大象传媒

PlotThe murder of Sir Danvers Carew

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is about the complexities of science and the duality of human nature. Dr Jekyll is a well-respected scientist whose experiments with the darker side of science lead to tragedy.

Part of EnglishStrange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

The murder of Sir Danvers Carew

Illustration depicting Mr Hyde attacking Sir Danvers Carew
Figure caption,
Mr Hyde attacks Sir Danvers Carew

Nearly a year passes, and a gentleman named Sir Danvers Carew is brutally murdered. A maid looking out of a window witnesses the crime and describes how she saw Carew beaten to death by a man that she recognises as Mr Hyde. She is horrified by the brutality of the attack and is very distressed by what she has witnessed.

A letter addressed to Utterson is found on the body and the police contact him. Utterson recognises the broken walking cane used to murder Carew as the one that he gave to Jekyll years before.

He offers to lead the police to his house. Once there, they are told that Hyde has not been seen for months and they find the other half of the cane and signs of a hasty exit.

Dr Jekyll becomes very ill and isolated. He assures Utterson that he is now rid of Mr Hyde and shows him a letter from Hyde that proves this. Utterson asks his clerk to compare Hyde's handwriting to Jekyll's. They are found to be almost identical with the exception that Jekyll's writing slopes in the opposite direction to Hyde's. Utterson believes that Jekyll has forged the letter to cover Hyde's escape.