Edward Fairfax Rochester (often referred to as Mr Rochester) is a character in

Charlotte Brontë Charlotte Brontë (, commonly ; 21 April 1816 – 31 March 1855) was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters who survived into adulthood and whose novels became classics of English literature. She enlisted i ...

's 1847 novel ''

Jane Eyre ''Jane Eyre'' ( ; originally published as ''Jane Eyre: An Autobiography'') is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The firs ...

''. The brooding master of

Thornfield Hall Thornfield Hall is a location in the 1847 novel ''Jane Eyre'' by Charlotte Brontë. It is the home of the male romantic lead, Edward Fairfax Rochester, where much of the action takes place. Brontë uses the depiction of Thornfield in a manner co ...

, Rochester is the employer and eventual husband of the novel's titular protagonist

. He is regarded as an archetypal

Byronic hero The Byronic hero is a variant of the Romantic hero as a type of character, named after the English Romantic poet Lord Byron. Both Byron's own persona as well as characters from his writings are considered to provide defining features to the char ...

In ''Jane Eyre''

Edward Rochester is the oft-absent master of

, where

is employed as a governess to his young ward, Adèle Varens. Jane first meets Rochester while on a walk, when his horse slips and he injures his foot. He does not reveal to Jane his identity and it is only that evening back at the house that Jane learns he is Mr Rochester. Walkereyre

Rochester and Jane are immediately interested in each other. She is fascinated by his rough, dark appearance as well as his abrupt manner. Rochester is intrigued by Jane's strength of character, comparing her to an elf or sprite and admiring her unusual strength and stubbornness. The two quickly become friends, often arguing and discussing topical matters. Rochester confides to Jane that Adèle is the daughter of his past lover, French opera dancer Céline Varens, who had run off with another man. Rochester does not claim paternity of Adèle but had brought the orphaned child to England. Rochester quickly learns that he can rely on Jane in a crisis. On one evening, Jane finds Rochester asleep in his bed with all the curtains and bedclothes on fire; she puts out the flames and rescues him. Jane and Rochester grow closer and fall in love with each other. While Jane is working at Thornfield, Rochester invites his acquaintances over for a week-long stay, including the beautiful socialite

Blanche Ingram ''Jane Eyre'' ( ; originally published as ''Jane Eyre: An Autobiography'') is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The first ...

. Rochester lets Blanche flirt with him constantly in front of Jane to make her jealous and encourages rumours that he is engaged to Blanche, which devastates Jane. Rochester tells Jane he is to be married, at which point Jane is prepared to leave Thornfield, believing Blanche is his bride. Eventually Rochester stops teasing Jane, admitting that he loves her and that he never intended to marry Blanche, especially as he had exposed Blanche's interest in him as solely mercenary when he caused a rumour that he is far less wealthy than she imagined. He asks Jane to marry him and she accepts. During their wedding ceremony, two men arrive claiming that Rochester is already married. Rochester admits to this, but believes he is justified in his attempt to marry Jane. He takes the wedding party to see his wife of fifteen years, Bertha Antoinetta Mason, and explains the circumstances of his marriage. He claims he had been rushed into marrying Bertha by his father and the Mason family, and only after they were wed did he discover that Bertha is violently

insane Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors performed by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can be manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or to ...

. Unable to live with Bertha due to her madness, Rochester tried to keep her existence a secret and kept her on the third floor of Thornfield Hall with a nursemaid, Grace Poole. It was Bertha who had set Rochester's bedsheets on fire, along with a number of other disruptive incidents. Rochester confesses that he had travelled around Europe for ten years trying to forget his failed marriage and keeping various mistresses. Eventually he gave up on searching for a woman he could love, came home to England, and fell in love with Jane. Rochester asks Jane to go to France with him, where they can pretend to be a married couple. Jane refuses to be his mistress and runs from Thornfield. Much later, she finds out that Rochester searched for her everywhere, and, when he couldn't find her, sent everyone else away from Thornfield and shut himself up alone. After this, Bertha set the house on fire one night and burned it to the ground. Rochester rescued all the servants and tried to save Bertha, too, but she committed suicide by jumping from the roof of the house and he was injured. Now Rochester has lost an eye and a hand and is blind in his remaining eye. Jane returns to Mr Rochester and offers to take care of him as his nurse or housekeeper. He asks her to marry him and they have a quiet wedding. They adopt Adèle Varens, and after two years of marriage Rochester gradually gets his sight back – enough to see his and Jane's firstborn son.

Characteristics

Rochester is depicted as aloof, intelligent, proud and sardonic. A

Romantic Romantic may refer to: Genres and eras * The Romantic era, an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement of the 18th and 19th centuries ** Romantic music, of that era ** Romantic poetry, of that era ** Romanticism in science, of that e ...

figure, he is passionate and impetuous, but tormented beneath his brusque manner. Aged in his mid to late thirties, Rochester is described as being of average height and an

athletic Athletic may refer to: * An athlete, a sportsperson * Athletic director, a position at many American universities and schools * Athletic type, a physical/psychological type in the classification of Ernst Kretschmer * Athletic of Philadelphia, a ...

build, "broad-chested and thin-flanked, though neither tall nor graceful." His face is described as not beautiful, but "harsh featured and melancholy looking". He is described as having black hair, a "decisive nose", a "colourless,

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...

face, square, massive brow, broad and jetty eyebrows, deep eyes, strong features," and a "firm, grim mouth". In the novel, Jane often compares him to a wild bird, such as an

eagle Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, j ...

falcon Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene. Adult falcons ...

and

cormorant Phalacrocoracidae is a family of approximately 40 species of aquatic birds commonly known as cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed, but in 2021 the IOC adopted a consensus taxonomy of seven ge ...

. During the fire at Thornfield he loses a hand, one eye and his sight, which is only partially returned after he marries Jane. Rochester is described to have a fine singing voice — "a mellow, powerful

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

" — and acting skills which he displays during entertaintments for his guests. He is adept at disguise and deception; while his guests are staying, Rochester disguises himself as a fortune-teller

gypsy The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with si ...

woman in order to spend time alone with Jane and interrogate her about how she feels about her employer.

Influences

Charlotte Brontë may have named the character after

John Wilmot John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester (1 April 1647 – 26 July 1680) was an English poet and courtier of King Charles II's Restoration court. The Restoration reacted against the "spiritual authoritarianism" of the Puritan era. Rochester embodi ...

(1647-1680), the second Earl of Rochester. Murray Pittock argued that the Earl is not merely Rochester's namesake but that his "career as it was popularly recorded is the model for the rakehell and penitent phases underlying the development of Mr. Rochester's character." Robert Dingley argued that it is possible Brontë drew specifically upon Wilmot's depiction in

William Harrison Ainsworth William Harrison Ainsworth (4 February 18053 January 1882) was an English historical novelist born at King Street in Manchester. He trained as a lawyer, but the legal profession held no attraction for him. While completing his legal studies in ...

's 1841 novel '' Old St. Paul's'', wherein the Earl has a penchant for disguise and twice attempts to entrap the woman he loves in a spurious marriage. Literary critics also note the influence of

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...

, of whom Brontë was a known admirer, on Rochester's development. The character's threads of Byronism evolved out of Brontë's intimate knowledge of Byron's works including ''

Cain Cain ''Káïn''; ar, قابيل/قايين, Qābīl/Qāyīn is a Biblical figure in the Book of Genesis within Abrahamic religions. He is the elder brother of Abel, and the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, the first couple within the Bible. He w ...

'', ''

Childe Harold's Pilgrimage ''Childe Harold's Pilgrimage'' is a long narrative poem in four parts written by Lord Byron. The poem was published between 1812 and 1818. Dedicated to " Ianthe", it describes the travels and reflections of a world-weary young man, who is dis ...

'' and ''

Don Juan Don Juan (), also known as Don Giovanni ( Italian), is a legendary, fictional Spanish libertine who devotes his life to seducing women. Famous versions of the story include a 17th-century play, ''El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra'' ...

'', as well as

Thomas Moore Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 – 25 February 1852) was an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist celebrated for his ''Irish Melodies''. Their setting of English-language verse to old Irish tunes marked the transition in popular Irish culture from Irish ...

's ''Life of Byron'', and William Finden's engravings illustrating Byron's poetry and life. Caroline Franklin specified the narrator of ''Don Juan'' as potentially a significant inspiration behind Rochester's mercurial and seductive mannerism. The character was also influenced by the men in Brontë's personal life. Andrew McCarthy, the director of the

Brontë Parsonage Museum The Brontë Parsonage Museum is a writer's house museum maintained by the Brontë Society in honour of the Brontë sisters – Charlotte, Emily and Anne. The museum is in the former Brontë family home, the parsonage in Haworth, West Yorkshi ...

, suggested that Rochester may have been inspired by

Constantin Héger Constantin Georges Romain Héger (1809–1896) was a Belgian teacher of the Victorian era. He is best remembered today for his association with Emily and Charlotte Brontë during the 1840s. Early life Héger was born in Brussels and moved ...

, a tutor whom Brontë fell in love with while studying in Brussels in 1842. John Pfordresher, author of ''The Secret History of Jane Eyre'', argued that besides Heger, real-life influences on the character were Brontë's ill-tempered father, Patrick, and hedonistic brother, Branwell. In Patrick, Pfordresher argued, Brontë "had observed Rochester’s physical vigor, determined will, passionate temper, and defiant courage." When Patrick began to suffer from

cataracts A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of the eye that leads to a decrease in vision. Cataracts often develop slowly and can affect one or both eyes. Symptoms may include faded colors, blurry or double vision, halos around light, trouble w ...

in his old age, Brontë nursed him, as Jane Eyre does the blinded Rochester. Pfordresher argued that Rochester's hedonistic tendencies were inspired by Branwell — who was fired for having an affair with his employer’s wife before becoming the "self-destroying family humiliation" through his abuse of alcohol and

opium Opium (or poppy tears, scientific name: ''Lachryma papaveris'') is dried latex obtained from the seed capsules of the opium poppy '' Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid morphine, which ...

— and that Jane's playful exchanges with Rochester were based on Brontë's habit of sparring with her brother, "her mental equal" and childhood companion.

Themes

Byronic hero

Alongside Heathcliff from

Emily Brontë Emily Jane Brontë (, commonly ; 30 July 1818 – 19 December 1848) was an English novelist and poet who is best known for her only novel, ''Wuthering Heights'', now considered a classic of English literature. She also published a book of poet ...

's ''

Wuthering Heights ''Wuthering Heights'' is an 1847 novel by Emily Brontë, initially published under her pen name Ellis Bell. It concerns two families of the landed gentry living on the West Yorkshire moors, the Earnshaws and the Lintons, and their turbulent r ...

'', Rochester is commonly regarded as an archetypal

— a "passionate hero with a darkly mysterious erotic past".

Allusions to folklore

Literary critics note Rochester as a parallel of the titular character in the French folktale "

Bluebeard "Bluebeard" (french: Barbe bleue, ) is a French folktale, the most famous surviving version of which was written by Charles Perrault and first published by Barbin in Paris in 1697 in '' Histoires ou contes du temps passé''. The tale tells the ...

" — a wealthy serial

bridegroom A bridegroom (often shortened to groom) is a man who is about to be married or who is newlywed. When marrying, the bridegroom's future spouse (if female) is usually referred to as the bride. A bridegroom is typically attended by a best man a ...

who keeps the remains of his previous murdered wives in a locked room of his castle. Rochester echoes Bluebeard as a wealthy, middle-aged gentleman with a wife kept in a secret attic of his house, and like Bluebeard, is "a man of voracious sexual appetite." Brontë alluded to Bluebeard in her description of Rochester and his home. Before Rochester's wife's existence is revealed the novel describes the third story of Thornfield Hall where Bertha is secretly kept as looking "like a corridor in some Bluebeard’s castle". While negotiating the terms of her marriage to him, Jane refers to Rochester as a "three-tailed bashaw", a title that was applied to the character of Bluebeard in late 18th-century texts.

John Sutherland John Sutherland may refer to: Politicians * John Sutherland (New South Wales politician) (1816–1889), member of the NSW Legislative Assembly and Council * John Sutherland (Canadian senator) (1821–1899), Canadian Senator from Manitoba * John S ...

argues that Rochester is also a wife-killer like Bluebeard; questioning why Rochester does not place Bertha in professional care for her insanity, he considered the character to be responsible for Bertha's death through "indirect assassination". Rochester has also been equivalated with the sultan Shahriyar in the Middle Eastern folktale collection ''

Arabian Nights ''One Thousand and One Nights'' ( ar, أَلْفُ لَيْلَةٍ وَلَيْلَةٌ, italic=yes, ) is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as the ''Arabian ...

'', as a disillusioned despot who distrusts women. Like Shahriyar, Rochester is tamed and eventually reformed by an intelligent woman. Brontë made several direct references to ''Arabian Nights'' in ''Jane Eyre'', including having Jane compare Rochester to a sultan. Abigail Heiniger wrote that ''Jane Eyre'' resonates closely with the motifs of ''

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine T ...

'' as "Rochester is not a

Prince Charming Prince Charming is a fairy tale stock character who comes to the rescue of a damsel in distress and must engage in a quest to liberate her from an evil spell. This classification suits most heroes of a number of traditional folk tales, inclu ...

; he is a beast in need of rehumanising." Rochester resembles the Beast because he is repeatedly described as not being handsome, Karen Rowe wrote, arguing that associating him with the Beast emphasises Jane's confrontation with male sexuality, symbolised by Rochester's "animality". Rowe argues that Rochester transforms in Janes eyes from "monster to seeming prince to an 'idol'", showing her that "immersion in romantic fantasy threatens her integrity".

Reception

Rochester was voted the most romantic character in literature in a 2009 UK poll by

Mills & Boon Mills & Boon is a romance imprint of British publisher Harlequin UK Ltd. It was founded in 1908 by Gerald Rusgrove Mills and Charles Boon as a general publisher. The company moved towards escapist fiction for women in the 1930s. In 1971, the ...

. Commenting on the poll in ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

'', novelist

Penny Vincenzi Penelope Vincenzi (née Hannaford; 10 April 1939 – 25 February 2018) was a British novelist, who wrote 17 novels and 2 collections of stories. Her sales by 2014 amounted to over 7 million copies. Early life She was born Penelope Hannaford, on ...

said the result was "no surprise", as Rochester is endowed with a "brooding, difficult, almost savage complexity".

In other literature

Rochester features in much literature inspired by ''Jane Eyre'', including prequels, sequels, rewritings and reinterpretations from different characters' perspectives. Several novels retell ''Jane Eyre'' from the perspective of Rochester. The 2017 novel ''Mr. Rochester'' by Sarah Shoemaker gives an account of Rochester's childhood and life prior to his meeting Jane through to the events of the original novel. Rochester is given a childhood to mirror Jane Eyre's, with a father and brother who are cruel towards him and being raised in a boarding school.

''Wide Sargasso Sea''

Jean Rhys Jean Rhys, ( ; born Ella Gwendolyn Rees Williams; 24 August 1890 – 14 May 1979) was a British novelist who was born and grew up in the Caribbean island of Dominica. From the age of 16, she mainly resided in England, where she was sent for he ...

' 1966 novel '' Wide Sargasso Sea'' gives an account of Rochester's meeting of and marriage to

Antoinette Cosway Bertha Antoinetta Rochester (née Mason) is a character in Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel ''Jane Eyre''. She is described as the violently insane first wife of Edward Rochester, who moved her to Thornfield Hall and locked her in a room on the ...

(Rhys' revision of Bertha Mason). The first part of the novel is told from the point of view of Antoinette and the second part from Rochester's perspective. The novel depicts Rochester as an unfaithful and cruel spouse, and in its reshaping of events related to ''Jane Eyre'' suggests that Bertha's madness is not congenital but instead the result of negative childhood experiences and Mr. Rochester's unloving treatment of her. Rochester has appeared in adaptations of ''Wide Sargasso Sea''.

Portrayals in media

''Jane Eyre'' adaptations

Film

=Silent films

Frank H. Crane Frank Hall Crane (January 1, 1873 – September 1, 1948) was an American stage and film actor and director.

in ''Jane Eyre'' (1910) *John Charles in ''Jane Eyre'' (1914) *

Irving Cummings Irving Caminsky (October 9, 1888 – April 18, 1959) was an American movie actor and director. Career Born in New York City, Cummings started his acting career at age 16 in ''Diplomacy (play), Diplomacy''. His Broadway theatre, Broadway, p ...

in ''Jane Eyre'' (1914) * Franklin Ritchie in ''Jane Eyre'' (1915) *

Elliott Dexter Elliott Dexter (March 29, 1870 – June 21, 1941) was an American film and stage actor. Dexter started his career in vaudeville and did not move to films until he was 45. He retired from acting in 1925. Biography Dexter was born in Galve ...

in '' Woman and Wife'' (1918) * Norman Trevor in ''Jane Eyre'' (1921) * Olaf Fønss in '' Orphan of Lowood'' (1926)

=Feature films

Colin Clive Colin Clive (born Colin Glenn Clive-Greig; 20 January 1900 – 25 June 1937) was a British stage and screen actor. His most memorable role was Henry Frankenstein, the creator of the monster, in the 1931 film ''Frankenstein'' and its 1935 seque ...

in ''Jane Eyre'' (1934) *

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

in ''Jane Eyre'' (1943) *

Dilip Kumar Mohammed Yusuf Khan (; 11 December 1922 – 7 July 2021), better known by his stage name Dilip Kumar, was an Indian actor who worked in Hindi cinema. Credited with pioneering method acting in cinema, he dominated the Indian movie scene from l ...

as Shankar, Rochester's equivalent in the 1952

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of North India, northern, Central India, centr ...

-language adaptation '' Sangdil'' () * Yehia Chahine as Murad, Rochester's equivalent in the 1962 Egyptian adaption ''The Man I Love'' *

Kalyan Kumar Kalyan Kumar (7 June 1928 – 1 August 1999) was an Indian actor, and an occasional film director and producer who worked primarily in Kannada and Tamil cinema. Making his acting debut in the mythological drama ''Natashekara'' (1954), Kalyan Kuma ...

as Rochester's equivalent in the 1968 Indian

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

-language film '' Bedi Bandavalu'' *

Gemini Ganesan Ramasamy Ganesan (17 November 1920 – 22 March 2005), better known by his stage name Gemini Ganesan, was an Indian actor who worked mainly in Tamil cinema. He was referred to as the ''Kaadhal Mannan'' (King of Romance) for his romantic roles ...

as Baskar, Rochester's equivalent in the 1969 Indian Tamil-language film '' Shanti Nilayam'' () * George C. Scott in ''Jane Eyre'' (1970) *

William Hurt William McChord Hurt (March 20, 1950 – March 13, 2022) was an American actor. Known for his performances on stage and screen, he received various awards including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award and Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor. H ...

in ''Jane Eyre'' (1996) *

Ciarán Hinds Ciarán Hinds (; born 9 February 1953) is an Irish actor. Born in Belfast, Hinds is known for a range of screen and stage roles. He has starred in feature films including '' The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover'' (1989), ''Persuasion'' (19 ...

in ''Jane Eyre'' (1997) *

Michael Fassbender Michael Fassbender (born 2 April 1977) is an Irish actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Critics' Choice Movie Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, four British Academy Film Award ...

in ''Jane Eyre'' (2011)

Radio

in ''Jane Eyre'' by '' The Campbell Playhouse'' (31 March 1940) *

Brian Aherne William Brian de Lacy Aherne (2 May 190210 February 1986) was an English actor of stage, screen, radio and television, who enjoyed a long and varied career in Britain and the United States. His first Broadway appearance in '' The Barretts of ...

in ''Jane Eyre'' by '' The Screen Guild Theater'' (2 March 1941) *Orson Welles in ''Jane Eyre'' by ''The Lux Radio Theatre'' (5 June 1944) * Victor Jory in ''Jane Eyre'' by ''Matinee Theater'' (3 December 1944) *Orson Welles in ''Jane Eyre'' by '' The Mercury Summer Theatre of the Air'' (28 June 1946) * Robert Montgomery in ''Jane Eyre'' by ''The Lux Radio Theatre'' (14 June 1948) *

in ''Jane Eyre'' on BBC Radio 7 (24-27 August 2009) * Tom Burke in ''Jane Eyre'' on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of Talk radio, spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history fro ...

's ''

15 Minute Drama ''15 Minute Drama'', previously known as ''Woman's Hour Drama'', was a BBC Radio 4 Arts and Drama production strand that was broadcast between 1998 and 2021. It consisted of 15-minute episodes, broadcast every weekday 10:45–11:00 am (i.e. ...

'' (2016)

Television

Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist. As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film '' The Ten ...

in the '' Studio One in Hollywood'' episode ''Jane Eyre'', aired on 12 December 1949 *

Kevin McCarthy Kevin Owen McCarthy (born January 26, 1965) is an American politician, serving as House Minority Leader in the United States House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served as House Majority Leader under spea ...

in the ''Studio One in Hollywood'' episode ''Jane Eyre'', aired on 4 August 1952 *

Stanley Baker Sir William Stanley Baker (28 February 192828 June 1976) was a Welsh actor and film producer. Known for his rugged appearance and intense, grounded screen persona, he was one of the top British male film stars of the late 1950s, and later a pro ...

in the 1956 BBC miniseries ''Jane Eyre'' *

Patrick Macnee Daniel Patrick Macnee (6 February 1922 – 25 June 2015) was a British film and television actor. After serving in the Royal Navy during World War II, he began his acting career in Canada. Despite having some small film roles, Macnee spent much ...

in the 1957

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...

Matinee Theatre ''Matinee Theater'' is an American anthology series that aired on NBC during the Golden Age of Television, from October 31, 1955, to June 27, 1958. Its name is often seen as ''Matinee Theatre''. The series, which ran daily from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. ...

'' drama ''Jane Eyre'' * Zachary Scott in ''Jane Eyre'', a 1961

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

directed by Marc Daniels *

Richard Leech Richard Leeper McClelland (24 November 1922 – 24 March 2004), known professionally as Richard Leech, was an Irish actor. Richard Leeper McClelland was born in Dublin, Ireland, the son of Isabella Frances (Leeper) and Herbert Saunderson McCl ...

in the 1963 BBC series ''

'' *Jan Kačer in ''Jana Eyrová'', a 1972 production by Czechoslovak Television * Michael Jayston in the 1973 BBC serial ''Jane Eyre'' *

Joaquín Cordero Joaquín Cordero (; August 16, 1922 – February 19, 2013) was a Mexican actor of the cinema, theatre and telenovelas. Biography Shortly after his birth, Cordero's family moved to Mexico City, and in the following years he studied in a semin ...

as Eduardo, Rochester's equivalent in the 1978 Mexican

telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar drama genres around the world include '' teleserye'' ( ...

Ardiente secreto ''Ardiente secreto'' is a Mexican telenovela produced by Irene Sabido for Televisa in 1978. It is based on the Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel ''Jane Eyre''. Plot The orphan Mariana Cisneros was shut in (in a college) by an aunt who hates her, sh ...

'' () *

Joe Flaherty Joseph Flaherty (born June 21, 1941) is an American actor, writer, and comedian. He is best known for his work on the Canadian sketch comedy '' SCTV'' from 1976 to 1984 (on which he also served as a writer), and as Harold Weir on '' Freaks and ...

in ''BBC Classics Presents: Jane Eyrehead'', a parody by SCTV (1982) *

Timothy Dalton Timothy Leonard Dalton Leggett (; born 21 March 1946) is a British actor. Beginning his career on stage, he made his film debut as Philip II of France in the 1968 historical drama ''The Lion in Winter''. He gained international prominence as ...

in the 1983 BBC serial ''Jane Eyre'' *

Toby Stephens Toby Stephens (born 21 April 1969) is an English actor who has appeared in films in the UK, US and India. He is known for the roles of Bond villain Gustav Graves in the 2002 James Bond film ''Die Another Day'' (for which he was nominated for the ...

in the 2006 BBC serial ''Jane Eyre'' *

Ravindra Randeniya Liyanage Boniface Walter Perera (born 5 June 1945), popularly known by his stage name Ravindra Randeniya, is a Sri Lankan actor and former politician. He rose to fame in Lester James Peries's film ''Desa Nisa'' in 1972, and was a popular actor ...

as Edward Deraniyagala, Rochester's equivalent in the 2007 Sri Lankan teledrama ''Kula Kumariya'', screened on Swarnavahini

Theatre

* Reginald Tate in ''Jane Eyre: A Drama of Passion in Three Acts'' (1936) adapted by Helen Jerome. The production was aired on British television in 1937. * Henry Edwards in ''The Master of Thorfield'' (1944) adapted by Dorothy Brandon. *In the 1958 production of

Huntington Hartford George Huntington Hartford II (April 18, 1911 – May 19, 2008) was an American businessman, philanthropist, stage and film producer, and art collector. He was also heir to the A&P supermarket fortune. After his father's death in 1922, Hartfor ...

's American play ''

The Master of Thornfield ''The Master of Thornfield'' is a 1954 play by Huntington Hartford, which is an adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's 1847 novel ''Jane Eyre''. It was later rewritten by John F. Matthews. The play marked Errol Flynn's return to the stage after many ye ...

'', Rochester was portrayed by

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Olivia ...

. After Flynn withdrew from the production it was renamed ''Jane Eyre'' and Eric Portman cast as Rochester. * Charles McKeown in ''Jane Eyre'' (1973), adapted by John Cannon. *In the musical ''

'', Rochester was portrayed by Anthony Crivello from 1995 to 1996 and James Stacy Barbour from 1999 to 2000.

''Wide Sargasso Sea'' adaptations

* Nathaniel Parker in the 1993 film '' Wide Sargasso Sea'' * Rafe Spall in the 2006 television adaption '' Wide Sargasso Sea''. * Trystan Gravelle in the 2016

BBC Radio Four BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC ...

dramatization ''Wide Sargasso Sea'' (repeated 2020)."Wide Sargasso Sea"
Drama,

Notes

References

;Print sources :''Websites and news articles are listed in the

References Reference is a relationship between objects in which one object designates, or acts as a means by which to connect to or link to, another object. The first object in this relation is said to ''refer to'' the second object. It is called a '' name'' ...

section only.'' * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

Edward Rochester
at BBC ''Bitesize''
Edward Rochester
at SparkNotes
Mr Rochester and St John Rivers
at

York Notes York Notes are a series of English literature study guides sold in the United Kingdom and in approximately 100 countries worldwide. They are sold as revision material for GCSE and A-level exams particularly as literary guides to introduce stude ...

Edward Rochester
at ''

Encyclopædia Britannica The ( Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various ...

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Edward Fairfax Rochester
at Oxford Reference {{DEFAULTSORT:Rochester, Edward Jane Eyre Literary characters introduced in 1847 Characters in British novels of the 19th century Male characters in literature Male characters in film Musical theatre characters Drama film characters Romance film characters Fictional gentry