Heaven and Hell

Understanding the way Hollywood operates, it is no surprise that the basic storyline of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has been adapted and modified into various forms. One is naturally drawn to the plot based on its suspense and otherworldly depictions of the internal battle within Dr. Jekyll. Perhaps the most popular example of the story being modified for another purpose lies in the portrayal of Gollum/Smeagol in The Lord of the Rings. While reading this story, I found myself envisioning the iconic representation of Gollum by Andy Serkis. Also, there is even an upcoming film dealing with similar themes, albeit to an extreme level, called Split. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Split clearly draws influence from the plot of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but features an individual suffering from 23 different personalities. Obviously, the major themes incorporating mental illness, drug addiction, and personal accountability remain developments popularized as a result of this book.

While reading the text, I pondered over one of the more interesting motifs revolving around the internal struggle between good and evil. As Dr. Jekyll states, "...all human beings, as we meet them, are commingled out of good and evil" (Stevenson, 45). This theme truly dives into the crux of this class's purpose. As we have discussed form our previous reading, Frankenstein, everyone possesses the ability to be either a hero or monster, committing good or evil acts based on the distinction. The instance with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, though, reveals a particularly different scenario since both personalities are polar opposites of one another. "My two natures had memory in common, but all other faculties were most unequally shared between them," said Dr. Jekyll (Stevenson, 48). The distinctiveness between the two personalities remains an intriguing allegory for the forces of good and evil within each individual.

In heavy metal music, arguable no band has held a more legendary status than that of the genre's founders, Black Sabbath. One of my favorite songs from this group has lyrical content dealing with the concept of personal good and evil. From the 1980 record of a similar title, the song "Heaven and Hell" actively portrays the dichotomy surrounding this theme. Ronnie James Dio's lyrics for the song include, "Sing me a song, you're a singer, Do me a wrong, you're a bringer of evil, The Devil is never a maker, The less that you give, you're a taker" ("Heaven And Hell Lyrics"). In the song, the concept of Heaven and Hell (i.e. good and evil) are inherent within all people. Throughout the course of our lives then, each person decides whether they act upon the good or evil that lies underneath. The essence of this track parallels a similar theme found in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

                                          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEic8-jq39Y
                                          

                                          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idn50Xj_CiY

I pledge that I have neither given nor received any unauthorized aid on this assignment. Anthony King

Sources:

"Heaven And Hell Lyrics." -Black Sabbath. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2016

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Extended Edition). Dir. Peter Jackson. New Line Home

    Video, 2006. DVD.

Split. Dir. M. Night Shyamalan. Universal Pictures, 2017. Film.

Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. New York: Dover

    Publications, 1991. Print.