Skip to content
Oak National Academy
Oak National Academy
Teachers
Pupils
New
New
Year 11
Edexcel

Exploring Mr Utterson's dream in Stevenson's 'Jekyll and Hyde'

I can analyse the dream settings in ‘Jekyll and Hyde’.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils
New
New
Year 11
Edexcel

Exploring Mr Utterson's dream in Stevenson's 'Jekyll and Hyde'

I can analyse the dream settings in ‘Jekyll and Hyde’.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Mr. Utterson’s dream is full of images of evil and violence.
  2. Stevenson writes the dream sequence in quick moving prose to mimic the shifting nature of dreams.
  3. In his dream, Mr. Utterson sees many children being crushed by Hyde, suggesting that evil is ubiquitous.
  4. Mr. Utterson’s dream shows him Dr. Jekyll under the power of another person.
  5. Using a thesis statement, topic sentences, supporting details and conclusions help us to plan our writing.

Common misconception

That the dream is only caused by Utterson being in a state of distress.

Unpick the details of the dream to show the parallels with the plot.

Keywords

  • Nocturnal - Nocturnal means at night or happening at night.

  • Ubiquitous - If something is ubiquitous, it is everywhere.

  • Foreshadows - Foreshadows means giving a hint about an event that will happen later.

  • Analogy - A comparison between two things with similar qualities is called an analogy.

  • Tortuous - We can refer to a twisty and complex plot as tortuous.

A debate about what students believe about dreams and their significance could lead to insights about dreams and reality.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need access to a copy of 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' by Robert Louis Stevenson for this lesson.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of serious crime
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Video

Skip video

Loading...

Starter quiz

Download starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
In 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', how does Mr. Utterson first hear about Mr. Hyde?
Dr. Jekyll tells him.
Dr. Lanyon tells him.
Correct answer: Mr. Enfield tells him.
Q2.
What word beginning with 'J' means an unstoppable force, and is frequently used to describe Hyde in 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'?
Correct Answer: Juggernaut, juggernaut, juggernaut., Juggernaut
Q3.
In 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', what relationship is Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Utterson?
Correct answer: Friend and client.
Cousin and friend.
Cousin and client.
Q4.
In 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', Stevenson sets a lot of the events at night. Why?
It is more convincing because the characters work during the day.
Correct answer: To use darkness to reflect Hyde's evil.
Because that is when fewer people were about.
Correct answer: As part of the novel's Gothic elements.
Q5.
What is the title of Chapter 2 of 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'?
Story of the Door
Correct answer: Search for Mr. Hyde
Incident of the Letter
Q6.
Starting with the first, put the events of chapter 2 of 'Jekyll and Hyde' in order.
1 - Mr. Utterson reads Dr. Jekyll's will.
2 - Mr. Utterson visits Dr. Lanyon.
3 - Dr. Lanyon says he has fallen out with Dr. Jekyll.
4 - Mr. Utterson has a troubled dream about Mr. Hyde.
5 - Mr. Utterson starts watching Mr. Hyde's door.

Exit quiz

Download exit quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
Which word beginning with 'N' means at night or happening at night?
Correct Answer: nocturnal
Q2.
What does the word ubiquitous mean?
Correct Answer: everywhere, every where
Q3.
In Chapter 2 of 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', which of the following does Utterson dream about?
Correct answer: Mr. Hyde mowing down a child.
Correct answer: Mr. Hyde mowing down many children.
Correct answer: A strange figure in Dr. Jekyll's room.
Dr. Jekyll's mysterious will.
The murder of Sir Danvers Carew.
Q4.
Match the quotations from Chapter 2 of 'Jekyll and Hyde' with the interpretations.
Correct Answer:"A scroll of lighted pictures",Mr. Utterson's dream is like a series of images.

Mr. Utterson's dream is like a series of images.

Correct Answer:"Gross darkness",The night felt huge and overwhelming.

The night felt huge and overwhelming.

Correct Answer:"Haunted the lawyer",Mr. Utterson could not let go of the images.

Mr. Utterson could not let go of the images.

Correct Answer:"At every street corner",The wickedness is ubiquitous.

The wickedness is ubiquitous.

Q5.
Match the essay elements with their descritption.
Correct Answer:A thesis statement should...,...outline your overarching argument for the whole essay.

...outline your overarching argument for the whole essay.

Correct Answer:A topic sentence should...,...outline the main argument of your paragraph.

...outline the main argument of your paragraph.

Correct Answer:A closing sentence should...,...summarise the argument you have made in your paragraph.

...summarise the argument you have made in your paragraph.

Correct Answer:A conclusion should...,...summarise your overarching argument.

...summarise your overarching argument.

Q6.
How does Utterson's dream sequence in Chapter 2 of 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' link to the rest of the novel?
Correct answer: It echoes the description of Hyde as a "juggernaut".
It shows us how unhappy Mr. Utterson is.
It shows us how frightened Mr. Utterson is.
Correct answer: It foreshadows Mr. Hyde assuming power over Dr. Jekyll.