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Year 11
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Comparing atmospheric settings in Stevenson's 'Jekyll and Hyde'

I can analyse how setting is used to create atmosphere in Chapter 5 of ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’.

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Year 11
Eduqas

Comparing atmospheric settings in Stevenson's 'Jekyll and Hyde'

I can analyse how setting is used to create atmosphere in Chapter 5 of ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’.

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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Dr. Jekyll is hiding away in his laboratory when Utterson goes to visit him.
  2. The long route through Jekyll’s house mirrors the tortuous journey of Utterson and the reader to reach the truth.
  3. The dingy confining setting of Jekyll’s laboratory hints at the way Jekyll is becoming a prisoner of his own actions.
  4. Utterson’s home by comparison is warm and welcoming, highlighting the contrast with his friend.

Keywords

  • Prepositions - Prepositions are words used to describe where nouns are placed.

  • Tortuous - If a journey is tortuous, it is full of twists and turns.

  • Alienated - To be alienated from society means you feel like a stranger.

  • Criminality - Illegal activities or behaviour can be described as criminality.

Common misconception

Students sometimes think that setting is used solely to create atmosphere.

Encourage students to see Stevenson's use of setting as figurative as well as literal.

Focus on short quotations and draw out the contrasts.
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).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is the title of chapter 5 of 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'?
Jekyll was Quite at Ease
Incident the Window
Correct answer: Incident of the Letter
Q2.
What is the noun beginning with 'L' where scientific experiments take place?
Correct Answer: laboratory, lab
Q3.
In Chapter 5 of 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', Mr Utterson says to Dr. Jekyll, "you have heard the news." What news is he referring to?
Hyde's trampling of the little girl.
Correct answer: Hyde's murder of Sir Danvers Carew.
The fact that Hyde used bribery to avoid the consequences of his crimes.
Q4.
What relationship is Sir Danvers Carew to Mr. Utterson in 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'?
Correct answer: His client.
His cousin.
His MP.
His lawyer.
Q5.
In 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', Sir Danvers Carew and Dr. Jekyll are both clients of Mr. Utterson. What is the best description of Utterson's dilemma?
A conflict of friendship.
A conflict of values.
Correct answer: A conflict of loyalties.
Q6.
In Chapter 5 of 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', why does the letter from Dr. Jekyll raise Mr. Utterson's suspicions again?
He realises that Dr. Jekyll has lied to him.
Correct answer: The letter from Jekyll has similar handwriting to a letter from Hyde.
He realises that Dr. Jekyll is very ill and behaving irrationally.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following is the best synonym for tortuous?
Confusing
Cruel
Correct answer: Twisting
Q2.
In 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', what type of scientist is Dr. Jekyll?
A physicist.
Correct answer: A chemist.
A biologist.
An engineer.
Q3.
Which words are prepositions in the following sentence: Dr. Jekyll is in an upstairs room in a building at the end of the garden behind his house?
Is, in an, behind.
Correct answer: In, at, behind.
Am, a, at, his.
Q4.
What word is missing from the following quotation? "Three windows barred with iron."
Correct Answer: dusty
Q5.
By chapter 5 of 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', Dr. Jekyll has removed himself from respectable society. Which of the following quotations best supports this point?
Correct answer: "At the further end."
"At last received."
"Three dusty windows."
Q6.
In 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', Mr. Utterson's home is contrasted with Dr. Jekyll's laboratory. Which two quotations would be best for supporting an exploration of the contrast?
"At the further end" and "glow of hot autumn afternoons."
"Three dusty windows" and "softened with time."
Correct answer: "Barred with iron" and "gay with firelight."