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Essay / Characteristics of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - 1261
Jekyll plays the whole man, the good and the bad, he was both "wild" and also "sweet-faced". Both characters lack vital emotional productions that make humans social, even though the psychopath is more cunning than the sociopath. “…lack of awareness, remorse or guilt for hurtful actions towards others…. There may be an intellectual understanding of appropriate social behavior but no emotional response to the actions of others” (“Psychopath vs. Sociopath” -- http://www.diffen.com/difference/Psychopath_vs_Sociopath). Both are social degradations and nothing can be done about them; yet to the naked eye, these two characters are wild. Both victims of antisocial disorders lack factors that make humans acceptably sociable, with one lacking empathy while the other lacks sensitivity. Diffen, a website, tells us: “Psychopaths…lack empathy; no conscience… sociopaths… high impulsivity” (“Sociopathy versus psychopathy” -- http://www.diffen.com/difference/Sociopathy_versus_Psychopathy). Dr. Jekyll shows no empathy in using and manipulating those close to him, and Mr. Hyde, as expected, has no sensitivity to act cautiously, landing him in trouble for barbaric actions. This in turn shows the comparison and contrast between the psychopathic creator and his sociopathic creation which are actually two halves of a whole. Both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde suffer; however, one from illness and the other from madness. Mr. Hyde is a sociopath and lives it to the fullest, just like Jekyll being a psychopath. However, Hyde was created in a way to portray Jekyll's sinful side, while Jekyll was himself, good and evil, to manipulate and gain evil.