Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen

167 pages 5-hour read

Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1813

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

Elizabeth is the second eldest of the five Bennet daughters living at the Longbourn estate. She possesses a quick wit and keen observation skills. This sets her apart from her mother's nervous energy and her younger sisters' frivolity. She firmly believes in marrying for love rather than financial convenience. Her independent mindset sometimes causes her to rely too heavily on her initial impressions of others.

Key Relationships

Sister and confidante of Jane Bennet

Older sister of Mary Bennet

Older sister of Kitty Bennet

Older sister of Lydia Bennet

Favorite daughter of Mr. Bennet

Daughter of Mrs. Bennet

Complicated romantic interest of Fitzwilliam Darcy

Sympathetic acquaintance of Mr. Wickham

Best friend of Charlotte Lucas

Fitzwilliam Darcy is a wealthy gentleman who owns the massive Pemberley estate in Derbyshire. He presents a proud and reserved exterior to the residents of Hertfordshire, preferring the company of his own party over provincial society. His high social standing dictates his strict sense of propriety, though this behavior masks a more thoughtful and honorable interior.

Key Relationships

Protective brother of Georgiana Darcy

Close friend and advisor of Mr. Bingley

Nephew of Lady Catherine de Bourgh

Harbors animosity toward Mr. Wickham

Cousin and co-guardian with Colonel Fitzwilliam

Jane is the eldest Bennet daughter and is universally acknowledged as the most beautiful woman in the neighborhood. She has a gentle, optimistic disposition and consistently sees the good in others. Her calm and compliant demeanor sometimes masks the true depth of her feelings.

Key Relationships

Older sister and confidante of Elizabeth Bennet

Older sister of Mary Bennet

Older sister of Kitty Bennet

Older sister of Lydia Bennet

Daughter of Mr. Bennet

Daughter of Mrs. Bennet

Romantic interest of Mr. Bingley

Acquaintance of Miss Bingley

Mrs. Bennet is the nervous and excitable matriarch of the Bennet family. Her primary life goal is to secure advantageous marriages for her five daughters to save them from future poverty. She frequently embarrasses her older daughters with her lack of tact and unfiltered opinions.

Key Relationships

Wife of Mr. Bennet

Mother of Jane Bennet

Mother of Mary Bennet

Mother of Kitty Bennet

Mother of Lydia Bennet

Sister of Mrs. Philips

Sister of Mr. Gardiner

Mr. Bennet is the patriarch of the Longbourn estate. He uses sarcasm and dry humor to distance himself from his wife's nervous energy and his younger daughters' silliness. He prefers the quiet of his library over the demands of social and family management.

Key Relationships

Husband of Mrs. Bennet

Father of Jane Bennet

Father of Mary Bennet

Father of Kitty Bennet

Father of Lydia Bennet

Cousin of Mr. Collins

Mr. Bingley is a wealthy bachelor from the north of England. He possesses a cheerful and outgoing personality, and he quickly becomes popular in Meryton. He relies heavily on the advice of his close friend regarding social matters, sometimes at the expense of his own desires.

Key Relationships

Romantic interest of Jane Bennet

Close friend of Fitzwilliam Darcy

Brother of Miss Bingley

Brother of Mrs. Hurst

Mr. Wickham is a handsome and charismatic militia officer. He possesses excellent conversational skills and quickly gains the sympathy of the townspeople with his easy manners. He readily shares tales of his troubled history with the Darcy family to anyone willing to listen.

Key Relationships

Friendly with Elizabeth Bennet

Estranged from Fitzwilliam Darcy

Flirts with Lydia Bennet

Pursues financially Mary King

Supporting Characters

Charlotte is a 27-year-old neighbor and close friend of Elizabeth. She maintains a highly practical view of marriage. She views matrimony primarily as a means of financial security rather than romantic fulfillment, and she acts deliberately to secure her future.

Key Relationships

Best friend of Elizabeth Bennet

Daughter of Sir William Lucas

Daughter of Lady Lucas

Older sister of Maria Lucas

Courted by Mr. Collins

Mr. Collins is a pompous clergyman who stands to inherit the Bennet estate. He feels a deep sense of self-importance combined with extreme subservience toward his wealthy patron. He visits the Bennets with the practical goal of selecting a wife to set a good example in his parish.

Key Relationships

Suitor of Charlotte Lucas

Subordinate to Lady Catherine de Bourgh

Heir to Mr. Bennet

Lydia is the fifteen-year-old youngest daughter of the Bennet family. She focuses entirely on attending dances, shopping for ribbons, and flirting with officers. Her parents' lack of discipline allows her to act on every impulsive whim without considering the consequences.

Key Relationships

Favorite daughter of Mrs. Bennet

Daughter of Mr. Bennet

Younger sister of Jane Bennet

Younger sister of Elizabeth Bennet

Younger sister of Kitty Bennet

Infatuated with Mr. Wickham

Friend of Mrs. Forster

Miss Bingley is the wealthy and fashionable sister of Mr. Bingley. She looks down on the provincial society of Hertfordshire and mocks the Bennet family's lower status. She actively seeks to capture Mr. Darcy's attention for herself and tries to eliminate any competition.

Key Relationships

Sister of Mr. Bingley

Sister of Mrs. Hurst

False friend to Jane Bennet

Lady Catherine is a wealthy aristocratic woman who rules her parish with an iron fist. She demands strict deference from everyone she meets and freely offers unsolicited advice on how others should manage their households. She is deeply concerned with preserving the distinctions of social rank.

Key Relationships

Mother of Miss de Bourgh

Patron of Mr. Collins

Mr. Gardiner is Mrs. Bennet's brother who works in trade in London. Despite his profession, he is educated, well-mannered, and provides a stabilizing influence for the Bennet family during times of crisis. He quietly handles matters that Mr. Bennet neglects.

Key Relationships

Husband of Mrs. Gardiner

Brother of Mrs. Bennet

Uncle of Jane Bennet

Mrs. Gardiner is Mrs. Bennet's sensible and well-bred sister-in-law. She serves as a voice of logic and reason for her nieces, recognizing the dangers of their romantic attachments and offering gentle warnings when necessary.

Key Relationships

Wife of Mr. Gardiner

Aunt of Jane Bennet

Kitty is the fourth Bennet daughter. She closely follows Lydia's lead in chasing the militia officers around town. She is easily influenced and prone to complaining when excluded from social events.

Key Relationships

Follower and sister of Lydia Bennet

Daughter of Mr. Bennet

Mary is the middle Bennet daughter and the only one considered plain. She attempts to compensate for her lack of beauty by dedicating herself to reading and practicing the piano, though she lacks both natural talent and social grace.

Key Relationships

Daughter of Mr. Bennet

Younger sister of Elizabeth Bennet

Mrs. Hurst is Mr. Bingley's married sister. She shares her younger sister Caroline's haughty attitude and preference for wealthy society, frequently joining in the mockery of the Bennet family.

Key Relationships

Sister of Miss Bingley

Sister of Mr. Bingley

Miss de Bourgh is the frail and sickly daughter of Lady Catherine. She speaks very little and lives entirely under her mother's domineering shadow.

Key Relationships

Daughter of Lady Catherine de Bourgh

Colonel Fitzwilliam is a friendly and amiable military man. As a younger son of an earl, he lacks a vast fortune but compensates with excellent conversational skills and easy manners.

Key Relationships

Friendly with Elizabeth Bennet

Georgiana is Fitzwilliam Darcy's much younger sister. She is exceptionally skilled at the piano and possesses a large fortune. Despite rumors of her being proud, she is remarkably timid and seeks the approval of her older brother.

Key Relationships

Sister and ward of Fitzwilliam Darcy

Shares history with Mr. Wickham

Sir William is a former tradesman who received a knighthood. He is excessively proud of his title and maintains a polite but somewhat obsequious demeanor toward higher-ranking individuals like Mr. Darcy and Lady Catherine.

Key Relationships

Husband of Lady Lucas

Father of Charlotte Lucas

Lady Lucas is the wife of Sir William and a close neighbor to the Bennets. She actively competes with Mrs. Bennet in the quest to secure advantageous marriages for her daughters.

Key Relationships

Wife of Sir William Lucas

Rival of Mrs. Bennet

Maria is Charlotte Lucas's younger sister. She is easily intimidated by high society and finds herself completely awed when visiting the imposing Rosings estate.

Key Relationships

Younger sister of Charlotte Lucas

Companion of Elizabeth Bennet

Mrs. Philips is Mrs. Bennet's sister who lives in the nearby town. She frequently hosts the younger Bennet girls and shares their fascination with the local militia officers, eagerly passing along town gossip.

Key Relationships

Sister of Mrs. Bennet

Aunt of Lydia Bennet

Mrs. Reynolds is the long-serving housekeeper at Pemberley. She holds deep affection for her employer and surprises visitors with her glowing reports of his generous nature.

Key Relationships

Employee of Fitzwilliam Darcy

Colonel Forster is the commanding officer of the regiment. He is a responsible man who attempts to manage his soldiers and ultimately helps track down deserters.

Key Relationships

Husband of Mrs. Forster

Commander of Mr. Wickham

Mrs. Forster is the young wife of the regiment's colonel. She shares Lydia's love for frivolous entertainment and invites her to travel with the military camp.

Key Relationships

Wife of Colonel Forster

Friend and chaperone of Lydia Bennet

Mary King is a young woman who inherits ten thousand pounds. Her sudden wealth makes her an immediate target for opportunistic suitors in the neighborhood.

Key Relationships

Pursued by Mr. Wickham