The transformation of the split personality in Robert Louis Stevenson's strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

It is widely known that the motif of split personality in literary tradition is featured in Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The motif is developed over time and is depicted in different adaptations of the novel but the concept itself is a great influence in more modern narratives. The motif itself is widely used in the medium of comic books, specifically the superhero genre. The concept then influences the medium of film and television because of its association with comic book characters where the trend is the production of film and television versions of them. This thereby extends the influence of the novel and the motif beyond written text. Over time, not only is the concept adapted but the characters Jekyll and Hyde are also appropriated as characters in other narratives. This paper will examine the representation of split personality in Stevenson’s novel as well as its adaptations and other works influenced by the novel. We will examine a couple of Victorian theories on psychology to gain a better understanding of the kind of beliefs that were present during the time of the publication of the novel and to see how the novel and the beliefs related to each other. Then we will examine how the motif and characters are represented in the novel itself and then in other written adaptations.Bachelor of Art