Dr. Henry Jekyll, fascinated by the dichotomy of good and evil, no longer wants to inhibit his dark side. He concocts a potion to create the alter ego of Mr. Edward Hyde. With the burden of evil placed on Hyde, Jekyll can now take pleasure in his immoral, nefarious fantasiesâfree of conscience and guilt. Itâs when Hyde turns to murder that Jekyll realizes how monstrous his impulses are and how hard they are to suppress.
Exploring the nature of shame, repression, desire, and control, Stevensonâs story has so endured that âa Jekyll and Hyde personalityâ has become part of our lexicon in understanding our ownâsometimes involuntaryâduality.