Pride and Prejudice Marriage Quotes

Even if he could form such a design against a young woman of Lydia’s connections, which is not likely, can I suppose her so lost to every thing?

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 46. Jane, who sees the goodness in everyone but not the badness, finds it hard to believe ill of George Wickham after reports that he has no plans to marry Lydia when they run off together. She also cannot bring herself to accept that her flirtatious youngest sister would be a willing party to such a scheme.

You need not send them word at Longbourn of my going, if you do not like it, for it will make the surprise the greater, when I write to them, and sign my name "Lydia Wickham." What a good joke it will be! I can hardly write for laughing.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 47. Lydia writes this in the letter she leaves behind when she elopes with Wickham. In the note, sent to Colonel Forster’s wife, Lydia refers to Wickham as the "one man in the world I love, and he is an angel." To Lydia, running off with a man is a huge joke. But in her foolishness she doesn’t stop to think about the repercussions of her actions for her and her sisters.

Yes, yes they must marry. There is nothing else to be done. But there are two things that I want every much to know – one is, how much money your uncle has laid down, to bring it about; and the other is, how I am ever to pay him.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 49. Mr. Bennet responds to Mr. Gardiner’s letter stating that Wickham and Lydia have been persuaded to marry if Wickham has his debts paid and receives a small yearly stipend. Mr. Bennet suspects that Mr. Gardiner has already paid Wickham a great deal of his own money and he dislikes the idea of being indebted to his brother-in-law. Wickham is being paid to wed Lydia.

To know that her daughter would be married was enough. She was disturbed by no fear for her felicity, nor humbled by any remembrance of her misconduct.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 49. Mrs. Bennet can hardly contain herself on hearing that Wickham is essentially being bribed to marry Lydia – "her joy burst forth," we learn. She is totally unconcerned about her youngest daughter’s happiness, nor is she bothered by any memories of her scandalous misbehavior. Mrs. Bennet’s only focus is on marrying off her daughters.

Well! I am so happy! In a short time I shall have a daughter married. Mrs. Wickham! – how well it sounds! And she was only sixteen last June.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 49. After her previous regrets and lamentations about Lydia’s elopement and hurling invectives against the "villainous" Wickham, Mrs. Bennet is now in raptures over her daughter marrying him. Mrs. Bennet flip flops a lot between ecstacy over her schemes to get husbands for her daughters and lamentations about her personal suffering when these don’t work. After receiving her brother Mr. Gardiner’s letter that Lydia is to be wed to Wickham and her reputation saved, Mrs. Bennet suddenly reverses her opinion on the character of the fortune-hunting Wickham. Now he is fit to be her son-in-law. Here again the shallow, foolish, tiresome and vacuous Mrs. Bennet makes us laugh – but at her! The passage is another example of Austen’s fine use of ironic humor. Mr. Gardiner’s letter explains that Wickham will wed Lydia if Mr. Bennet pays Wickham a small sum of money annually to Wickham – the Bennets suspect that Mr. Gardiner has also already paid Wickham a good deal. The fuller quote of Mrs. Bennet’s reaction to this news from her brother: "It is all very right; who should do it but her own uncle? If he had not had a family of his own, I and my children must have had all his money, you know; and it is the first time we have ever had anything from him, except a few presents. Well! I am so happy! In a short time I shall have a daughter married. Mrs. Wickham! How well it sounds!"

The marriage of a daughter, which had been the first object of her wishes since Jane was sixteen, was now on the point of accomplishment, and her thoughts and her words ran wholly on those attendants of elegant nuptials, fine muslins, new carriages, and servants.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 50. Instead of concerning herself with her youngest daughter Lydia’s moral behavior, Mrs. Bennet worries about carriages and servants and expensive wedding outfits – without regard to whether Lydia and Wickham can afford all this.

Had Lydia’s marriage been concluded on the most honourable terms, it was not to be supposed that Mr. Darcy would connect himself with a family where, to every other objection would now be added, an alliance and relationship of the nearest kind with the man whom he so justly scorned.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 50. Elizabeth is concerned that Lydia’s marriage to Wickham will push Darcy further away from her. She cannot see him wanting to connect with a family that has made an alliance with the man he rightly scorned. To Elizabeth, she and Darcy appear even more separated now by Lydia’s marriage.

What a triumph for him, as she often thought, could he know that the proposals which she had proudly spurned only four months ago, would now have been gladly and gratefully received! He was as generous, she doubted not, as the most generous of his sex; but while he was mortal, there must be a triumph.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 50. Elizabeth ponders what she has lost by her proud rejection of Mr. Darcy’s marriage proposal. Her views of and feelings for Darcy have since dramatically changed. Now she thinks him as the most generous man and if he proposed now she would "gladly and gratefully" accept him.

Elizabeth was disgusted, and even Miss Bennet was shocked. Lydia was Lydia still – untamed, unabashed, wild, noisy, and fearless. She turned from sister to sister, demanding their congratulations; and when at length they all sat down, looked eagerly round the room, took notice of some little alteration in it, and observed, with a laugh, that it was a great while since she had been there.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 51. Arriving back to Longbourn after her marriage to Wickham, Lydia still has the capacity to shock Elizabeth and Jane with her behavior. They view her as wild and untamed and completely unabashed by what she had done – run off with Wickham, unmarried.

Oh! Mamma, do the people hereabouts know I am married to-day? I was afraid they might not; and we overtook William Goulding in his curricle, so I was determined he should know it, and so I let down the side glass next to him, and took off my glove and let my hand just rest upon the window-frame, so that he might see the ring; and then I bowed and smiled like anything.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 51. On her wedding day when Lydia returns home to Longbourn, she remains oblivious to the family consternation and embarrassment she has caused. Amid the distress of a number of family members, Lydia chooses to ignore this and prattles on about being married to Wickham that day and how anxious she is to make everybody in the locality aware of the news.

What do you think of my husband? Is not he a charming man? I am sure my sisters must all envy me. I only hope they may have half my good luck. They must all go to Brighton. That is the place to get husbands.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 51. After a forced marriage to Wickham and putting her family through a form of hell, an unrepentant Lydia returns to Longbourn. She sees no fault in her behavior and jokes about her luck in finding a husband in Brighton. With great irony she hopes her sisters get half as lucky in finding a good husband in Brighton. Lydia is unaware that Wickham had to be paid to marry her.

"And then when you go away, you may leave one or two of my sisters behind you; and I dare say I shall get husbands for them before the winter is over."
"I thank you for my share of the favour," said Elizabeth; "but I do not particularly like your way of getting husbands."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 51. When newly married Lydia makes a flippant remark about getting husbands for her sisters, Elizabeth puts her in her place. Lydia boasts about how she successfully found a husband, while her sisters are still single, but little does she realize how difficult it was to get Wickham to marry her. The irony is that Wickham had to be bribed to wed her.

Wickham’s affection for Lydia was just what Elizabeth had expected to find it – not equal to Lydia’s for him. She had scarcely needed her present observation to be satisfied, from the reason of things, that their elopement had been brought on by the strength of her love rather than by his; and she would have wondered why, without violently caring for her, he chose to elope with her at all, had she not felt certain that his flight was rendered necessary by distress of circumstances; and if that were the case, he was not the young man to resist an opportunity of having a companion.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 51. Here Elizabeth is thinking about the elopment of Wickham and Lydia. She figures out that Wickham did not elope and marry Lydia out of true love but because of "distress of circumstances" (he owed a lot of money locally) and "an opportunity of having a companion" (he is a serial sexual predator). The elopement was also driven by Lydia’s strong infatuation for Wickham.

Oh, yes! He was to come there with Wickham, you know. But gracious me! I quite forgot! I ought not to have said a word about it. I promised them so faithfully! What will Wickham say? It was to be such a secret!

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 51. Giddy over her marriage to Wickham, Lydia recounts to her family all the details of her wedding, including the revelation that there was one unexpected guest there – Mr. Darcy! She had blurted it out before she realized it was meant to be a secret.

The motive professed was his conviction of its being owing to himself that Wickham’s worthlessness had not been so well known as to make it impossible for any young woman of character to love or confide in him. He generously imputed the whole to his mistaken pride, and confessed that he had before thought it beneath him to lay his private actions open to the world. His character was to speak for itself. He called it, therefore, his duty to step forward, and endeavour to remedy an evil which had been brought on by himself. If he had another motive, I am sure it would never disgrace him.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 52. Mrs. Gardiner writes a long letter to Elizabeth detailing how Darcy effectively negotiated and paid for the marriage of Wickham and Lydia. He traveled to London and found them, persuaded Wickham to marry Lydia by paying him a substantial sum of money and arranging a commission in the army, and got Mr. Gardiner to take credit for everything. Mrs. Gardiner’s letter speaks about Darcy’s professed motive for saving Lydia, but also hints at another motive – his love for Elizabeth.

She cared for none of her friends; she wanted no help of his; she would not hear of leaving Wickham; she was sure they should be married some time or other, and it did not much signify when. Since such were her feelings, it only remained, he thought, to secure and expedite a marriage, which, in his very first conversation with Wickham, he easily learnt had never been his design. He confessed himself obliged to leave the regiment on account of some debts of honour which were very pressing; and scrupled not to lay all the ill consequences of Lydia’s flight on her own folly alone.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 52. Mrs. Gardiner’s letter to Elizabeth tells how Darcy tracked down Lydia and Wickham in London and tried to persuade her to "quit her present disgraceful situation, and return to her friends." But he found Lydia absolutely resolved on remaining where she was. So Darcy determined to negotiate a marriage between the two, discovering that this had never been Wickham’s plan and he had left Brighton because of gambling debts there.

No, no. You forced me into visiting him last year, and promised, if I went to see him, he should marry one of my daughters. But it ended in nothing, and I will not be sent on a fool’s errand again.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 53. Mr. Bennet refuses when Mrs. Bennet instructs him to visit Charles Bingley as soon as he returns to Netherfield. But Mr. Bennet makes clear that he will not visit Bingley because he didn’t marry his daughter Jane. However three days after Bingley’s arrival to Netherfield he comes to the Bennets’ home with Darcy.

On opening the door, she perceived her sister and Bingley standing together over the hearth, as if engaged in earnest conversation; and had this led to no suspicion, the faces of both, as they hastily turned round and moved away from each other, would have told it all. Their situation was awkward enough; but hers she thought was still worse.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 55. Elizabeth describes walking in on her sister Jane and Charles Bingley at an intimate and awkward moment. While readers are provided with a front row seat to Mr. Collins’s and Mr. Darcy’s proposals, this is all we get of Mr. Bingley’. Elizabeth adds two and two together to intepret what she sees.

Jane could have no reserves from Elizabeth where confidence would give pleasure; and instantly embracing her, acknowledged with the liveliest emotion that she was the happiest creature in the world.
"’Tis too much!" she added, "by far too much. I do not deserve it. Oh! why is not everybody as happy?"

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 55. Jane is overcome with emotion after Charles Bingley proposes marriage to her. She embraces her sister Elizabeth and says that she is the happinest creature in the world.

They shook hands with great cordiality; and then till her sister came down, she had to listen to all he had to say, of his own happiness, and of Jane’s perfections; and in spite of his being a lover, Elizabeth really believed all his expectations of felicity, to be rationally founded, because they had for basis the excellent understanding, and super-excellent disposition of Jane, and a general similarity of feeling and taste between her and himself.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 55. Charles Bingley asks for Elizabeth’s best wishes on his engagement to Jane. Elizabeth is happy for both of them. She believes that Bingley’s hopes of their happiness together is based not just on love, but on reason also. She refers to their compatibility, shared tastes and Jane’s "super-excellent" temperment. Elizabeth has learned the lesson of the dangers of a marriage based solely on passion from the disastrous example of her young sister Lydia’s blind infatuation for Wickham. Elizabeth also doesn’t share Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s view on marriage, that it should be arranged within your class to promote the material prosperity of the families, with no regard to the individuals involved. We gain this insight into the aristocratic lady’s thinking on marriage in the next chapter in the famous battle of wills between her and Elizabeth. For Elizabeth a good marriage is best achieved with a mix of love and reason. This very considered view on love and marriage is what makes Jane Austen so much more than a simple romance novel writer. She satirizes the conventional romantic novel, exposing the risks of "love at first sight" and promoting a love that grows from a knowledge of the other’s character.

A report of a most alarming nature reached me two days ago. I was told that not only your sister was on the point of being most advantageously married, but that you, that Miss Elizabeth Bennet, would in all likelihood be soon afterwards united to my nephew – my own nephew – Mr. Darcy.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 56. Lady Catherine de Bourgh pays an unexpected call on the Bennet family, where she targets Elizabeth. What follows is of the most fascinating and captivating battle of wits in all of English literature. In her opening shot Lady Catherine expresses her alarm over a report she received that Elizabeth is likely to marry her nephew Mr. Darcy.

Though I know it must be a scandalous falsehood, though I would not injure him so much as to suppose the truth of it possible, I instantly resolved on setting off for this place, that I might make my sentiments known to you.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 56. Lady Catherine de Bourgh says this to Elizabeth on hearing the rumor that her nephew Mr. Darcy is to propose marriage to her. A member of the upper class, Lady Catherine represents the view that people from her class should not marry someone from an inferior social class such as Elizabeth, who is middle class. She believes she has the right to tell others what do do.

If Mr. Darcy is neither by honour nor inclination confined to his cousin, why is not he to make another choice? And if I am that choice, why may not I accept him?

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 56. A defiant Elizabeth rejects Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s demands to give up all claims on Mr. Darcy, since Lady Catherine and her sister decided long ago that he would marry Lady Catherine’s daughter. Elizabeth also indicates here that she is not opposed to the idea of marrying Darcy – foreshadowing his second proposal to her and her acceptance.

Because honour, decorum, prudence, nay, interest, forbid it. Yes, Miss Bennet, interest; for do not expect to be noticed by his family or friends, if you wilfully act against the inclinations of all. You will be censured, slighted, and despised, by everyone connected with him. Your alliance will be a disgrace; your name will never even be mentioned by any of us.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 56. Lady Catherine de Bourgh voices her strong disapproval to Elizabeth of any marriage engagement between her and Lady Catherine’s nephew Mr. Darcy. She threatens Elizabeth with all kinds of nasty consequences if she accepts a proposal from Darcy. They include disgrace, and being slighted and despised by everybody in Darcy’s high society. Lady Catherine is a caricature who represents the extremes of snobbish pride and prejudice.

I will not be interrupted. Hear me in silence. My daughter and my nephew are formed for each other. They are descended, on the maternal side, from the same noble line; and, on the father’s, from respectable, honourable, and ancient – though untitled – families. Their fortune on both sides is splendid. They are destined for each other by the voice of every member of their respective houses; and what is to divide them? The upstart pretensions of a young woman without family, connections, or fortune. Is this to be endured! But it must not, shall not be.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 56. As class war breaks out between Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Elizabeth, the domineering and haughty de Bourgh spells out why an "upstart" like Elizabeth is an unsuitable match for her nephew Darcy. Pointing to her lack of money, connections and family position, she dismisses Elizabeth as simply a young women with pretensions above her station. In de Bourgh’s world, marriage doesn’t cross social and money boundaries. Lady Catherine is a quintessential rude snob with no self-awareness of how ill behaved she is. Austen uses satire here to ridicule the extreme class consciousness in English society at the time.

"Neither duty, nor honour, nor gratitude," replied Elizabeth, "have any possible claim on me, in the present instance. No principle of either would be violated by my marriage with Mr. Darcy. And with regard to the resentment of his family, or the indignation of the world, if the former were excited by his marrying me, it would not give me one moment’s concern – and the world in general would have too much sense to join in the scorn."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 56. Elizabeth refuses to bend the knee to the dictatorial Lady Catherine on the matter of a potential marriage to Mr. Darcy. When the great lady accuses her of refusing to "obey the claims of duty, honour, and gratitude," the indomitable and unsubmissive Elizabeth hits the high class bully with this firm and spirited response.

It was a rational scheme, to be sure! but from what the report of their engagement could originate, Elizabeth was at a loss to imagine; till she recollected that his being the intimate friend of Bingley, and her being the sister of Jane, was enough, at a time when the expectation of one wedding made everybody eager for another, to supply the idea.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 57. Elizabeth ponders why Lady Catherine took the trouble to journey from Rosings for the sole purpose of breaking off Elizabeth’s supposed engagement with Mr. Darcy. She wonders where the rumor of her engagement came from. She speculates that her sister Jane’s engagement to Mr. Bingley had prompted talk of a Darcy/Elizabeth wedding and that had reached Lady Catherine’s ears through the Collinses.

Mr. Darcy, you see, is the man! Now, Lizzy, I think I have surprised you. Could he or the Lucases have pitched on any man, within the circle of our acquaintance, whose name would have given the lie more effectually to what they related? Mr. Darcy, who never looks at any woman but to see a blemish, and who probably never looked at you in his life! It is admirable!

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 57. Mr. Bennet tells Elizabeth that he has received a letter from Mr. Collins which has astonished him, saying that his daughter Elizabeth will not long bear the name of Bennet. The chosen partner is "one of the most illustrious personages in this land" and that man is Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bennet reveals. The fact that Mr. Bennet thinks the idea of a match between his daughter and Mr. Darcy is ridiculous is an example of dramatic irony. For he is unaware of the growing chemistry and connection that the two share.

After mentioning the likelihood of this marriage to her ladyship last night, she immediately, with her usual condescension, expressed what she felt on the occasion; when it became apparent that, on the score of some family objections on the part of my cousin, she would never give her consent to what she termed so disgraceful a match. I thought it my duty to give the speediest intelligence of this to my cousin, that she and her noble admirer may be aware of what they are about, and not run hastily into a marriage which has not been properly sanctioned.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 57. Mr. Bennet continues reading Mr. Collins’s letter about a rumored marriage between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth. Mr. Collins warns that Lady Catherine would never approve of such a match and urges Elizabeth and her admirer not to rush into this unsanctioned marriage. In Lady Catherine’s eyes marriages between the upper and lower classes is strictly forbidden – by her! She is quite the interfering busybody, aided and abetted by Mr. Collins.
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