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Year 11
Edexcel

Writing essays about hypocrisy in 'Jekyll and Hyde'

I can make connections between ideas about hypocrisy, discretion and privacy within a planned extended response.

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New
New
Year 11
Edexcel

Writing essays about hypocrisy in 'Jekyll and Hyde'

I can make connections between ideas about hypocrisy, discretion and privacy within a planned extended response.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Dr. Jekyll is hypocritical because he conceals his wicked other self under a facade of respectability.
  2. Mr. Utterson is discreet and careful to respect the privacy of others.
  3. Dr. Lanyon keeps secrets and thereby allows Dr. Jekyll’s hypocrisy to flourish.
  4. Stevenson is careful to draw a distinction between hypocrisy, discretion and privacy- although they all involve secrets.

Common misconception

Students often think all the characters are hypocritical because they are all keeping secrets.

Keep drawing their attention back to the keywords and their definitions.

Keywords

  • Hypocrisy - Hypocrisy is when someone pretends to hold certain beliefs, while their actions and behaviour contradict or undermine these.

  • Secretive - A secretive person keeps information private and hidden from others.

  • Discreet - If you are discreet, you are careful to keep sensitive information confidential.

  • Privacy - The word privacy refers to the state of being free from public attention.

  • Distinction - When you make a distinction between two things, you show how they are different.

Students could have a good discussion about what information should be kept secret and what shouldn't and who has the right to determine levels of privacy.
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 peer pressure or bullying

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.
Starting with the first, put the following events of 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' in chronological order.
1 - Mr. Enfield tells Mr. Utterson about Hyde going into Jekyll's house.
2 - Mr. Utterson worries about Dr. Jekyll's will, fearing blackmail.
3 - Mr. Utterson and Mr. Enfield keep quiet about the incident at the window.
4 - Dr. Lanyon reveals in a letter the transformation of Hyde into Dr. Jekyll.
5 - Dr. Jekyll reveals the full truth of his scientific experiments.
Q2.
What word beginning with 'h' means a person who pretends to be more moral than they actually are?
Correct Answer: hypocrite, Hypocrite
Q3.
In 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which two characters are, or have been, friends of Dr. Jekyll?
Correct answer: Dr. Lanyon
Poole
Correct answer: Mr. Utterson
Mr. Guest
Sir Danvers Carew
Q4.
Match the quotations from 'Jekyll and Hyde' with the character.
Correct Answer:"I incline to Cain's heresy",Mr. Utterson

Mr. Utterson

Correct Answer:"scientific balderdash" ,Dr. Lanyon

Dr. Lanyon

Correct Answer:"I concealed my pleasures",Dr. Jekyll

Dr. Jekyll

Q5.
In 'Jekyll and Hyde', Mr. Utterson says that he lets his brother "go to the devil in his own way". What important biblical story does this quotation reference?
Adam and Eve
Correct answer: Cain and Abel
Noah's Ark
Daniel in the lion's den
Q6.
Mr. Utterson says that he lets his brother "go to the devil in his own way". What does he mean by that?
Correct answer: that he is not responsible for someone else
that he doesn't care what happens to people
that he is religious and believes in hell and the devil

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What word beginning with 'D' means you are careful to keep sensitive information private?
Correct Answer: discreet
Q2.
What word beginning with 'D' belongs in the following sentence: It is important to make a between morality and respectability?
Correct Answer: distinction, Distinction
Q3.
What is the missing word from the following quote from 'Jekyll and Hyde': Mr. Utterson worries that Dr. Jekyll is being blackmailed because of "the of some old sin."
Correct answer: ghost
scar
power
evil
Q4.
What does Mr. Utterson mean when he says that he is "ashamed" of his "long tongue" in chapter 1 of 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'?
He knows that he has been drinking to much gin and wine.
He knows that he has should speak out about the truth.
Correct answer: He is embarrassed to be gossiping.
Q5.
Match the different elements of a planned response to their function.
Correct Answer:Thesis: ,overarching evaluative argument focused on purpose

overarching evaluative argument focused on purpose

Correct Answer:Topic sentence,outline arguments of each paragraph

outline arguments of each paragraph

Correct Answer:Supporting detail,key language, form, structure or contextual detail

key language, form, structure or contextual detail

Correct Answer:Closing sentence,summarise argument in each paragraph

summarise argument in each paragraph

Correct Answer:Conclusion,conclusive summary of author’s message

conclusive summary of author’s message

Q6.
Which of the following evidence best supports the idea that Dr. Lanyon is not hypocritical in 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'?
Correct answer: He avoids Dr. Jekyll when he realises the direction of his scientific work.
He doesn't mind what other people think of him.
He has no secrets to hide.
Correct answer: He speaks openly about his distrust of Dr. Jekyll.