Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: Plot Summary
One of the most vital and helpful things you can do in preparation for the exam is to ‘know’ the plot of the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde thoroughly. Once you know the text well, you should be comfortable and familiar with key events that you can then link to larger ideas. Having an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the text will help you to gain confidence to find the most relevant references to support your response.
Overview
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a novella written by Robert Louis Stevenson. It is composed of 10 chapters and is set in mid-19th-century England, in the city of London.
While out on a stroll in London, Mr Utterson and Mr Enfield come across a door, which turns out to be the entrance to Dr Jekyll's laboratory. Enfield admits that he once witnessed a man trample a young girl outside the door and assures Utterson that the man used a key to unlock Jekyll’s door. Utterson removes a will from his safe which belongs to his friend, Jekyll, and is perturbed by its instructions to leave everything to a man called Mr Hyde. Utterson visits an old acquaintance, Dr Lanyon, who hasn’t seen Jekyll in years. Utterson witnesses Hyde entering Jekyll’s house and attempts to warn him but Jekyll is not at home. One evening, Utterson questions Jekyll about his will though he dismisses Utterson's concerns and insists the will must be adhered to.
One year later, Hyde kills a politician called Sir Danvers Carew. Utterson recognises the murder weapon and directs the police to Hyde’s house, where the remaining part of the murder weapon is found. Utterson visits Jekyll and is concerned by his appearance. Jekyll gives him a letter from Hyde and Utterson asks his clerk to compare their writing and uncovers a similarity between the two. Jekyll appears to return to his former social pursuits, though becomes erratic in his behaviour. Concerned by this, Utterson visits Lanyon again and discovers he is seriously ill. Lanyon hints that Jekyll is the cause of his illness. Utterson writes to Jekyll but receives no response. Lanyon dies and leaves a letter for Utterson and places the letter in his safe. Utterson makes several unsuccessful attempts to visit Jekyll.
Utterson and Enfield go for a walk one evening and see Jekyll at his window. Disturbed by his appearance, they both call to him but are horrified by his demeanour and depart. Poole appeals to Utterson to visit Jekyll. Unable to enter the laboratory, both men hear Hyde‘s voice inside and Poole confirms the voice has been pleading for chemicals. Both break down the door, and discover a body inside. Jekyll’s will is discovered along with a letter requesting Utterson to read the letter Lanyon left for him.
Utterson departs and reads Lanyon’s letter. It is revealed that Lanyon uncovered Jekyll’s secret and becomes ill as a result. Jekyll’s letter details his confession about taking a chemical concoction which resulted in his transformation into Hyde. He describes his fear when he turned into Hyde without his concoction and after the murder of Carew, he battled to keep his identity as Jekyll. Sealing his confession, Jekyll takes one last concoction and awaits his transformation into Hyde.
Chapter-by-chapter Plot Summary
Chapter I - Story of the Door
- While out on a stroll in London, Mr Utterson, a lawyer, and his cousin Mr Enfield come across a peculiar door, which turns out to be the entrance to Dr Jekyll's laboratory
- Enfield recounts a tale about the door: he witnessed a young girl being trampled by a man, whom Enfield then pursued
- The man proposes to compensate the girl and unlocks the door and reappears with a cheque
- Enfield assures Utterson that the man in question used a key to unlock Jekyll’s door
Chapter II - Search for Mr Hyde
- Concerned by Enfield’s account, Utterson removes a will from his safe which belongs to his friend, Jekyll
- The will includes a concerning directive: that all possessions pertaining to Jekyll should be given to Hyde, in the event of Jekyll’s disappearance
- Utterson visits Dr Lanyon (an old acquaintance of his and Jekyll’s) who confirms he does not know Hyde and has not seen Jekyll in ten years
- Utterson decides to keep watch on the entrance to Jekyll’s laboratory and witnesses Hyde opening the door
- Perturbed by Hyde’s wicked presence, Utterson attempts to warn Jekyll though is informed by his servants that he is absent that they have been given orders to obey Hyde
- Utterson is concerned that Hyde will murder Jekyll in order to gain access to the will
Chapter III - Dr Jekyll Was Quite at Ease
- Two weeks later, at a dinner gathering at Jekyll's house, Utterson questions him about his will
- Despite Utterson’s persistence, Jekyll dismisses Utterson's concerns
- Jekyll makes several cryptic allusions to a peculiar bond between himself and Hyde, though he is reluctant to provide any specifics
- Jekyll insists the will must be adhered to and attempts to reassure Utterson by proclaiming: "I can get rid of Hyde whenever I choose"
Chapter IV - The Carew Murder Case
- One year later, Hyde viciously bludgeons an elderly man and former politician, Sir Danvers Carew, to death in the street, which is witnessed by a maid who recognises Hyde
- Utterson recognises the murder weapon (part of a walking cane that he had given previously to Jekyll) and learns that Hyde is the murderer
- Utterson directs the police to Hyde’s house though they are informed he has not been there for two months
- After a search of the house, the remaining part of the murder weapon is discovered
Chapter V - Incident of the Letter
- Utterson visits Jekyll and upon observing his sickly appearance, he queries Jekyll as to whether he is hiding Hyde
- Jekyll insists he will never see Hyde again and shows Utterson a letter from Hyde confirming this
- Utterson asks his clerk, Mr Guest, to compare the handwriting on the letter with that of Jekyll’s and uncovers a similarity between the two
- Utterson presumes Jekyll forged the letter in order to protect Hyde
Chapter VI – Remarkable Incident of Dr Lanyon
- The police are unable to locate Hyde and Jekyll returns to his former social pursuits
- All of a sudden, Jekyll demonstrates signs of depressions and refuses to see Utterson
- Concerned by Jekyll’s behaviour, Utterson visits Lanyon and discovers Lanyon is seriously ill
- Lanyon declines to speak about Jekyll, whom he implies is the root of his ailment
- Utterson writes to Jekyll in an effort to learn what has occurred, though receives a response which suggests Jekyll is in a troubling state
- Lanyon dies and leaves a letter for Utterson which is marked: "Not to be opened until the death or disappearance of Dr Henry Jekyll"
- Utterson complies and places the letter in his safe
- Utterson makes several attempts to visit Jekyll but his servant, Poole, claims he is living in isolation
Chapter VII - Incident at the Window
- Utterson and Enfield go for a stroll one evening and pass by Jekyll’s house
- They see Jekyll at the window and are disturbed by his appearance
- Utterson calls out to Jekyll though Jekyll’s expression changes and he is overcome by something
- Utterson and Enfield both depart
Chapter VIII - The Last Night
- Utterson receives a visit from Poole, appealing to him to go to Jekyll's home
- Unable to enter the locked laboratory, both men believe they can hear Hyde‘s voice inside
- Poole confirms that the voice has been pleading for chemicals to be brought to him and that he had previously seen a figure in the laboratory who barely resembled a human being
- Utterson and Poole force their way into the laboratory and discover a body inside, clutching a vial
- Jekyll’s will is discovered on the table which leaves everything to Utterson
- A package is also discovered which contains Jekyll’s confession and a letter requesting Utterson to read the letter Lanyon left for him
- Utterson leaves to read through the letters and assures Poole he will return before midnight
Chapter IX - Dr Lanyon's Narrative
- The contents of Lanyon's letter are revealed which detail how Lanyon had received instructions from Jekyll for him to collect chemicals and other items from his laboratory
- The items were to be given to a visitor who would visit Lanyon at midnight
- The visitor appears and offers Lanyon a choice to send him away with his chemicals or to let him stay and witness the result
- Lanyon agrees for the man to stay. The man drinks the chemical concoction and transforms into Jekyll
- Horrified by what he has witnessed, Lanyon becomes seriously ill
Chapter X – Henry Jekyll's Full Statement of the Case
- The contents of Jekyll’s letter are revealed and he details his transformation into Hyde
- He admits to having mixed chemicals in order to separate the two sides of his personality
- Jekyll describes his fear when he turned into Hyde without his concoction and after the murder of Carew, he battled to keep his identity as Jekyll
- Sealing his confession, Jekyll takes one last concoction and awaits his transformation into Hyde
