Video: Dr. Jekyll was quite at ease

﻿Hello, and welcome to today's lesson, on "Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". Doctor Jekyll was Quite at Ease. That's the chapter we're going to be looking at today. You will need something to write on and something to write with, as usual, and it's a good idea to go and find somewhere quiet where you're going to be able to concentrate and make sure that your phone's off. Here is today's key question. How does Jekyll respond to news of Hyde, and what does this suggest? And here is a structure of today's lesson. Part One: Key Vocabulary. Part Two: Summary and Recap. Part Three: Reading and Questions. Part Four: Applying our learning. Part Five: the Review Quiz. Part One: Key Vocabulary. In this lesson, we will be learning the words unsettling and unease. First let's look at unsettling. Here's a definition: Something that causes anxiety or something that is disturbing. Example one: The lights suddenly went off, which was very unsettling. Example two: Hyde's animalistic behaviour is unsettling. Now let's look at the word unease. Here's a definition, a feeling of anxiety or discontent, and an example of it being used in a sentence: There was a sense of unease in the room after he lost his temper. And Example two, Utterson experiences a sense of unease when he sees Hyde for the first time. Now, you are going to write two sentences. The first one is going to use the word unsettling, and then the second is going to use the word unease. Pause the video to complete these two sentences. You can then resume once you're finished. Part Two: Summary and Recap. We looked at the chapter, In Search of Mr. Hyde. In this chapter, Utterson goes looking for Hyde and finds him going into Henry Jekyll's house. Hyde has his own key and says Jekyll is not at home. Hyde has a "flush of anger", and is described as giving a "savage laugh" suggesting he is volatile and uncivilised. He hisses and snarls when questioned by Utterson, suggesting he is animalistic. Which of the statements below are true? One, Hyde can enter Henry Jekyll's house as he has his own key. Two, Utterson is pleased that his friend Henry Jekyll knows Mr. Hyde. Three, Hyde is a very polite character. Four, Hyde is described as having a savage laugh. Five, Hyde is volatile and loses his temper quickly. Pause the video now so that you can write down the statements which are true. Now you can check your answers. Question one, or sorry, statement one, was true. Hyde can enter Henry Jekyll's house as he has his own key. Two, Utterson is pleased that his friend Henry Jekyll knows Mr. Hyde, that's false. He is concerned about the nature of their relationship. Three, Hyde is a very polite character. That's also false; Hyde is very rude to Utterson. Four, Hyde is described as having a savage laugh. That's true, and Hyde is volatile and loses his temper quickly, that's also true. Well done if you got those correct. Okay, so we've now reached Part Three, and this is the part of the lesson where we're going to do some more reading of the story. So, today's chapter is, Doctor Jekyll Was Quite at Ease, so that means he's quite relaxed, and this chapter is our first opportunity to meet the character of Doctor Jekyll, who we have heard mentioned so far, and we know that there is some kind of connection between him and the mysterious Mr. Hyde. So, Doctor Jekyll has a dinner party, and Utterson, the lawyer, waits behind to question his friend Jekyll about his relationship with Hyde, because Utterson is particularly concerned about why Jekyll has left everything in his will to Mr. Hyde. Apart from anything else, Utterson is worried that that might be a motive for Hyde to murder Jekyll, because if he were to do that, he'd be left with everything that Jekyll owns. So let's have a read of the chapter and see what Doctor Jekyll is really like. "Doctor Jekyll now sat on the opposite side of the fire, a large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty, with something of a slyish cast, perhaps, but every mark of capacity and kindness. You could see by his looks that he cherished for Mr. Utterson a sincere and warm affection. 'I've been wanting to speak to you, Jekyll,' began the latter. 'You know that will of yours?' Now, I just want to draw your attention to the phrase, a slyish cast, which means that Doctor Jekyll has a slightly sneaky appearance or front. It's just something to bear in mind. A close observer might have gathered that the topic was distasteful but the doctor carried it off gaily. 'My poor Utterson,' said he, 'you are unfortunate in such a client. I never saw a man so distressed as you were by my will, unless it were that hide-bound pedant, Lanyon, at what he called my scientific heresies. Oh, I know he's a good fellow, you needn't frown, an excellent fellow, and I always mean to see more of him, but a hide-bound pedant for all that, an ignorant, blatant, pedant. I was never more disappointed in a man than Lanyon.'" Okay, so Lanyon, or Doctor Lanyon as we find out later he's called, is a school friend of Mr. Utterson and Doctor Jekyll. A hide-bound pedant, a very derogatory term, is someone who has very fixed views, and heresies are beliefs contrary to religious views. So here it seems that Lanyon and Jekyll have had some kind of falling out over a scientific view. Now, pause the video so that you can answer the questions below. Question one: a large well-made smooth-faced man of fifty with something of a slyish cast. From this quotation, what do we learn about Doctor Jekyll's appearance? Question two: How does Doctor Jekyll feel about his friend, Doctor Lanyon? What have they disagreed about? Okay, so you can now check your answers. So, we learned that Jekyll is a large man with a smooth face, suggesting he is healthy and robust. However, the fact he has a slyish cast could suggest that his outward appearance might be masking something. Question two: Doctor Jekyll has fallen out with Doctor Lanyon, describing him as a hide-bound pedant, suggesting he is close minded with very fixed views. So they've disagreed over Jekyll's view on science that Lanyon believes is a heresy, meaning that it goes against God, which would have been a very serious thing in Victorian times, because the population was very, very religious. Right, we're going to go back to the text now, so listen carefully. "'You know I never approved of it,' pursued Utterson, ruthlessly regarding the fresh topic. 'My will? Yes certainly I know that,' said the doctor, a trifle sharply. 'You've told me so.' 'Well, I tell you so again,' continued the lawyer. 'I've been learning something of young Hyde.' The large handsome face of Doctor Jekyll grew pale to the very lips, and there came a blackness about his eyes. 'I do not care to hear more,' said he. 'This is a matter I thought we had agreed to drop.' What I heard was abominable,' said Utterson." So, ruthlessly disregarding, that's what Utterson does to the fresh topic, means ignoring, so he presses on with his questioning of Jekyll about the will and Hyde, and abominable is terrible, so Utterson has been hearing terrible things about Hyde, and we know this because we've heard them, too. "'It can make no change,' says Jekyll. 'You do not understand my position,' returned the doctor, with a certain incoherency of manner." Incoherency means that he's become inconsistent or unclear in his speech. "'I am painfully situated, Utterson. My position is very strange, a very strange one. It is one of those affairs that cannot be mended by talking.' 'Jekyll,' said Utterson, 'you know me, I am a man to be trusted. Make a clean breast of this in confidence, and I make no doubt I can get you out of it.' 'My good Utterson,' said the doctor, 'this is very good of you. This is downright good of you, and I cannot find words to thank you in. I believe you fully; I would trust you before any man alive, ay, before myself, if I could make the choice, but indeed it isn't what you fancy. It's not as bad as that, and just to put your good heart at rest, I will tell you one thing. The moment I choose, I can be rid of Mr. Hyde. I give you my hand upon that, and I thank you again and again, and I will just start add little word, Utterson, that I'm sure you'll take in good part. This is a private matter, and I beg of you to let it sleep.'" Now pause the video so you can answer these questions below. Why does Utterson ignore the fresh topic Doctor Jekyll introduces, and why do you think Jekyll introduces this topic in the first place? And then Question two, the large handsome face of Doctor Jekyll grew pale to the very lips, and there came a blackness about his eyes. This is how Henry Jekyll reacts when Hyde is mentioned. What does this reaction suggest about his feelings towards Hyde? Now Question three. What does Jekyll say to Utterson to reassure him about the matter of Mr. Hyde? Pause the video so you can answer that. Okay, so let's check your answers. Remember, they don't need to appear exactly as they do here, because this is my wording, and you'll have worded things slightly differently, but just check that you've got the key ideas. So, Question one, Utterson ignores Jekyll's fresh topic 'cause he wants to find out about Jekyll's will, and why he has left everything to the abominable Hyde. Jekyll has introduced a new topic to try and distract Utterson and stop him talking of Hyde, which is probably something that we have all done. If you want to get somebody off a particular topic of conversation, then you introduce another one to try and distract them. So that's what Jekyll is trying to do now with Utterson, but the lawyer will not be drawn off topic. Question two, the fact Jekyll goes pale when Utterson tells him he knows of Hyde, suggests he feels frightened, or even unwell, at the mention of Hyde's name. The fact a blackness came into his eyes also suggests he knows something frightening about Hyde. So that gave quite an extreme change in Jekyll's outward appearance there, 'cause if you think back to the beginning of the chapter, when he was quite at ease, a large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty, and now, suddenly, he's grown pale to the very lips, with this blackness in his eyes. So it shows you really the extreme reaction that Hyde's mentioning has caused. And that alerts the reader to the fact that there must be something really wrong with Hyde, and that Jekyll is not being truthful, or he's not being open with what he's saying, so he might not be lying directly, but he's certainly not being open, and that reminds us of the word slyish at the beginning of the chapter. There was something slyish about his outward appearance, okay? So we're not quite getting the full picture from Henry Jekyll here. That's making us want to read on to find out exactly what it is he is hiding. Question three, Jekyll assures Utterson that his situation is not as bad as Utterson fears it may be, and that if he wishes it, he can be rid of Hyde at any time he chooses. Now whether or not that's the case remains to be seen, but Jekyll seems to be fairly certain that Hyde is a character who is under his control because he feels that he's going to be able to dismiss him when he wants to. So, we're now going to apply our learning in Part Four of the lesson, so just pause there for a second, have a think about what it is we've learned about Doctor Jekyll, because that's all going to be relevant to our task. Think back to that, to the question, the main question. We're going to revisit that now. So, Jekyll, he's a gentleman. He at first has a calm and relaxed outward appearance, but when Hyde is mentioned, he completely changes. Now let's think about that. How does Jekyll respond to news of Hyde, and what does this suggest? So, we're going to write a short response to the question above, and we're going to spend at least 15 minutes writing. You may wish to mention Jekyll's appearance before Hyde is mentioned, and the title of the chapter, the fact he tries to change the subject when Utterson mentions his will, his description when Utterson talks of Hyde, the assurance that he gives to Utterson about the fact he's going to be able to be rid of Hyde when he chooses. Now, I want you to try and include the words unease and unsettling, okay? Think back to our key words, or the words we learned at the beginning of this lesson. Pause the video now so that you've got a chance to complete this task, and then we'll have a look at some example answers. Okay, here's our first example answer. So, Stevenson describes Jekyll as "a large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty", suggesting he's a strong and healthy man with a smart appearance. However, when Utterson mentions his will, Jekyll clearly grows uncomfortable and changes to a "fresh topic", suggesting he does not want to discuss anything related to Hyde. When Utterson persists and Hyde is mentioned, Jekyll grows "pale", which suggests he is afraid, or even that he has started to feel physically unwell. The "blackness" that appears in his eyes is unsettling, and suggests that he knows something sinister in connection with Hyde, but is unwilling to discuss this with Utterson, creating a sense of mystery and unease. Jekyll insists he can be "rid" of Hyde, suggesting he feels he is in control. However, the physical signs of fear he displays when Hyde is mentioned, suggest otherwise. Okay, so I just want to draw your attention to something that this answer does. You'll have seen this in past answers, but I just want to talk about it here explicitly. This answer embeds quotations from the text. What does that mean? Well, let's have a look at an example. So if we look at the first sentence, Stevenson describes Jekyll as "a large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty", suggesting he's a strong and healthy man with a smart appearance. Now the quotation is, "a large well-made smooth faced man of fifty", and what this answer does is it places that quotation in a sentence so that it flows and makes sense as part of that sentence. So rather than saying, Stevenson uses the quotation, "a large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty", it places it within a sentence that makes sense, and that just reads in a far more sophisticated way. So Stevenson describes Jekyll as "a large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty". That word, as, introduces the quotation and keeps it flowing as part of the sentence. That's a really good thing to do when you come to writing about the text yourself. Let's just have a look at another example. And so we've got the saying, "fresh topic", is embedded, so, however, when Utterson mentions his will, Jekyll clearly grows uncomfortable and changes to a "fresh topic", suggesting he does not want to discuss anything related to Hyde. So, "fresh topic", that's a quotation from Stevenson's original text, has been embedded in that sentence, and it makes the person who's writing this sound as if they really know the text, and they're familiar with the quotations and that they're able to use them as part of their own work when they're analysing, or part of their own answer, sorry, when they're analysing the language that Stephenson has used. So top tip, try to embed your quotations. Okay, let's have a look at a more developed answer. So, Stevenson describes Jekyll as "a large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty, with something of a slyish cast", suggesting he's a strong and healthy man with a smart appearance. However the phrase "slyish cast" hints that he might be hiding something underneath his public persona, with the adjective "slyish" hinting at a possible deceit. He changes to a "fresh topic" when Utterson introduces the subject of his will, as it is connected with Hyde. when Utterson persists in asking him about Hyde, Jekyll grows "pale", suggesting extreme anxiety and fear. The fact he then speaks with incoherency suggests that Jekyll has been deeply unsettled by Utterson's knowledge of Hyde, creating a sense of unease, encouraging the reader to question why Hyde causes this change in Jekyll's appearance and manner. Jekyll's assertion that he can be "rid" of Hyde when he chooses, suggests he feels he is in control. However, his loss of composure at the mention of Hyde's name suggests otherwise. So this answer develops some of the points that the first answer brings up, and it draws on the quotation, "slyish cast", which is important because it's a way of Stevenson introducing from the very beginning, where we first see Jekyll, that there is something potentially deceitful about this man, and that we are not getting the full story from his outward appearance. The other thing it talks about is the fact that Jekyll becomes incoherent when he's speaking about Hyde, so it's as if he loses the ability to think clearly when Hyde is mentioned, and he completely loses his composure. So those are really important points, and they definitely help us to understand just how unsettled Jekyll has been by the fact Utterson is finding out about Mr. Hyde. Okay, we've reached Part Five, which is the Review Quiz, which you will be able to complete in a moment, but I just want to say, really well done! We have covered quite a lot of important material today about Doctor Jekyll, and I just want you to pause for a moment here and write down three key facts that you have learnt about that important character today. In the next lesson, we will look at Mr. Utterson again. We will revisit that character, and we will think about how Stevenson uses language to further his characterization. But goodbye until then.

Exit Quiz: Dr. Jekyll was quite at ease

Completed: Dr. Jekyll was quite at ease

In this chapter, the reader is introduced to the character of Dr. Jekyll and learns that he does not want to tell Utterson about the connection between himself and Hyde. We will look at how Stevenson uses language to suggest that Jekyll is concealing the truth.

English

Dr. Jekyll was quite at ease

Video

Final Quiz

Lesson Complete