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Why is Mr. Hyde smaller than Dr. Jekyll in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?

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Hyde, Mr.; Jekyll, Dr. — Mr. Hyde Mr. Hyde (left) and Dr. Jekyll, both as portrayed by Fredric March, 1931.

In Robert Louis Stevenson's novella, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Mr. Hyde is described as being smaller than Dr. Jekyll. This physical difference is often interpreted as symbolizing that evil represents only a small part of Jekyll's overall personality, yet it can manifest in powerful and violent ways.1