Using the production to prepare for the English Literature exam

Here are some tasks which will encourage students to think about the language, structure, and themes of the novel in comparison to the stage text – this will help with studying or revising the novel for the GCSE English Literature exam.

1. Interpretations of Utterson Ask students to use the novel and make a mindmap of how they interpret Utterson in the novel, backing this up with quotes from the text. Then ask students to consider the stage adaptation, and think about how Utterson was interpreted on stage – was this similar or different? Throughout act 1, Utterson becomes visibly more dishevelled, his hair becomes looser, his body language becomes less restrained – what does this show about how the character is changing?

2. Characterisation of Enfield

Ask students to consider how Enfield is presented on stage – and how he responds to Dr Stevenson (calling her Miss instead of Dr). Even though Dr Stevenson is not in the novel, how does this connect to his character in the novel? How does Enfield act around different characters? How does Enfield react when questioned about why he was in the street at 3am? How does this link to the themes of the novel? 3. Creating a Gothic atmosphere Ask students to look back at chapter one and find evidence of how Stevenson creates a Gothic atmosphere. For example, they could look at this extract from chapter one: Two doors from one corner, on the left hand going east, the line was broken by the entry of a court; and just at that point, a certain sinister block of building thrust forward its gable onto the street. It was two storeys high; showed no window, nothing but a door on the lower storey and a blind forehead of discoloured wall on the upper; and bore every feature, the marks of a prolonged and sordid negligence. The door, which was equipped with neither bell nor knocker, was blistered and distained. How does this description of the door create a sinister mood? Students should consider the use of language, and how this links to the duality in the novel. Then ask students to consider how the Gothic atmosphere was created on stage – how were lighting and sound used to do this?

4. Descriptions of Hyde Ask students to look back at the novel and the first descriptions of Hyde. Students could make a mindmap of vocabulary choices and how the description links to the themes of the novel. Then ask students to consider how Hyde was physically characterised on stage in the production. How did the actor bring this to life? Was this similar or different to the description in the novel? Here is an example of the first description of Hyde: He is not easy to describe. There is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something downright detestable. I never saw a man I so disliked, and yet I scarce know why. He must be deformed somewhere; he gives a strong feeling of deformity, although I couldn’t specify the point. He’s an extraordinarylooking man, and yet I really can name nothing out of the way. No, sir; I can make no hand of it; I can’t describe him. And it’s not want of memory; for I declare I can see him this moment.

5. Transformation in front of Lanyon This text below describes how Jekyll transformed in front of his friend Lanyon. Ask students to read this and discuss how the visual images are created in the description. Then ask students to consider how the transformations were staged in the play – how did the actors physicalise this? He put the glass to his lips and drank at one gulp. A cry followed; he reeled, staggered, clutched at the table and held on, staring with injected eyes, gasping with open mouth; and as I looked there came, I thought, a change—he seemed to swell—his face became suddenly black and the features seemed to melt and alter—and the next moment, I had sprung to my feet and leaped back against the wall, my arms raised to shield me from that prodigy, my mind submerged in terror. 6. Descriptions of Soho

Ask students to think about the scene in the play where Utterson and Stevenson take a taxi to Soho. In this scene, blue and amber lighting is combined with haze, and the ensemble sing “I’m a Londoner” in a slow, slurring way with a reverb sound effect. Ask students to consider what effects are created here, and what the director is trying to convey about Soho as an area of London. Then students could compare this staging with the setting of Soho in the novel, and the description below: As the cab drew up before the address indicated, the fog lifted a little and showed him a dingy street, a gin palace, a low French eating house, a shop for the retail of penny numbers and twopenny salads, many ragged children huddled in the doorways, and many women of many different nationalities passing out, key in hand, to have a morning glass; and the next moment the fog settled down again upon that part, as brown as umber, and cut him off from his blackguardly surroundings.

7. Henry Jekyll’s full statement of the case Ask students to look back at Jekyll’s final statement in chapter 10. There are lots of key quotes students could pull out to analyse Jekyll’s mental state. Ask students to find quotes which link to the themes of duality, Victorian morality, addiction, religion, and science. Looking at the quote below, ask students to think about how this moment was staged in the production. How did the actor playing Jekyll use his skills to present how Jekyll felt about being Hyde? ‘There was something strange in my sensations, something indescribably new and, from its very novelty, incredibly sweet. I felt younger, lighter, happier in body; within I was conscious of a heady recklessness, a current of disordered sensual images running like a millrace in my fancy, a solution of the bonds of obligation, an unknown but not an innocent freedom of the soul.’