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Year 11
Edexcel

Stevenson’s use of structure in ‘Jekyll and Hyde’

I can write about the structure of ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ and how it links to key themes in the novella.

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New
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Year 11
Edexcel

Stevenson’s use of structure in ‘Jekyll and Hyde’

I can write about the structure of ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ and how it links to key themes in the novella.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The power of human curiosity is key theme shown through the detective form and final narratives of Lanyon and Jekyll.
  2. Concealment is a key theme shown through the motif of letters and the detective form.
  3. False appearances is a key theme shown through the motif of the mask.
  4. Arguably the novella's climax is the breaking down of the door to Jekyll's cabinet, linking to secrecy and concealment.
  5. Jekyll offers a "full statement" in the denouement, yet we don't see Utterson's response or the consequences of this.

Common misconception

All stories can be unambiguously plotted on a Freytag's Pyramid. It is clear which element is which.

Complex stories, like Jekyll and Hyde, are open to interpretation as to how each element can be plotted on the pyramid.

Keywords

  • Exposition - Exposition introduces the characters, explains past events and describes the setting of the story.

  • Rising Action - The part of the story leading to the climax, in which the tension grows, is known as rising action.

  • Climax - The turning point in a story, where tension is highest, is known as a climax.

  • Denouement - The final part of a story, in which the loose ends are brought together and the story is resolved is known as a denouement.

  • Motif - A motif is an object or image that is repeated throughout a story.

Freytag's pyramid is tricky to teach at first. Consider tapping into stories students have recently engaged with to teach this concept (e.g. books they have read/movies they have seen).
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 sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

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).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
In which year was 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' first published?
Correct answer: 1886
1986
1786
1686
Q2.
When the novella 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' was first published, its audience was...
Correct answer: Victorian.
Edwardian.
Georgian.
Elizabethan.
Q3.
In 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', what is the profession of Mr. Utterson?
Correct Answer: Lawyer, lawyer, a lawyer, a Lawyer, solicitor
Q4.
Which of the below are key themes of 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'?
Correct answer: Duality.
Correct answer: Scientific progress.
Correct answer: Curiosity.
Love.
War.
Q5.
Which of the below is the best definition of the word 'motif'? Here it is used in a sentence: "The author skilfully wove a motif of love into the short story."
Correct answer: A motif is an object or image that is repeated throughout a story.
A motif is an object or image that is deliberately hidden throughout a story.
A motif is an object or image that is rarely seen throughout a story.
A motif is an object or image that is copied from one story to another story.
Q6.
What is the correct definition of the word 'theme'? Here it is used in a sentence: "The novel beautifully explores the theme of love."
Correct answer: A repeated idea in an artistic work.
A neglected idea in an artistic work.
An entertaining idea in an artistic work.
An object or image that recurs in an artistic work.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Freytag's is narrative structure that breaks a story into five sections
Correct Answer: pyramid
Q2.
'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' contains lots of documents as part of its narrative. As such it is an example of...
an autobiographical novella.
Correct answer: an epistolary novella.
a gothic novella.
a literary novella.
Q3.
According to Freytag's pyramid, the introduction of the setting, characters and background is known as the...
Correct answer: exposition.
climax.
denouement.
rising action.
Q4.
In 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', when Sir Danvers Carew dies and Utterson breaks down the door of Jekyll’s lab, this is arguably the of the story.
Correct answer: climax
denouement
falling action
motif
Q5.
Which characters do not provide their own accounts - in letter form - at the end of 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'?
Dr. Jekyll
Correct answer: Mr. Utterson
Correct answer: Mr. Enfield
Mr. Lanyon
Correct answer: Poole
Q6.
'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' has elements of detective fiction. Why did Stevenson structure it in this way?
Correct answer: It helps develop the themes of curiosity, concealment and false appearance.
Victorian audiences were accustomed to detective stories.
The Gothic genre was falling out of fashion.
In order to be an epistolary novella, it must also contain detective elements.