Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and
Mr. Hyde, adapted by Alan Grant and Cam Kennedy
Resource created by Michael Stephenson
Contents
Introduction
Timesavers/Useful Links
Activity 1 – Introduce your pupils to Graphic Novels
Handout for Activity 1
Activity 2 – Utterson’s Dream – Handout to give to pupils
Activity 2 – Utterson’s Dream – notes for teachers
Activity 2 – Utterson’s Dream – pupil worksheet
Activity 3 – Meeting Mr. Hyde – Notes for Teachers
Activity 3 – Meeting Mr. Hyde – pupil worksheet
Activity 4 – Mr. Hyde Character Analysis – pupil worksheet
List of recommended Graphic Novels for the classroom
Introduction
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson was
published in 1886. The book follows the lawyer Utterson’s entanglement in the affairs
of Dr. Henry Jekyll, an upstanding gentleman who masks his infernal alter ego Mr.
Hyde. It is a dark, gothic tale of the duality in human nature. The inspiration for the
book was conceived from the duality of Edinburgh, a vibrant city with a dark heart,
although the story is set in London.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was adapted into a graphic novel by
Alan Grant and Cam Kennedy in 2008. The graphic novel stays almost entirely
faithful to the original dialogue of Stevenson’s novella. It is an excellent text for
reluctant readers, and there are also versions available in Gaelic and Scots. The text
is suitable for a wide range of ages and abilities. This resource is mainly aimed at
pupils working towards level 4.
This resource was developed by Michael Stephenson of Inveralmond Community
High School. It is available in Word or PDF format. To help you use the resource,
you may want to refer to Michael’s blog about his experiences:
http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/blog/teacher-in-residence/2010/03/michaelstephenson-graphic-novel-ideas.
Michael has also produced two other units on adapting text, using the novella
Coraline by Neil Gaiman. This novella is also available as a graphic novel – see the
final page of this resource for details.
This resource should be used in conjunction with Michael’s powerpoints, which are
available on Scottish Book Trust’s website. Where an activity has a connection to
one of the powerpoints, this has been indicated.
Timesavers/useful links
Edinburgh’s UNESCO City of Literature campaign:
http://www.cityofliterature.com/ecol.aspx?sec=6&pid=215
This is an excellent starting point for those unfamiliar with the conventions of graphic
novels. There are lots of resources on The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
which give an insight into how a narrative is put together in a graphic novel.
Duke University’s Writing About Graphic Novels handout:
http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/files/Duke%20University%20Comics%20and%20Vi
sual%20Literacy.pdf
Again, a good resource for those who want to get to grips with how to deconstruct
graphic novels.
National Centre for Technology in Education’s Guide to Terminology:
http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/files/comics%20terminology_0.pdf
A very useful resource which explains the meaning of important terminology.
Activity 1 – Introduce your pupils to Graphic Novels
The pupils will need to familiarise themselves with the conventions of graphic novels.
The Powerpoint entitled ‘Making a Graphic Novel’ provides an introduction to graphic
novels, including their structure, artwork and dialogue.
You can find the Powerpoint on Scottish Book Trust’s website at
http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/learning/teaching-resources/upper-secondary
The handout on the next page is very useful for pupils as they attempt to familiarise
themselves with how text is presented in a graphic novel.
Activity 2 – Utterson’s Dream – extract to hand out to
pupils
Activity 2 – Utterson’s Dream – Notes for Teachers
In this activity, pupils will analyse and deconstruct a page of the text. The handout
and the worksheet are on the following pages.
The Powerpoint presentation entitled ‘Utterson’s Dream’ will be a useful
accompaniment to this lesson. You can find the Powerpoint on Scottish Book Trust’s
website at http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/learning/teaching-resources/uppersecondary.
These notes are designed to give teachers suggested answers to the questions on
the worksheet. They are by no means exhaustive!
The three categories for analysis are taken from the great resource on graphic
novels and visual literacy which Duke University have made available online at
http://uwp.duke.edu/wstudio/documents/comics.pdf .
Page layout

First quarter-page panel establishes situation (long shot of Utterson’s
bedroom, Utterson asleep) – central panels develop narrative of his dream by
presenting four images from his dream in sequence, final panel gives
emphasis (graphic weight) to figure of Hyde.

Central panels’ overlapping, circular layout suggests Utterson’s mind locked in
a cycle – no escape from these thoughts and images...

Final ‘bleed’ – borderless panel sees Hyde’s shadowy form extending beyond
page – an imminent and threatening image, perhaps suggesting how Hyde
envelops Utterson’s mind...
Art Style

Colour – background transition from blue (cold, nocturnal) to red and its
connotations of danger, blood etc. Blue/black palette in central images to
evoke ‘nocturnal city’.

Light and shadow – black shadow associated with Hyde – mysterious,
sinister, threatening etc. Adds to text...’The figure had NO FACE!’

Impressionistic style of lamplight, Hyde’s figure – evocative of dream but also
of intangible fears, lurking danger...

Something bat-like in Hyde’s figure?
Text

Captions used for narration, as opposed to speech balloons for dialogue

Text adds to image in terms of detail of situation and event, sound (girl’s
screams) and imagery – scroll of lighted pictures; great field of lamps of a
nocturnal city; human juggernaut...

Activity 2 – Utterson’s Dream – pupil worksheet
(Understanding, Analysing and Evaluating: Eng 4-17a, Eng 419a).
In this extract from chapter one, Mr Utterson has a troubled night after hearing his
friend talk about Mr. Hyde.
In this activity, you will analyse how various aspects of the page help to convey
Utterson’s “toiling mind”.
Page Layout

How do the panels establish situation and then develop a narrative?

Why is the design of the four central panels effective?

What is the effect of the bleed at the bottom of the page?
Art Style
How do the following affect the impact of the page?

Choice of image

Colour

Light and shade

Level of detail – realistic? Impressionistic?
Text

Why are captions used, rather than speech balloons?

What does the text add to our understanding of the images?

Which words and phrases do you find most effective? Can you comment on
the use of metaphor?

Which words are lettered in bold, and why?
Overall, how effectively do you feel Grant & Kennedy have brought the scene to life
and created the anxious, troubled mood of Utterson’s dream?
Activity 3 – Meeting Mr. Hyde – notes for teachers
(Understanding, Analysing and Evaluating: Eng 4-19a, Finding and
Using Information: Lit 4-15a, Tools for Reading: Lit 4-13a)
The Powerpoint entitled ‘Meeting Mr. Hyde’ is useful as an accompaniment to this
lesson and can be found on Scottish Book Trust’s website at
http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/learning/teaching-resources/upper-secondary.
Below, suggested answers to the worksheet for this activity have been highlighted.
Again, these are by no means exhaustive.
All at once, I saw two figures: one a little man who was stumping
along eastward at a good walk, and the other a girl of maybe eight or
ten who was running as hard as she was able down a cross street.
Well, sir, the two ran into one another naturally enough at the corner;
and then came the horrible part of the thing; for the man trampled
calmly over the child’s body and left her screaming on the ground. It
sounds nothing to hear, but it was hellish to see. It wasn’t like a man;
it was like some damned Juggernaut. I gave a view-halloa, took to
my heels, collared my gentleman, and brought him back to where
there was already quite a group about the screaming child. He was
perfectly cool and made no resistance, but gave me one look, so
ugly that it brought out the sweat on me like running.
“Mr. Hyde was pale and dwarfish, he gave an impression of
deformity without any nameable malformation, he had a displeasing
smile, he had borne himself to the lawyer with a sort of murderous
mixture of timidity and boldness, and he spoke with a husky,
whispering and somewhat broken voice; all these were points
against him, but not all of these together could explain the hitherto
unknown disgust, loathing, and fear with which Mr. Utterson
regarded him. “There must be something else,” said the perplexed
gentleman. “There is something more, if I could find a name for it.
God bless me, the man seems hardly human! Something troglodytic,
shall we say? Or can it be the old story of Dr. Fell? Or is it the mere
radiance of a foul soul that thus transpires through, and transfigures,
its clay continent? The last, I think; for, O my poor old Harry Jekyll, if
ever I read Satan’s signature upon a face, it is on that of your new
friend.”
Activity 3 – Meeting Mr. Hyde – pupil worksheet
In these two extracts from Robert Louis Stevenson’s original novel,
highlight the key words and phrases from which you learn something
about the character of Mr Hyde...
All at once, I saw two figures: one a little man who was stumping
along eastward at a good walk, and the other a girl of maybe eight or
ten who was running as hard as she was able down a cross street.
Well, sir, the two ran into one another naturally enough at the corner;
and then came the horrible part of the thing; for the man trampled
calmly over the child’s body and left her screaming on the ground. It
sounds nothing to hear, but it was hellish to see. It wasn’t like a man;
it was like some damned Juggernaut. I gave a view-halloa, took to
my heels, collared my gentleman, and brought him back to where
there was already quite a group about the screaming child. He was
perfectly cool and made no resistance, but gave me one look, so
ugly that it brought out the sweat on me like running.
“Mr. Hyde was pale and dwarfish, he gave an impression of
deformity without any nameable malformation, he had a displeasing
smile, he had borne himself to the lawyer with a sort of murderous
mixture of timidity and boldness, and he spoke with a husky,
whispering and somewhat broken voice; all these were points
against him, but not all of these together could explain the hitherto
unknown disgust, loathing, and fear with which Mr. Utterson
regarded him. “There must be something else,” said the perplexed
gentleman. “There is something more, if I could find a name for it.
God bless me, the man seems hardly human! Something troglodytic,
shall we say? Or can it be the old story of Dr. Fell? Or is it the mere
radiance of a foul soul that thus transpires through, and transfigures,
its clay continent? The last, I think; for, O my poor old Harry Jekyll, if
ever I read Satan’s signature upon a face, it is on that of your new
friend.”
Activity 4 – Mr. Hyde Character Analysis – pupil worksheet
(Understanding, Analysing and Evaluating: eng 4-19a,
Finding and Using Information: Lit 4-16a)
Comics & Graphic Novels
Recommended Reading List
This suggested graphic novels reading list for teachers has been compiled as a
result of Michael Stephenson’s module on Adaptation.
These suggestions have been gathered verbally from a number of sources, and are
intended as a point of departure for teachers interested in using comics and graphics
novels in the classroom.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Jekyll & Hyde comic by Alan Grant and Cam Kennedy
Jekyll & Hyde Scots version translated by James Spence
Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped by Grant & Kennedy.
Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped Scots version translated by Mathew
Fitt.
5. Nevermore - A Graphic Novel Anthology of Edgar Allan Poe's Short Stories Various, Dan Whitehead (ed)
6. The Classical Comics range offering adaptations of classic horror Frankenstein, Dracula - as well as classic novels like Jane Eyre and
Wuthering Heights.
7. Metaphrog's First Men on Mercury strip, too, obviously. Brilliant, faithful
version and it can be downloaded free at their website along with teachers'
notes from ASLS.
8. Coraline, adapted P Craig Russell from Neil Gaiman's novel.
9. Maus Art Spiegelman
10. Safe Area Gorazde Joe Sacco
11. Palestine Joe Sacco
12. Persepolis Marjane Satrapi
13. Resistance Carla Jablonski and Leland Purvis
14. Watchmen Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons
15. V for Vendetta Alan Moore, David Lloyd
16. Batman: The Killing Joke Alan Moore
17. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Frank Miller
18. Ghost World by Daniel Clowes
19. True Swamp - The Memoirs of Lenny the Frog – by Jon Lewis
20. Relentless (Cat Woman) by Ed Brubaker
21. The Nikopol Trilogy by Enki Bilal
22. Bone by Jeff Smith
23. From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell
24. Frank by Jim Woodring
25. Through the Habit Rails by Jeff Nicholson
26. Domu by Katsuhiro
27. Otomo and Adolph by Tezaku