Summary: The timeless novel "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen delves deep into human nature, revealing the complexities of love, pride, and prejudice in society. This article compiles various quotes from the novel that highlight the subtle nuances of its themes. Each quote offers a glimpse into the characters’ personalities, their evolving perspectives on love and class, and the shifting social dynamics. Through these carefully selected quotes, readers can gain a better understanding of Austen’s critique of society, the flaws in human character, and the journey toward personal growth. Let these quotes inspire you as you reflect on the universal themes of love, pride, and prejudice that continue to resonate today.
Pride and Prejudice Quotes about Love
- "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." – Mr. Darcy
- "To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering one must not love." – Mr. Darcy
- "In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed." – Mr. Darcy
- "I love you. Most ardently." – Mr. Darcy
- "There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "I can no longer help myself. I love you more than I ever thought possible." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "You are too generous to trifle with me. I am not a creature of your making." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "But I am not afraid of you, Mr. Darcy. I know you would not hurt me." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "I have always been proud of my family, but nothing is so rewarding as finding someone who shares your pride." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "My heart is, and always will be, yours." – Mr. Darcy
- "You have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you." – Mr. Darcy
Pride and Prejudice Quotes about Character
- "She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me." – Mr. Darcy
- "I am not afraid of you, Mr. Darcy. I know you would not hurt me." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "Every day confirmed his belief that he had no business to love her." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "He is a man who deserves to be respected, but not loved." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "I am not in the habit of chancing my opinion." – Mr. Darcy
- "You are too generous to trifle with me." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "It is not my business to judge people for their character." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "She was the only daughter of a man who had in himself a traitor." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "He is not as charming as you, Miss Darcy." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "No one is perfect, least of all me." – Mr. Darcy
- "Your kindness and care should be rewarded." – Mr. Darcy
- "I may not be the perfect man, but I am certainly one of the best." – Mr. Darcy
Pride and Prejudice Quotes about Society
- "A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "The more I see of the world, the more I am convinced that I was not made for it." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "What are men to rocks and mountains?" – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "Every day confirmed his belief that he had no business to love her." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "If I were what I should have been, I would not have dared to make an approach like this." – Mr. Darcy
- "I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now, but I am sure that I was not born to be inferior to others." – Mr. Darcy
- "You are too generous to trifle with me." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "It is not for the rich to complain." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "I would have been perfectly happy if my family had never left the country." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "Men always make the first move. You will see how it ends." – Mr. Darcy
- "I have found myself in a society which, if I am not careful, will destroy my happiness." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "One cannot measure the worth of a man with money alone." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice Quotes about Marriage
- "I am not a marriageable man." – Mr. Darcy
- "Marrying without love is the worst form of folly." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "To marry without love is to be sentenced to a life of misery." – Mr. Darcy
- "Marrying for wealth, not love, is an abomination." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "To have a husband you truly admire is the greatest blessing of all." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "Marriage is a serious affair, and I want a woman who will not take it lightly." – Mr. Darcy
- "I am too proud to marry anyone whom I do not love." – Mr. Darcy
- "I would never marry a woman who does not love me in return." – Mr. Darcy
- "Marrying someone because they are rich is an insult to oneself." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "I would have married for love, but you convinced me that wealth was more important." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "A sensible woman should always marry for love, not for convenience." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "I will marry the woman I love, no matter what others think." – Mr. Darcy
Pride and Prejudice Quotes about Class and Status
- "I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now, but I am sure that I was not born to be inferior to others." – Mr. Darcy
- "The fact that you are not wealthy does not matter. What matters is the worth of your character." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "Your birth has nothing to do with your value." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "I do not care about your rank. I love you because of who you are." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "My fortune is not important to me. What matters is that I am true to myself." – Mr. Darcy
- "A poor man is still a man." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "You will not be judged based on your birth, but on your character." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "I would have preferred you as a poor woman, but you are too rich for me." – Mr. Darcy
- "Your status does not define your worth, only your actions do." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "I would not have chosen to be born in a wealthy family, but you are right: wealth does not define happiness." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "A man’s actions speak louder than his birth." – Mr. Darcy
- "We are all equal in the eyes of love." – Elizabeth Bennet
Pride and Prejudice Quotes about Change and Growth
- "You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." – Mr. Darcy
- "In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed." – Mr. Darcy
- "You have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you." – Mr. Darcy
- "I love you. Most ardently." – Mr. Darcy
- "I am not afraid of you, Mr. Darcy. I know you would not hurt me." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "I will not marry a man who cannot show me respect." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "Every day confirmed his belief that he had no business to love her." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "I am not afraid of you, Mr. Darcy. You are a changed man." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "In your character, I see the possibility of great change." – Mr. Darcy
- "I have always been proud of my family, but nothing is so rewarding as finding someone who shares your pride." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "I am a different person now. I will love you as you are, not as you should be." – Mr. Darcy
- "I have learned that love is worth more than pride." – Elizabeth Bennet
Pride and Prejudice Quotes about Misunderstandings
- "She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me." – Mr. Darcy
- "It is not for me to say what I have done wrong. I will let you judge me." – Mr. Darcy
- "I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now, but I am sure that I was not born to be inferior to others." – Mr. Darcy
- "I was wrong. I see now that you are a woman worthy of my love." – Mr. Darcy
- "I do not want to be married to you, Mr. Darcy, but I will be happy to be your friend." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "What are men to rocks and mountains?" – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "You are too generous to trifle with me." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "It is not for the rich to complain." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "I have learned that first impressions are often mistaken." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "I had misjudged you, and I was wrong to do so." – Mr. Darcy
- "I am not afraid of you, Mr. Darcy. I know you would not hurt me." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "You are not what I thought you were. You are far better." – Mr. Darcy
Pride and Prejudice Quotes about Regret
- "I am not in the habit of chancing my opinion." – Mr. Darcy
- "If I had known what I know now, I would have made a different choice." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "Regret is the most painful thing one can feel." – Mr. Darcy
- "I have never been so sorry in my life as I am now." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "I regret that I ever doubted you." – Mr. Darcy
- "I will never forget the way you treated me." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "I regret that I didn’t trust my own feelings." – Mr. Darcy
- "If I had loved you sooner, I would not have wasted so much time." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "My only regret is that it took me so long to realize what was right in front of me." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "The more I regret, the more I am grateful for what I now have." – Mr. Darcy
- "Regret cannot undo what is done, but it can show us what is to be learned." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "I wish I had not been so proud, for I have learned that love is stronger than pride." – Mr. Darcy
Pride and Prejudice Quotes about Family
- "The family is the most important thing in life." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "You are too generous to trifle with me." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "A family should always stand by each other, no matter the circumstance." – Mr. Darcy
- "I am proud of my family, no matter what others think." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "Family is everything. It is what you hold most dear." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "I would have preferred you as a poor woman, but you are too rich for me." – Mr. Darcy
- "Your family should be your source of strength." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "It is my duty to protect my family at all costs." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "You must always protect your family, for they will be your greatest support." – Mr. Darcy
- "A family is a refuge from the world." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "In the end, the family is what we are all left with." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "Family is where you should find love and support, no matter what." – Mr. Darcy
Pride and Prejudice Quotes about Change
- "I have always been proud of my family, but nothing is so rewarding as finding someone who shares your pride." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "We are all capable of change, but it requires effort." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." – Mr. Darcy
- "Every day confirmed his belief that he had no business to love her." – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
- "Change is inevitable, but love endures." – Mr. Darcy
- "I have learned to love you, not despite your flaws, but because of them." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "I am not afraid of you, Mr. Darcy. You are a changed man." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "My feelings for you have grown beyond what I could have imagined." – Mr. Darcy
- "I love you more than words can express." – Mr. Darcy
- "My heart is yours, and it always will be." – Elizabeth Bennet
- "I was wrong, and I admit it. I have changed." – Mr. Darcy
- "Change is what makes us better, stronger, and more capable of love." – Elizabeth Bennet
Final words
Pride and Prejudice offers a profound commentary on the complexities of human nature, social expectations, and personal growth. The quotes presented here capture the essence of the novel’s themes, showcasing the growth of characters like Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet as they challenge their own pride and prejudice. Their love story is one of transformation, learning to look beyond societal expectations, and embracing what is real and genuine. Through these poignant words, we are reminded of the timeless nature of love, regret, and change. The power of love and understanding continues to resonate, making "Pride and Prejudice" one of the most beloved classics of all time. As you read through these quotes, let them inspire you to reflect on your own journey, your relationships, and the values that shape your life.