Examples of Irony in Pride and Prejudice

Examples of Irony in Pride and Prejudice

The irony in Pride and Prejudice and its examples

Verbal Irony

1. “It is a truth universally acknowledged….wife” (Austen 3) - from Chapter 1.

2. Elizabeth makes the following comment about Mr. Darcy to Mr. Wickham in Chapter 41: “In essentials, I believe, he is very much what he ever was” (Austen 192). 

3. In Chapter 4, Mrs. Hurst and Caroline Bingley are portrayed in the following manner: “They were rather handsome, had been educated in one of the…entitled to think well of themselves, and meanly to others” (Austen 12, 13). The irony resides in the fact that the readers soon realize that the sisters are proud, snobbish and are unrefined since they do not always resort to social propriety and show an immense degree of malice toward the Bennets. 

Situational Irony

1. After seeing Elizabeth for the first time at the ball in Chapter 3, Mr. Darcy dismisses her and states: “She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me” (Austen 10). However, as the novel progresses, he falls in love with her and ends up marrying her. 

2. During his conversation with Elizabeth Bennet in Chapter 11, Mr. Darcy exclaims, “I cannot forget the follies and vices of others…My temper would perhaps be called resentful. My good opinion once lost, is lost forever” (Austen 49). However, following his initial rejection by Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy harbors no ill will against her. On the contrary, he assumes a friendlier manner towards Elizabeth and this change becomes evident to her in Chapter 43 when Mr. Darcy introduces his sister to Elizabeth. Elizabeth is moved by this gesture and the following thoughts arise in her mind, “it was gratifying to know that his resentment had not made him think really ill of her” (Austen 208) 

3. Caroline Bingley repeatedly insults Elizabeth in Mr. Darcy’s presence in order to make Elizabeth appear less attractive to Mr. Darcy while simultaneously attempting to increase her own desirability. However, Caroline’s actions have the opposite effect and merely serve to increase Mr. Darcy’s attraction to Elizabeth.

4. Lady Catherine de Bourgh in Chapter 55 visits Elizabeth in order to dissuade her from marrying Mr. Darcy. However, her opposition only serves to reinforce Elizabeth’s decisiveness with respect to her happiness and tends to unite the two young lovers. Furthermore, after Lady Catherine narrates the details of her conversation to Mr. Darcy, it rekindles a semblance of hope in his heart pertaining to Elizabeth’s affection for him. He starts entertaining the notion that she might have changed her opinion about him and consequently, he makes a marriage proposal to her again. 

Credit goes to Ma'am Saima Najib