Episode One

After the death of her maternal uncle, the orphaned child Jane Eyre is left to the care of her uncaring and cruel aunt Mrs Reed. In their house at Gateshead Hall, Jane is ill-treated by her three first cousins and aunt alike and never feels at home. After one of many ill-treatments she is accused of being bad blood and in an attempt to get rid of her, Jane is sent to Lowood School by Mrs Reed. Like Gateshead Hall, Lowood School is a cold institution. Jane's only friend at school, Helen Burns, dies and Jane is left alone once again. Resolving to become independent, she takes on the profession of a governess.

At the age of eighteen, she is able to secure a position as governess to a girl at Thornfield Hall. Here Jane learns that her pupil, a French girl named Adele, is the ward of the master of the house, Edward Rochester, who had had her mother, Celine Verans, as his mistress, and that she had left her illegitimate daughter in his care. She is also informed that the master of the house is seldom at home. On one of his journeys back to Thornfield Hall, Jane at last meets Rochester. One night, Jane wakes to strange noises coming from Rochester's room. She follows the noise and realizes that Rochester's room has been set on fire and the master in danger.

Episode Two

After Jane is able to rescue Rochester just in time, she wonders who set the fire and from whom these strange sounds from the North Tower came. She barely receives an answer from Rochester who instead leaves Thornfield without notice the next morning. On his return to Thornfield, he brings along some acquaintances among whom are the beautiful Blanche Ingram and her mother Lady Ingram.

Rochester receives another unexpected and not wholly welcome guest. Mason, the guest, is severely injured one night. While Rochester fetches a doctor, Jane is left to take care of Mason in the North Tower. Once again strange sounds from the North Tower precede the incident. While looking after Mason, Jane is startled by loud noises from the other side of the door in the North Tower.

Episode Three

Jane receives a visitor from her troubled past. Bessie informs her of her aunt's illness and the request to see Jane before she dies. Jane asks Mrs. Reed why she always hated her niece. Mrs. Reed replies that it was because her husband had loved Jane more than his own children, even calling out for her on his deathbed. Jane also learns from her aunt that she has an uncle. This uncle asked to take care of Jane when she was still a child. Her aunt misinformed the uncle and told him that Jane died. Unlike her aunt, Jane is able to forgive Mrs. Reed on her aunt's death bed.

Away from Thornfield Hall, Jane realizes with more clarity that Thornfield has indeed become a home for her, something she never had before. However, the rumours of an upcoming marriage between Blanche Ingram and Mr. Rochester disturb her immensely. Is she to leave her beloved Thornfield?

In an attempt to discover Jane's real emotions, Rochester constantly teases Jane so that she finally reveals that she loves not only Thornfield Hall but Rochester as well. As these romantic feelings are shared by Rochester, he proposes to Jane and she accepts with joy.

Two days before the marriage Jane's wedding veil is ruined. Even her seeing a shadow of a tall woman in her rooms is, according to Rochester, "half dream, half reality." At the wedding, however, Jane finally learns of Rochester's wife Bertha living in the North Tower. Insanity runs in Bertha's family and as a result she was locked up for the safety of herself and others. This information is revealed by Richard Mason, who turns out to be Bertha's brother. Rochester insists that he still loves Jane and offers to live with her "as brother and sister" but Jane leaves Thornfield in the night.

Episode Four

Jane is left penniless and without any hope. She succumbs and lies down on the moors to die. She is, however, rescued by the clergyman, St John Rivers, who takes her home and nurses her back to health with the help of his two sisters. Jane, however, seems to have lost her memories.

Jane is told by St John that she has inherited some money from her uncle and that they are also related. St John Rivers also informs Jane that he knows about her past, including Thornfield Hall.

Jane cannot come to terms with the marriage proposal from St John Rivers or the prospect of living abroad as missionaries. As she begins to hear Rochester calling her name, Jane immediately knows that she belongs to Thornfield and Rochester. On her return she finds a weakened and blind Rochester and a burnt-down Thornfield. Jane is also told of the circumstances surrounding the fire and Rochester's blindness. He was injured while trying to rescue his wife Bertha, who did not survive. Rochester recognizes Jane upon hearing her voice and is very happy to have her back. The two are married and the entire family — Rochester, Jane, Adele, St. John Rivers' sisters, two children (presumably Rochester and Jane's offspring), and the dog Pilot — gather in the garden to have their portrait painted. Because St. John is away on his mission, he is painted to the side of the portrait.

Differences from the novel

The screenplay does deviate from the novel. The time devoted to the first third (Lowood School) and the final third (St. John) of the novel are reduced. The middle of the novel is instead developed and a few scenes from the novel are compressed or moved to different times and places in the narrative. The scenes surrounding Jane's flight from Thornfield until regaining her health are treated as a brief flashback sequence, with many pages of text condensed into a passage of a few minutes' length. Additional scenes were created for the screenplay to underscore the passionate natures of Jane and Rochester. One of the more significant plot changes occurs during the gypsy sequence as Rochester hires a gypsy rather than portraying one himself. Rochester also uses an ouija board as a supplement to this game, a scene which was written specifically for the screenplay.

For a full-length summary of Charlotte Brontë's novel, see Jane Eyre plot summary.