Write About the Ways the Difficulties of Love Are Explored in “Jane Eyre” and Claudio and Hero’s Relationship in “Much Ado About Nothing”.

Charlotte Bronte’s novel, “Jane Eyre” and William Shakespeare’s play, “Much Ado about Nothing”, both focus on the themes of love; “Jane Eyre” was written in 1851, the Victorian era whereas “Much Ado about Nothing” was written in 1599, the Elizabethan era. Although there may be over hundreds of years between them, both texts exhibit the ways the difficulties of love can be explored.  

Both texts imply that there will be difficulties as the relationships are established. Charlotte Bronte presents a flourishing relationship between Jane and Mr Rochester; this is evident when Mr Rochester says ‘“My cherished preserver good night!” Strange energy was in his voice. Strange fire in his look.’ Charlotte Bronte uses passionate language to display the development of love between Jane and Mr Rochester. The word “cherished” underlines Mr Rochester genuine and tender feelings towards her. Charlotte Bronte has also used the word “fire” to describe the look in Mr Rochester’s eyes, Bronte has deliberately used this metaphor to symbolise the growing passion, developing between Jane and him. By this point, readers begin to feel and see the developing passion between Mr Rochester and Jane. Bronte gradually establishes the growing passion between the two, as within the ideologies of the Victorian era, Mr Rochester would have been expected to marry someone of his own social class; due to this Bronte challenges the Victorian reader to consider marriage outside a particular social class.

Although, Bronte also uses actions instead of dialogue between Jane and Mr Rochester to portray their love and trust developing as well as highlighting the barrier of their opposing social classes, Bronte writes “But he still retained my hand and I could not free it”. By having Mr Rochester retain Jane’s hand in a simple manner, Charlotte Bronte creates a gradual tension between Jane and Mr Rochester to emphasise Mr Rochester accepting Jane as an equal, regardless of their social barrier. Bronte’s... [continues]

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