Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: key quotations

16 short quotations from Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson for Pearson Edexcel GCSE English Literature, with who says them, where, the themes and why they matter. Learn a few for each theme.

“I incline to Cain's heresy”
Mr Utterson, Chapter 1: Story of the Door · reputation, religion
Utterson refuses to judge others, a tolerant attitude that also lets him avoid difficult truths.
“the man trampled calmly over the child's body and left her screaming on the ground”
Mr Enfield, Chapter 1: Story of the Door · violence
Hyde's calm cruelty to a child shows his complete lack of conscience from the start.
“It wasn't like a man; it was like some damned Juggernaut.”
Mr Enfield, Chapter 1: Story of the Door · violence, duality
Hyde is described as an unstoppable, inhuman force rather than a person.
“There is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something down-right detestable.”
Mr Enfield, Chapter 1: Story of the Door · duality, secrecy
No one can say exactly what is wrong with Hyde, which makes him more mysterious and disturbing.
“"If he be Mr. Hyde," he had thought, "I shall be Mr. Seek."”
Mr Utterson, Chapter 2: Search for Mr. Hyde · secrecy, reputation
Utterson's pun shows his determination to uncover the secret and protect his friend's reputation.
“Such unscientific balderdash”
Dr Lanyon, Chapter 2: Search for Mr. Hyde · science
Lanyon rejects Jekyll's experimental science, showing the clash between traditional and new ideas.
“Mr. Hyde was pale and dwarfish, he gave an impression of deformity without any nameable malformation”
Narrator, Chapter 2: Search for Mr. Hyde · duality, violence
Hyde's small, twisted look suggests evil that people sense but cannot explain.
“if ever I read Satan's signature upon a face, it is on that of your new friend”
Mr Utterson, Chapter 2: Search for Mr. Hyde · religion, duality
Utterson links Hyde with the Devil, showing that Hyde represents pure evil.
“a large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty”
Narrator, Chapter 3: Dr. Jekyll Was Quite at Ease · reputation, duality
Jekyll appears respectable and pleasant, a contrast to Hyde that hides his secret.
“the moment I choose, I can be rid of Mr. Hyde”
Dr Jekyll, Chapter 3: Dr. Jekyll Was Quite at Ease · duality, secrecy
Jekyll is overconfident that he controls Hyde, which proves tragically false.
“with ape-like fury, he was trampling his victim under foot”
Narrator (the maid's account), Chapter 4: The Carew Murder Case · violence, duality
Comparing Hyde to an ape suggests he is primitive and less evolved, playing on Victorian fears.
“I bind my honour to you that I am done with him in this world.”
Dr Jekyll, Chapter 5: Incident of the Letter · reputation, secrecy
Jekyll swears on his honour, showing how much reputation matters to him, though he cannot keep the promise.
“Weeping like a woman or a lost soul”
Poole, Chapter 8: The Last Night · duality, religion
The weeping behind the door suggests a damned, tormented soul, building tension before the discovery.
“"O God!" I screamed, and "O God!" again and again”
Dr Lanyon, Chapter 9: Dr. Lanyon's Narrative · science, religion
Lanyon's horror at the transformation shows the shock that destroys him.
“I learned to recognise the thorough and primitive duality of man”
Dr Jekyll, Chapter 10: Henry Jekyll's Full Statement of the Case · duality, science
Jekyll explains the novella's main idea: everyone has a good and an evil side.
“man is not truly one, but truly two”
Dr Jekyll, Chapter 10: Henry Jekyll's Full Statement of the Case · duality
This sums up the central theme that every person is divided between good and evil.

Every quotation was checked word for word against The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Project Gutenberg eBook #43. Editions differ slightly in punctuation, so use your own copy in class. Practise using them in a long answer with the essay planner and Correct my answer.

Source: Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9-1) in English Literature (1ET0) Specification, Issue 2 (June 2019). Checked 23 October 2026. GCSE-ready is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Pearson.