Jane Eyre walks on stage when she hears Rochester call her name offstage ("The Voice Across the Moors"). She introduces herself to the audience, as the ensemble takes us to the beginning of her story ("Parents' Theme"). Jane's Mother and Jane's Father, dying from illness, tell their infant daughter to stay strong and that they will always watch over her. The story continues in the attic of Gateshead Hall ("A Flood of Memories"). The orphaned child, Young Jane, is being raised in the home of her aunt, Mrs. Reed. Jane endures the hateful treatment of her aunt and her cousin, John Reed. Lost in books and daydreams, she sometimes escapes their cruelty. But whatever solace she finds is temporary and soon disturbed by John, who tortures and belittles her. When she finally rebels, she is branded as a liar ("Lonely House").
Mrs. Reed, unable to tolerate the sight of the young girl, sends her away to Lowood, a boarding school for girls ("Children of God"). Young Jane is received and reprimanded by the stern Mr. Brocklehurst and Miss Scatcherd.
At Lowood, Young Jane is befriended by a fellow pupil, Helen Burns. After the teachers beat Helen for speaking to Young Jane, they are both ordered to wax the floor as punishment. Helen teaches her that even the worst injustices can be countered with forgiveness ("Forgiveness"). Helen and Young Jane become inseparable, bringing brightness to life at Lowood. This brightness is clouded, however, when Helen is struck with typhus ("Sympathies Exist"). As Young Jane keeps her company while her condition worsens, Helen comforts her ("I See My Maker"). She is dead by morning. Grief-stricken, Young Jane maintains a daily vigil at Helen's grave ("Graveside Scene").
The years pass at Lowood. Jane matures into a young woman and becomes a teacher at the school. With adulthood, however, comes a wanderlust that drives Jane to seek employment as a governess ("Sweet Liberty"). She eventually accepts a position at Thornfield Hall as the tutor of Adèle, a little French girl of ten and the ward of Edward Rochester, master of Thornfield. Jane is welcomed by Mrs. Fairfax, the elderly housekeeper of the hall ("The Hall"). As Jane is about to sleep later that night, she is disturbed by the strange laughter coming from the upper floor of Thornfield.
The following morning, Jane meets Leah, Sophie, and Bessie, maids at Thornfield ("In The Light of the Virgin Morning"). Jane begins her first lesson with Adèle. Time passes, and Jane feels contentment in her life but wishes for something more ("The Silence of the Moors").
Jane meets an injured Rochester on his way to Thornfield ("The Icy Lane"), but he does not reveal who he is to her. Jane is left pondering over the odd encounter ("Sweet Liberty (Reprise)"). When she returns to Thornfield, Rochester reveals himself to her. Jane finds the man rough-mannered but intriguing He, in turn, is taken aback by her goodness and spirituality ("The Governess"). As Jane continues to bond with Adele, however, a darker side of Rochester comes to light, and Jane finally addresses it following an outburst and confrontation between the two ("As Good as You" / "Honour Lost").
Later, as Rochester sleeps, a strange figure attempts to set his bedroom afire. Jane quenches the flames, thus saving Rochester's life ("The Fire"). Rochester is moved by her actions ("After the Fire"). The master and the governess are both undeniably drawn to each other but dare not admit their feelings ("Sirens").
When Jane asks maid Grace Poole about the strange events from the prior night, Grace is vague and dismissive. Rochester invites aristocratic guests to Thornfield ("The Master Returns"). To Jane's great unhappiness, Blanche Ingram, one of the guests, seems to have won Rochester's heart ("Oh, How You Look in the Light").This new development causes a rift in the relationship, and Rochester is conflicted.
As the revels at Thornfield continue, Mason, an old acquaintance of Rochester's, arrives unexpectedly ("The Ball / Oh How You Look in the Light"). Rochester, deeply upset about this arrival, comes to Jane to ask if she would leave him if some horrible secret was revealed about his past life. Jane pledges to remain faithful to her master, despite the unsolved mysteries of Thornfield Hall ("The Pledge"). Alone, Jane feels torn by her feelings for Rochester ("Secret Soul").
Mason ventures into the attic and is viciously attacked. Jane and Rochester bandage his wounds, and he is sent away from Thornfield ("Sirens (Reprise)"). In spite of the extraordinary events of the night, Rochester recovers his equilibrium and sense of humor and asks Jane her opinion of Miss Ingram as his future wife. Jane demurs but insists that she must leave Thornfield should Rochester marry. She then works all through the night at her easel ("Painting Her Portrait"), painting portraits of herself and Blanche Ingram as reminders of her subordinate place in Rochester's house and heart. An encounter in the garden with Blanche, her mother, and sister further proves her point ("In the Light of the Virgin Morning (First Reprise)").
The guests are informed that an old woman has arrived to read their fortunes of all the single women at Thornfield. The Crone suggests to Blanche Ingram that Rochester is not nearly as rich as she thinks ("Oh, Sister"). The young woman wastes no time in abandoning her suitor and leaving Thornfield. Alone with Jane, the Crone reveals to be none other than Rochester. He confesses his love to Jane and asks her to be his wife ("My Hope of Heaven"). She joyfully accepts him.
Sophie, Leah, Bessie and Grace Poole notice that the Thornfield's chestnut tree was struck by lightning and split in two, an ominous sign ("In the Light of the Virgin Morning (Second Reprise)"). Despite some hysterical misgivings from Mrs. Fairfax ("Slip of a Girl"), Jane and Rochester prepare for their wedding. ("The Wedding") Their blissful day is disrupted when Mason appears in the church mid-ceremony and reveals Rochester's secret: the master of Thornfield already has a wife. She is still living and, although mad, is hidden in the attic of Thornfield ("Attic"). Rochester recounts the horror of his marriage and begs Jane not to abandon him ("As Good As You (Reprise)"). Jane, unable to bear the thought that Rochester has deceived her and, unwilling to consider living with him outside wedlock, flies from Thornfield ("Sirens (2 nd Reprise)/"My Hope of Heaven (Reprise)").
Jane wanders across the moors, unable to find food or shelter ("The Moors"/"I See My Maker (Reprise)"). On the brink of starvation, she finds that she has unwittingly wandered back to Gateshead Hall ("Lovely House"), where she finds that the aging Mrs. Reed is dying ("Parents' Theme (Reprise)'). Although Jane learns that Mrs. Reed has tried to cheat her out of an inheritance, she summons up the lesson taught to her by Helen Burns and forgives her aunt the cruelty and neglect ("Forgiveness (Reprise)").
During her time at Gateshead Jane grows close to a young curate, St. John Rivers, who proposes to her ("My Eden"). Hopeless of ever seeing Rochester again, she is about to accept Rivers when she hears Rochester's voice calling to her from across the moors ("The Voice Across the Moors (Reprise)"). Jane bids farewell to Rivers and returns to Thornfield, only to find that the hall has burned to the ground ("Return to Thornfield"). Mrs. Fairfax tells Jane Bertha started the fire and that Rochester was blinded and crippled as a result of his heroic attempt to save his wife from the fire. Jane and Rochester are joyfully reunited. They marry, and Rochester's sight partially returns so that he can see his firstborn son when Jane places the little baby in his arms ("Brave Enough for Love").