The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, published in 1886 by RL Stevenson, became a gothic tale that shook the nation. The thriller as a study of split personality in which Doctor Jekyll discovers a monster through a scientific experiment, in which he separates his inner self. The use of a doppelganger, one with an established career and the other a murderous monster, struck Victorian England at a time when London was threatened by a series of terrible crimes. However, when The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was adapted for the stage and embarked on London's West End, the Whitechapel murders began with an unknown Jack the Ripper wandering the streets, just like Hyde. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The Whitechapel case sparked fear in London, the killer was never found. This has been studied in works ranging from basic scientific investigations to speculative rumors as the persistent interest in these murders stems from the fact that the perpetrator is still anonymous, as well as the horrific disfigurements suffered by the victims. As a result, many people began to compare Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to The Whitechapel Murders. The actor playing the characters, Richard Mansfield, possessed an uncanny ability to transform on stage, raising the potential for a doppelganger to appear and influence the killer. Sarah Winter observes that “The melodrama thus raised a disturbing question about the reliability of the supposed integrity of the professionals, as it underlined that their apparent distinction from the high crime rates of poorer areas should not be seen as a sure sign of their correctness” . From his suggestion it can be deduced that the Victorian public began to fear not only the lower class associated with the crimes but also those in professions as Jekyll's profession as a doctor induced fear as the murderer was unknown to all and sundry. Therefore, The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Hyde performed on stage challenged ideas of class hierarchy throughout London. Because The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Hyde was seen as doppelganger, contemporary audiences were influenced to believe that the same thing was happening with Jack the Ripper, linking the fictional novel to the horrific murders of the time. The Ripper murders ultimately influenced the show's closure, as its mysterious connections to the murders increased fear across London. However, Mansfield's theatrical portrayal of the roles played a crucial role in building the perception of the killer as someone with a respected career. Suspicions turned to Mansfield himself at one point, as his portrayal of the role was so believable that audiences began to wonder whether he was taking the characters beyond the stage. The public began writing letters to the press suspecting Mansfield of being the Ripper, however he was never arrested as a suspect. However, the fear that Mansfield aroused in his acting and stage performance of The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Hyde intensified public concerns during the murders. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now As demonstrated by the correlation between the performances and the terror of the Whitechapel murders, Stevenson's novel as a play shaped the public's ideas about who the killer was, heightening the significance of The Stranger Case of Dr. Jekyll and Hyde., 42 (2015), 174-194