Themes Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde And Macbeth - 1322 Words

Ambition: The Real Villain Edna Ferber, an American novelist, comments, â€Å"Perhaps too much of everything is as bad as too little† (Ferber). The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Stevenson and Macbeth by William Shakespeare both illustrate this idea. In Stevenson’s novel, a scientist named Henry Jekyll experiments with the phenomenon of separating one’s dual nature, which unfortunately kills him because he is not able to take control of his evil side. In Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, a Scottish general, is consumed by the desire to become king and kills many people to achieve his goal, after three witches tell him about his future. Through the use of conflict, both literary works demonstrate how excessive ambition corrupts the†¦show more content†¦Macbeth is torn because he wants to be king, but he does not want to suffer the consequences. Although he wishes for the situation to benefit him, he is aware of the punishment he will face in the afterlife. Macbet h hesitates to kill King Duncan, but his desire to be king results in a war for a clear conscience. Furthermore, both Jekyll and Macbeth have difficulty making decisions and in turn, have trouble accomplishing their goals. The characters’ urge for success cause them to hurt themselves. Moreover, careless and dangerous actions are also caused by one with a strong desire to fulfill their wishes. Jekyll and Macbeth are engulfed by their craving to reach their goal as they act without care of the consequences, which result in violent battles with others. Jekyll, when he is transformed into Hyde, does not have concern for what happens to others. Enfield, a cousin of Utterson, relays to Utterson the story of how Hyde hurts a young girl. â€Å"The man [who tramples] calmly over the child’s body and [leaves] her screaming on the ground† is Hyde, whom Enfield envisions in his head whenever walking by the corner of the incident (Stevenson 7). Hyde, being the evil side of Jekyll, has little regard for others, as he acts however he likes. As Jekyll exercises this side of him, he strengthens Hyde and his two sides become more distinct. At this point, Hyde is new to him and he aims to learn how toShow MoreRelatedComparing Human Nature in Macbeth and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde1596 Words   |  7 PagesDr Jekyll and Mr Hyde CA The strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was written in the Victorian Era by Robert Louis Stevenson, this novella dwells into the concept of the duality of human nature. The narrative is extremely fragmented structure due to the use of multiple narrators and through the use of mixed media, in the form of letters and accounts. The inconsistent structure conveys that of a gothic detective story; which were very popular in the Victorian era. Victorian London at the time wasRead MoreMacbeth : The Duality Of Human Nature1741 Words   |  7 Pages One of the prominent themes is appearance versus reality, the duality of human nature. In Macbeth we see this theme numerous times in many of the scenes. In act 1 scene 3 Macbeth meets the witches for the first time they give him the vision of being ‘thane of Cawdor’ and thereafter the ‘king’ himself. After the vision we begin to see that Macbeth has begun pondering whether he shall murder Duncan and taking his ‘rightful’ place as king. However at the end of this scene he begins to think in a rationalRead MoreEvil in Shakespeares Macbeth, Mary Shellys Frankenstein and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde1782 Words   |  8 PagesEvil in Shakespeares Macbeth, Mary Shellys Frankenstein and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Evil has always been in everyones lives. Some people have it more than others. There are places in the world where evil almost takes over. It crops up in all kinds of places, all over the world. In these texts, Macbeth, Frankenstein and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde there is a definite theme of evil throughout. In this essay I will write aboutRead MoreMargaret Atwood Spotty Handed Villainesses1879 Words   |  8 Pagesbecause this would be a reflection of society, as well as good women. Her aim in the second part of the speech is then to defend the current portrayal of both good and bad women in fiction and to differentiate herself from the feminist movement. LISA THEMES Atwood’s speech deals with the issue of the portrayal of women in literature, their role in society and the impact feminism has had upon this area. In dealing with these issues she uses various techniques, including cumulative listing, allusions,