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Similarities and differences between Romeo and Juliet's balcony scene and chapter 23 from Jane Eyre. Analyse
by María Luisa Arias Flórez (2008-09, 5ºC)
In spite of being both romantic scenes, in a similar climate, at the same hour of the day, at an orchard and at a garden, I think there are many differences between them.
Romeo is looking for a date with Juliet, but Jane is trying to flee when she notes Mr. Rochester's presence. And Mr. Rochester, with, obviously, more experience in these matters than Jane, is playing with her, without her knowledge, pretending that he had not seen her.
At Jane's scene we have more suffering, more inward struggle and more doubts and insecurity, not only on Jane's side but also on Mr. Rochester's.
While Romeo and Juliet are considered by themselves as luminous beings, almost touching Perfection, Jane and Mr. Rochester are insecure characters with a poor concept of themselves. He knows that he is older than Jane, and ugly, and that his only attraction could be, for women as Blanche Ingram, his money and properties, but Jane, apparently, is not interested in money. And before he should give her certainty of his real feelings towards her, he needs all kind of proofs of her love. He did the same farce with Blanche, expanding a rumour about his decreasing properties. Distrustful as he is, it is a feature of his personality this type of behaviour. Sometimes during the dialogue between Jane and Rochester, Jane looks like as a cornered animal. He, with cruelty, extracts her confession without worrying about her suffering. Romeo and Juliet have a more "relaxed" dialogue, more platonic. Perhaps Mr. Rochester's age and ugliness do not let him give any false step. Romeo risks everything but Rochester does not risk anything.
Romeo and Juliet have a physical barrier, the balcony, and different physical, not social, positions: He, down, at the garden. She, up, at the balcony. But Jane has no physical barriers. Jane and Rochester are at the same physical level, sitting side by side, and looking face to face. But Rochester builds an imaginary barrier, the sea between Ireland and England, to transport Jane at a fancier situation to put her in an appropriate context of suffering thinking about the separation and forcing her to demonstrate him her love first.
We can compare Jane's attitude, at the end of the chapter, when she notes Mr. Fairfax's presence. She is so full of love that she does not pay attention to her, because she, as free being without fortune or relatives, does not need give explanations to anybody. On the other hand, Juliet is very worried about her maid's presence.