Lesson video

Hello everyone.

Welcome to our next lesson of Jane Eyre.

In today's lesson Jane's dreams are about to become reality.

She is about to get married to the love of her life, Mr. Rochester.

She's about to go to her wedding, but some terrible disaster is about to take place, and Mr. Rochester's dark secret is going to be revealed.

I guarantee you it's going to blow your mind.

So let's begin.

For today's lesson, you will need an exercise book or paper, and a pen.

If you do not have this equipment press the pause button on your video now.

Go and collect this equipment, and then we will begin our lesson.

Let's begin with a recap from our last lesson.

How does Jane feel about her marriage to Rochester? You have four options.

Option one, Jane is excited, but senses that Rochester still holds some dark secrets.

Option two, Jane is excited, and thinks that the wedding day is going to go perfectly.

Option three, Jane is not at all excited about marrying Rochester and dislikes him, or option four, Jane is excited because she fully trusts Rochester.

Press the pause button on your video now, and tell the screen the right answer.

Off you go.

I will now tell you the right answer, which is option one.

Jane is excited about this wedding, but senses that Rochester still holds some dark secrets.

While she loves this gentleman she does not fully trust him.

Well done, if you got that right.

Now, some of you may have chosen one of the other options.

You may have chosen option two.

Jane is excited, and thinks that the wedding day is going to go perfectly.

I would suggest that while Jane is excited about the wedding day, she also has a sense that some disaster might happen on this day.

Remember all the foreshadowing in the last chapter.

Remember how the chestnut tree was struck by lightning.

Remember how the woman broke into Jane's room, and tore her wedding veil in two.

Remember Jane's nightmare about Thornfield Hall becoming a ruin.

All of these strange events seem to make Jane rather anxious, and nervous about her wedding day.

Now you may have also chosen option three.

Jane is not at all excited about marrying Rochester, and dislikes them.

That's not true.

Jane is excited and she does like Rochester.

In fact, she loves Rochester.

It's just she does not fully trust him.

She's aware that he is keeping some dark secrets from her.

And some of you may have chosen option four.

Jane is excited because she fully trusts Rochester.

Again, that's not fully true.

She doesn't fully trust him.

She is aware that he is holding some dark secrets.

Well done, again, if you got that right.

I'll now tell you my plan for today's lesson.

First of all, we're going to revise Mr. Mason.

We're then going to revise Rochester's secrets.

We're then going to revise the strange lady at Thornfield.

It's important that we revise these three main characters because then we'll be able to understand Mr. Rochester's dark secret later on in our lesson.

And after that we're going to read our extract.

Let's begin.

Let's first of all revise this mysterious character, Mr. Mason.

So far, Brontë has only really revealed three facts about this character.

First of all, Mr. Mason comes from the West Indies, and he knows Rochester from here.

So Mr. Rochester used to live in the West Indies, and it's clear that he had some sort of connection with Mr. Mason during his time in this area.

Now, the West Indies, this is it on the map.

It's this group of islands between North and South America.

Sometimes the West Indies is also described as the Caribbean.

Now, when Brontë was writing, the West Indies were a colony of the British Empire.

So Mr. Mason comes from the West Indies, and he knows Rochester from here.

Rochester is also very nervous when Mr. Mason arrives at Thornfield Hall.

It's implied that Mr. Mason reminds Rochester of some rather unpleasant memories.

Mr. Rochester is not at all happy that this visitor has come to his home.

Now, Brontë also does not explain why Mr. Mason is actually at Thornfield Hall at all.

She keeps this a complete mystery.

And, thirdly, Mr. Mason is attacked and stabbed by the mad woman at Thornfield.

Again, we don't know why this took place.

We don't know what motivated her to so violently assault Mr. Mason.

Let's go test your understanding of these ideas.

True or false.

Mr. Mason has never met Rochester before.

Mr. Mason comes from a colony of the British Empire.

Brontë has not revealed why Mr. Mason arrived at Thornfield Hall.

Grace Poole attacks and stabs Mr. Mason.

Mr. Mason is not friends with Rochester.

Press the pause button on your video now, and tell the screen whether each of these sentences are true or false.

Off you go.

Right, and I'll tell you the right answers.

Number one is false.

Mr. Mason has actually met Rochester before.

Mr. Mason knows Rochester from his life in the West Indies.

Two is true.

Mr. Mason comes from a colony of the British Empire.

When Brontë was writing, the West Indies were a colony of this empire.

Three is also true.

Brontë has not revealed why Mr. Mason arrived at Thornfield Hall.

We do not know what he was doing in this house.

Four is false.

Grace Poole does not necessarily attack and stab Mr. Mason.

We do not know this for sure.

Maybe Grace Poole is responsible for this attack, or maybe she's not, we do not know.

And number five is true.

Mr. Mason is not friends of Rochester.

You may remember that Rochester is very nervous, and upset when he hears that Mr. Mason has arrived at his house.

Well done, if you got those right.

Let's now revise Mr. Rochester's secrets.

As you may remember, Mr. Rochester is a very mysterious character.

It's clear that Rochester regrets some of his behaviour in the past.

Again, we don't know what this behaviour might be, but it's clear that Rochester has done some really terrible things in his past.

Rochester also clearly suffers from some painful memories of the past.

Again, we don't really know what these painful memories might be, but it's clear that Rochester is still haunted by some of the experiences that he's had in his memories.

Rochester has avoided Thornfield for a long time.

Again, we don't know why, but Rochester has stayed away from his family home for years and years and years.

It's as if there's something in Thornfield that greatly scares and terrifies Rochester.

I wonder what this might be? Rochester also continues to employ Grace Poole as a servant, even though she apparently set his bed on fire, stabbed Mr. Mason, and tore Jane's wedding veil in two.

If Grace Poole is really responsible for these crimes it's rather surprising that Rochester continues to employ her as a servant.

So as you can see, Rochester is a man who seems to have many dark secrets in his life.

This is typical of the sort of character that Brontë has established for Rochester.

Rochester's characterization is very much fitting with the conventions of a Byronic hero.

Let's now test your memory of these ideas.

True or false.

Number one, Mr. Rochester is happy at Thornfield Hall.

Number two, Mr. Rochester claims that Grace Poole set his bed on fire, and stabbed Mr. Mason.

We are not sure whether to believe this.

Number three, Mr. Rochester seems to suffer from many regrets.

And number four, the reader is likely to trust Mr. Rochester.

Press the pause button on your video now, and tell the screen whether these points are true or false.

Off you go.

Okay, let's now go through the answers.

Number one is false.

Mr. Rochester is not happy at Thornfield Hall.

Remember, for some strange reason, Mr. Rochester has avoided living at Thornfield Hall for a very long time.

Two is true.

Mr. Rochester does claim that Grace Poole set his bed on fire, and stabbed Mr. Mason.

We are not sure whether to believe this.

We do not know whether Grace Poole is really responsible for these crimes.

Number three is also true.

Mr. Rochester seems to suffer from many regrets.

It's clear that Mr. Rochester is filled with guilt for some things that he has done in his past.

And number four is true.

I'm wrong, number four is false.

The reader is not likely to trust Mr. Rochester.

We have a sense that he is keeping some dark secrets away from Jane.

Well done, if you got those right.

Let's now revise the strange lady at Thornfield.

So here's a picture of what she might look like.

This lady is terrifying.

One of the things that make her really scary is this sort of insane goblin laugh that rings through the corridors at various points throughout our novel.

And once again Brontë is using this sort of fantastical language describing this lady as if she's some sort of goblin, as if she's some sort of monster that belongs in folktales, or fairytales.

Brontë is suggesting that this lady isn't so much a human being.

She's more like some sort of terrifying monster.

This lady also set Mr. Rochester's bed on fire.

So she's tried to murder Mr. Rochester.

She's also tried to murder Mr. Mason by stabbing him.

And then she's also torn Jane's wedding veil in two, maybe suggesting that she's not very happy about the idea of Jane getting married to Mr. Rochester.

That's interesting.

According to Rochester, she is Grace Poole, but, again, we don't know whether to believe Rochester on this.

Maybe it is Grace Poole, or maybe it's someone different.

We'll have to find out.

Who could this strange lady be? Well, you'll find out later in today's lesson.

Let's now read our extract.

Now this extract begins at a very happy moment in our novel.

Jane is getting married to Mr. Rochester.

The extract begins halfway through the wedding ceremony.

Let's read.

The service began.

The explanation of the intent of matrimony and marriage was gone through, and then the clergyman came a step forward, and bending slightly towards Mr. Rochester, went on.

I require and charge you both as ye will answer at the dreadful day of judgement , when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, that if either of you know any impediment why ye may not lawfully be joined together in matrimony, ye do now confess it.

For be ye well assured that so many as are coupled together otherwise than God's word doth allow, are not joined together by God, neither is their matrimony lawful.

A distinct and near voice said, "The marriage cannot go on.

I declare the existence of an impediment." The clergyman looked up at the speaker and stood mute.

The clerk did the same.

Mr. Rochester moved slightly, as if an earthquake had rolled under his feet.

He stood stubborn and rigid, making no movements, but to possess himself of my hand.

How his eyes shone, still watchful, and yet wild beneath.

The speaker came forward and leaned on the rails.

He continued, uttering each word distinctly, calmly, steadily, but not loudly.

Mr. Rochester has a wife now living.

What the? Mr. Rochester has a wife now living.

How does that make sense? I'm so confused right now.

The whole way through the narrative, Mr. Rochester has been acting as if he's single, and now we're being told that he has a wife.

The man has a wife.

What is going on? Let's just continue to read and see what is happening.

"Who are you?" Mr. Rochester asked of the intruder.

My name is Briggs, a solicitor from London.

"And you would thrust on me a wife?" asked Mr. Rochester.

I would remind you of your lady's existence, sir, which the law recognises, if you do not.

Favour me with an account of her, with her name, her parentage, her place of abode.

Certainly.

Mr. Briggs calmly took a paper from his pocket, and read out in a sort of official nasal voice, I affirm and can prove that on the 20th of October A.

D.

a date of 15 years back, Edward Fairfax Rochester of Thornfield Hall was married to Bertha Antoinetta Mason, a Creole, at a church in Spanish Town, Jamaica.

The record of the marriage will be found in the register of that church.

A copy of it is now in my possession.

Signed, Richard Mason.

That if a genuine document may prove I have been married, but it does not prove that the woman mentioned therein as my wife is still living.

She was living three months ago, returned the lawyer.

How do you know? I have a witness to the fact, whose testimony even you, sir, will scarcely controvert.

Produce him, or go to hell.

I would produce him first, he is on the spot.

Mr. Mason, have the goodness to step forward.

Mr. Mason now walked into the room.

Now you may remember that Mr. Mason was the visitor to Thornfield Hall earlier in the novel.

Mr. Mason knows Mr. Rochester from their time in the West Indies, and Mr. Mason was attacked by the strange lady at Thornfield.

You may also remember that Rochester was not at all happy about the news that Mr. Mason was in Thornfield.

Okay, let's continue to read.

I felt the spasmodic movement of fury, anger, or despair run through Rochester's frame.

He could have struck Mason, dashed him on the church floor, shocked by ruthless blow the breath from his body.

"What have you to say?" asked Rochester.

An inaudible reply escaped Mason's white lips.

The devil is in it if you cannot answer distinctly.

I again demand, what have you to say? Sir, sir, interrupted the clergymen.

Do not forget you are in a sacred place.

Then addressing Mason, he inquired gently.

Are you aware, sir, whether or not this gentleman's wife is still living? "She is now living at Thornfield Hall," said Mr. Mason.

I saw her there last April.

I am her brother.

"At Thornfield Hall!" ejaculated the clergyman.

Impossible! I am an old resident in this neighbourhood, sir, and I have never heard of a Mrs. Rochester at Thornfield Hall! I saw a grim smile contort Mr. Rochester's lips.

And he muttered, no, by God, I took care that none should hear of it, or of her under that name.

Mr. Rochester continued, hardily and recklessly.

Gentlemen, my plan is broken up.

What this lawyer and his client say is true.

I have been married, and the woman to whom I was married lives.

You say you never heard of a Mrs. Rochester at the house up yonder, Wood, but I daresay you have many a time inclined your ear to gossip about the mysterious lunatic kept their under watch and ward.

Some have whispered to you that she is my bastard half-sister.

Some, my cast-off mistress.

I now inform you that she is my wife, whom I married 15 years ago.

Bertha Mason by name.

Bertha Mason is mad, and she came of a mad family, idiots and maniacs through three generations.

Briggs, Wood, Mason, I invite you all to come up to the house, and visit Mrs. Poole's patient, and my wife.

Come, all of you follow.

Oh, my word, my mind has just exploded.

There's pieces of brain all over the walls of this room.

I can't believe what has just happened.

Rochester has basically just explained that he already has a wife named Bertha Mason.

He got married to this woman about 15 years ago, and then he realised that she was absolutely insane.

So Rochester's basically kept this woman in captivity for about 15 years now.

It's now all coming together.

It was Bertha Mason, not Grace Poole, whose been responsible for the strange behaviour throughout the story.

Bertha is the crazy lady with the insane laugh.

Bertha set Rochester's bed on fire.

Bertha stabbed Mr. Mason, and Bertha tore Jane's wedding veil in two.

And Rochester has kept the secret from Jane the whole way through the book.

This is crazy.

That's pretty messed up.

I mean, Rochester, I know you've had issues up until now.

I just didn't realise they're that bad.

Rochester, you've let me down.

Let's continue to read to see what happens next, but before we read, let's just revise the main things that we've learned.

Mr. Rochester already has a wife called Bertha Mason.

This is the insane woman at Thornfield.

Up until now, Jane has thought that the crazy woman has been Grace Poole.

That is not true.

The crazy woman is actually Bertha Mason, Mr. Rochester's wife.

Now Grace Poole is actually a servant who is employed to look after Bertha Mason.

And Mr. Mason is Bertha Mason's brother.

You may remember that earlier in the novel, Mr. Mason arrived at Thornfield for no apparent reason.

Well, we now learn that Mr. Mason was at Thornfield to meet his sister, Bertha.

At the wedding Mr. Mason is used as a witness to confirm that Bertha Mason is still alive.

Now the characters return to Thornfield Hall led by Rochester.

And Rochester takes everyone to the secret room in which he keeps Bertha Mason in captivity.

In the extract that we're about to read, Grace Poole is also in this room looking after Bertha.

It's rather scary, let's read.

In a room without a window, there burnt a fire guarded by a high and strong fender, and a lamp suspended from the ceiling by a chain.

Grace Poole bent over the fire, apparently cooking something in a saucepan.

In the deep shade, at the further end of the room, a figure ran backwards and forwards.

What it was, whether beast or human being, one could not, at first sight, tell.

It grovelled, seemingly, on all fours.

It snatched and growled like some strange wild animal, but it was covered with clothing, and a quantity of dark, grizzled hair, wild as a mane, hid its head and face.

"Good-morrow, Mrs. Poole" said Mr. Rochester, "How are you, and how is your charge today?" "We're tolerable, sir, I thank you," replied Grace, lifting the boiling mess carefully on to the hob.

Rather snappish, but not rageous, and angry.

A fierce cry seemed to give the lie to her favourable report.

The clothed hyena rose up, and stood tall on its hind feet.

The maniac bellowed.

She parted her shaggy locks from her visage, and gazed wildly at her visitors.

I recognised well that purple face, those bloated features.

Mrs. Poole advanced.

"Be careful!" cried Grace.

The three gentlemen retreated simultaneously.

Mr. Rochester flung me behind him.

The lunatic sprang and grappled his throat viciously, and laid her teeth to his cheek, they struggled.

She was a big woman, in stature almost equaling her husband.

At last, he mastered her arms. Grace Poole gave him a cord, and he pinioned them behind her with more rope, which was at hand, he bound her to a chair.

The operation was performed amidst the fiercest yells, and the most convulsive plunges.

Mr. Rochester then turned to the spectators.

He looked at them with a smile both acrid and desolate.

"That is my wife," said he, "Such is only marriage I am ever to know.

And this lady, Jane Eyre is what I wished to have." Laying his hand on my shoulder.

This young girl, who stands so grave and quiet at the mouth of hell, looking collectedly at a demon.

I wanted her just as a change in comparison to that fierce animal.

Wood and Briggs, look at the difference.

Compare these clear eyes with the red balls yonder.

This face with that face.

This form with that bulk, then judge me.

So everybody now goes home.

The wedding has been called off.

It cannot happen because it's illegal for Rochester to be married to two women.

At the end of the day, Jane is left by herself in her room at the end of the day.

And she is now left to try to process everything she's just learned.

Let's read.

I was in my own room as usual, just myself, without obvious change.

Nothing had smitten me, or scathed me, or maimed me.

And yet where was the Jane Eyre of yesterday? Where was her life? Where were her prospects? Jane Eyre, who had been an ardent, expectant women, almost a bride, was a cold, solitary girl again.

Her life was pale, her prospects were desolate.

My hopes were all dead.

I looked on my cherished wishes, yesterday so blooming and glowing, they lay stark, chill, livid corpses that could never revive.

Okay, let's just go through the main things that we learned in that extract there.

Jane and Rochester's wedding is interrupted by a solicitor who explains the marriage cannot go ahead.

Mr. Rochester is already married.

Mr. Mason is a witness.

He claims that Rochester keeps his old wife, Bertha Mason, locked up in Thornfield Hall.

Rochester admits that this is true.

While he was in the West Indies, Rochester married Bertha, who eventually became insane.

Rochester kept Bertha as a secret, as he wanted to find a new wife who he actually loved.

And Rochester has employed Grace Poole to feed Bertha.

Okay, press the pause button on your video now.

Read through those five points trying to memorise them.

Off you go.

Let's now test your memory.

Go through these five points here filling in the words in blank.

Off you go.

Okay, let's now take a look at the right answers.

Number one, Jane and Rochester's wedding is interrupted by a solicitor who explains that the marriage cannot go ahead.

Mr. Rochester is already married.

Number two, Mr. Mason is a witness.

He claims that Rochester keeps his old wife, Bertha Mason, locked up in Thornfield Hall.

Rochester admits that this is true.

While he was in the West Indies, Rochester married Bertha who eventually became insane.

Rochester kept Bertha as a secret as he wanted to find a new wife who he actually loved.

And Rochester has employed Grace Poole to feed Bertha.

Well done, if you got those right.

Let's now test your understanding about today's extract.

Why does Rochester not tell Jane about Bertha? You have four options.

Option one, he didn't think Jane would like Bertha.

Option two, he wanted Jane to marry him.

Option three, he doesn't want others to find out the shameful truth about his insane wife, or option four, he still loves Bertha and wants two wives.

Now, there might be more than one correct answer to this question.

Press the pause button on your video now, and tell the screen the right answer.

I will now tell you the right answers, which are option two, and option three.

Rochester does not tell Jane about Bertha because he wanted Jane to marry him.

Remember, it is illegal to have more than one wife.

For as long as Jane does not know about Bertha, Rochester expected that he'd be able to marry Jane, and live happily ever after with his second wife.

And option three is also true.

Rochester doesn't want others to find out about the shameful truth about his insane wife.

He's not only kept the secret from Jane, but he's kept the secret from the whole community.

Very few people know that Rochester has a wife at all.

Well done if you got that right.

Now you might have chosen option one, or option four.

And option one, he didn't think Jane would like Bertha.

We don't necessarily know that that's true.

We can't tell what Jane would think of Bertha.

And option four, Rochester actually doesn't love Bertha, and he doesn't want to have two wives that he loves equally.

Rochester actually hates Bertha because she's insane and a really evil lady.

Okay, let's move on.

We're now coming to the end of today's lesson.

Here's the credits that we've used.

Well, that brings us to the end of today's lesson.

I'm sure you'll agree that was absolutely insane.

Now Rochester's dark secret has been revealed.

Join us in our next lesson when Jane has a very difficult decision to make.

Will she choose to be Mr. Rochester's mistress? Will she abandon Mr. Rochester all together? Either way, it's going to be a very difficult decision.

I'll see you next time, and before you go, make sure you complete the end-of-lesson quiz.