English Literature texts & poems
What are the key quotes in Jekyll and Hyde?
The most useful Jekyll and Hyde quotes are short and flexible. For Hyde's violence, learn "trampled calmly over the child's body" and "ape-like fury". For evil, "Satan's signature upon a face". For Utterson, "I shall be Mr. Seek". For duality, "man is not truly one, but truly two", and for reputation, "a load of genial respectability". Group them by theme, and know which chapter each comes from.
Last updated 23 September 2026 · Written and fact-checked by the GCSEwiz team
How should you use quotations in the exam?
The exam is closed book, so you cannot take the novella in with you. On AQA's Paper 1, Section B, the extract is printed for you, but everything you say about the rest of the novel has to come from memory. Short quotations are the answer: a few words you can quote exactly and then explain in detail.
Weave each quotation into your own sentence and pick out a word to analyse, rather than copying a whole line and moving on. If a quotation slips your mind in the exam, describe the moment clearly instead. AO1, the first assessment objective, rewards references to the text as well as direct quotations.
Editions differ slightly in punctuation, so learn your quotations from the copy your school uses. The novella has ten short chapters, and the tables below follow them in order.
Which quotations from Chapters 1 to 3 matter most?
The opening chapters set up the mystery: Utterson, the door, Hyde's first crime and Jekyll's reassurances.
| Quotation | Who and where | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| "lean, long, dusty, dreary" | The narrator on Utterson, Chapter 1 | Utterson as dry and respectable. |
| "trampled calmly over the child's body" | Enfield on Hyde, Chapter 1 | Cruelty without feeling. The key word is "calmly". |
| "like some damned Juggernaut" | Enfield on Hyde, Chapter 1 | Hyde as a crushing, unstoppable force. |
| "the more it looks like Queer Street, the less I ask" | Enfield, Chapter 1 | Silence as good manners. Reputation. |
| "I shall be Mr. Seek" | Utterson, Chapter 2 | The pun that turns him into a detective. |
| "Satan's signature upon a face" | Utterson on Hyde, Chapter 2 | Evil that shows on the outside. |
| "the moment I choose, I can be rid of Mr. Hyde" | Jekyll, Chapter 3 | False confidence. Dramatic irony on a second reading. |
Which quotations from Chapters 4 to 8 matter most?
The middle of the novella turns the mystery into a murder case, then into a disappearance.
| Quotation | Who and where | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| "with ape-like fury" | The narrator on Hyde, Chapter 4 | Animal violence, linked to evolution. |
| "like a district of some city in a nightmare" | The narrator on Soho, Chapter 4 | The dark, divided city. |
| "I was thinking of my own character" | Jekyll, Chapter 5 | Reputation put before a murdered man. |
| "only differently sloped" | Mr Guest on the handwriting, Chapter 5 | Duality. The same hand, leaning another way. |
| "If I am the chief of sinners, I am the chief of sufferers also" | Jekyll's letter, Chapter 6 | Guilt mixed with self-pity. |
| "abject terror and despair" | The narrator on Jekyll at the window, Chapter 7 | Jekyll losing control. |
| "we may at least save his credit" | Utterson, Chapter 8 | Reputation protected to the last. |
Which quotations from Chapters 9 and 10 matter most?
The last two chapters are written documents, Lanyon's account and Jekyll's confession, and they explain everything.
| Quotation | Who and where | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| "like a man restored from death" | Lanyon on Jekyll, Chapter 9 | The transformation seen from outside. |
| "man is not truly one, but truly two" | Jekyll, Chapter 10 | Duality stated as a law of human nature. |
| "a load of genial respectability" | Jekyll, Chapter 10 | Respectability as a burden. |
| "This, too, was myself." | Jekyll, Chapter 10 | Hyde is part of Jekyll. |
| "Edward Hyde, alone in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil" | Jekyll, Chapter 10 | Jekyll pushing the blame onto Hyde. |
| "My devil had been long caged, he came out roaring" | Jekyll, Chapter 10 | Locked-away desires grow stronger. |
| "I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end" | Jekyll, Chapter 10 | The final split: he writes about himself as someone else. |
Which quotations work for more than one question?
A small bank of flexible quotations is easier to carry into the exam than a long list. These stretch across several focuses:
- "trampled calmly over the child's body" works for Hyde and for any question on violence.
- "Satan's signature upon a face" covers evil and religion, and also shows Utterson judging a man's soul by his face.
- "only differently sloped" fits duality, and secrecy too, since it is the clue Utterson chooses to hide.
- "a load of genial respectability" works for reputation, and for duality as well: the public load and the private escape.
- "This, too, was myself." answers any question on whether Hyde is really separate from Jekyll.
How do you learn them?
Group quotations by theme rather than by chapter, so a question on reputation brings a whole set to mind at once. Put each one on a card with a one-line analysis on the back, and test yourself both ways.
Then use them. Once a week, write one timed paragraph on a new focus using two quotations from your bank, and check every word against your copy of the novella. Our guide to memorising English Literature quotes, linked below, has a full routine.
Keep reading
- How do I memorise English Literature quotes?
- How is Mr Hyde presented in Jekyll and Hyde?
- How is duality presented in Jekyll and Hyde?
- How is reputation presented in Jekyll and Hyde?
- How do I revise for GCSE English Literature?
- Jekyll and Hyde: the GCSE English Literature lesson and practice
- GCSE English Literature on GCSEwiz