The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Essay

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis - Essay Example Stevenson uses an innovative approach to portray the human soul as a battlefield for an â€Å"angel† and a â€Å"fiend† who are foes in a battle for the possession of the human soul. Every human being contains these opposite forces within him, an alter ego that hides behind a social and polite everyday facade. Jekyll asserts that â€Å"man is not truly one, but truly two,† that one is never black nor white and that the situation at hand always brings out more of one side or the other. Jekyll’s potion that was initially meant to separate and purify these two elements, the angel from the fiend, only manages to bring out the dark side into being. Hyde emerges from the depths of Jekyll, but he brings forth no angelic counterpart. It is left to be argued whether or not this role of the angelic counterpart is left for Jekyll. It is more than obvious that his demeanor is outright moral and decent, and he enjoys the repute of a benevolent, well-mannered and genial man, yet he never embodies the virtue of good equally as Hyde embodies the very opposite from it. He merely portrays civilized behavior and morals, leaning towards good. In his bold and philanthropic efforts, he takes it upon himself to purify the good, but he ends up liberating the darkness from the shackles of conscience.