JE #4

“‘A new servitude! There is something in that,’ I soliloquized (mentally, be it understood; I did not talk aloud)” (152). Bronte includes a literary device (as well as mentioning the device) that was commonly used by William Shakespeare in his works. Throughout her novel Bronte references many of Shakespeare’s works, including a quote from Macbeth: “After life’s fitful fever they sleep well” (174). Shakespeare’s predominance throughout the centuries is inevitable, as it appears in works of literature as Jane Eyre. It is apparent that Bronte had much respect for Shakespeare’s work and devices, as she includes such things heavily in her novel. The two pieces also share the theme of social status; Macbeth demonstrates the fall of a character and Jane Eyre is an example of the rise of a character.