Hyde and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein tell cautionary tales of scientists, who both abuse their creative powers, in order to exist in a different world. There, their mistakes will not be judged and they will not be blamed for their actions. Frankenstein's creation is a "monster", distinct from his creator while Dr. Jekyll metamorphoses into Mr. Hyde. The "double" of each protagonist progressively grows more violent throughout his story. Even though the reasons behind their creations, the physical appearances of the two monsters, and the reasons of the creatures" violent behaviour are different, they all show how everyone's soul is made up of two different sides; good and evil. .
First, the theme of good and evil can be seen through the reasons behind the two scientists" creations. Dr. Jekyll wanted something through which he could put on display his evil side, while Frankenstein created his Monster from pure curiosity of the mystery of the creation of life. Dr. Jekyll's idealism allows him to maintain a respectable seriousness in public while hiding his more silly and indecent side. He finds himself leading a dual life, in which his better side constantly feels guilt for the wrong acts committed by his darker side. He strongly believes " that man is not truly one, but truly two" and "it was on the moral side, and in my own person that I learned to recognize the thorough and primitive duality of man." Jekyll records how he dreamed of separating the good and evil natures and after much research, he eventually finds a chemical solution that might serve his purposes. Aware of the fact that he can be risking his life, Dr. Jekyll still drinks the potion he has come up with, to transform into the shrunken, deformed Mr. Hyde. Victor Frankenstein on the other hand, has been fascinated by the mysteries of the natural world since his teenage years. After having talked to a modern natural philosopher and professor Waldman, Victor decides to pursue his studies in the sciences at the University of Ingolstadt.