Cast of Characters
Elizabeth (Eliza, Lizzy) Bennet — The novel's heroine and the second oldest of the five Bennet sisters, Elizabeth is smart, lively, and attractive. She prides herself on her ability to analyze other people, but she is very often mistaken in her conclusions about their motivations. To her credit, though, she is eventually able to overcome her own prejudice. Elizabeth places little value on money and social position. Instead she prizes a person's independence of character and personal virtue. Although she is drawn to Darcy, she resists him based on her own mistaken preconceptions about him.
Fitzwilliam Darcy — Bingley's closest friend, the brother of Georgiana, and the nephew of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Darcy is very wealthy and a person of great integrity, but his extreme class-consciousness makes him appear vain and proud. He finds Elizabeth attractive, even ideal, but is clumsy in expressing his feelings and disdains her sometimes crass family. Elizabeth's harsh appraisal of him compels him to reassess his behavior and attitudes. Her intelligence and her disregard for mere social rank teaches him to see people more for who they are, rather than the status in to which they were born.
Jane Bennet — The oldest of the Bennet sisters, Jane seems almost too good to be true: beautiful, sweet-tempered, and modest. Her sole fault is that she refuses to think badly of anyone. She always looks on the bright side and is quick to defend someone when Elizabeth suspects them of having shortcomings.
Charles Bingley — Bingley is Darcy's best friend and the brother of Caroline Bingley and Mrs. Hurst. Unlike Darcy, however, Bingley is down to earth. Despite his huge wealth, he is humble and modest, placing no great weight on social standing.
George Wickham — Wickham is an officer in the local military regiment and appears to be the very model of a gentleman. In reality, he is a liar, hypocrite, and an opportunist. He thinks nothing of ruining a young woman's reputation, and is instead much more concerned with paying off his massive gambling debts.
Mrs. Bennet — Mrs. Bennet is a giddy, frivolous woman whose only purpose in life seems to be gossiping and marrying off her five daughters. She lacks any awareness of her vulgar conduct and embarrasses Elizabeth and Jane to no end. Her behavior depicts what can happen to women when they lack an education and the ability to think for themselves.
Mr. Bennet — Though a discerning, well-educated man, Mr. Bennet has made a bad marriage and is resigned to endure it. He is a good-hearted person, but fails his family by remaining sarcastically detached: everything is a joke to him. This leads to poor judgment, as when he does not interfere between Lydia and Wickham.
Lydia Bennet — The youngest of the Bennet sisters, Lydia is a vain, empty-headed flirt who has never had to deal with the consequences of her actions. She is her mother's favorite.
Catherine (Kitty) Bennet — The second youngest of the Bennet sisters. A bit of a whiner, she tends to follow Lydia.
Mary Bennet — The middle child of the five Bennet sisters. Mary is plain looking and a recluse who enjoys lecturing others about morality, which she learns from books.
Mr. Collins — Mr. Bennet's cousin and heir to the Bennet estate (in Austen's time, only men could inherit). His patroness is Lady Catherine. He is a ridiculous pompous clergyman concerned only with impressing others.
Charlotte Lucas — A close friend of Elizabeth's. She weds Mr. Collins for security, not love, but nevertheless finds happiness in her situation.
Sir William Lucas — Charlotte's father, foolishly obsessed with rank. Lady Lucas — Charlotte's mother. Mrs. Gardiner — Mrs. Bennet's sister-in-law. Intelligent and caring, she is the mother that Elizabeth and Jane cannot find in Mrs. Bennet.
Mr. Gardiner — Mrs. Bennet's brother and a successful, warmhearted, cultivated merchant.
Caroline Bingley — Charles Bingley's sister. She cares only about social status and tries to undermine Elizabeth because she wants Darcy for herself.
Mrs. Hurst — Bingley's other sister. Though married, her views and temperament mirror her sister Caroline's.
Georgiana Darcy — Darcy's younger sister. Georgiana is a shy, good-spirited person whom Elizabeth wrongly dislikes until they meet and become friends. Georgiana has her own scandalous history with Wickham.
Lady Catherine de Bourgh — Domineering and rich, Lady Catherine meddles in everyone's affairs and cannot tolerate any breach of class rank.
Miss de Bourgh — Lady Catherine's sickly daughter. Her mother intends for Darcy to marry her.
Colonel Fitzwilliam — Darcy's cousin and Georgiana's guardian. He's a model gentleman, though as a second son he lacks any inheritance and so must seek out money through marriage.
Mrs. Philips — Mrs. Bennet's shallow silly sister. The gossip queen of Meryton.
Colonel Forster — The leader of Wickham's regiment.
Mrs. Forster — Colonel Forster's wife. She irresponsibly aids Lydia in her elopement with Wickham. In