Et tu, Dr. Jekyll? Themes involving the duality of human nature can be found in both works. In Julius Caesar, the idea of friendship and betrayal are promoted by two of the main characters, Julius Caesar, Caius Cassius, and Marcus Brutus which also show their split personalities in their actions during the play. In the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the idea of human duality is shown in a more literal way, by the two main characters, which in the end of the tale turns out to be the same man.
The duality of human nature is very obvious and apparent in both Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, and the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. In the play Julius Caesar, Brutus says he loves Caesar as a friend but he won’t support him in becoming the Emperor of Rome because he doesn’t believe that his intentions are true. Even though they are friends, Brutus doesn’t believe in Caesar’s motives 100% of the time.
This play has many parallels with the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde because Brutus has two sides to his character as well, one a good trustworthy leader in Rome, and the other side is a treacherous, backstabbing bad guy. In the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the two main characters are two sides of the same man, one of which is the tame, mild mannered Dr. Jekyll, while the other is a crazy, murderous madman, Mr Hyde. The madman represents the primitive, evilness inside all of us, which makes the story even more haunting. “What means this shouting? I do fear the people choose Caesar for their king. Ay, do you fear it? Then must | think you would not have it so.
I would not, Cassius, yet I love him well” (1. 2. 85-89). This quote is interesting for a few reasons. Firstly, even though Brutus, Cassius, and the fellow conspirators want to eliminate Caesar as a threat, it’s obvious that the people of Rome love, and admire Caesar. Secondly, even though Brutus says he “loves” Caesar “well,” he says he also fears that his friend will become king, which goes against the ideals of Rome. An example of this idea can also be seen in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in the following quote: “I see you feel as I do,” said Mr. Enfield. “Yes, it’s a bad story.
For my man was a fellow that nobody could have to do with, a really damnable man; and the person that drew the cheque is the very pink of the proprieties, celebrated too, and (what makes it worse) one of your fellows who do what they call good. Black mail I suppose; an honest man paying through the nose for some of the capers of his youth. Black Mail House is what I call the place with the door, in consequence. Though even that, you know, is far from explaining all,” he added, and with the words fell into a vein of musing. “(1. 10). Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are set up as complete polar opposites on the good/evil spectrum.
We know this about them even before we know their names in this introduction said in the beginning of the novel. As is shown in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the monster is always within us. Sometimes that bad side reveals itself, and in Julius Caesar, another character that shows their true nature is Cassius. He, like Brutus, pretends to be friends with Caesar, but he is one of the main Conspirators that contribute to the idea of Caesar’s assassination. To Caesar’s face, Cassius tries to be nice and friendly to Caesar, but behind his back, Cassius is plotting his friend’s assassination.
Cassius also has two sides when it comes to Brutus. One side is friendly Cassius, the quite supportive, trustworthy friend, while the other side is quite manipulative. One such example of this is when Cassius is convincing Brutus to join the conspiracy against Caesar. “Tis just, and it is very much lamented, Brutus, that you have no such mirrors as will turn your hidden worthiness into your eye, that you might see your shadow. I have heard where many of the best respect in Rome, except immortal Caesar, speaking of Brutus and groaning underneath this age’s yoke, have wish’d that noble Brutus had his eyes.
Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius, that you would have me seek into myself for that which is not in me? ” (1. 2. 60-71). In this quote it’s quite apparent that Cassius wants Brutus to join the conspiracy against Caesar, but instead of just straight up asking him, he tries to appeal to Brutus’ ego by implying that the people of Rome want Brutus to be the Emperor of Rome. The beast is always within Dr. Jekyll, and he can barely control him. The fatal mistake that Dr. Jekyll makes, is giving Hyde too much power, so the Doctor no longer has control of his evil, dark side.
As a result of this, Mr. Hyde emerges when Jekyll leasts expects it and is allowed to spread evil across London. “The face of total horror-is in the mirror. “(back cover). In this quote the publisher is trying to express that we all have this dark side residing in all of us, and that when we look in the mirror, we see both of our sides, the good, and the evil at the same time. Another set of Characters that show their duality in these two works are Julius Caesar in Caesar, and Mr. Utterson in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In the play Julius Caesar, Julius Caesar himself is another character that has a split personality.
In the play, Caesar has two separate agendas and personalities. To the people of Rome, he pretends to be this great, noble, and trustworthy politician, but he is really somewhat of a fake, and has plans of his own. One example of this is when he refuses the crown that the people offer him three times. The people just think he is being modest, but he is really just trying to play things out, and see how it goes. “I can as well be hanged as tell the manner of it. It was mere foolery; I did not mark it. I saw Mark Antony offer him a crown… , and as I told you, he put it by once; but for all that, to my thinking, he would fain have had it.
Then he offered it to him again; then he put it by again; but to my thinking, he was very loath to lay his fingers off it. And then he offered it the third time. He put it the third time by, and still as he refused it the rabblement hooted and clapped their hands and threw up their sweaty nightcaps and uttered such a deal of stinking breath because Caesar refused the crown that it had almost choked Caesar, for he swooned and fell down at it. And for mine own part, I durst not laugh for fear of opening my lips and receiving the bad air. ” (1. 2. 245-261).
In this scene, Caesar deliberately deceives the people of Rome. It’s clear that he’s putting on a show for them by refusing the crown, even though he secretly wants to have it very much. He understands that public refusal is a smart political move in order to get the peor to love him and admire him even more, and think that he is less ambitious than he really is. In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll isn’t the only one with two different sides to his personality, his best friend Mr. Utterson is also somewhat of a two face. in the literal way that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are.
By day, Mr. Utterson is a proper victorian gentleman who does not gossip, and does not want to bring ruin upon his good friends. Mr Utterson has many friends, and he guards their reputations as though they were his own. But, as the story progresses and Mr. Utterson starts to investigate his friend’s possible involvement with a murderous madman he starts to change. He begins having nightmares and spends his nights roaming the streets of London looking for the hideous looking creature called Mr. Hyde so he can investigate this mystery involving his friend.
“It was his ignorance of Mr. Hyde that had swelled his indignation; now, by a sudden turn, it was his knowledge. It was already bad enough when the name was but a name of which he could learn no more. It was worse when it began to be clothed upon with detestable attributes; and out of the shifting, insubstantial mists that had so long baffled his eye, there leaped up the sudden, definite presentment of a fiend. ” (2. 1). In this quote, Mr. Utterson comes to the realization that Mr. Hyde is actually the murderous creature that he had been looking for. He can no longer deny the existence of this savage element of humanity’s darker side.
As was his personality to sweep under the rug what he has learned about his friend, he attempts to investigate this mystery and help his friend Mr. Jekyll. Both of these works contain themes of the duality of human nature. In Julius Caesar, this theme is revealed in the relationship between three of the main characters (Julius Caesar, Caius Cassius, and Marcus Brutus). It is also shown in the actions of the charters, in the case of Marcus Brutus, one side of his personality loves his friend Caesar, while the other side thinks he is an awful tyrant that needs to be stopped.
In the case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the idea of duality is taken more literally. The two main characters are complete polar opposites, Dr. Jekyll is a kind, honest man while Mr. Hyde is the most evil and vile man that has ever roamed the streets of london. Later on in the story it is revealed that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are indeed the same person. Mr. Hyde is the primitive, savage side that resides in all of us and just waiting to get out. It is human nature to have multiple sides to our personality. We struggle daily with keeping the kinder gentler side of our personality for all to see, and keep the monster inside of all of us at bay.
