Introduction to Gothic Horror & why I chose The Strange case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) (no date) Available at: http://adaptations.wikia.com/wiki/The_Strange_Case_of_Dr._Jekyll_and_Mr._Hyde_(1886) (Accessed: 22 April 2016).
Inline Citations:
- (The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886), no date)
When I found out we were doing Gothic Horror I was extremely excited to get started, we were given a list of books to choose from, we had to pick one to read, gather information from it, chose a character from the book who we wanted to create.
I chose The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, I chose this book because I had always been intrigued to read it, I liked the fact that Dr. Jekyll had this 'good' and 'bad' side to him and felt I could come up with some original ideas by reading the book and gathering my thoughts of how I saw Mr. Hyde, who is my chosen character to base my project on for this term.
Before starting the book I hardly knew anything about the story, I knew that Dr. Jekyll was a scientist and that he changed into someone else who was 'Evil' caused by experimenting with a potion; but by reading and researching it gave me a more in depth understanding of the story and my chosen character.
When I think Gothic Horror I think old English Fictional writing style set in the Victorian times, with a mystery behind it, I don't think of gruesome, coloured monsters, I think of Frankenstein, Dracula, the white skin, dark shades of colour and with there mis-shaped faces and disfigured humans and how people with facial disfigurements of the face during the Victorian times were seen as being a monsters.
I think of gargoyles, bats, potions, lace, black gowns and cloaks. I also see old detailed haunted, pointy rooftop buildings, windy trees and a lot of interesting art, stain glass windows and the use of black.
First Mood Board Ideas:
The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll & Mr Hyde
'Good vs Evil'
& All about the story
'Good vs Evil'
& All about the story
All about- The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
Published in 1889- A Dark, Gothic, Classic, Mystery
Robert Stevenson wrote this Novel in Bournemouth but is set in London in the late Nineteenth century.
Shea, C.D. (2015) What’s on this week around the world. Available at: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/03/whats-on-this-week-around-the-world-31/?_r=0 (Accessed: 22 April 2016).
Inline Citations:
- (Shea, 2015)
The story is about a London Scientist, a well known, seen to be an middle aged handsome man, well known for his dinner parties, with a good reputation. However, he has a mad imagination, he has hidden urges and a dark side he wants to find, to release from him, he investigates with potions and is successful.
He becomes fascinated with the theory of people having a 'good' side and a 'bad' side and this lead him to his experiments, leading to evolving himself into a completely different thing, physically and mentally, into pure evil known as his dark side 'Hyde'. 'His alter ego', Jekyll is able to release his inner urges by becoming Hyde with feeling no shame or guilt.
The first encounter is when he runs over a girl, simply trampling, there is no remorse just pure evil. There is no fear or guilt when he turns into his evil side.
He commits crimes throughout the story when transformed to a younger, evil other Mr. Hyde. The most serious of the murder is Sir Danvers, member of Parliament.
Mr. Hyde is seen to be much younger then Jekyll, un human like and Jekyll becomes so obsessed with being his 'Evil' self it becomes out of his control to stop Hyde evolving randomly, throughout his sleep.
This makes Jekyll recluse and secretive, as he does not want to be this evil self, but unable to stop his transformations.
When Mr. Hyde was seen, people would have the strange feeling come over them that they wanted to lash out and attack and kill Hyde, with his presence this would bring out the evil in people, anyone around him.
Mr Utterson, Dr. Jekyll's lawyer & his brother Poole, become intrigued and go on the hunt to seek out Jekyll and Hyde's odd relationship and know the full story.
Previously Mr. Utterson who is Jekyll's lawyer and friend, is told a grusome story about a crime comitted by a Hyde who then sneaks off into a door on a street and the parents of the young lady he trampled are payed off. He soon discovers Jekyll writes a will to live his entire estate to a Mr. Hyde, the same man in the story, this makes him even more curious to get to the truth and solve the case.
Mr. Utterson, becomes curious and investigates into the hidden case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, as Utterson is soley shocked by the unclaused will taken out. He visits a mutual friend to find out more Mr. Lanyon, who says he hasn't spoken with Dr. Jekyll for sometime due to a dispute.
His curiousity grows and wants to find out more, therefore he follows Hyde to an enstranged door which happens to be the door to Dr. Jekyll's laboratory. Soon after Utterson is later invited for dinner at Dr. Jekyll's, where Utterson tries to discuss Mr. Hyde and wanting to know more, Jekyll refuses to answer his questions and would like him to honour that in his house.
A year later a vicious, brutal murder happens, Hyde beats a member of parliament to death Sir Danvers, Mr Utterson and the police go to seek Mr Hyde down but he is missing. Jekyll informs his is gone and shows them a letter he had left saying 'I am sorry for the trouble that I have caused' however, it looked just like Jekylls hand writing.
Soon after, Jekyll tries to reform his life and comes out of hiding, during this time Utterson notices Dr. Lanyon being on the verge of collapse over dining, he dies weeks later.
He finds a letter addressed to Utterson, sealed with instructions that it should not be opened until after Jekyll's death or disappearance, Utterson felt strongly it was to do with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Soon after Utterson and Enfield pass Dr. Jekyll's place and see him in the window, where they ask him to come along on there walk where all of a sudden Jekyll's face to change in terror and they both are horrified with what they saw.
His butler Mr Poole, has been ordered to find a mysterious drug and for his food to be ordered in to him, Poole becomes convinced the murderer is hiding in the room and seeks help from Utterson, where they burst into the laboratory to find a mysterious figure that had committed suicide.
There are a couple endings, as the book I had to re-read to try and understand, it says they find him laid on the floor dead, after committing suicide, where they find a body resemmbling a Mr Hyde.
But I don't know if he was Dr. Jekyll and then killed himself or if he was transformed into Mr. Hyde then ended his life?
The Main Characters of The Strange Case of Dr. Henry Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Dr Henry Jekyll:
- A well respected man, well known over London
- Charitable worker
- A Scientist- A lot of imagination, curiosity
- He has a hidden Dark side he wants to embark on
- He becomes two people/ split personality- Becomes Hyde his Dark, Evil other
- Becomes recluse, secretive to prevent Hyde uncontrollably appearing
6, S. (2016) Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde art print by Abigail Larson. Available at: https://society6.com/product/dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde-nez_print (Accessed: 22 April 2016).
Inline Citations:
- (6, 2016)
Mr. Edward Hyde- My Chosen Character
- He is Jekyll's Evil other created by potion, transforms himself into his alter ego named 'Hyde' to enable his inner urges with guilt free
- He is younger, lower class then Jekyll and gets away with crimes
- Hyde is Jekyll but transformed, the same person
- Unhuman like more monster
- No fear or remorse for his actions
- No Guilt
- Commits crimes
- Sneaky, lurking around the streets
- Uncontrollable
INCspot (2015) The INCspotlight: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920). Available at: http://channelawesome.com/forums/xfa-blog-entry/the-incspotlight-dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde-1920.2276/ (Accessed: 22 April 2016).
Inline Citations:
- (INCspot, 2015)
Mr. Utterson
- Sensible, well respected Lawyer
- Dignified
- Suspicious- makes him ill due to 'The Strange of Dr. Jekyll & Mr Hyde'
- Sneaky, lacks imagination
More information about my Character Mr. Hyde...
Image and Quotes are from:
The Strange case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
2012- Blog Script
https://gravitydoesntapplytoslashshat.wordpress.com/2012/11/02/the-strange-case-of-dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde-hypothetical-discussion-about-the-nature-of-the-men/
I chose Mr. Hyde for my chosen Gothic Horror Character, I read the book the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and fell in love with the bizarre, twisted, 'Evil alter-ego' of Dr. Jekyll who turns into Mr. Hyde, I feel Jekyll calls his Evil other side Mr Hyde because of his 'hidden' urges that Dr. Jekyll wants to carry out without feeling guilty by committing crimes.
I found this script from Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde and love the conflict between them two, it really shows Mr. Hydes sinister self and bitterness.
Mr. Hyde: Why so serious, my sweet Jekyll? The sun shines in the sky, there is no cloud threatening the beautiful day. The…people are outside faking smiles to each other, pretending to even know their names, passing with their wallets stuffed with cash… Isn’t that what you like?
Dr. Jekyll: Not now Hyde, I don’t want to hear your new theories about society.
Mr. Hyde: It’s very interesting you mention that, since I have a new theory about these filthy pigs, which we call our friends.
Dr. Jekyll: My friends, Hyde, not yours.
Mr. Hyde (laughing): When will you understand that we are one? I’m only the part of you that you try to hide. But I can’t be Hyde forever…
I found it intriguing how Dr. Jekyll is a scientist who hides away experimenting with science to produce his desired alter ego, to let this evil inner self transform, he is curious as he feels everyone has a 'good' and 'bad' side to them and wants to discover his. It becomes a success and eventually he becomes so obsessed with turning into his dark, sinister self Mr. Hyde it becomes out of his control, as he turns into Mr. Hyde in his sleep and randomly he evolves.
Reference:
DeviantArt (2016) Mr Hyde. Available at: http://starmooncow.deviantart.com/art/Mr-Hyde-308956235 (Accessed: 23 April 2016).
Inline Citations:
- (DeviantArt, 2016)
(This image above I feel captures how I visualised him when reading the book, it captures his bizarre, human but sinister look in a great way.)
Dr. Jekyll becomes daunted and scared, which draws him to isolation 'imprisonment' away from everyone in his laboratory.
I want to create his hidden evil side, with sinister features, but not creating him into a monster as I visualised a man that is human but he doesn't look right, there's something not right about him, something that makes you want to stare to figure him out but makes your spine shiver.
I want to stick with traditional Victorian Gothic Horror when developing my version of Mr. Hyde, as I feel when they developed Mr. Hyde in the years ahead they made him more of a monster, Green, hairy, a lot more unhuman like, more like a werewolf/ ape which is infact where the Hulk become inspired by, but I wanted to keep it as closely to book as possible. I want to create a victorian, creepy vision that I imagined when reading the book.
Butler, T. (2010) Download Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) torrents. Available at: https://torrentbutler.eu/3019-dr-jekyll-and-mr-hydeTorrentButler (Accessed: 23 April 2016).
Inline Citations:
- (Butler, 2010)
I watched this 1920 Silent movie of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, it was very slap stick, almost like a comedy, I liked the use of the organ, church music throughout the movie, the victorian, gothic feel, it was more how I visulised Hyde to look like, hunched over, with a top hat and cape, with that evil glare he has throughout the silent movie.
This movie gave me more of a accurate insight of how I saw it, Hyde looks very sinister throughout compared to the other characters, he stands out but I like the fact they don't change him to look to much not like a normal human.
I have been inspired by this silent movie and has given me ideas of how I want my character to look like. To keep with the old, victorian, gothic horror to not go to crazy with the overall make-up. To make slight adjustments to make it look creepy, evil and bizarre to really reflect his alter ego.
Image reference:
Kavan, A. and profile, V. my complete (2013) Science of observation. Available at: http://observingmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde-1920.html (Accessed: 23 April 2016).
Inline Citations:
- (Kavan and profile, 2013)
I like the way Mr. Hyde sneaks and creeps around with a hunchback, his hand placements like claws, the way he smirks in a devilish way, his eyes are fixed on his desires and this makes his character. I want to gain this in my project, with the make-up and hair with the inspirations from this movie.
Image reference:
Baldwin, D. (2015) ‘Penny dreadful’ adds Jekyll, Seward & more for season 3 - bloody disgusting! Available at: http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3359636/penny-dreadful-adds-dr-jekyll-season-3/ (Accessed: 23 April 2016).
Inline Citations:
- (Baldwin, 2015)
This image of John Barrymore as Hyde and his victim Martha Mansfield, this image really projects the sinister, devlish, character of Mr. Hyde well, how I imagined him.
Updated Mood Board:
Mr. Hyde
Mr. Hyde
I worked on my feedback from my lecturer and focused on what I want to achieve with my character. I am very happy with the images and It shows I want my character to be human but subtle makeup and hair changes to create the evil within him.
Here is my adapted mood board of my character design, photographs from my pinterest board
Mr. Hyde: https://uk.pinterest.com/natalieallanah/mr-hyde-inspiration/
Mr. Hyde: https://uk.pinterest.com/natalieallanah/mr-hyde-inspiration/
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