Jekyll and Hyde
Two-faced literary figure
Jekyll and Hyde describes someone who alternates between two radically different personalities—typically one pleasant or respectable, the other dark or dangerous.
From Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella about a doctor whose potion transforms him into a murderous alter ego.
He's a real Jekyll and Hyde—charming at work, a tyrant at home.
A secondary persona
- double lifeSecret parallel identity
- two-facedInsincere and deceptive
- splitSeparation into parts
- contrastNotable difference between things
dichotomy · polarity · antithesis · yin-yang · juxtaposition · coexistence · paradox · binary
Fragmented identity disorder
- dissociationMental separation from surroundings
- repressionUnconscious blocking of thoughts
- idUnconscious instinctual drives
- egoOne's self-image
superego · subconscious · Freudian · psychoanalysis · disorder · multiple personality · shadow self · unconscious
Core ethical dichotomy
- temptationUrge toward the unwise
- sinViolation of divine law
- conscienceInternal moral sense
- corruptionDishonest abuse of power
depravity · virtue · wickedness · morality · redemption · guilt · soul · damnation
- LondonEngland's capital city
- gaslightDistort someone's reality
- fogLow-lying cloud cover
- penny dreadfulCheap Victorian crime serial
gentleman · respectability · society · repression · propriety · double standard · hypocrisy · novella
Enchanted liquid mixture
- elixirMythical healing draught
- metamorphosisProfound biological restructuring
- transmutationComplete change of form
- shape-shiftingTransforming one's appearance at will
mutation · transfiguration · morphing · changeover · laboratory · experiment · serum · formula
Cannot be anticipated
- volatileLiable to sudden change
- erraticLacking regularity or consistency
- mood swingsAbrupt temperament changes
- inconsistentLacking steady uniformity
mercurial · unstable · flip-flopping · hot and cold · unreliable · temperamental · changeable
alter ego
A secondary persona
- double lifeSecret parallel identity
- two-facedInsincere and deceptive
- splitSeparation into parts
contrast · dichotomy · polarity · antithesis · yin-yang · juxtaposition · coexistence · paradox · binary · ambivalence
split personality
Fragmented identity disorder
- dissociationMental separation from surroundings
- repressionUnconscious blocking of thoughts
- idUnconscious instinctual drives
ego · superego · subconscious · Freudian · psychoanalysis · disorder · multiple personality · shadow self · unconscious · suppression
good vs evil
Core ethical dichotomy
- temptationUrge toward the unwise
- sinViolation of divine law
- conscienceInternal moral sense
corruption · depravity · virtue · wickedness · morality · redemption · guilt · soul · damnation · fall from grace
Robert Louis Stevenson
penny dreadful · gentleman · respectability · society · repression · propriety · double standard · hypocrisy · novella · horror
potion
Enchanted liquid mixture
- elixirMythical healing draught
- metamorphosisProfound biological restructuring
- transmutationComplete change of form
shape-shifting · mutation · transfiguration · morphing · changeover · laboratory · experiment · serum · formula · catalyst
unpredictable
Cannot be anticipated
- volatileLiable to sudden change
- erraticLacking regularity or consistency
- mood swingsAbrupt temperament changes
inconsistent · mercurial · unstable · flip-flopping · hot and cold · unreliable · temperamental · changeable
- StevensonTreasure Island, Long John Silver, Jim Hawkins, Hispaniola, St. Ives
- classicsHomer, Iliad, the Iliad, Odyssey, the Odyssey
- famous pairsBatman and Robin, Holmes and Watson, Bonnie and Clyde, Tom and Jerry, Mickey and Minnie
- dual rolesecret identity, alter ego, doppelganger, split personality, double
- AllusionsAchilles heel, Pandora's box, Trojan horse, forbidden fruit, Midas touch
- Victorian literatureDickens, Charles Dickens, Victorian novel, Victorian literature, Victorian novels
Jekyll and Hydeconsistent
Not varying or contradicting
stable · steady · reliable · predictable · dependable
Jekyll and Hydewhole
Full and undivided
integrated · unified · undivided · singular · one-dimensional
Jekyll and Hydeopen book
One easily understood
transparent · genuine · authentic · straightforward · honest