“The

“The letter
letter was
was written
written inin an
an odd,
odd, upright
upright
hand
hand and
and signed
signed “Edward
“Edward Hyde”:
Hyde”: and
and itit
signified,
signified, briefly
briefly enough,
enough, that
that the
the writer’s
writer’s
benefactor,
benefactor, Dr.Dr. Jekyll,
Jekyll, whom
whom he he had
had long
long so so
unworthily
unworthily repaid
repaid for
for aa thousand
thousand
generosities,
generosities, need
need labour
labour under
under nono alarm
alarm
for
for his
his safety,
safety, as
as he
he had
had means
means of of escape
escape
on
on which
which he he placed
placed aa sure
sure dependence.
dependence.
The
The lawyer
lawyer liked
liked this
this letter
letter well
well enough;
enough; itit
put
put aa better
better colour
colour onon the
the intimacy
intimacy than
than he he
had
had looked
looked for;
for; and
and he
he blamed
blamed himself
himself for
for
some
some of of his
his past
past suspicions.
suspicions. ““

What does this letter tell Jekyll?

Why is Utterson so keen to see both
the letter and the envelope?
Why does Utterson question the
servant Poole about who delivered
the message?
 Utterson
Utterson wants
wants toto see
see where
where HydeHyde has
has
The
The letter
letter tells
tells Jekyll
Jekyll that
that Hyde
Hyde will
will escape
escape sent
sent the
the letter
letter from
from and
and the
the envelope
envelope
would
would give
give some
some clues
clues into
into his
his
the
the country
country somehow
somehow and and so
so Jekyll
Jekyll should
should whereabouts,
whereabouts, but but Jekyll
Jekyll says
says he
he has
has burnt
burnt
not
not worry
worry about
about him.
him. it!
it!
The
The letter
letter also
also thanks
thanks Jekyll
Jekyll for
for all
all his
his Utterson
Utterson speaks
speaks toto Poole
Poole the the servant
servant
generosity
generosity towards
towards him:
him: “whom
“whom he he had
had about
about the
the letter
letter as
as he
he wants
wants to to know
know who
who
long
long so
so unworthily
unworthily repaid
repaid for
for aa thousand
thousand delivered
delivered the
the message
message and and findfind out
out where
where
generosities” the
the letter
letter came
came from.
from. ItIt isis important
important toto
generosities” Utterson
Utterson toto locate
locate Hyde.
Hyde.
Utterson
Utterson likes
likes the
the letter
letter because
because itit suggests
suggests However,
However, Poole
Poole informs
informs Utterson
Utterson that
that no
no
Jekyll
Jekyll is
is not
not being
being blackmailed
blackmailed by
by Hyde
Hyde but
but letter
letter had
had come
come from
from outside
outside ofof Jekyll’s
Jekyll’s
instead
instead isis just
just trying
trying to
to help
help him.
him. laboratory,
laboratory, suggesting
suggesting thethe letter
letter had
had been
been
written
written INSIDE
INSIDE the
the laboratory:
laboratory:

“This news
“This news sentsent off
off the
the visitor
visitor with
with his
his
What does this letter tell Jekyll? fears
fears renewed.
renewed. Plainly
Plainly the
the letter
letter had
had come
come
Why is Utterson so keen to see both by
by the
the laboratory
laboratory door;
door; possibly,
possibly, indeed,
indeed, itit
had
had been
been written
written in
in the
the cabinet;
cabinet; and
and ifif that
that
the letter and the envelope? were
were so,
so, itit must
must be
be differently
differently judged,
judged, and and
Why does Utterson question the handled
handled with
with thethe more
more caution.”
caution.”
servant Poole about who delivered
the message?
Mr Guest is a “great student and critic of
handwriting”.
•• “Well,
“Well, sir,”
sir,” returned
returned the
the clerk,
clerk, “there’s
“there’s aa rather
rather singular
singular resemblance;
resemblance; the
the
two
two hands
hands are are in
in many
many points
points identical:
identical: only
only differently
differently sloped.”
sloped.”

•• Trying
Trying to
to copy
copy the
the handwriting
handwriting of
of the
the person
person next
next to
to you,
you, write
write down
down your
your
answer
answer toto one
one of
of these
these questions:
questions:

Why
Why isis Utterson
Utterson so
so worried
worried about
about Jekyll
Jekyll and
and Hyde’s
Hyde’s handwritings
handwritings being
being
similar?
similar?
Why
Why dodo you
you think
think their
their handwritings
handwritings are
are so
so similar?
similar?
Why
Why is
is the
the letter
letter such
such an
an important
important part
part of
of the
the story?
story? What
What does
does itit
represent?
represent? Why?
Why?
The letter is a key symbol
But
But no
no sooner
sooner was
was Mr.
Mr. Utterson
Utterson alone
alone “I
“I wouldn’t
wouldn’t speak
speak of
of this
this note,
note, you
you
that
that night,
night, than
than hehe locked
locked the
the note
note into
into know,”
know,” said
said the
the master.
master.
his
his safe,
safe, where
where itit reposed
reposed from
from that
that time
time “No,
“No, sir,”
sir,” said
said the
the clerk.
clerk. “I
“I
forward.
forward. “What!”
“What!” he he thought.
thought. “Henry
“Henry understand.”
understand.”
Jekyll
Jekyll forge
forge for
for aa murderer!”
murderer!” AndAnd his
his
blood
blood ran
ran cold
cold in
in his
his veins.
veins.
The
The handwriting
handwriting ofof Jekyll
Jekyll and
and of
of Hyde
Hyde areare very
very similar,
similar, suggesting
suggesting they
they come
come fromfrom the
the same
same
person.
person. Utterson
Utterson assumes
assumes Jekyll
Jekyll isis forging
forging Hyde’s
Hyde’s handwriting
handwriting inin order
order to
to help
help cover
cover his
his
tracks,
tracks, or
or “forge
“forge for
for aa murderer”
murderer” as as he
he says
says in
in an
an emotional
emotional manner
manner that
that isis unusual
unusual for
for him.
him. ItIt
makes
makes his
his blood
blood run
run cold
cold in
in his
his veins
veins andand truly
truly terrifies
terrifies him.
him.

However,
However, the
the letter
letter represents
represents the
the duality
duality of
of human
human nature.
nature. Jekyll
Jekyll and
and Hyde
Hyde are
are one
one and
and the
the
same
same and
and this
this isis shown
shown through
through their
their similar
similar handwriting.
handwriting.

Additionally,
Additionally, Utterson
Utterson tells
tells Guest
Guest not
not to
to reveal
reveal this
this to
to anyone
anyone –– he
he isis covering
covering up
up for
for his
his friend
friend
Jekyll
Jekyll when
when really
really he
he should
should not.
not. Secrecy
Secrecy isis aa very
very important
important theme
theme in in the
the text
text and
and here
here
Utterson
Utterson isis willing
willing to
to put
put himself
himself in
in trouble
trouble in in order
order to
to protect
protect his
his friend.
friend.