Eduqas GCSE English Literature
Eduqas GCSE English Literature The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Exam Questions
Free Eduqas GCSE English Literature practice questions for The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Covers Stevenson's novella, Jekyll and Hyde, Utterson, duality, secrecy, respectability, science, violence and Victorian context.
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde practice questions
1 pack of exam-style practice questions for The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Plan and write as many answers as you can under timed conditions, then compare them with the guidance on this page and your notes.
About Eduqas GCSE English Literature The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a set text in Component 2, Section B (19th-century prose) of the Eduqas GCSE in English Literature. Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella follows the lawyer Utterson as he investigates the violent Mr Hyde, finally discovering through Jekyll's own statement that Hyde is Jekyll's other self. You answer one 40-mark question that begins with a printed extract and asks you to write about the whole novel. The section assesses AO1, AO2 and AO3, so context counts here alongside analysis of the writer's methods. Examiners reward answers that analyse Stevenson's setting, structure and language and link them to Victorian anxieties.
Key themes, characters and context
- Jekyll and Hyde Jekyll creates a drug to separate his good and evil sides. Hyde is described as small, deformed and hard to describe, and Jekyll gradually loses control as Hyde takes over.
- Utterson and the narrative Utterson, a reserved lawyer, follows the mystery. The truth only emerges in Lanyon's narrative and Jekyll's 'Full Statement', which delays the revelation.
- Violence Hyde tramples a young girl and later beats Sir Danvers Carew to death with a cane. These scenes shock the respectable characters.
- Setting Foggy London streets and the contrast between Jekyll's handsome house and the shabby laboratory door reflect the double life inside one person.
- Context for AO3 Victorian respectability and repression, fears of degeneration after Darwin's theories, scientific experimentation, and anxieties about the hidden underside of London.
Common mistakes in The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
- Saying Jekyll is good and Hyde is evil. Jekyll admits he enjoyed Hyde's freedom; both are part of one man.
- Ignoring structure. Explain why Stevenson withholds the truth until the final chapters.
- Treating context as an add-on. Link Darwin or respectability to specific descriptions such as Hyde's 'ape-like' fury.
- Writing only about Jekyll and Hyde. Utterson, Lanyon and Enfield reveal the values of their society.
Try three The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde practice questions
1. Using the extract as a starting point, write about how Stevenson presents Mr Hyde in the novella. (40 marks)
Show what a strong answer includes
A strong answer would analyse descriptions of Hyde's appearance and others' disgust; the trampling and Carew murder; animal imagery; the transformation; link to fears of degeneration and Victorian respectability.
2. Using the extract as a starting point, write about how Stevenson uses setting to create mystery. (40 marks)
Show what a strong answer includes
A strong answer would analyse fog, night and empty streets; the door in 'Story of the Door'; the laboratory and cabinet; contrasts between respectable and sinister places; link to Victorian London.
3. Using the extract as a starting point, write about the importance of secrecy in the novella. (40 marks)
Show what a strong answer includes
A strong answer would analyse Utterson and Enfield's agreement not to talk; Jekyll's will; Lanyon's sealed letter; the final statement; link to Victorian gentlemen's reputation.
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde FAQs
What does Eduqas GCSE English Literature The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde cover?
It covers Stevenson's novella as a 19th-century prose text: Jekyll, Hyde, Utterson and Lanyon, themes of duality, secrecy and violence, and Victorian context.
Which component is Jekyll and Hyde examined in?
It is in Component 2, Section B (19th-century prose). You answer one 40-mark question based on a printed extract and your knowledge of the whole novel.
Which quotations should I learn for Jekyll and Hyde?
Learn short lines such as 'man is not truly one, but truly two' and descriptions of Hyde as 'ape-like' and 'troglodytic', plus the key events of each chapter.
