'Jekyll and Hyde': repression and fragmented identities
I can explore how and why Stevenson presents Jekyll as losing control of his fragmented identity.
'Jekyll and Hyde': repression and fragmented identities
I can explore how and why Stevenson presents Jekyll as losing control of his fragmented identity.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The Indutrial Revolution saw an increase in psychological conditions (anxiety, depression and feelings of alienation).
- Strict moral codes of behaviour often led Victorians to live double lives, leading to a fragmentation of identities.
- Many believed psychological conditions signified weakness or moral failure.
- Dr. Jekyll’s battle between good and evil reflects the Victorian ideas of repressed desires and loss of self-control.
- After his initial transformation, Jekyll begins to lose control over Hyde and grows weaker while Hyde gains strength.
Keywords
Fragmented - broken into smaller parts, often referring to something once whole or unified
Repression - unconscious suppression of desires, thoughts, or emotions, often due to societal or personal pressures
Efficacy - the ability to produce a desired or intended result; effectiveness of something
Psychoanalysis - a therapeutic method for exploring unconscious thoughts, developed by Freud
Alienation - feeling isolated or from others, society, or one's own identity
Common misconception
There were lots of treatments available to Victorians to help them recover from psychological conditions.
While there were lots treatments available, many showed serious misunderstandings about human psychology. They were ineffecive, some were inhumane and many left patients with long-term psychological damage.
To help you plan your year 11 english lesson on: 'Jekyll and Hyde': repression and fragmented identities, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 11 english lesson on: 'Jekyll and Hyde': repression and fragmented identities, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 english lessons from the Jekyll & Hyde third deep dive unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You will need access to Chapter 7 'Incident at the Window' from 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' by Robert Louis Stevenson. You can find a copy in the additional materials.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
- Depiction or discussion of mental health issues
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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