1660 - 1800 1789 – 1798 Lyrical ballads

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Style / subjects Style / subjects

Literature Poetry

Man Man

Man Limited goals Experiences

Everyday tasks Aspirations

Limits Recollected by an individual

man

Inner man

Representatives Dryden Bronte Pope Shelley Addison Blake

Coleridge Swift Johnson

Burke

Representatives

Keats

Elizabeth Bennet

the second of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's five daughters

an attractive twenty year old when the story begins

a sensible, intelligent woman

Originally holds Darcy in contempt

finds that Darcy improves on acquaintance

Fitzwilliam Darcy

The central male character and Elizabeth's second love interest An intelligent, wealthy, extremely handsome and reserved 28-year-old man

Proud to strangers but possesses an honest and kind nature underneath

Considers Elizabeth his social inferior, unworthy of his attention

His initial proposal of marriage is rejected because of his pride and Elizabeth's prejudice against him

At the end of the novel, he finds himself sharing his home, Pemberley of Derbyshire, with his beloved new wife, Elizabeth.

Mr. Bennet

head of the Bennet family

An English gentleman with an estate in Hertfordshire,

his property is entailed to a male descendant

He is closer to Jane and especially Elizabeth, his two eldest and most sensible offspring

prefers the solitude of his study, neglecting the raising of his children

Mrs. Bennet

. Her main concern in life is seeing her daughters married well to wealthy men

, her foolish nature and frequent social faux pas often impede her efforts towards this end.

Jane Bennet

is the eldest Bennet sister

She is twenty-two years old at the start of the novel, and is generally considered to be the most beautiful amongst her sisters

reserved manner and pleasantness to all

She is incapable of suspecting the worst of people, seeing only the good

She falls in love with Charles Bingley, and is devastated when he abruptly breaks off their developing relationship without explanation

the misunderstanding on his part is cleared up and she accepts his hand in marriag

Lydia Bennet

the youngest of the Bennet sisters

Fifteen years old when the narrative begins

Lydia is extremely flirtatious, naive, headstrong and reckless

described as being idle and indulging in frivolous pursuits, especially chasing after the officers stationed at Meryton.

She is seduced by Mr Wickham and runs away with him

Charles Bingley

the closest friend of Mr Darcy

He is an outgoing, extremely good-natured, and wealthy young man who leases property near the Bennets' estate at the beginning

He is attracted to Jane Bennet, who reciprocates his feelings but is too shy and reserved to fully express them.

William Collins

the 25-year-old cousin of Mr Bennet

A clergyman, he is the closest male relation to the Bennet family, and as such stands to inherit Longbourn on Mr Bennet's death

Collins is a pompous, narrow-minded sycophant who is excessively devoted and flattering to his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh

After being rejected by his second choice, he proposes to Charlotte Lucas, who accepts him.

George Wickham

the enemy of Mr Darcy

He is a dashing, charming and handsome young soldier who attracts the attention of Elizabeth Bennet

Wickham's charm skillfully conceals a more conniving and dishonorable nature, and there is bitter enmity between him and Darcy due to his attempt to elope with Georgiana

He later runs off with Lydia Bennet, but is tracked down by Darcy and he marries her where Darcy pays for the marriage.

Mary Bennet

the most serious of all the Bennet girls, partly because she is the least good looking sister

Mrs Bennet had hoped that she could be persuaded to marry Mr Collins on his next visit

she is not very interested in society, seeing balls as a duty rather than a pleasure.

Kitty Bennet

older than her sister Lydia, is somewhat of a sidekick to her

She follows everything that Lydia does, and becomes insanely jealous when only Lydia is invited to go to Brighton with the troops, as she wishes to go herself.

Charlotte Lucas

the neighbour and best friend of Elizabeth.

She is 27 years old and, after Mr. Collins proposed to Elizabeth, he then proposed to Charlotte, who instantly accepted as this was most probably her final opportunity to get married.

Charlotte herself accepted him (thereby losing Elizabeth's respect).

enjoys her marriage by staying away from Mr. Collins as much as possible and taking care of her household and poultry

Georgiana Darcy

She is immensely pretty and 10 years his junior

quiet and shy but amiable and good natured, and shows great skill at playing the pianofort

Mr Wickham stole her affections many years before due to knowledge of her great fortune which she will inherit when she comes of age

She was just 15 when it happened , this is a case of dramatic irony due to Lydia's age of 15 and how she develops a relationship with Wickham later in the book.