Understanding the Gothic in 'Jekyll and Hyde'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can write about the gothic in ‘Jekyll and Hyde’.
Key learning points
- Jekyll is a typical gothic protagonist: egotistical and isolated.
- The story dramatises Jekyll's inner struggle between good and evil and the same duality within society.
- Liminal and altered states are a gothic convention that is central to this story.
- Drawing on gothic conventions allows Stevenson to explore transgressive behaviour and illicit desires.
- Using multiple narrators is a gothic trope that plays with ideas of verisimilitude, linking to science vs. supernatural.
Keywords
Verisimilitude - The appearance of being true or real.
Liminality - At a boundary or transitional point between two contrasting elements.
Illicit - Illegal or disapproved of by society.
Trope - A commonly used literary device is known as a trope. A gothic trope would be isolated settings.
Transgressive - Involving violation of moral or social boundaries.
Common misconception
Stevenson just replicates or reiterates common gothic conventions.
Many common gothic conventions are used but subverted too (the setting of Regent's Park subverts gothic settings).
Teacher tip
Consider discussing similarities between the gothic conventions of 'Jekyll and Hyde' and other texts the students may have studied.
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
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What appears at the top of a Freytag's pyramid?
Q2.Which word beginning with 'e' can describe 'Jekyll and Hyde'? This word refers to a novella made up of letters and other documents as part of its narrative structure.
Q3.In 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', the motif of the mask best relates to which theme?
Q4.The narratives of which two characters end 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'?
Q5.What is the correct definition of 'illicit'? Here it is used in a sentence: 'The secret warehouse held an illicit stash of stolen goods.'
Q6.What is the correct definition of transgressive? Here it is used in a sentence: 'Her art was lauded for its transgressive themes.'
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The novella 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' contains:
Q2.In 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', Jekyll is a typical gothic protagonist: egotistical and .
Q3.In 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', Jekyll's experiments violate social or moral boundaries. As such they are ...
Q4.Complete the following quote which seems to suggest Jekyll relishes his dual nature in ch10 of 'Jekyll and Hyde': 'it delighted me like .'
Q5.Complete this quote, which highlights Jekyll's realisation of the true nature of man in 'Jekyll and Hyde', ‘I have been doomed to such a dreadful shipwreck: that man is not truly one, but truly '.
Q6.In 'Jekyll and Hyde', the use of documents as part of the narrative structure, arguably, give the story a sense of verisimilitude. Why?
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: Understanding the Gothic in 'Jekyll and Hyde', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: Understanding the Gothic in 'Jekyll and Hyde', 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: society as the villain unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.