Expand: date=March 2008

An alter ego (Latin, "the other I") is a second self, a second personality or persona within a person. It was coined in the early nineteenth century when schizophrenia was first described by early psychologists. A person with an alter ego is said to lead a double life.

The term alter ego is commonly used in literature analysis and comparison to describe characters who are psychologically identical, or sometimes to describe a character as an alter ego of the author, a fictional character whose behavior, speech or thoughts intentionally represent those of the author.

Alternatively, this can refer a similar situation when a role or persona is taken on by an actor.

The characters Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde in Robert Louis Stevenson's thriller Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde represent an exploration of the concept that good and evil exist within one person, constantly at war. Edward Hyde literally represents the doctor's other self, a psychopathic being unrestrained by the conventions of civilized society, who shares a body with the doctor.

This can also refer to the way a person may act differently in different situations.

See also

• Id, ego, and super-ego
• Avatar
• Doppelgänger
• Impersonator
• Secret identity
• Author surrogate