Dr. Henry Jekyll Essay, Research Paper
Dr. Henry Jekyll, a scientist with no real achievements in life, and starting to age was merely looking for a thrill when he committed the crimes he is charged for today. True that he is a sick man, but a man who knew after the first time he transformed himself into Mr. Hyde that this character could only get him into trouble. Dr. Jekyll is even quoted after the first transformation saying, ?Hyde was pure evil.?
Dr. Jekyll was not afflicted with some disease when he was Hyde; he was only tainted with one of the evils that destroyed people like Hitler and Napoleon, that is absolute power and the abuse of it. Mr. Hyde felt absolute power a feeling which he was unable to control, and when a man in this country cannot control his feelings of lust and rapes a girl we don?t make excuses. We convict them.
Another thing we must take into consideration is that Henry Jekyll is a very well educated man, not your everyday murderer, don?t let him come up to the stand and fool you with his vast vocabulary and calm tone of speaking. If you were to let him walk free who is to say he would not go home get bored and need some entertainment and transform again. Or at a time in his life when he needs money try to sell the formula to someone.
The defense will try to argue that Dr. Jekyll was a man with MPD (multiple personality disorder), a flimsy story at best. Through research of this disorder I have found that a person suffering from Multiple Personality Disorder does not just have one other personality like the defense will try to state, but on average they usually have 15 ? 30, how come nobody has not noticed any other ones. Also MPD is not a disease that someone acquires when they are in their forties, it usually occurs in their teenage years. On top of that in the story a servant actually notices a physical change happen to the doctor like hair growth. A person does not physically change when afflicted with a personality disorder. I feel that these facts clearly rule out the defense trying to use Multiple Personality Disorder as a reason for Jekyll?s malice.
If you do not convict Dr. Jekyll of the crimes of Mr. Hyde for any argument I gave you, than do it for the family of the little girl he crushed in the streets. She was nearly walking, innocent as winters first snow fall when Mr. Hyde ran her over. Now her family has to live each day with an emptiness that I wish apon no one in this courtroom. Think about your children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews, what have they ever done to deserve a penalty like death. I say this because if you let this man walk free it might not be a nameless face next time but a member of your family. So when you go back to the deliberation room, think about all the facts I have given you butt also that by putting this man in prison for a long time you will be giving a family its closure along with making the streets safer for all men, woman and children. I will not sleep peacefully in my bed again until I know that this man is in a correctional facility. Crimes were committed, lives were lost and ruined, and someone must pay for them, that someone is Dr. Jekyll