becomes wicked person. So, there would be a conflict between these two sides inside each individual.
At early stage, Dr. Jekyll was confident that he can control Mr. Hyde. Sometimes, every individual thinks so. There is a context in the novel as Dr. Jekyll tells that, “it isn’t what you fancy; it is not so bad as that; and just to put your good heart at rest, I will tell you one thing: the moment I choose, I can be rid of Mr. Hyde. I give you my hand upon that.” (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson: Dr. Jekyll was quite at ease, 2008, para.11).
Dr. Jekyll was an ideal man who had all virtues in him. He was even ready to pay for the mistakes he has done when he was another person. He was aware of the strength of virtues in him. That might be the reason for his confidence that he could control Hyde anytime.
After experimenting once, he wants to become Hyde again and again. This addiction is another nature of human beings. Sometimes being good is difficult. Once experiencing the wickedness, everyone gets a tendency to be like that always. Due to using the drugs frequently, Dr. Jekyll was getting weaker and weaker. But, only later he comes to know that Mr. Hyde has started dominating Dr. Jekyll.
The author also tries to compare the nature of good and evil. Hyde is just an evil; nothing else. What he could do is just worst things. We cannot expect even a single good thing from him. But Dr. Jekyll is a mixture of good and bad things. Apparently, no one can predict what a worst person contains his inside. It is more dangerous than pure wickedness. In the novel, Dr. Jekyll is the person who takes the bad one outside.
It is very common to have eagerness to know the other side of our real personality. This eagerness is the thing that leads Dr. Jekyll to experiment the drug. Even Utterson is very eager to know the details about Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll had to pay his life for his eagerness. Later, he confesses for all his activities. The pain he was having inside his mind was extreme. The book ‘The Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ says, “No one has ever suffered such torments, let that suffice: and yet even to these, habit bought –no not, alleviation but a certain callousness of soul, a certain acquiesce of desire and my punishment may have gone for years.” (Stevenson & Danahay, 2005, p.92).
People try to be good ones. Being good is about how we cover the animal inside us. It is a fact that everyone of us carries a darker side inside us. It is very dangerous to unleash that side. Even though it comes out of us, it becomes unpredictable for us. Dr. Jekyll was a scientist too; that is the reason for his too much eagerness to know the power of his other side. “As a scientist, Jekyll decided to examine the dual nature of man through mystical study that Lanyon found particularly offensive. In the latter, Jekyll insists, “man is not truly one, but truly two,” and he explains how through his research he hoped to separate each side.” (Stevenson, 2009, Chapter 10: Summary, para.1).
Conclusion
So, matter of being good and bad is a choice. Everyone has that choice because each one of us carries both inside. Being good is about how we cover the beast inside it, and being bad is about unleashing that beast. But once we unleash that beast even though for experiment, it is hard to control it. Indeed, the bad side can easily dominate the good side. There are chances to get addicted to the darker side easily. So, it is better not to unleash that darker side even for experiment.
Reference
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson: Dr. Jekyll was quite at ease. (2008). Classic Reader. Web.
Stevenson, Robert Louis., & Danahay, Martin A. (2005). The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (2nd ed.). Broadview Press.
Stevenson, Robert Louis. (2009). Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde study guide: Summary and analysis of chapter 9-10: Chapter 10: Summary. Grade Saver: Getting You the Grade since 1999. Web.