Pride and Prejudice: Character Quotations (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE English Literature)
Revision Note
GCSE English Literature exam questions usually focus on a theme, a character or a relationship between two or more characters. Examiners reward responses that track the development of characters or themes through the text.
When revising, try to consider quotes in terms of their dramatic effects — how the words are spoken, what attitudes or relationships are presented and why these ideas have been shown to the audience.
We’ve included the best Pride and Prejudice quotes — with detailed analysis — to help you to revise and organised them by the following characters:
Elizabeth Bennet
Fitzwilliam Darcy
Jane Bennet
Charles Bingley
Examiners don’t want you to remember lots of long lines, but rather to consider how a character’s dialogue represents a theme. The best answers consider what feelings or philosophies are behind the words, or what the character’s words imply (Austen’s characters never just say what they mean). Remember, the characters’ communication style tells readers a lot about the society, and therefore illustrates many of Austen’s ideas.
Here, we’ve included a “key word or phrase” from every one of our longer quotations to help you keep your focus on the most important parts of each quotation.
Elizabeth Bennet
“There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it” - Elizabeth Bennet, Chapter 24
Key word or phrase to memorise: “few” and “more” | What the quotation means: Elizabeth tells Jane that her world is beyond her understanding, and that she finds it challenging to like or trust people because they are inconstant | Theme: Love and marriage | |
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“What are men to rocks and mountains?” - Elizabeth Bennet, Chapter 27
Key word or phrase to memorise: “men” and “mountains” | What the quotation means: Elizabeth is ecstatic to be travelling to the Lake District, and tells her aunt that she is very pleased to be going to see rocks and mountains instead of the men in Derbyshire | Theme: Gender roles | |
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“There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.” - Elizabeth Bennet, Chapter 31
Key word or phrase to memorise: “courage” and “stubbornness” | What the quotation means: Elizabeth replies to Mr Darcy’s request that she play piano, saying she is aware of his attempts to humiliate her | Theme: Social class | |
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Fitzwilliam Darcy
“I have been meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can bestow.” - Fitzwilliam Darcy, Chapter 6
Key word or phrase to memorise: “pleasure” and “pretty” | What the quotation means: When Darcy is accused of being bored, he rejects this, saying that he takes “pleasure” in watching Elizabeth, who is “pretty” | Theme: Gender roles | |
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“There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil — a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome.”- Fitzwilliam Darcy, Chapter 11
Key word or phrase to memorise: “evil” and “natural” | What the quotation means: Darcy suggests that there is a flaw (a “defect”) in all personalities which he believes applies to all people, regardless of social class or education | Theme: Social class | |
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“It was unpardonable. I cannot think of it without abhorrence.” - Fitzwilliam Darcy, Chapter 58
Key word or phrase to memorise: “unpardonable” | What the quotation means: When Darcy expresses his love to Elizabeth, he is ashamed of his prior snobbery, describing it as hateful (“abhorrent”) and unworthy of forgiveness | Theme: Love and marriage | |
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Jane Bennet
“‘He is just what a young-man ought to be,’ said she, ‘sensible, good-humoured, lively; and I never saw such happy manners! So much ease, with such perfect good breeding!’” - Jane Bennet, Chapter 4
Key word or phrase to memorise: “ought” and “perfect” | What the quotation means: When Jane describes what a perfect man should be, she mentions typically good qualities, but adds that he should come from a good family | Theme: Gender roles | |
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“my confidence was as natural as your suspicion” - Jane Bennet, Chapter 26
Key word or phrase to memorise: “confidence” and “suspicion” | What the quotation means: Jane writes that, although Elizabeth was right about Caroline’s insincerity, she still thinks that her decision to trust Caroline is as good as Elizabeth’s choice to suspect her | Theme: Social class | |
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“do anything rather than marry without affection.” - Jane Bennet, Chapter 59
Key word or phrase to memorise: “do anything” and “affection” | What the quotation means: Jane tells Elizabeth that she should be sure about her marriage to Darcy, and that she should avoid marrying him if she dislikes him | Theme: Love and marriage | |
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Charles Bingley
“And I wish my collection were larger for your benefit and my own credit; but I am an idle fellow ” - Charles Bingley, Chapter 8
Key word or phrase to memorise: “for your benefit” and “idle fellow” | What the quotation means: Bingley apologises to Elizabeth for his limited collection of books, accepts this lets him down in her eyes, and explains it is because he is lazy | Theme: Social class | |
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“people themselves alter so much, that there is something new to be observed in them for ever.” - Charles Bingley, Chapter 9
Key word or phrase to memorise: “alter” and “new” | What the quotation means: Charles Bingley says that studying someone’s character is pointless, as they change so much | Theme: Social class | |
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“At least, therefore, I did not assume the character of needless precipitance merely to show off before the ladies.” - Charles Bingley, Chapter 10
Key word or phrase to memorise: “merely” and “show off” | What the quotation means: Bingley rejects Darcy’s challenge to his humility and integrity, insisting that he did not assume the identity of a quick writer, or pretend to be something he was not, just to impress the female company | Theme: Love and marriage | |
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