Starter quiz
- Match these characters from 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' to their professions.
- Lanyon⇔Doctor ✓
- Jekyll⇔A chemical doctor ✓
- Danvers Carew⇔MP ✓
- Poole⇔Butler ✓
- Utterson⇔Lawyer ✓
- In what year was the novella 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' first published?
- 1886 ✓
- 1896
- 1876
- 1866
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- Which of the below best describes the relationship between Lanyon and Jekyll at the start of 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'?
- They were once friends but are no longer. ✓
- They are firm friends who see each other regularly.
- They were once friends but could now be classed as enemies.
- They were never friends, merely old colleagues.
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- In 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', what do Jekyll and Lanyon both have in common?
- They both die in the novella. ✓
- They both witness the transformation. ✓
- They are both doctors. ✓
- They both are capable of transformation.
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- What is the definition of the word 'concealment'? Here it is used in a sentence: 'The detective discovered a clever concealment of evidence in the suspect's home.'
- Hiding something or preventing it being known. ✓
- Publicising something so that it is widely known.
- Forgetting about something so that it is never remembered.
- Changing something so that it is now different.
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- What is the definition of the word 'rational'? Here it is used in a sentence: 'Making a rational decision requires careful consideration of all available information.'
- Based on reason and logic. ✓
- Based on assumption and guesswork.
- Based on spirituality and mysticism.
- Based on experience and past memories.
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Exit quiz
- What is being described here: 'a secondary character whose purpose is to highlight or accentuate some aspect of the main character.'?
- 'foil' ✓
- In 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', Lanyon famously describes Jekyll's scientific work as 'unscientific ...'
- balderdash ✓
- codswallop
- gibberish
- nonsense
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- In 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', Dr. Lanyon's approach to science is...
- experimental and radical.
- rational and conventional. ✓
- eccentric and wild.
- Ridiculous and wrong.
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- In what ways are Jekyll and Lanyon arguably most similar in 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'?
- Their scientific experimentation.
- Their scientific curiosity. ✓
- Their scientific ethics.
- Their scientific pursuits.
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- In 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', Dr. Lanyon keeps Jekyll's transformation secret therefore also hiding his crimes. Arguably, this is an example of...
- complicity. ✓
- eccentricity.
- duplicity.
- innocence.
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- In 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', the extent to which Dr. Lanyon is a foil for Dr. Jekyll is...
- debatable, they share similarities but also differences. ✓
- clear, they are total opposites.
- ridiculous, they are both hypocritical Victorian gentlemen.
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Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Lanyon may seem like a foil to Jekyll, but ultimately he also succumbs to his curiosity
- Lanyon and Jekyll have opposing scientific views: Lanyon more conventional, whereas Jekyll pushes boundaries
- By including their two first person narratives at the end of the novella, Stevenson invites comparison between the men
- Despite the tension between them, Lanyon continues to protect Jekyll's reputation until after his death
- Lanyon makes an active choice to witness Hyde's transformation, suggesting that he shares in the blame for his death
Common misconception
Whether Dr. Lanyon being a foil for Dr. Jekyll is a straightforward answer.
Whether Lanyon is a foil for Jekyll is debatable. They have clear differences (e.g. scientific views) but similarities too (curiosity).
Keywords
Foil - In literature, a foil is a secondary character whose purpose is to highlight or accentuate some aspect of the main character.
Pedant - A pedant is someone who is excessively concerned with minor details.
Rational - If something is based on reason or logic then it is rational.
Complicity - Complicity is when someone is involved in an activity with others that is unlawful or morally wrong.
Concealment - If you are hiding something or preventing it being known, this is known as concealment.
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