Major Characters

Elizabeth Bennet: Elizabeth Bennet is the second of the five daughters of Mr. and Mrs.
Bennet. Elizabeth is the most logical and level-headed of the Bennet daughters, and that makes
her father's favorite. Although Elizabeth is thoughtful, intelligent, and practical, she comes to
realize that she is just as capable of letting her own feelings get in the way of her good sense
as her feather-brained sisters. Elizabeth realizes her grave mistake when she understands that
she has greatly misjudged both Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham.
Mrs. Bennet: Mrs. Bennet is Elizabeth Bennet's pushy, ignorant, and embarrassing mother
whose greatest aspiration is to have her five daughters married off. Mrs. Bennet does not
approve of Elizabeth's logic and practicality, and Elizabeth is her least favorite daughter.
Mr. Bennet: Mr. Bennet is a country gentleman and Elizabeth Bennet's father. He has very
little interest in the duties of polite society or in raising his daughters. He finds his wife and his
three youngest daughters to be unbearably frivolous and silly, but Elizabeth and Jane (the
oldest daughter) make him proud.
Mr. Bingley: Mr. Bingley is a wealthy, young bachelor who moves into the Bennet's
neighborhood and triggers Mrs. Bennet's schemes to marry Jane off to Bingley. Bingley is
fashionable, charming, and kind, but he and Jane don't get together right away because of a
misunderstanding.
Lydia Bennet/Wickham: Lydia is the youngest Bennet girl, and she is the biggest flirt as well.
Lydia chases the soldiers quartered in Meryton and follows along when they move to Brighton.
She and Mr. Wickham are forced to marry after Lydia runs away with him expecting to become
his wife although Wickham has no such plan before Darcy pays him off.

Mr. Darcy: Mr. Darcy is Bingley's best friend as well as a very wealthy, handsome, and proud
bachelor. Darcy is viewed as rude and conceited by all the inhabitants of Meryton as well as
Elizabeth Bennet. But through a strange course of events, Elizabeth comes to learn that she
was wrong about Darcy, and they fall in love with each other.

Jane Bennet: Jane is the Bennetts' oldest daughter. She is practical like Elizabeth, but she is
kinder and more understanding. Jane is greatly hurt when Bingley rejects her, but she
overcomes her pain and the two of them end up together.

Mr. Collins: Mr. Collins is Mr. Bennet's cousin who will inherit Mr. Bennet's estate when Mr.
Bennet dies. Collins is a pastor for Darcy's aunt's parish, and he is a pushy, obnoxious man. He
considers himself more important than he really is because he works for Darcy's wealthy aunt,
but the Bennet family dislikes him because he is long-winded and boring.
Wickham: Wickham is a charming con-man who convinces Elizabeth that he was greatly
wronged by Mr. Darcy, although things are actually the other way around. Elizabeth initially
likes Wickham, but the more she learns of his true character, the more she realizes that she
has been wrong. Wickham ends up marrying Lydia after they run away together and Darcy
pays Wickham off to marry Lydia to save her family from disgrace.
Mrs. Gardiner: Mrs. Gardiner is Elizabeth Bennet's aunt. She and Elizabeth are quite close
because Elizabeth's own mother is silly while Mrs. Gardiner is more thoughtful and practical like
Elizabeth. Mrs. Gardiner suspects that Elizabeth and Darcy are falling in love with one another
before the rest of Elizabeth's family has any idea. Because Elizabeth went on a vacation with
the Gardiners, she meets up with Darcy again at his own estate and their relationship is
renewed.
Mr. Gardiner: Mr. Gardiner is Elizabeth's uncle who takes care to try to find Lydia and
Wickham when they have run away together and hidden themselves in London. Darcy works
with Mr. Gardiner to anonymously arrange Lydia and Wickham's wedding so that none of
Elizabeth's family will know what Darcy has done.
Minor Characters
Miss Bingley: Miss Bingley is Mr. Bingley's younger sister. She pretends to be Jane's friend,
but when she sees that Mr. Darcy is developing interest in Jane's sister (Elizabeth), Miss
Bingley does everything she can to separate her brother and Jane so that Darcy and Elizabeth
will not see each other. Miss Bingley is kind to Jane's face, but she makes fun of the Bennet
family behind Jane's back as a way to make Darcy more interested in her and less in Elizabeth.
Mrs. Hurst: Mrs. Hurst is Bingley's older, married sister who is just as two-faced as Miss
Bingley.
Charlotte Lucas/Collins: Charlotte is Elizabeth's friend. After Elizabeth turns down Mr.
Collins' marriage offer, Charlotte snaps him up because she wants a simple life and can't
imagine that a better offer will come her way. She and Elizabeth remain friends despite
Charlotte's marriage to the awful Mr. Collins.
Mary Bennet: Mary Bennet is the middle child in the Bennet family, and she is odd. She is a
prudish homebody who spends her time reading scripture. She is the only one of the Bennet
girls who remains unmarried.
Sir William Lucas: Sir William is Charlotte's father who has a title and pretends to be a great
part of high society, but he is really no one all that special. He is kind, though, and Elizabeth
appreciates that about him.
Kitty (Catherine) Bennet: Kitty is the second youngest daughter of the Bennet family, and
she is not quite as bad a flirt as Lydia. Kitty and Lydia are partners in crime, but Kitty doesn't
get into nearly as much trouble as Lydia.
Lady Catherine De Bourgh: Lady Catherine is Mr. Darcy's wealthy aunt and Mr. Collins'
patroness. She is a pushy lady who expects everyone to appreciate and follow her advice on
every topic. She and Elizabeth butt heads when Elizabeth visits Charlotte and Mr. Collins, and
Elizabeth and Lady Catherine have a great showdown when Lady Catherine insists that
Elizabeth cannot marry Darcy because she doesn't have the breeding for it.
Miss Darcy: Miss Darcy is Mr. Darcy's younger sister. Miss Darcy is quiet and shy, and she is
wary because she was almost conned into eloping with Mr. Wickham, which would have been a
grave mistake.
Maria Lucas: Maria Lucas is Charlotte's younger sister who goes to visit Charlotte and Mr.
Collins at the same time that Elizabeth goes to see them.
Miss De Bourgh: Miss De Bourgh is Darcy's cousin and Lady Catherine's daughter. Lady
Catherine has always planned that her daughter and Darcy would marry and unite their
inheritance into great wealth.
Colonel Fitzwilliam: Col. Fitzwilliam is Darcy's cousin and also co-guardian of Miss Darcy,
Darcy's little sister. Elizabeth likes the colonel because he is kind and enjoys her company
without treating her with condescension, unlike Mr. Darcy.