Jane Austen’s
Pride and Prejudice
Leaving Certificate English
Revision Notes
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Chapter Summaries
Chapters 1-10
The novel opens with the news that Charles Bingley, a well-to-do bachelor, has just began renting Netherfield
Park, causing the village of Longbourn, and the five Bennet sisters in particular, to go into an uproar. The Bennet
girls are keen to meet him, as they are all unmarried. The Bennet sisters and Mrs Bennet urge their father to meet
Mr Bingley, which he does. He does not, however, answer their plethora of questions about him. He is invited to
dinner one night, but is called away to London and cannot make it. He returns from London with his two sisters,
his brother-in-law (the husband of the eldest sister), and a man named Mr Darcy. They all go to a ball, at which
Mr Bingley takes a fancy to Jane Bennet (the eldest) and he tells Mr Darcy to dance with Elizabeth Bennet (the
second eldest). Mr Darcy refuses and his remarks cause Jane (who overheard the conversation) to dislike him.
Like Elizabeth, much of the town also takes a dislike to Mr Darcy. When alone, Jane voices her admiration of Mr
Bingley to Elizabeth, whom we learn has inherited £100,000 from his father but insists on renting Netherfield Park
as opposed to buying it. Here, we see a contrast presented between Mr Bingley, who is easy-going and open, and
Mr Darcy, who is reserved and haughty. The Bingley sisters begin paying visits to the Bennet sisters, becoming
particularly close with Jane and Elizabeth. As Jane and Mr Bingley become closer, Mr Darcy takes an interest in
Elizabeth. We learn that the Bennet’s property is entailed, meaning that the property will not be inherited by one
of Mr Bennet’s daughters, but by the closest male relative. Jane is invited to the Bingley’s sisters’ and ends up
staying for a few days because she falls ill. Elizabeth goes over after a day to help take care of her. During her visit
Darcy becomes more attracted to Elizabeth.
Chapters 11-20
Miss Bingley tries desperately to catch the attention of Darcy, but he is fixated on Elizabeth. Once Jane is
recovered, she and Elizabeth head back home. Darcy is happy to see them go, as he finds that he is more
attracted to Elizabeth than he would like, considering her family’s unsuitability. The next day, Mr Collins, the new
heir to the Bennet’s household, arrives and states that he has come “prepared to admire” the ladies of the
household. He takes an interest in Jane, but Mrs Bennet redirects his attraction to Elizabeth, as she states Jane is
soon to be engaged. The next day, Mr Collins and the sisters go to Meryton, where they encounter Mr Denny and
Mr Wickham, two officers (and friends of the younger Bennet sisters). As they are talking, Darcy and Bingley pass
and Elizabeth notices an extreme coldness between Darcy and Wickham, before Darcy and Bingley continue on
their way. Mr Collins, Wickham, and the Bennet sisters are all invited to a dinner party the next night. At the
dinner party, Elizabeth and Wickham converse and Elizabeth learns why he and Darcy were so cold towards one
another. Wickham had lived with Darcy and was a second-son to his father. After the father’s death, Wickham
was supposed to inherit money but Darcy used a loophole to take all of the money for himself. Wickham also tells
Elizabeth that Darcy is engaged to Lady de Bough, daughter of Lady Catherine (his aunt). This solidifies Elizabeth’s
animosity towards Darcy. At a ball sometime later, Mr Collins continually asks Elizabeth to dance and she fears he
will ask for her hand in marriage. She discovers that Wickham is not in attendance and is unhappy when she finds
herself dancing with Darcy. She pokes fun at his character but is told later, by Miss Bingley, that it was Wickham
who was in the wrong and that he is not to be trusted. Jane and Bennet seem to be enjoying each other’s
company and Mrs Bennet makes a toast hinting that an engagement is imminent. One of the Bennet sisters sings
a song (poorly) and embarrasses the family. At the end of the night, Mrs Bennet invites Bingley to dinner and he
promises to come when he returns from his trip to London. The next day, Collins proposes to Elizabeth. She
politely declines, but he believes her denial to be a ploy to increase his affection for her. Her mother encourages
her to accept his proposal, while her father encourages her to refuse. Amidst the back and forth, Collins accepts
Elizabeth’s refusal.
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Chapters 21-30
A few days later, Elizabeth encounters Wickham and he apologises for his absence at the ball. He walks Elizabeth
back to Longbourn, where the family receives a letter from Miss Bingley. The letter states that Miss Bingley has
left for good and that Mr Bingley would not be returning for at least six months. It also states that he plans to
marry Georgiana (Darcy’s sister); therefore, he will not be proposing to Jane. Jane is distraught by this news. The
next day, Mr Collins proposes to Charlotte Lucas (Elizabeth’s close friend), a match which Elizabeth finds
unsuitable. Wickham begins spending more time at the Bennet’s and the whole town comes to believe his side of
the story (versus Darcy’s). Elizabeth becomes interested in Wickham but his attention soon shifts to Miss King, a
woman who just inherited a large fortune. Jane decides to go and stay with her aunt and uncle in London, excited
at the prospect of bumping into Bingley. Some months later, Elizabeth visits Jane in London on her way to visit
Charlotte. When her aunt criticises Wickham’s courting of a new woman, Elizabeth defends him. When they
arrive at Charlotte’s, they are invited to a dinner party at Lady Catherine’s (Darcy’s aunt and mother to his
supposed betrothed). The dinner party constantly reminds Elizabeth of the Bennet family’s inferior rank. Elizabeth
stays at the home for some time and eventually, Darcy comes to visit.
Chapters 31-40
At dinner a few days later, Lady Catherine continually interrupts Elizabeth to become part of the conversation.
Darcy is embarrassed by her rudeness and her ill-treatment of Elizabeth. Elizabeth notices that there is no sign of
affection for Miss de Bourgh from Darcy. Over the next few days, Charlotte hints to Elizabeth that Darcy must
have feelings for her, as he visits her often. Elizabeth brushes this off. On one of Elizabeth’s walks through the
countryside, she encounters Colonel Fitzwilliam (a friend of Darcy’s) and he tells her that Darcy recently
dissuaded a “friend” from an “imprudent marriage”. Elizabeth assumes this means Darcy dissuaded Bingley from
proposing to Jane. Jane becomes so distressed that she takes rest in a nearby cottage and does not attend dinner
that night. While she is alone in the cottage, Darcy arrives and confesses his love for her and proposes to her. She
refuses for three reasons: (1) the arrogant manner of his proposal, (2) his hand in sabotaging Bingley and Jane’s
relationship, and (3) his actions toward Wickham. He states that her accusations are heavy and leaves the
cottage. On Elizabeth’s walk the next morning, Darcy finds her and gives her a letter. The letter describes the
following: Darcy only dissuaded Bingley from proposing to Jane because he did not believe that Jane was fond of
Bingley. Darcy feared for his friend that loved a woman more than she loved him. With regards to Wickham,
Darcy promised his father he would financially support Wickham’s journey to be a clergyman. After his father
died, Wickham told Darcy he had no interest in being a clergyman, but instead wanted to be a lawyer. Darcy gave
him money for this, but Wickham squandered and gambled it all. Darcy refused to give Wickham more money, so
Wickham turned his attention to Georgiana and convinced her into an elopement. This was an attempt to gain
Georgiana’s fortune as well as get revenge on Darcy. Luckily, Darcy was able to explain all to Georgiana before the
marriage took place. Taking in the contents of the letter, Elizabeth becomes ashamed. She always prided herself
on her judgement, but in Wickham’s and Darcy’s case, vanity was the cause of her prejudice; “pleased with the
preference of one, and offended by the neglect of the other”. When she returns back to the house, she learns
that Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam have already left. A few days later, Elizabeth returns home. Once home,
Elizabeth learns that Wickham is available again and she tells Jane about Darcy’s proposal and the truth of the
story behind his relationship with Wickham. The two contemplate publicly exposing Wickham, but decide against
it for Georgiana’s sake. Elizabeth decides not to tell Jane about the part of the letter regarding her, though she
notices that Jane is still very much attracted to Bingley.
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Chapters 41-50
While at home, Elizabeth sees Wickham often and he tries to renew his attention for her, but she rejects this. She
also hints that she knows his true nature, but never blatantly states it. After some time at home, Elizabeth goes
on a tour of the lakes with her aunt and uncle. While on their trip, they pass Pemberley (the home of Darcy) and
wish to see it. Elizabeth declines, but after hearing he is not staying there, she agrees to a tour. While there, the
housekeeper speaks so fondly of Darcy that Elizabeth almost regrets her rejection of his proposal. While touring
the grounds, Darcy unexpectedly appears. After the tour, he invites Elizabeth to stay for another day to meet his
sister Georgiana, an invitation she accepts. The next day, after meeting Georgiana, Elizabeth meets Bingley, who
asks about Jane. Elizabeth and her aunt and uncle are invited to stay for dinner. Elizabeth stays up at night
debating her feelings for Darcy. The next day, Elizabeth receives a letter from Jane explaining that their younger
sister, Lydia, has eloped with Wickham and cannot be found. The letter begs Elizabeth and her aunt and uncle to
return home. Elizabeth sends for her aunt and uncle and meets Darcy, explaining the situation to him. As she
explains this, she realises that he will not renew his proposal to her, due to the actions of her family. Her
disappointment at this makes her realise she loves him. Darcy blames himself for not exposing Wickham and
apologises that there is no more he can do to help and leaves, after which Elizabeth and her aunt and uncle
depart. They return home to find Mrs Bennet in bed, distraught and fearful that Mr Bennet will try to fight
Wickham when he finds him and will be killed. The search for Lydia continues unsuccessfully for days until
Wickham is finally found. The Bennets learn that Wickham will agree to marry Lydia on the condition that he will
receive her equal share of Mr Bennet’s worth upon his death and £100 a year until then. The Bennets agree to
these terms, happy to have Lydia married as opposed to having a tainted reputation. Elizabeth also realises that
Darcy is in fact the perfect match for her and, unlikely as it may be, she would accept his proposal if he were to
renew it.
Chapters 51-61
When Lydia and Wickham visit the Bennets after their marriage, Elizabeth is told that Darcy was at the wedding.
As soon as Lydia says this, she states that she was not supposed to tell anyone. Elizabeth writes to her aunt and
uncle (who were present at the wedding) asking for more details as to why he was at the wedding. The reply from
Elizabeth’s aunt states that it was Darcy who found Wickham and paid him the money that facilitated the
wedding (after first attempting to persuade Lydia to leave him). He then explained everything to Elizabeth’s aunt
and uncle and apologised for not revealing Wickham’s true character earlier. The letter ends with Elizabeth’s aunt
stating that she believed he did this because of his love for Elizabeth, an idea Elizabeth dismisses. A few days
later, Bingley and Darcy pay a visit to the Bennets and they are invited to dinner. At dinner, Bingley sits next to
Jane, while Darcy sits at the opposite end of the table to Elizabeth. This confirms Elizabeth’s suspicion that Bingley
still loves Jane and that Darcy no longer loves her. Darcy goes to London but says he will be back in ten days. For
the next few days Bingley attempts to find Jane alone, which he finally does and the two are engaged. A few days
later, the Bennets receive a letter stating that Darcy plans to propose to Elizabeth. Mr Bennet urges Elizabeth to
decline, as he is aware that Lady Catherine strongly disapproves (as he is supposed to be engaged to her
daughter). Darcy arrives back to the Bennet’s home. On a group walk one day, Elizabeth and Darcy fall back and
are alone. He once again professes his love for her and proposes to her. He states that Lady Catherine’s attempts
to dissuade him from proposing to her only made him believe there was a chance she loved him back. The next
day, Darcy asks Mr Bennet for his permission to propose to Elizabeth and Elizabeth tells her mother of the
engagement. Mr and Mrs Bennet are elated at the news. Mrs. Bennet is extremely happy and proud of her
daughters’ marriages, but Mr Bennet misses Elizabeth and often goes to visit her at Pemberley. Bingley purchases
an estate near Pemberley after a year, because his and Jane’s close proximity to Meryton, Mrs. Bennet and their
relatives is too close for them and the Bennet sisters visit one another frequently. Lydia and Wickham, on the
other hand, remain incorrigible. Lydia writes to Elizabeth to congratulate her and asks to see if Darcy will use his
money and influence to help Wickham in court. She replies negatively, but does send her some money she had by
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cutting back on her own expenses. Elizabeth becomes very fond of Georgiana and they become great friends.
Elizabeth does have to persuade Darcy to reconcile with his aunt and she accepts the marriage, visiting her
nephew and new wife at Pemberley. Both Darcy and Elizabeth remain on intimate terms with Elizabeth’s aunt and
uncle, grateful for the fact that they brought Elizabeth to Pemberley the first time and brought them together.
List of Major Characters
Elizabeth Bennett
Elizabeth Bennet is the protagonist of the novel and the second oldest of the five Bennet sisters. She is the
liveliest, most quick-witted of all the Bennet girls and enjoys playfulness and laughter. She is also well read,
intelligent, sharp-tongued and often bold.
Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy
Mr Darcy is an extremely rich aristocrat, who is considered proud (he is the ‘pride’ of the title) and haughty by
those who initially meet him, and is concerned with class difference and propriety at the start of the novel.
Combined with these are a strong moral code and sense of honour.
Jane Bennet
Jane Bennet is the oldest of the Bennet sisters, and to most, the prettiest of all five. She is also the most goodtempered, kind, sweet, humble and selfless character and is universally well liked by those she meets.
Charles Bingley
Mr. Bingley, much like Jane Bennet is a very amiable, well-liked, and good-tempered character. Not overly
concerned with class differences or poor family connections, he falls in love quite easily and sweetly.
Collins
Mr. Collins is a clergyman and a relation to the Bennets, being the inheritor of Longbourn after Mr. Bennet passes
due to entailment.
Wickham
Lt Wickham is an attractive, charming and captivating young Lieutenant. Like Bingley before him, he is quickly
judged by the neighbourhood as a whole to be a good, amiable man. However, his appearance turns out to be
deceptive and, though judged honourable by society as a whole, Wickham turns out to be a scoundrel.
Mr Bennet
Mr. Bennet is an intelligent, well-read man with good sense and a good humour. He takes refuge from the
silliness of his wife and daughters in books, happy not to be disturbed by anyone save Elizabeth.
Mrs Bennet
Mrs. Bennet is a foolish and frivolous gossip. She has no sense of propriety or virtue, and she has no concern for
the moral or intellectual education of her daughters, she simply wants to see them wed, even if the conditions
are not suitable.
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Lydia Bennet
Lydia Bennet is the youngest of the five Bennet sisters, and is possibly the most foolish and flirtatious of them all.
She is a mirror image of her mother, concerned chiefly with gossip and finding a husband; she is often given up to
indolence.
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