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Yes, vanity is a weakness indeed.

Pride and Prejudice - Character

Explore the characters of Pride and Prejudice and see how their manners, mistakes and changing opinions shape this classic story for your GCSE English Literature exam.

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Fascinating Fact:

Mr Bennet is witty and detached, using sarcasm to cope with his foolish wife, but his lack of firm guidance contributes to his daughters’ difficulties.

In GCSE English Literature, studying Pride and Prejudice characters helps you explore how Austen uses dialogue, narration and social setting to reveal personality, relationships and changing attitudes.

Key Terms

Protagonist: The main character whose experiences and choices are central to the story.
Foil: A character who contrasts with another to highlight particular qualities or flaws.
Free indirect style: Narration that blends the narrator’s voice with a character’s thoughts or feelings.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

How can I compare Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy in my essay?

Compare how Elizabeth and Darcy change their first impressions. Use key scenes, such as early proposals and later confessions, to show how pride, prejudice and self-knowledge shape their relationship.

How are Mr Bennet and Mrs Bennet different as parents?

Mr Bennet is observant and ironic but often passive, while Mrs Bennet is noisy, anxious and focused on marriage. Together they show weaknesses in guidance and family responsibility in the novel.

Why are Lydia, Charlotte Lucas and Lady Catherine important characters?

Lydia shows reckless behaviour and risk, Charlotte represents practical marriage choices, and Lady Catherine displays class arrogance. Each figure challenges Elizabeth’s views and highlights key themes about love, status and independence.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

Lydia is in no way chastened by her experience of elopement with Mr Wickham and having required the intervention of family and friends. This attitude is implied by which of the following quotes?

"Ah! Jane, I take your place now, and you must go lower, because I am a married woman"

"We overtook William Goulding in his curricle, so I was determined he should know it, and so I let down the side glass next to him, and took off my glove, and let my hand just rest upon the window frame, so that he might see the ring, and then I bowed and smiled like any thing"

"And then when you go away, you may leave one or two of my sisters behind you; and I dare say I shall get husbands for them before the winter is over"

All of the above

Lydia follows her passions without having any sense of self-preservation. She seems to have no idea what future would have awaited her if Mr Darcy had not found and basically bribed Mr Wickham into marriage

2 .

"Mr Wickham is blessed with such happy manners as may ensure his making friends — whether he may be equally capable of retaining them, is less certain." What does Mr Darcy mean by these words?

Mr Wickham struggles to make friends because people are able to see immediately what type of character he is

Mr Wickham's cheerful manner leads him to lose many friends

Mr Wickham has always been friendless

Mr Wickham's true character remains hidden on first acquaintance

Mr Darcy is confident that Mr Wickham's bad character will reveal itself through his actions quickly enough

3 .

Which of the following best describes Jane Bennet?

Haughty

Good-natured

Simple-minded

Complicated

Jane is presented as good, patient and thoughtful

4 .

Having overheard Mr Darcy refer to her as "not handsome enough", Elizabeth Bennet later turns his rudeness into an amusing story for her friends. Which of the following characteristics does this episode NOT demonstrate?

Her good humour

Her insensibility and lack of concern with the impression she makes on others

Her enjoyment in using her wit to entertain others

Her self-deprecation

Elizabeth does care about the impression she makes on others, even if her response is privately to become angry at them while publicly pretending otherwise

5 .

Who most displays the "prejudice" of the title?

Elizabeth Bennet

Mr Bennet

Mr Wickham

Mr Bingley

Elizabeth Bennet's view of Mr Darcy is formed very quickly and is resistant to change. Her prejudice makes her very susceptible to the lies of Mr Wickham. Many other characters, of course, also exhibit prejudice

6 .

How does Mr Collins at first respond to Elizabeth's refusal to marry him?

He is overjoyed because he can choose someone else to marry instead

He is disappointed and goes to complain to Mrs Bennet

He is ashamed and disappears from the house immediately

He does not believe that she means it

Mr Collins persists in believing that Elizabeth is playing games and trying to increase his desire to marry her, only understanding that he has been refused when he hears the words from another man, Mr Bennet

7 .

Which of the following is NOT true of Mr Bennet?

He often makes fun of his younger daughters

He has tried to save as much money as possible to provide for his daughters

He holds contempt for his wife

He shows a certain amount of neglect towards his family

Mr Bennet is wise, kindly and amusing, but he has many failings as a father. Despite being his favourite, Elizabeth acknowledges that he has not protected his family as well as he could

8 .

"Yes, vanity is a weakness indeed. But pride - where there is a real superiority of mind, pride will always be under good regulation." Why does Elizabeth smile when Mr Darcy makes this proclamation?

She smiles because she likes him against her better judgement

She smiles because she thinks he is ridiculous

She smiles because his comment displays his own pride

She smiles because she has succeeded in confusing him

By referring to "real superiority of mind", Mr Darcy confirms her view of him as proud. She hides her smile, however. Why might she not wish him to see her smiling at his comment?

9 .

Which of the following best describes Lady Catherine de Bourgh?

Imperious

Subtle

Shy

Heartily cheerful

Lady Catherine and Elizabeth share many qualities, such as their honesty and forthrightness, which inevitably bring them into conflict. Elizabeth refuses to be deferential in the way Lady Catherine presumes she will be

10 .

The Bennet and Lucas families discuss whether Mr Darcy's pride is justified or not. The conversation descends into a disagreement between Mrs Bennet and a young Lucas regarding her hypothetical confiscation of his alcohol: "The boy protested that she should not; she continued to declare she would, and the argument ended only with the visit." What does this sentence reveal about Mrs Bennet's character?

She is unaware of her own behaviour

She is immature in her behaviour

She is resistant to change

All of the above

By arguing at length about a hypothetical situation with a young child, Mrs Bennet reveals the inappropriateness of her public behaviour, her lack of awareness of the effect her behaviour has on others, and her immaturity. She also demonstrates a particular tenaciousness

Author: Sheri Smith (PhD English Literature, English Teacher & Quiz Writer)