This document discusses the theme of the double in Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Both novels tell stories of scientists who try to surpass human limitations through creation of life without responsibility. Frankenstein features two complementary characters, the doctor and his monster, while Jekyll and Hyde features one person with two personalities. Unlike Frankenstein's creator, Jekyll fully enjoys experiencing his dual nature, though both works show the creators being destroyed by their own creations.

1. THE THEME OF THE DOUBLE
Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein are two horrific
tales of science gone wrong. Shelley's novel eloquently tells the story of a scientist, Victor
Frankenstein, who creates a human beings by joining parts selected from corpses who becomes a
monster, while Stevenson's novel describes the account of one, Henry Jekyll, who creates a potion to
bring out the pure evil side to himself. Both of authors try to surpass human limitation without taking
responsibility for their actions and both of works have the double theme as their most important issue.
But in Frankenstein, there are two people, the doctor and the monster that are complementary to each
other, while in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde there is only one person with two personalities who represent
the stereotypes of people who are good and bad. Moreover, unlike Jekyll, Victor abandons his monster
to his destiny and flees, longing immediately and ardently for never having given him life. Indeed, he
speaks of his creature as a failure from the beginning, while Jekyll fully enjoys the experience that the
creature that has come out of himself can provide him. And, as for Jekyll, also for Victor the creator of
his destruction will be his own creature.
MARINI ALESSIA