Mr Darcy

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Personality

Role

  • He is very prideful, hence the name of the novel, and this proves to be a major problem in how he forms and keeps relationships with other people.
  • He is well mannered though he is quite rude in his first proposal speech when he offends Lizzie's family because he has to bring himself to overcome the 'degradation' of her family. He does not mean to cause offence and it certainly is not always intentional. He's naturally shy and reserved, which is also mistaken greatly for arrogance.
  • He is very generous as shown when he saves Lydia and the rest of the Bennett family from social disgrace by paying off Mr Wickham to marry Lydia.
  • He also shows humility when this happens as well because he does not boast/brag about it and even though he does say the reason he did it all was for Lizzie, he doesn't use it against her and her family to get what he wants.
  • He is first introduced to the reader in a very public setting of a ball and Austen chooses to show all of his worst character traits in this one scene because she keeps the reader questioning what role Darcy takes in this play and what his true character is like, is he a villain or is he an unexpected hero or love interest.This is further complicated for both the reader and Lizzie when Mr Wickham is introduced as we are again left to question, how does Darcy fit into all of this.
  • He proves to be honest and is capable of self criticism and at the end of the novel admits to his flaws.
  • in the private setting of netherfield we are introduced to Darcys more likeable traits such as him being attracted to ELizabeth for more than just her looks but also for her  ''the beautiful expression of dark eyes"he finds that this renders her face "uncommonly intelligent". He is also drawn to her kindness and liveliness. He proves to not be affected by Miss Bingley's flattery - he listens to her with "indifference" and does not allow her compliments to "go to his head" this proves to the reader that he is not as arrogant as he first seemed. He is shown to have strong to have strong morals as there are a number of moments in the novel where he is shown to have discomfort when other people have talked down to elizabeth, when lady catherine de bourgh insults elizabeth and he had the decency to look embarrassed for his aunt and when he also pays off wickham to save the bennett family from disgrace.
  • "His character was decided. He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and everybody hoped that he would never come there again."
  • "fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien"
  • he is the son of a wealthy, well-established family and the master of the great estate of Pemberley
  • Is Elizabeth's male counterpart/ the Foil, a character that emphasises the other characters flaws and personality.
  • Austen creates Darcy as interesting, realistic character with flaws. These flaws cause Elizabeth to initially dislike him. The dislike Elizabeth experiences makes the audience question elizabeths own character because she is presented, after this particular scene were she decides she does not like Mr Darcy after one conversation and one overheard conversation, as being quite fickle and prejudiced towards Darcy, which ultimately leads up to many problems that they both face because of their separate sentiments towards each other.
  • Ultimately Elizabeth's love interest but the reader is left guessing his actual role until the last few chapters where it is truly revealed how he relates in a truthful manner  to the events of the novel .

Development (Growth & change)

Other information              

  • through the course of the novel we see Darcy become less prideful and more vulnerable when he converses with elizabeth.
  • the reader learns of his true personality, not the facade he puts up at the beginning and he tells Elizabeth of how wrong he was to have used his pride as a shield against falling in love with someone of Elizabeth standard.
  • Darcy refused to dance with Elizabeth at the ball, because he does not  'give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men' and shows his aloofness and arrogance towards the people/ women of lower gentry and shows that Darcy thinks that those who are not even good enough to dance with people of their own class, would definitely not be 'good' enough to dance with him.
  • Darcy's admittance to his flaws signifies the radical character development as he proves to himself and to Lizzie that he can  be vulnerable and show his weaknesses to lizzie. This also shows that he trusts her enough that he can admit his character flaws and his less desirable traits without being judged by her because they have both developed from their pride and their prejudice towards one another.
  • The letter he gives elizabeth reveals  a man of intellect, integrity, honesty, trust, determination, and passion.
  • Privately, he's loyal and kind and he treats people well and with respect. " he is the best landlord, and the best master" this is not revealed to the audience until Lizzie travels to pemberley with her aunt and uncle.
  • Austen does present Darcy as a cruel,tactless and dislikeable character (that is not in touch with his emotions) for most of the play. There are many reasons which present him as cruel and dislikeable to the other characters, bar bingley , as he is proud but thinks it not a flaw but instead a "superiority of mind" which he apparently keeps "under good regulation". When Colonel Fitzwilliam' tells elizabeth that Darcy is the reason Bingley moved away and effectively broke up a possible marriage it presents Darcy as a cruel, prejudiced man who is concerned about his friends social status and not his friends personal emotions. But Austen is very clever in how she has elizabeth learn of everything Darcy has doen because it is all transferred from rumours and other characters that tell Lizzie of all the bad things Darcy has done. She never once gets Darcy full account of events until she recieves his letter of confession after she refuses his proposal. the letter gives a full account of events and his role he played in said events.
  • The use of letters in the narration of a novel is called epistolary from. Austen uses this form a lot to give information and  to convey certain characters true personalities.

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