Elizabeth Bennet Quotes

Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters - Mr. Bennet

They are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 1. Mr. Bennet is commenting on the prospect of their new neighbor Charles Bingley falling in love with one of his five daughters. His wife Mrs. Bennet’s has expressed the hope that the rich occupant of the nearby Netherfield Park will be a potential suitor for one of their girls. Mr. Bennet’s reply, in singling out Elizabeth for her "quickness," positions her early on as the protagonist in the novel.
She is tolerable, I suppose, but not handsome enough to tempt me - Darcy about Elizabeth

She is tolerable, I suppose, but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 3. Mr. Darcy says this to Mr. Bingley about Elizabeth Bennet, when Bingley tries to persuade him to dance with her at the Meryton ball. Darcy’s claim that Elizabeth is not handsome enough to tempt him turns out to be very ironic, since he ends up falling in love with her and marrying her. But when he first meets her here, Darcy looks down his nose at Elizabeth without knowing her. His pride getting the better of him, he considers Elizabeth and the people of Meryton to be his social inferiors.
A most disagreeable, horrid man, not at all worth pleasing - Pride and Prejudice

"But I can assure you," she added, "that Lizzy does not lose much by not suiting his fancy; for he is a most disagreeable, horrid man, not at all worth pleasing. So high and so conceited that there was no enduring him! He walked here, and he walked there, fancying himself so very great! Not handsome enough to dance with! I wish you had been there, my dear, to have given him one of your set-downs. I quite detest the man."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 3. Mrs. Bennet hasn’t any good word to say to Mr. Bennet about Mr. Darcy after she and the Bennet girls return home from the Meryton ball. She detests Darcy for his attitude towards Elizabeth at the ball, and is particularly vexed at him for slighting her daughter by not asking her to dance. Mrs. Bennet is quick to judge Mr. Darcy and forms a strong prejudice against him, based purely on first impressions, labeling him as vain and conceited.
So much ease, with such perfect good breeding - Pride and Prejudice

"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!"
"He is also handsome," replied Elizabeth, "which a young man ought likewise to be, if he possibly can. His character is thereby complete."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 4. Jane and Elizabeth discuss Charles Bingley after their first meeting with him at the ball. Jane who was previously cautious in her praise of Bingley now tells her sister how much she admires him. While Darcy seemed snobby and rude to them, his friend Bingley appears polite and well-mannered – character traits that were very important in Austen’s day. The positive first impression Bingley has on Jane foreshadows their close relationship later in the story. Elizabeth agrees with her sister, jokingly saying that Bingley is also handsome which makes his character "complete." The dangers of relying soley on first impressions are highlighted here, as this eligible bachelor is later shown to have one important character flaw: in matters of the heart he is too easily persuaded by family and friends.

But that is one great difference between us. Compliments always take you by surprise, and me never.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 4. Elizabeth makes this comment to Jane, who has said that she was flattered by Charles Bingley paying her the compliment of asking her to dance a second time. This shows how the outspoken Elizabeth is different from Jane and her other sisters. She doesn’t see herself as intellectually or socially inferior to men, but as an equal mind with her own independent voice.

"Oh! you are a great deal too apt, you know, to like people in general. You never see a fault in anybody. All the world are good and agreeable in your eyes. I never heard you speak ill of a human being in your life."
"I would not wish to be hasty in censuring anyone; but I always speak what I think."
"I know you do; and it is that which makes the wonder. With your good sense, to be so honestly blind to the follies and nonsense of others! Affectation of candour is common enough – one meets with it everywhere. But to be candid without ostentation or design – to take the good of everybody’s character and make it still better, and say nothing of the bad – belongs to you alone. And so you like this man’s sisters, too, do you? Their manners are not equal to his."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 4. After the ball in Meryton Elizabeth and Jane hold a post mortem, during which they discuss Charles Bingley’s interest in Jane and also what Elizabeth says is the bad behavior of Bingley’s sisters. Elizabeth accuses Jane of being too quick to see the good in everybody and being blind to people’s faults. But Jane is reluctant to criticize the Bingley sisters and tells Elizabeth that she is too quick to judge others harshly. Elizabeth’s suggestion that her sister’s judgment of people is flawed turns out to be ironic, since Elizabeth turns out to be a poor judge of Mr. Darcy’s and Mr. Wickham’s characters, which almost costs her her happiness. This exchange is also foreshadowing of how Jane will put her own happiness at risk by failing to see the bad intentions of her manipulative false friend Caroline Bingley.

I beg you would not put it into Lizzy’s head to be vexed by such ill treatment; for he is such a disagreeable man that it would be quite a misfortune to be liked by him. Mrs. Long told me last night that he sat close to her for half-an-hour without once opening his lips.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 5. Mrs. Bennet says this of Mr. Darcy, when Charlotte Lucas comments on Darcy’s reason for refusing to ask Elizabeth to dance – "poor Eliza! – to be only just tolerable," says Charlotte.

"His pride," said Miss Lucas, "does not offend me so much as pride often does, because there is an excuse for it. One cannot wonder that so very fine a young man, with family, fortune, everything in his favour, should think highly of himself. If I may so express it, he has a right to be proud."
"That is very true," replied Elizabeth, "and I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 5. Charlotte Lucas and Elizabeth are discussing Mr. Darcy’s pride. Charlotte thinks that if you have everything going for you in life, including family and fortune, you have a right to be proud. However, Elizabeth accuses Darcy of mortifying her pride after overhearing him saying she was not "handsome enough."

"Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other or ever so similar beforehand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always continue to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life."
"You make me laugh, Charlotte; but it is not sound. You know it is not sound, and that you would never act in this way yourself."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 6. Charlotte Lucas and Elizabeth discuss the idea of Jane marrying Charles Bingley, and on the subject of marriage the two women disagree. As becomes apparent later when she weds, Charlotte has a pragmatic view of marriage, it is a business transaction to enable a woman have financial security and comfort and status. During this exchange with Elizabeth, she is dismissive of the idea of marriage being about love and intimacy and getting to know the other person. Happiness in marriage is a roll of the dice, she believes, and it’s better to know as little as possible about the other’s faults beforehand. Elizabeth disagrees and laughs off what Charlotte says, predicting that her friend would never act in this way herself. Later events prove Elizabeth wrong in this, an example of how poor Elizabeth’s judgment of other people is sometimes. Charlotte lack of response to Elizabeth’s comment is forecasting of the transactional and loveless marriage she will enter with Mr. Collins.

Mr. Darcy had at first scarcely allowed her to be pretty; he had looked at her without admiration at the ball; and when they next met, he looked at her only to criticise. But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she hardly had a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. To this discovery succeeded some others equally mortifying. Though he had detected with a critical eye more than one failure of perfect symmetry in her form, he was forced to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing; and in spite of his asserting that her manners were not those of the fashionable world, he was caught by their easy playfulness. Of this she was perfectly unaware; to her he was only the man who made himself agreeable nowhere, and who had not thought her handsome enough to dance with.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 6. Elizabeth may not have been handsome enough for Mr. Darcy to dance with at the Meryton ball, where he found her appearance just "tolerable." But now he sees Elizabeth in a new light as she and Jane spend more time with the residents of Netherfield. Observing Elizabeth close up, Darcy develops an attraction for her, despite having said earlier that she lacked the manners of his class. Now he finds himself drawn to her intelligent expression, her beautiful dark eyes, her pleasing figure and her playful personality. Darcy is mortified by his discovery, because it injures his pride – at the Meryton assembly he was "above his company, and above being pleased." Elizabeth is fully aware of his attentions, but to her he is still the disagreeable man who didn’t think she was attractive enough to dance with.

"There is nothing like dancing after all. I consider it as one of the first refinements of polished society."
"Certainly, sir; and it has the advantage also of being in vogue amongst the less polished societies of the world. Every savage can dance."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 6. Sir William Lucas tries to engage Mr. Darcy about the pleasures and popularity of dancing. Sir William holds it up as one of the great examples of civilized society. But Darcy shows his dislike for the practice by saying sarcastically that "every savage can dance." Yet moments later Darcy unexpectedly changes his tune and wishes to dance with Elizabeth – this is an example of situational irony. Elizabeth refuses him point blank. She in turn uses verbal irony when she says, meaning the opposite: "Mr. Darcy is all politeness."
A pair of fine eyes - Darcy on Elizabeth

"I have been meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can bestow."
Miss Bingley immediately fixated her eyes on his face, and desired he would tell her what lady had the credit of inspiring such reflections. Mr. Darcy replied with great intrepedity:
"Miss Elizabeth Bennet."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 6. Mr. Darcy seems lost in thought at a party in the Lucas house and Caroline Bingley suggests that he must be thinking how insufferable it is to spend evenings with such insipid and self-important people. But Darcy shocks her with his response, admitting that he has been thinking about Elizabeth Bennet’s fine eyes. Caroline sees Elizabeth as her rival for Darcy’s affections and is astonished by Darcy’s revelation.

She was shown into the breakfast-parlour, where all but Jane were assembled, and where her appearance created a great deal of surprise. That she should have walked three miles so early in the day, in such dirty weather, and by herself, was almost incredible to Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley; and Elizabeth was convinced that they held her in contempt for it. She was received, however, very politely by them; and in their brother’s manners there was something better than politeness; there was good humour and kindness. Mr. Darcy said very little, and Mr. Hurst nothing at all. The former was divided between admiration of the brilliancy which exercise had given to her complexion, and doubt as to the occasion’s justifying her coming so far alone. The latter was thinking only of his breakfast.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 7. Concerned for her ill sister Jane and having no carriage, Elizabeth walks alone through three miles of muddy fields to Netherfield. Elizabeth doesn’t fit the image of the typical 18th century woman, she is headstrong and independent-minded and likes to break gender and class conventions. She suspects – and turns out to be right – that the Bingley sisters Caroline and Louisa are not impressed by her behavior and hold her in contempt. But Mr. Darcy feels "admiration" for Elizabeth and the brilliant complexion the exercise has given her, though he doubts her wisdom is traveling so far alone.

To walk three miles, or four miles, or five miles, or whatever it is, above her ankles in dirt, and alone, quite alone! what could she mean by it? It seems to me to show an abominable sort of conceited independence, a most country-town indifference to decorum.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 8. Elizabeth’s independence of spirit is what makes her a hero to many Jane Austen readers, and these include women the world over today. But Caroline Bingley, one of the novel’s villains who is jealous of Elizabeth, remains unimpressed. Here she berates Lizzy’s three-mile walk to see her ill sister as an exercise in conceit and lack of decorum.

"I am afraid, Mr. Darcy," observed Miss Bingley in a half whisper, "that this adventure has rather affected your admiration of her fine eyes."
"Not at all," he replied; "they were brightened by the exercise."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 8. The snobbish Caroline Bingley once again guesses wrong about Mr. Darcy’s thoughts. Aiming to puncture his admiration for Elizabeth’s "fine eyes," she makes a jibe about Elizabeth’s three-mile walk through the mud to Netherfield. But Darcy is even more admiring of Lizzy’s eyes after the exercise.

"Miss Eliza Bennet," said Miss Bingley, "despises cards. She is a great reader, and has no pleasure in anything else."
"I deserve neither such praise nor such censure," cried Elizabeth; "I am not a great reader, and I have pleasure in many things."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 8. Caroline Bingley jibes at Elizabeth, trying to make her look bookish, when she decides to read a book instead of joining in the card game in the Netherfield drawing room. She offensively suggests that Elizabeth has no other pleasures. But Elizabeth deflects the attack and even tries to make it appear like a compliment.

I am no longer surprised at your knowing only six accomplished women. I rather wonder now at your knowing any.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 8. After hearing the high standards Darcy and Caroline Bingley require for an "accomplished" woman, Elizabeth gently pokes fun at them. The quick-witted Elizabeth is not afraid to challenge Darcy, saying she is surprised that he knows any accomplished woman because of the high standards and skills he expects. Here Austen is criticizing the level of expectations from women in her society as being unreasonable and unfair.

"Elizabeth Bennet," said Miss Bingley, when the door was closed on her, "is one of those young ladies who seek to recommend themselves to the other sex by undervaluing their own; and with many men, I dare say, it succeeds. But, in my opinion, it is a paltry device, a very mean art."
"Undoubtedly," replied Darcy, to whom this remark was chiefly addressed, "there is meanness in all the arts which ladies sometimes condescend to employ for captivation. Whatever bears affinity to cunning is despicable."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 8. After Elizabeth and Caroline Bingley debate about what makes "an accomplished woman," Caroline attempts to damage Elizabeth’s reputation by accusing her of employing a "very mean art." She falsely claims that Elizabeth tries to make herself look good in a man’s eyes by criticizing other women – but the irony is that we all know it is Caroline who is guilty of doing that. However, Mr. Darcy’s response shows that he sees through Caroline and is far from impressed by her ruse.

But people themselves alter so much, that there is something new to be observed in them for ever.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 9. Elizabeth makes this observation during a conversation with her mother, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley about the differences between country and city society – Darcy thinks provincial life boring. Her comment is meant as a dig at Darcy, whom she thinks will never change. It also foreshadows the lessons Elizabeth herself will learn about her misjudgment of people, prejudice against Darcy, and the changes she will undergo on her journey to self-knowledge and self-discovery.

"And so ended his affection," said Elizabeth impatiently. "There has been many a one, I fancy, overcome in the same way. I wonder who first discovered the efficacy of poetry in driving away love!"
"I have been used to consider poetry as the food of love," said Darcy.
"Of a fine, stout, healthy love it may. Everything nourishes what is strong already. But if it be only a slight, thin sort of inclination, I am convinced that one good sonnet will starve it entirely away."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 9. When Elizabeth jokes about poetry driving love away, Mr. Darcy disagrees and alludes to Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. In this play the bard metaphorically compares music to the food of love. However, Elizabeth counters that poetry may nourish strong love, but weaker love would be killed by one good sonnet.

"To yield readily – easily – to the persuasion of a friend is no merit with you."
"To yield without conviction is no compliment to the understanding of either."
"You appear to me, Mr. Darcy, to allow nothing for the influence of friendship and affection."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 10. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy argue about the merits of accepting the advice of friends, after Darcy suggests that his friend Mr. Bingley is easily swayed. Elizabeth comments that people who are easily persuaded by friends hold no merit with Darcy. She accuses him of being too detached and dismissive of the opinion of friends. But Darcy makes clear his belief that a person should follow their own convictions. The exchange foreshadows how Bingley will be later be influenced by others in matters of the heart. The banter also shows Darcy’s close-up encounter with Elizabeth’s "liveliness" of mind, something he later admits to falling in love with.

"Oh!" said she, "I heard you before, but I could not immediately determine what to say in reply. You wanted me, I know, to say ‘Yes,’ that you might have the pleasure of despising my taste; but I always delight in overthrowing those kind of schemes, and cheating a person of their premeditated contempt. I have, therefore, made up my mind to tell you, that I do not want to dance a reel at all – and now despise me if you dare."
"Indeed I do not dare."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 10. Mr. Darcy has just asked Elizabeth to dance a reel with him, and when she doesn’t answer, he repeats the request – because he obviously likes her. But her strange reaction here is to refuse him and suggest that he only asked her so that he can make fun of her. Is she trying to tease and punish him perhaps? It is more likely that the early prejudice she formed against Darcy is still very much at play here.

Elizabeth, having rather expected to affront him, was amazed at his gallantry; but there was a mixture of sweetness and archness in her manner which made it difficult for her to affront anybody; and Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her. He really believed, that were it not for the inferiority of her connections, he should be in some danger.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 10. Although she does not know it yet, Elizabeth is showing the first signs of attraction to Darcy – "amazed at his gallantry." Darcy is also falling in love with Elizabeth but sees this as dangerous because he is a higher class than her. There is considerable irony going on in this scene, as Elizabeth has refused to dance with Darcy and expects him to be affronted. Instead he is gallant. He on the other hand is bewitched by her sweetness and archness, when she intended the very opposite – to cut him down to size. Darcy also thinks, were it not for her inferior connections, he might fall in love with her – which is exactly what is happening. Austen is satirizing the snobbery of the upper class and the class divide in the social awkwardness between Darcy and Elizabeth.

You either choose this method of passing the evening because you are in each other’s confidence, and have secret affairs to discuss, or because you are conscious that your figures appear to the greatest advantage in walking; if the first, I would be completely in your way, and if the second, I can admire you much better as I sit by the fire.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 11. As Caroline Bingley and Elizabeth walk up and down the room together, Darcy refuses an invitation to join them, saying they could only have two motives for doing this. This passage is Darcy’s reponse, when asked by Caroline what these motives are.

"Mr. Darcy is not to be laughed at!" cried Elizabeth. "That is an uncommon advantage, and uncommon I hope it will continue, for it would be a great loss to me to have many such acquaintances. I dearly love a laugh."
"Miss Bingley," said he, "has given me more credit than can be. The wisest and the best of men – nay, the wisest and best of their actions – may be rendered ridiculous by a person whose first object in life is a joke."
"Certainly," replied Elizabeth – "there are such people, but I hope I am not one of them. I hope I never ridicule what is wise and good. Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies, do divert me, I own, and I laugh at them whenever I can. But these, I suppose, are precisely what you are without."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 11. This exchange between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy comes after Caroline Bingley asserts that she could never tease or laugh at Darcy. She is suggesting that Darcy is socially and intellectually superior and above being laughed at. But Elizabeth is unimpressed by such superiority and laughs at the idea, saying that she dearly loves a laugh. The solemn Mr. Darcy declares that wise men may be made look ridiculous by someone who is a joker. Elizabeth counters by saying she laughs at life’s follies but would never ridicule anything wise or good. Underlying these witty exchanges that take place throughout the novel is a sexual tension between Darcy and Elizabeth. They are the sparks of a smouldering mutual interest that eventually will lead to love.
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