The terms of “good” and “evil” have been defined in different ways by a considerable number of sources. According to the Oxford Dictionary “good” means “having the required qualities, of a high standard; possessing or displaying moral virtue” and “evil” stands for “profoundly immoral and wicked.” What might at first seem like a clear opposition between the two concepts becomes extra complex after a thorough study. The dichotomy between good and evil has been heavily discussed by critics, whether a clear divide between the two concepts can truly be established or whether the answer is going beyond it has been the focus of attention in plenty of different fields of study. In literature, the categorisation of characters in these terms has been
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The case with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is an extremely clear example of how these boxes are an easy way to theorise about characters, but when it comes to practice, it is impossible to make them fit in a way they align with the preconceptions made. Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde are not in the good or evil categories, instead both exist within each of them. Dr. Jekyll is supposed to be good, however, he does create Mr. Hyde, a creature that is believed to be inherently evil. Thus, does bringing an evil creature into the world not make him evil as …show more content…
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde serve as a good example of texts that challenge the dichotomy between good and evil, thanks to the intricacies exhibited by the characters in them, each of them doing so in a different manner. Firstly, Carmilla’s ability to feel love for Laura shows how she is not exclusively evil, and secondly, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde being the same character after all, Jekyll-Hyde, shows a clear challenge of the dichotomy, since they are two parts of a whole which has both good and evil within it. All in all, Carmilla and Jekyll-Hyde are a clear representation of human nature, which is not exclusively good or evil, but rather a mix of both, where they coexist in different measure, thus creating complex
The case with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is an extremely clear example of how these boxes are an easy way to theorise about characters, but when it comes to practice, it is impossible to make them fit in a way they align with the preconceptions made. Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde are not in the good or evil categories, instead both exist within each of them. Dr. Jekyll is supposed to be good, however, he does create Mr. Hyde, a creature that is believed to be inherently evil. Thus, does bringing an evil creature into the world not make him evil as …show more content…
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde serve as a good example of texts that challenge the dichotomy between good and evil, thanks to the intricacies exhibited by the characters in them, each of them doing so in a different manner. Firstly, Carmilla’s ability to feel love for Laura shows how she is not exclusively evil, and secondly, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde being the same character after all, Jekyll-Hyde, shows a clear challenge of the dichotomy, since they are two parts of a whole which has both good and evil within it. All in all, Carmilla and Jekyll-Hyde are a clear representation of human nature, which is not exclusively good or evil, but rather a mix of both, where they coexist in different measure, thus creating complex