Jekyll and Hyde - context

Question 1

Biographical context

Answer 1

• born in Edinburgh, 1850 and dies in 1894
• Stevenson experienced hideous nightmares and felt he lived a double life
• Jekyll and Hyde was written in 1885 and published in 1886

Question 2

Other publications

Answer 2

• The Origin of the Species By Charles Darwin was published in 1818

Question 3

Historical period

Answer 3

• industrial revolution
• growth in population
• medicine saw progress with anaesthetics and antiseptics being developed
• clear class divisions

Question 4

Fictional genres

Answer 4

• shilling shocker
• gothic mystery

Question 5

Crime

Answer 5

• Italian criminologist, Lombroso, worked on a theory that criminality was inherited and could be identified in facial features and physical characteristics

Question 6

Contemporary readers

Answer 6

• modern readers are less likely to feel the same horror and suspense as readers at the time of publication