Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Part 5 summary
Part 5 of 10 · 7 min to read the part
In The Incident of the Letter, Mr. Utterson visits Henry Jekyll, who promises to break with Hyde and entrusts him with a letter apparently signed by Hyde. Poole’s account of deliveries and Mr. Guest’s comparison of handwriting deepen Utterson’s suspicions, leading him to believe that Jekyll forges the letter to protect a murderer.
What happens
- Poole takes Mr. Utterson through the laboratory to Henry Jekyll, who looks gravely ill and insists his connection with Hyde is over.
- Jekyll gives Utterson a letter signed Edward Hyde, whose writer claims to possess a certain means of escape.
- Jekyll confirms that Hyde dictates the disappearance terms in his will, and Utterson interprets them as evidence of murderous intent.
- Poole denies receiving a hand-delivered letter, reviving Utterson’s fears about where the document originates.
- At Utterson’s home, Mr. Guest compares Hyde’s letter with Jekyll’s dinner invitation and finds matching features with different slants.
- Utterson demands secrecy, locks the note away, and concludes that Jekyll forges a letter for a murderer.
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In this part
What to notice
Guest identifies the resemblance that changes Utterson’s understanding of the letter. Utterson treats the comparison as evidence that Jekyll protects Hyde through forgery.
Quick check
What does Guest notice when he compares the two documents?
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