Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
One person, two
Dr.
Jekyll and Mr.
Hyde refers to someone with two distinct personalities—one respectable, one sinister—from Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella about a doctor whose potion transforms him into a murderous alter ego.
The phrase describes anyone who seems radically different in different contexts: He's a real Jekyll and Hyde—charming at work, a tyrant at home.
- Victorian EnglandNineteenth-century British imperial period
- B-movieLow-budget, low-quality film
- alter egoA secondary persona
- secret identityUndisclosed true self
- novellaShort fictional book
Robert Louis Stevenson · double life · dark side · inner demons · split personality · duality · dual nature · transformation · Victorian morality · good and evil · monstrosity · vial · cane · ethical dilemmas · mirror · potion · door · hand
- StevensonTreasure Island, Long John Silver, Jim Hawkins, Mr. Hyde, Hispaniola
- Classic BooksPride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Moby Dick, Moby-Dick, Great Expectations
- Literary AdaptationsOliver Twist, Les Miserables, Doctor Zhivago, Count of Monte Cristo, Treasure Island
- Transformation TalesBeauty and the Beast, The Frog Prince, Swan Lake, Pinocchio, werewolf story
- Pre-Code HollywoodNight Nurse, 42nd Street, Scarface, Little Caesar, The Public Enemy
- Victorian ClassicsPride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Great Expectations, Oliver Twist
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hydewhole person
All of someone, unified
what you see is what you get · one and the same · steady Eddie
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hydepure soul
Person of complete goodness
saint · Atticus Finch · Mister Rogers · angel · incorruptible
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hydeopen book
One easily understood
authentic self · genuine article · true to oneself · guileless · straightforward