Pride and Prejudice Characters

Elizabeth Bennet, or “Lizzy”

Elizabeth, the protagonist of the novel, is the second oldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bennett. She is intelligent, bold, quick, and perceptive. She not only takes great pride in her qualities but is also deeply critical of others, a trait that prevents her from getting off to a smooth start with Mr. Darcy.

Mr. Darcy

Mr. Darcy hails from a wealthy, aristocratic family. He initially comes across as an arrogant young man preoccupied with questions of class. However, as the novel progresses, readers are able to see him in a more positive light. He is in love with Elizabeth.

Mr. Bennet

Mr. Bennet is a retired lawyer and Elizabeth’s father. Including Elizabeth, he has five daughters. He is an intelligent man who prefers isolation to familial activities. He takes no interest in his daughters’ education, except Elizabeth’s. He becomes more involved only after Lydia (one of his daughters) finds her future threatened by a poor choice she’d made.

Mrs. Bennet

She is Mr. Bennet’s wife and a mother of five daughters. She is preoccupied—sometimes even worried—about securing grooms for her daughters. She is not very bright and rather frivolous, but is driven by good intentions. Like her husband, she, too, is not keen about her daughters’ education.

Jane

The eldest daughter of the Bennet family, Jane is beautiful, pleasant, and amiable. She is not as opinionated as Elizabeth. Sometimes, however, she comes across as gullible, especially when she fails to see through people’s wickedness. Nonetheless, she is an epitome of virtue in the novel.

Mary

The middle sister in the Bennet family, Mary is plain, but quite pedantic. She tends to make obscure observations about human nature. Unlike her sisters, she is not considered a good-looking woman. Nonetheless, she commands attention when she displays her talents and knowledge.

Lydia

The youngest Bennet daughter, Lydia is bold and flirtatious. She is Mrs. Bennet’s favorite, perhaps since she is able to match her mother’s frivolousness. She prefers to speak her mind at the cost of being perceived as insensitive. She also finds herself deeply attracted by regiment officers.

Catherine, or “Kitty”

Catherine is the second-youngest Bennet daughter. Like Lydia, she is easily influenced and also finds herself drawn toward regiment officers.

Mr. Bingley

Much like Jane, his love interest, Mr. Bingley is a pleasant, good-natured, and sincere person. Even Elizabeth finds him agreeable. He tends to see the good in people. Like Jane, he is virtuous and pleasant throughout the novel.

Caroline Bingley

This spiteful, ill-mannered character is Mr. Bingley’s sister. She is in love with Mr. Darcy and deeply jealous of his love for Elizabeth. She pretends to like Elizabeth and Jane, and later attempts to tarnish Elizabeth’s reputation after learning about Darcy’s love for Elizabeth.

Mrs. Hurst

She is Mr. Bingley’s elder sister and is just as arrogant and self-absorbed as Caroline Bingley.

Lady Lucas

She is a neighbor of the Bennets and mother of Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth’s closest friend.

Georgiana Darcy

The younger sister of Mr. Darcy, Georgiana is generous and shy, but also comes across as an eager-to-please woman. She tries to befriend Elizabeth after finding out about Darcy’s love for her. She almost falls for Wickham’s scheming and seduction. Wickham, as readers will find out, is only interested in Georgiana’s wealth.

Ms. Charlotte Lucas

A pragmatic woman, Charlotte is Elizabeth’s close friend and the eldest Lucas daughter. She values a comfortable life more than romance.

Sir William Lucas

He is Charlotte Lucas’ father and a neighbor of the Bennets.

Mrs. Phillips

She is Mrs. Bennet’s sister who lives in Meryton. She keeps Lydia and Catherine updated about the regiment officers.

Mr. Wickham

He is a handsome and gallant officer at Meryton. His charm often effectively conceals his deceptive nature. He is related to Darcy through Darcy’s father, who took him as his godson. Though he seduces the fifteen-year-old Ms. Darcy, he marries Lydia in the end.

Lady Catherine de Bourgh

A proud, wealthy woman, she is Darcy’s aunt and Mr. Collins’ patroness.

Ms. de Bourgh

A feeble and meek woman, she is one of Lady Catherine’s daughters. Lady Catherine, notably, had wanted her to be married to Darcy.

Mr. Collins

A cousin to the Bennets, he is next in line after Mr. Bennet to inherit their property. He wants to get married to a Bennet, but is rejected by Elizabeth. Instead, he marries Charlotte.

Colonel Fitzwilliam

He is Mr. Darcy’s cousin, and is kind and courteous.

Mr. Gardiner

He is Mrs. Bennet’s brother. He is more sensible than his sister. He lives in London and has acquired wealth through a very respectable line of trade.

Mrs. Gardiner

She is Mr. Gardiner’s younger wife. She is rather close to Jane. She even invites Jane to London after her separation.