Good vs Evil Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Essay

Words: 1835
Pages: 8

The world as we know it is constantly moving and changing; events occur that can affect people’s lives even if they are thousands of miles away. Whether or not these happenings are good or evil can shape one’s mindset and outlook on the actions they take themselves. Both have distinct strengths and weaknesses; however, the real question one must ask is which side of the spectrum is more capable of influencing humanity. In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde written by Robert Louis Stevenson, a wealthy and well-respected doctor by the name of Henry Jekyll, who believes that man is not one but two separate people, constructs a potion which unearths his inner evil (Mr. Edward Hyde), and in the end is engulfed by the strength of his malevolent persona. …show more content…
Adolf Hitler can be used as an example of this; his greed for the perfect Germany drove him to do things which are appalling to imagine. With the article being based off of Hitler, it debates, “Vice is the easy option, whereas virtue denotes difficulty and sweat. As the great Roman philosopher and dramatist Seneca wrote: 'Nature does not give a man virtue, the process of becoming a good man is an art.'” (Masters). Human beings are always searching for an easy way out. It can be applied to everyday life, taking an escalator rather than the stairs for example. When faced with the decision between good and evil, one is swayed towards evil simply because it is the easier decision to make. To be good and pure is to ignore impulses for revenge or selfish acts, which give one a sense of satisfaction and are hard to resist. It is a natural instinct to be bad, and one must work hard to escape the evil of their own self. Once somebody defeats the demons that lie inside of them, it is a whole other battle to face the evil that lay in front of them in their life. No matter where one may try to go, it is near impossible to escape the constant influence of bad people and bad things. No matter age, race, or sex, corrupt people are out there that can hurt and destroy. Evil is something that has the ability to spread like a wildfire, and affect all who crosses its path. In an ABC News article titled “‘Depraved’ Behavior in Ordinary Life”