Roman Emperors

“I...had formed my opinion of Nero, Caligula, etc. Also, I had drawn parallels in silence...” (pg. 13)

Nero and Caligula were both emperors of the Roman Empire. Caligula reigned from 37 to 41 AD and Nero reigned from 54 to 68 AD. Both were emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and both are associated with tyranny and extravagance. There are several connections, or “parallels” as Jane says, that can be made between these infamous noble figures and the character of Jane Eyre. The most obvious connection is the cruelty observed in John Reed toward Jane. Jane even states that John is “like a murderer...like a slave-driver...like the Roman emperors,” which coincides perfectly with cruelty demonstrated by Caligula and Nero. Bronte also references these emperors because Mrs. Reed shares the same tyrannical nature which she governs the household with. Not only that, but Bronte chose to mention Caligula and Nero because they were both adopted as children much like Jane Eyre. Although there are similarities between the lifestyles of Jane and these emperors, Jane does not reflect their austerity. She is portrayed with a much more genuine heart. In addition to all of these connections, the fact that Jane is knowledgeable of such figures at such a young age shows that she is not only intelligent, but strives to learn.

"Caligula: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article." AbsoluteAstronomy.com. Web. 26 Nov. 2009. http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Caligula#encyclopedia

"Nero: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article." AbsoluteAstronomy.com. Web. 26 Nov. 2009. http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Nero#encyclopedia

Nero. Digital image. Web. 29 Nov. 2009. http://www.artchive.com/artchive/r/roman/roman_nero.jpg

Caligula. Digital image. Web. 29 Nov. 2009. http://www.cosmoloan.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/caligula.jpg