Scientific Ethics and Moral Responsibility

The novel's treatment of scientific ethics raises questions about moral responsibility in scientific pursuit. Through Jekyll's laboratory quotes, we see how the pursuit of knowledge without ethical constraints leads to disaster. The laboratory's transformation from a place of learning to a site of moral transgression illustrates the dangers of unchecked scientific ambition.

Example: The laboratory's deterioration from an educational space "crowded with eager students" to a "gaunt and silent" chamber reflects how Jekyll's scientific pursuits have strayed from acceptable Victorian norms.

The Science in Jekyll and Hyde quotes frequently emphasize the tension between professional responsibility and personal ambition. Jekyll's experimental work, conducted in isolation and secrecy, represents a departure from the collaborative and transparent nature of legitimate Victorian scientific inquiry.

The novel ultimately suggests that scientific advancement must be balanced with moral consideration, a theme that resonates with modern debates about scientific ethics. Through its exploration of these themes, the story warns against the dangers of pursuing scientific knowledge at the expense of moral and social responsibility.

The Religious and Scientific Conflict in Jekyll's Creation of Hyde

The creation of Mr. Hyde represents a fundamental clash between Science vs religion in Jekyll and Hyde, highlighting Victorian society's growing tension between scientific advancement and religious morality. Stevenson portrays Hyde as an embodiment of evil that emerges from Jekyll's scientific experimentation, effectively illustrating the dangerous consequences of humans attempting to play God through science.

Quote: "Satan's signature upon a face" - This description directly connects Hyde to religious imagery of evil, emphasizing how Jekyll's scientific pursuits have created something fundamentally unholy.

The Theme of science in Jekyll and Hyde manifests most powerfully in the way Hyde is characterized through demonic imagery. The novel repeatedly uses religious language to describe Hyde, with phrases like "my devil had been long caged" and "instantly the spirit of hell awoke in me and raged." These descriptions establish Hyde as not merely a scientific aberration, but a spiritual transgression - the direct result of Jekyll's hubris in attempting to separate good and evil through chemical means.

Highlight: Jekyll's transformation into Hyde represents Victorian anxieties about scientific progress potentially leading humanity away from God and traditional morality.

The Victorian context of science in jekyll and hyde reflects the era's complex relationship with scientific advancement. Jekyll's experiments, while representing the period's exciting scientific discoveries, also embody the fear that such progress might lead to moral degradation. The novel suggests that when science attempts to usurp God's role in human nature, the consequences are catastrophic. This theme resonates particularly strongly with Victorian readers who were grappling with Darwin's recent publications and their implications for religious faith.