Character analysis:

Mr . Collins : One of the best and most absurd comical characters created by Jane Austen simply because
of how this caricature of a character comes to life and makes us feel like a character we have known all
our lives.

He is a clergyman who is nephew to Mr.Bennet due to which he also stands to inherit Mr.Bennet’s
estate after his demise. A strange mix of snobbishness and exaggerated humility Mr.Collins is one of the
funniest characters of this novel.

Similarities:

Characterization:

1. A spineless toady who has lost all sense of self respect and the sacredness of his position as a
clergyman in his adoration for Lady Catherine Deborough his patron . Particularly Visible in how
he treats anything relating to Lady Catherin with obsequiousness probably because he’s her
patron and hence provides his living. His character is used by Jane Austen to make fun of
clergymen who despite the sacredness of their position fawn over and bootlick powerful people
for money and position
2. A strange mix of servility and self importance – Besides Lady Catherine Mr. Collins has been
observed to use excessive flattery whenever he wants to gain an advantage which makes his
flattery insincere. But he also comes across as someone full of himself. This is evident in his
courtship of Elizabeth. He flatters and fawns over her constantly but also has to establish he’s
superior to her financially . In his proposal while strife with flattery he does not forget to
mention that how advantageous that marriage would be to her not only because if his living but
because he stands to inherit the estate after Mr. Bennett’s demise . He is so conceited that he
refuses to believe that Elizabeth refused his hand.

3. A character that is insufferable to everyone in the novel except Mrs.Bennet – this is because he
uninteresting and forces his company on others in addition to being quite foolish.
4. Lacks commonsense and is socially awkward – Most visible in the Netherfield ball when he
decides to introduce himself to Mr.Darcy simply because of Lady Catherine is patron ignoring all
social norms and etiquette . He also peculiarly does not recognize Darcy’s contemptuous
treatment .
5. Fickle – Evident in the fact that while initially he liked Jane he quickly transformed his affections
to Elizabeth when informed of the possibility of Jane’s engagement.
Physical attributes: In the book Mr.Collins is described as a tall heavy looking man with no attractive or
distinct physical feature. The character played by Tom Hollander fits the physical attributes
well enough.

Character development :

Mr.Collins is one of the few characters who has remained constant in his
obsequiousness to Lady Catherine De Borough and other people of wealth , in his
pompousness and in his social awkwardness. However, something that was not a
development but rather an extention of his character is the childlike glee he derived
from showing off the grandeur and beauty of Rosings Park fully convinced that
Elizabeth must be ruing the day she rejected him .

Differences- The portrayal of Mr.Collins has been pretty accurate to Ms.Jane Austen’s description in the
novel so there are no visible differences in characterization , character development and physical of
Mr.Collins.

Charlotte Lucas –

Similarities :

Characterization : 1. Practical and pragmatic – Extremely practical and realistic evident in the scene
where Charlotte talks about Jane’s lack of expressiveness and how women if interested should exhibit
more emotions than they’re feeling to secure a marriage proposal. She is a person who recognizes the
limited options of a woman and understands the importance of settling down.

Amicable – Her friendly nature was evident throughout the novel in her friendship with Elizabeth as well
as her conduct with everyone including Collins.

Character Development – A major point for Charlotte’s character development was when Charlotte
accepts the proposal of Mr.Collins thus securing her future. This was particularly important, because
Elizabeth who believes in marrying for love never accepted Charlotte to accept the marriage proposal of
a person like Mr.Collins whom she clearly has no feelings for. However , this reveals charlotte’s
pragmatism for she knows besides this proposal the chances of her remaining a spinster is high. Hence
she accepts the proposal as a means to secure her future. Later , we see Charlotte’s happy with running
her household and at peace.

Physical Attributes – Charlotte Lucas has been described as a plain looking girl shich is very similar to her
depiction in the movie.
Difference – While both in the movie and book Charlotte marries Mr.Collins for financial security the
nuances of Charlotte’s inner struggle are not shown as the portrayal of her character in condensed.
Elizabeth Bennet

Elizabeth is one the main characters of “Pride and Prejudice” and the movie spirit of the book
and the movie. She’s by Jane Austen’s own admission one of the most charming characters to come in
print . She’s the 2nd eldest sister , who is said to have the most balanced personality with no flaw except
for her pride.

Similarities :
Characterization :
1. Has a sound mind who can judge characters and situations very well – Almost instantly she
discerns the merits and pitfalls of the Bingley’s , determines Collins as a fool and also judges
Lady Catherine correctly on their first meeting. She is also aware how embarrassing can
excluding jane.
2. Pride is her only pitfall which later went on to make some wrong judgments about Darcy and
Wickham
3. Affable , kind hearted and selfless – Elizabeth throughout the book has exhibited ability to
interact and be endearing to everyone including her arch nemesis Darcy. She is also kind
hearted and self less for her loved ones
4. Witty and able to laugh at herself- This was particularly evident when Darcy callously
commented that she was “ tolerable but not pretty enough to tempt him”. While her pride was
bruised that didn’t stop her from turning it into an amusing story she told her sister and friend.
Her wit and and intelligence is one of the reasons she became desirable to Darcy who did not
deem to be “pretty enough” for him .
5. Courageous, knows what she wants and is not afraid to stand up for it – Evident when she
refused Collin’s proposal despite her mother’s pressure and later Darcy’s proposal as she
wasnted to marry for love . This was especially courageous for Elizabeth’s father estate is
entailed to Collins , her connections low which meant such attractive proposals in the future.

Physical Appearance : In the book while Elizabeth is said to not have Jane’s extraordinary beauty
she is said to have “fine eyes on a pretty face” and alluded to be the 2nd prettiest sister Jane
Austen doesn’t provide much physical description for Lizzie. Instead her attractiveness lies in her
affability , intelligence , and wit. Keira Knightly fits the description of Elizabeth well.

Character development : Both in book and movie Lizzie goes through character development in
two stages . Firstly , after her pride was wounded by Darcy, she finds friendship in Wickham who
too doesn’t seem too fond of Darcy . Thus , combined with prejudice against Darcy and
Wickham’s lies Elizabeth, usually affable and a good judge of character forms deep hatred for
Darcy and misunderstands him. 2nd development occurs after she learns the complete truth
about Wickham from Darcy and later comes to realize that she misunderstood Darcy . At this
point she’s remorseful and her heart softens towards Darcy before finally falling in love with him
prior to seeing him in Pembarly and later when he rescues Lydia.

Difference : While Elizabeth’s character in the movie has been greatly condensed the biggest
difference is that in the movie feistiness and defiance of conventional social norms by Elizabeth
has been greatly emphasized . Particularly , in the book Elizabeth is portrayed as someone who
doesn’t wish to wound anyone even her adversaries with her words , even if they provoke her.
Meanwhile the Elizabeth in the movie is not afraid to make a snarky remark or two.
William Darcy – Wealthy young man with an aristocratic bloodline. He’s the male protagonist of
Pride and Prejudice embodying “pride” in this novel.

Similarities :
Characterization :
1. Wealthy man of 10000pound per annum belonging to esteemed Pemberly family estate
making him one of the most eligible bachelors.
2. Proud , reserved with a reluctance to interact with people beneath him. This was
particularly evident in the Meryton ball where danced with only Mrs Hurst and Miss
Bingley . The lack of desire to dance with anyone beneath him is further cemented by his
mean comment “ she’s tolerable but not enough to tempt me “ for Elizabeth. This is
perceived as arrogance which leads to people disliking him.
3. Was truthful to a fault. This was evidenced by him openly talking about how much he
struggled with Lizzie’s “low connections” whilst he was proposing to her.
4. Had high standards for whom he deems to be “accomplished” women

Physical attributes : In the book he’s described as a tall and handsome man has been
portrayed well by Matthew Macfadyen , including grooming his hair in
terms of the Regency era, and dressing him in clothes typical for a 19 th
century upper class man.

Jane - Jane - beyond being an extraordinary beauty , Jane was blessed with an angelic
character and nature that only saw sometimes naively the best in people and was a silent
sufferer.
Similarities : 1 . Jane being an exception beauty has been explicitly expressed in both the
book and movie - beauty that garnered praise from even Mr. William Darcy who was a
tough man to please
2.She has an angelical disposition who saw the best in others- Her having an angelic
disposition who only saw the best in people also has been expressed in both the book
and movie particularly in her scenes with Elizabeth particularly the night of the meryton
ball when both sisters were in bed and jane was praising bingley and lizzie stated Jane has
given her approval to many who did not deserve it but in this case she's right. Jane's
assessment of Caroline Bingley and Mrs. Hurst as kind women once one gets to know
them while Lizzie correctly analyzed them to be snooty women who looked down upon
those beneath them.
3. Jane was also a silent sufferer. This was evident in the scene when Lizzie came to visit
her in Netherfield and Jane only praised her hosts for their kindness without complaining.
Jane after her separation from Bingley (though settings in the book and movie differed) in
London where despite her disappointment in not meeting Bingley doesn’t complain to
Elizabeth about it
4.Is not the most emotionally expressive person.

Physical Attributes : Jane is described as an extraordinary beauty who is well depicted by

Rosamund Pike in the movie.
Differences :

Movie is a condensed version of Jane’s journey however, a crucial thing missed by the
movie is Jane realizing what a conniving person Caroline Bingley is implied by this quote -
“ My dearest Lizzy will, I am sure, be incapable of triumphing in her better judgement, at
my expense, when I confess myself to have been entirely deceived in Miss Bingley’s
regard for me”

Character Development:
After discovering Caroline Bingley’s true nature Jane perhaps realizes that not everyone is
trustworthy and would treat people accordingly in the future .

Mr.Bingley
Mr . Bingley was a jovial good natured fellow with an amicable friendly nature . He was
also handsome and was wealthy.

Similarities :
1. A sweet temper, perfect genteel manners and amicable behavior towards
everyone that endeared him to everyone
2. Wealthy and good looking with a good social standing
3. Extremely humble
4. Depends quite a lot on Darcy’s opinion though had enough sense to realize that
he is matched well with Jane in terms of temper and decides to marry her.

Physical Appearance : Described as a handsome jovial man which is very well depicted in
the move.

Character development : Mr. Bingley is a character that remained unchanged throughout

both the book and the movie.

Mrs. Bennet - One of the most comical characters of this book. She’s loud ,crass , has a
very limited if not superficial understanding of the world. She can also be mean and is
obsessed with getting her daughters married to particularly rich men.

Similarities:
1. She was a famous beauty in her youth which faded with her advanced age and
her personality only worsened with time .

2. She was a mother who differentiated amongst her children.

Mrs Bennet viewed Jane with pride because of her beauty, was antagonized by Elizabeth
particularly because of her quick wit or for Mr. Bennet treating her with most affection
and respect because of said wit that mrs bennet is bereft from and while there is some
motherly affection given her anger at Darcy for his rebuke of ELizabeth she herself admits
at the end of chapter 18 that -"Elizabeth was the least dear to her of all her children"
3. She is loud and crass. This is evidenced by This was evident in the Meryton Party
when she exclaimed in the presence of bingley thatJane had an admirer at the age of
fifteen who they were sure would send a marriage proposal which came to naught or her
loudly exclaiming that jane and bingley would soon be married while callously boasting
about his wealth and claiming that this would help the other girls secure wealthy
husbands. She exclaims these loudly in darcy’s presence despite Lizzi’s attempts to silence
her.
4. She obsessed with getting her daughters married. This was visible in her
scheme of getting Jane wet in the rain so she’s forced to stay in Netherfield , forcing
Elizabeth to marry Collins and how distraught she was that Charlotte got married before
her daughters.
5. She is a silly person - This is visible when despite all the turmoil caused by Lydia
after everything is settled she feels pride that her youngest daughter got married so
young.
6. She is a superficial person

Physical attributes : Since very little description is provided for her appearance her
character is perfectly fitted by Brenda Blethyn playing the part of an aging mother.

Character development : There was no development in Mrs Bennet’s character who

remained the same marriage obsessed mother even after Lydia’s elopement. Despite the
shame she bought to the family all Mrs.Bennet cared about is her youngest daughter was
already married.

Differences : 1. Woman of little understanding of the world - this is evident when she
claimed Mr. Bennet should’ve entailed away his state already when she heard of
Mr.Collins’ impending visit.

Kitty and lydia - Air heads who loved gossip and handsome men and were materialistic
and silly just like their mother .” As stated by Mr. Bennet - they are the two silliest girls in
the country”

Lydia :
Similarities : 1. She was a born shameless flirt who was obsessed with boys as evidenced
by her and Kitty’s obsession with men of infantry regiment.
2. She also loves to gossip very similar to her mother
3. She loves party and dancing and is often engrossed in shopping.
4. She’s ill mannered . There are several instances including when she asked Mr.
Bingley for a ball or when she rudely interrupted Mr.Collins when he was trying to
entertain his cousins by reading some divine book.
6. She’s also shameless - particularly evident when she on her first visit to the
bennet house after marriage boasts about being married before her older sisters rather
than being ashamed.

Kitty : Given kitty’s entire personality was molded by Lydia’s influence and is by default
has the same traits as Lydia she doesn’t merit a special mention.

Character Development :
Lydia shows signs of remaining irredeemable given how she shows no signs of remorse
for the all the trouble she caused.
Kitty however , post Lydia’s marriage seemed to have improved vastly in her 2 oldest
sisters’ company in terms of personality and maturity and we hope she’ll become a well
rounded person like her sisters.

Differences – though the character of especially Lydia has been condensed for the movie ,
more or less Lydia and Kitty’s depiction was accurate.

Marry Bennet – Marry one of the 5 Bennet sisters. While Mr.Bennet called Lydia and Kitty
the silliest girls in the country this applies to Marry as well though Marry is an educated
fool.

1. Most serious and socially reserved – unlike her vivaciously spirited sisters she’s more
serious and lacks the sociability of her other siblings.
2. She thinks she is a great scholar and a gifted musician – both of these turn out to be
false especially her talents in music which often make her a laughing stock.
3. She’s completely conservative in contrast to her quite liberal sisters Lydia and Kitty.
Elizabeth and Jane are the more balanced character amongst the five siblings.
4. She lacks common sense and social cues – Example the netherfield ball she does not
realize her music has turned her into a laughing stock and would have continued
making a fool of herself if Mr.Bennet had not rescued her.

Character devekopemnt – There was no character development for Mary.

Differences – In the book Mary is shown as a egotistical person who thinks she
intellectually and morally above others especially her sisters . In contrast, Marry in
the movie is a shy reserved character who found solace playing music though is
unaware that she is not as talented as she thinks she is.

Physical appearance – while in book Mary is described as the least interesting looking
sister in the movie she is depicted as a sweet looking young woman though dressed
in drab clothes by the actress Talulah Riley.
Miss Caroline Bingley – Sister to Mr Bingley she was an antagonist in the novel and the
movie .
Similar : 1.She looks down upon people beneath her social standing - evident in Meryton
and Netherfields ball especially in her conduct with the Bennet family.She also mentions
poor connections quite a lot.
2. Can be vapid and mean if she feels jealous or threatened by anyone for Darcy’s
affection
3. Can cause extreme harm to have her needs met- for instance the lengths she went to
to sever any relationship between Mr.Bingley and Jane Bennet mostly motivated by a
burning desire to keep Elizabeth and Darcy apart.

Character Development – Turning point for Caroline’s character was when Darcy
expresses his admiration for Elizabeth which leads her to behave almost cruely to
Elizabeth mocking her to her face as well as behind her back to Darcy. She also attempts
to destroy any chances of marriage between Jane and Bingley.

Physical Appearance- described as a goodlooking woman her portrayal by the gorgeous

Kelly Reilly is accurate

Difference –
The movie is a condensed version of Caroline Bingley hence it fails to acknowledge how
she embodies jealousy and motivated by jealousy goes to any length to keep Darcy and
Elizabeth apart . For instance, in the book during Jane’s visit to London Caroline who was
once a good friend to Jane Bennet does not return her letters and when she does invite
Jane to visit her she feigns ignorance of the letters, treats Jane with contempt and
coldness and makes it clear that class divide between the Bennets and Bingleys in not
bridgeable. She also indicates that Mr.Bingley would marry Ms.Darcy. This lack of regard
for someone who was once a friend encapsulates caroline’s character perfectly.