Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a novel that millions have devoured. In its sarcastic take on the taboo, complex characterisation and classic discussion of love, the novel never really out of fashion. What drives it is its achingly poignant quotes, about love, self-actualisation and the pressures of society. We have given you some of the best love quotes from the novel along with their meanings.
1. “One must know, and everyone knows, that the one man who has an abundance of good things must lack a wife”
One of the most famous lines of any in English fiction. It opens the door for a story of marriage as not just romantic, but a social contract. Austen’s irony here is clear, the pressures in relationships that drive it.
2. ‘The lady’s psyche is very fast, it’s in one shot from admiration to love, from love to marriage
What is striking about this point is how rapidly emotions can change – all thanks to social pressure. In this quote, Austen plays a joke about the avarice of romantic ideas, which runs through the novel.
3. “His ego could have been easily excused, if he hadn’t raped mine
Elizabeth Bennet’s phrase is an eloquent example of how pride and bias work hand in hand with Mr Darcy. This is a line that emphasises her intense self-esteem and the difficulty of feeling good in the face of social judgement.
4. I have to be OK with not being better than I am
This is Elizabeth speaking, and this quote tells you about her process of self-knowledge and acceptance. And that’s a moment of supplication to remind us how transformative love can be.
5. ‘You’ll have to let me tell you that I adore and love you very much
‘Mr Darcy’s confession is the best love story of Pride and Prejudice. This phrase is where he shows his vulnerability and where his relationship with Elizabeth changes and his feelings come into play.
6. “So I’ve never had a self.’ Until this day
This realization is part of Elizabeth’s development and learning that she has a good reason to love Mr Darcy. It’s the kind of self-exploration parallel to the romance, this quote.
7. Do anything – don’t marry in love
Austen’s case for marriage based on love, not ease, is groundbreaking for the day. It is an image of Elizabeth’s firm values and refusal to give in to the demands of society.
8. “I declare after all there is no fun like reading! “What one wears out sooner of anything than of a book!”
Probably not really a love quote, but Austen herself is fond of reading and the gift it can offer one’s soul. It’s an ode to the intellectual partnership that goes along with romantic love.
9. “Think only of the past because it delights you to think of it
This line is all about staying in the moment and keeping memories. And it’s an indirect allusion to forgiveness and moving on in the relationships.
10. “Many are not hearty enough to be uninvited in love
Austen recognises that love is delicate, and a lover must have strength of character to take it up. The quote sums up the risk-reward equation that is romantic activity.
Why These Quotes Matter
These quotes all describe a distinct aspect of love, from the very beginning of admiration to the intense introspection that it can produce. The dynamic of Elizabeth and Mr Darcy’s marriage, Austen describes in her novels, is one of development, friendship and dissolution of prejudice. Such things stick with readers, and Pride and Prejudice is a timeless classic.
Conclusion
Pride and Prejudice isn’t a love story: it’s a warning about what we should and shouldn’t be doing, what we should and shouldn’t be doing, and how love can last forever. The above quotations give us a flavour of Austen’s poetry and tell us why the novel is still a favourite of readers all over the world. You’ll either return to its pages or for the first time read it and its words will still delight and move you.
