Pride & Prejudice 1995: Get Mr Darcy Right

"You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." The BBC Pride and Prejudice miniseries, romcoms, wet and shirtless Colin Firth, villains running off to marry quasi-legal young women, and why Darcy is so darned hard to get right. (Hint: Frosty BUT COMPETENT)
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[@liv97497]

Another thing that is integral to Darcy's character - he respects Lizzie's wishes. When she tells him no, he doesn't nag her and tells her how she's wrong and he actually is a great guy and she's just not seeing it; he accepts that she doesn't feel the same way. And when she basically tells him he's being a dick, he doesn't try to justify it by telling her he's just joking or she's too self righteous or that it's just her perception or anything; he explains where she's wrong, but he improves, he tries to better himself. How rare is *that* in a modern romantic comedy?

[@kathyp1563]

And this is closer to how I've seen it played out in real life. One party (often the man, but not always) presents himself & gets rejected. Granted the rejected is a whole lot more gentle than what Mr. Darcy experienced!! The rejected one accepts it. The two are still in the same circle & must see each other, but the rejected endures it quietly--tries to keep things from being awkward. It might take a very long time, years even, but only this space allows the beloved time to get over her prejudices. Of course, not always.

[@wishiwaslizbennet924]

This is WHY he is the forever romantic hero!!

[@starshake8998]

💗

[@JaronActual]

@@wishiwaslizbennet924 Darcy or Col. Brandon? It's like choosing between Sam and Aragorn.

[@CTXSLPR]

@@JaronActual Mr. Knightley…

[@rayn0577]

“Darcy is a supremely awkward turtle” thank you for this inspired character summary :)

[@mena94x3]

That _killed_ me when I heard it. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂☠️

[@dolcebelcanto3626]

I've also seen him described as having the personality of "an agoraphobic lobster" so, y'know, shells and rocks for everyone 😂😂

[@seidenweberin]

That is the best way of summing up Mr Darcy. Love it.

[@Dafmeister1978]

@@dolcebelcanto3626 Perhaps an agoraphobic hermit crab?

[@blisles7626]

The 1995 version is my favourite. :D

[@Evija3000]

I've watched it multiple times. I feel like it's rare to see so much nuance in the actors' portrayals. Like, for a large part of the series we see him through the eyes of Elizabeth who can't stand him, and based on the story we should probably detest him along with her, yet I still could feel his awkwardness like my own and empathize with him so much. And there's a lot of humor in his staring and their eye rolls as well. And since it's such a faithfull and long adaptation all the secondary characters are fairly developed as well. Love all of it. Except Mr.Collins. Brrrr.

[@Kay-uy4xn]

@@Evija3000 Mr Collins makes me shudder

[@watcherwlc53]

I like the 1940 version with Greer Garson.

[@ellie698]

@@Kay-uy4xn David Bamber plays him so well though!!!!

[@211Shinobu]

I liked the 1980's BBC version with David Rintoul and Elizabeth Garvie.

[@fishyc150]

I dont think Darcy "learnt" to be polite when at pemberly, it was he was in his own environment so comfortable and knew exactly how to act.

[@veesaos8316]

yes!! exact same thought. at pemberly he was on his own turf so he was at ease

[@rebeccam7717]

@fishyc150 - He was making a special effort to show Lizzy that he had taken her criticisms to heart, as he tells her chapter 58: _'My object then,' replied Darcy, 'was to show you, by every civility in my power, that I was not so mean as to resent the past; and I hoped to obtain your forgiveness, to lessen your ill opinion, by letting you see that your reproofs had been attended to.'_

[@fishyc150]

@@rebeccam7717 that's interesting. It's strange though that lizzy didnt like him but everyone else who knew him did like him and thought him the most kind polite person etc... so he must have behaved differently around others?

[@TM15HAKRN]

He as host.. And Lizzie there..maybe even before his proposing had she been there..he would hv behaved as a gentleman.. Situation where they met..dancing he doesnt approve of..in Polished nd unpolished society.. Flattery is his aborrhence..so he wasn't tempted to dance..on request... But in pemberley after he danced with her in netherfield..he met.her..stayed under 1roof for 3 days..nd got attracted to her.. In Pemberly..when he met her..to him Lovers paradise in his Turf...

[@kookiekommenter]

​@@fishyc150people who don't know him well tend to have a bad impression of him (i.e. Everyone in the shire where Elizabeth lives for the few months they saw him), and this is partly because Darcy doesn't like talking to people he doesn't know well. People who have known him for years have a good opinion of him, and Darcy is indeed more sociable with people he knows.

[@JacquelineViana]

From now on I'm going to use "supreme awkward turtle" to describe Darcy

[@rockyblacksmith]

Pretty good alternative version (from the Lizzy Bennet Diaries): "the social skills of an agoraphobic turtle".

[@JacquelineViana]

@@rockyblacksmith I love when she says he's a Newsie wannabe

[@petrastedman669]

I'm going to make a "supremely awkward turtle" shirt for my friend. It is an apt descriptor. Alternately, I suppose I could make a 'supreme awkward turtle' shirt where the turtle is wearing a little sour cream hat...

[@falsenames]

The fact that she uses the American Sign Language sign for turtles while saying that only makes it better.

[@burntblueberrywaffles]

@@rockyblacksmith it was actually “agoraphobic lobster”

[@janettedargy7941]

Last time I was watching it I realized that his first time seeing the Bennetts is not long after he broke up Wickham and Georgiana. I'm sure he was still dealing with that fallout and not feeling particularly social...

[@fatemah4444]

Yes exactly, this point further illuminates that Darcy as a character actually has excellent manners and many people (ex. his house maid from the past). Sure he is not the most sociable but drawing him in the picture that the 2005 version does misinterprets his character greatly as it enunciates his wrong actions as a personality defect when in reality it is as you said all because of the time period. A little bit of this and confidence draws him in the correct light (much like Firth although I wish he smiled more xD)

[@FullMoonHowl]

"There's Mr. Collins, the...uuuuggghhh." No one could put it better than that. 🤣🤣🤣

[@meetaverma8372]

He's entertaining tho, he's kinda like a comedy relief

[@katethegreat4918]

I was thinking that’s the perfect word for it. 😂

[@BjornTheDim]

Also, Mr. Darcy MIGHT be Batman. Maybe. I always feel the urge to hum a Batman theme when he's stalking the streets of London and tracking down Wickham.

[@matthiasreinarz2088]

I'm not saying he IS Batman. I'm just saying I've never seen him and Batman in the same room together.

[@TheLittleRedVixen]

@@matthiasreinarz2088 I thought he was the Mandalorian...

[@Amcsae]

@@matthiasreinarz2088 🤯

[@falconeshield]

No he's Turtleman

[@BlankCanvas88]

The real catalyst to why Lizzie doesn't like Darcy is that she overheard him saying he didn't find her attractive. So then up until his proposal she assumes this feeling hasn't changed & it blinds her to his growing signs of attraction, e.g. staring. She makes other excuses for it. In contrast, Wickham flatters her so she makes excuses for him in the opposite direction, to defend his signs of bad behavior, i.e. in the case of Miss King. So during the proposal, when Darcy tells her she would've accepted his proposal better "had I concealed my struggles & flattered you," there was actually a grain of truth in that. Of course, on Darcy's side, he didn't realize that being blunt is not the same as being honest, and he should've framed his proposal in a more flattering way. In the end, the novel is about how they both helped open one another's eyes to their own shortcomings of both pride & prejudice & they are humbled into changing for the better b/c of it.

[@fatemah4444]

Beautifully said

[@jeancoughlin5490]

And I think one of the things attracting Darcy to Lizzie is that she doesn't fawn over him. And his proposing directly after finding out he deliberately quashed Bingley's pursuit of her sister did not help his case. She does recognize the poor behavior of her family but having it presented to her did not endear him to her. I love thec1995 version of the story. The casting was great.

[@aquiamorgan2416]

This also gives rise to one of my favorite lines in the book: "Had I been in love I could not have been more wretchedly blind. But vanity, not love, has been my folly!"

[@fatemah4444]

@@aquiamorgan2416 I never understood that her refferal of being in love was about Wickham, thank you for clearing (enligsh is not my first language).

[@nanno8483]

YOU need to start your own channel! No, strike that. WE need you to start your own channel!!

[@RecklessFables]

I loved the novel. After a fashion, it is to romance what Tolkein is to fantasy. When I say that, I mean there is a good chance that if you pull a random romance off a shelf at your local bookshop you are very likely to see a great deal of influence (especially if it is a Regency section, but even if not) in the same way pulling a random fantasy novel often feels like one is reading something Tolkien-inspired. The Happily Ever After, the Big Misunderstanding, etc. I don't know if Jane Austen was the projenator, but the influence is there, especially since her work is usually taught in schools.

[@jenniferh3587]

I had never thought about how the servants talk about him. That's such a good point and thank you for pointing it out.

[@ej3016]

Lizzie gets a true account of Darcy’s character when the housekeeper is taking Lizzie and her Aunt & Uncle thru the house - not knowing who they are - the housekeeper tells them what kind of master he is - you can see her struggling with the differing accounts from Wickim, her own experience and from the housekeeper - this account really changes how Lizzie sees Darcy

[@ivyreid7]

@@ej3016 and by that time Darcy didn’t hold back anything. I saw a KZbinr reaction to the 95 ver and she said if Darcy had been pretty blunt and honest most of the times in telling or explains things to Lizzy why would he have any reasons to lie in the letters especially involving his sister.

[@kikidevine694]

I think that's what changes her mind about him the most

[@JaronActual]

As established, Darcy is a good, decent man. I believe part of his perceived "rudeness" and awkwardness comes from his desire to do right. He knows some people will try to take advantage of him ( like Wickham tried with his sister ). He knows many people depend on him ( family, friends, household, servants, and even tenants ) and he doesn't want to risk indirectly shaming them. Being cautious in how he acts around new people can be mistaken as standoffish and elitist.

[@argusfleibeit1165]

A big part of Lizzie's problem with Darcy is because Wickham is an habitual liar. The original lie he tells about how he was supposed to get the "living" in the Church is what first makes her angry. That this "poor guy" wanted a saintly position in the clergy and Darcy denied it to him, breaking the promise Darcy's father had made, seems horribly unjust to Lizzie. Wickham leaves out all the other parts of the story where he (1) actually didn't want to go into the clergy, and (2) Darcy paid for him to join the military, but then (3) he kept getting in trouble, plus the part about (4) how he tried to seduce (and gain the fortune of) Darcy's underage sister Georgiana-- all that he leaves out in his story to Lizzie about why Darcy treats him with distain. That he later goes on to (5) lie to Lydia about going to Gretna Green to get married, (6) taking her to London instead, where he essentially "ruins" her is the next thing. Darcy must go to great trouble and expense to track them down and force Wickham to marry Lydia-- which is also the only way Darcy can "afford" to still marry Lizzie, due to the social stain Lydia's situation would reflect on her entire family. Lizzie believed the charming liar and grew a grudge against the less charming but more honest and decent man, until it was all straightened out.

[@ulla7378]

This is also something that is hard to move to present day. We don't have much situations where person is responsible for other peoples' lives and livelihoods in similar manner that was the case of Mr. Darcy. If he "falls from grace" or fails to do the right thing, it is not only shame that may come upon the family, friends, household and tenants but direct risk to their livelihoods. Marrying for love is privilege, that was not available to most when we go back in history. Creating similar situation in contemporary settings is difficult, because there is not much realistic cases where you can be good person and not to be able to marry another decent person with the risk that it would ruin the lives of several other decent people.

[@ayeyagomez]

This happend to me at my teens. People used to think I didn't talked to them 'cause I didn't like them but I just wasn't that confident.

[@yasmineed-daoudi6023]

well he kinda is an elitist at the beginning. He judges the whole of Meryton on grounds like "tHeY hAvE lItTlE fAsHiOn aNd nO bEauTy", insults a woman in a damn ballroom when she is only few feet away, watches her to criticise her to his friends as having no good feature in her face becAUSE, interferes with Bingley's love life and lies to him as if Bingley isn't as much of an adult as he is, builds in his head a soap opera romance between him and Lizzy because he can't even conceive how anyone could NOT love him, the latter leading in an insulting, classist proposal. He IS a good boy, but he is kinda of a prick at the beginning. Of course Lizzy DOES exaggerate his faults and willfully remain blind to his good qualities, but his behaviour wasn't in much need of misunderstanding to come across as rude.

[@annieelisas98]

That makes so much sense, I guess for the whole book darcy was trying to figure the bennet family out, seeing if they’d be after his money. Even though he initially thought Jane was after bingleys money. There must be some point he realised that Elizabeth doesn’t care about money or social standing.

[@allit9098]

When I saw the title, I was so worried that you were going to bash my beautiful Colin Firth Darcy. I have been faithful to the 1995 adaptation since I was a wee lass and just finished reading the book for the first time a couple months ago. The 1995 version is ridiculously accurate to the book and so darn amazing and brilliant and Colin Firth omygosh I love Mr. Darcy. Thank you for approving of my love, aka 1995. I was worried I was going to have to hate you if you didn't. Thann you for coming to my Ted talk. Good bye.

[@fatemah4444]

I quite agree with you and it is my favorite version. However I still think it is a bit romanticized (same with all the versions that come after it). Not that that is a problem I prefer it myself but have you watched the 80's version? It is interesting to see an word for word accurate interpretation of the book without having the romance overshadow it, I personally consider the romance a subplot while class & marriage being the main plots.

[@ninoambardanishvili4142]

@@fatemah4444 i do agree with you on this point but i do have to say what the 80's version is very dull. meanwhile its true what is is accurate in some ways but it seems too much like a uncut theater. perhaps a mix of both would be nice not too romanticized but not too dull eather.

[@fatemah4444]

@@ninoambardanishvili4142 Yes the middle ground is somewhat the 1995 miniseries perhaps. I need to rewatch it to ascertain my opinion, come to think of it has a perfect balance of both the 80's and the 2005. The first time I watched the 80's version (prior to reading the book) I found it so boring. Interestingly, when I rewatched it after reading the book recently I was astonished how precise and good it was (except for Mr.Darcy maybe) ; maybe in my case it was due to seriously underastanding the dialouge and meaning after reading the annotated version (english is not my first language) but I truly came to appreciate it, it is an underrated gem that surely does not appeal to the masses but for what it was it was excellent. It is amazing to see how each version is heavily influenced by the one that preceeds it.

[@ninoambardanishvili4142]

@@fatemah4444 i suppose you are right but i have to say what the first time i read the book it was in german, so this might have influenced my view on the 80's version and the fact what i saw the mini series when i was 16 (my dark ages). and it is true what the 1995 version is my favorite especially Mr Darcy ( i am quit an awkward person myself so its nice to see someone as awkward in a movies), since it is a good mix of both. but I do have to say what the 2005 is good introduction for the younger audience. I in fact would never have read the book if i didn't see the 2005 movie (and it has nice aesthetic) and the best way to get a impressionable teenagers attention is to show the version they feel most familiar with.

[@fatemah4444]

@@ninoambardanishvili4142 yes I quite agree! I got into the book only because I (used to) love the 2005 movie so much! Imagene my surprise when I started to like it less for that same reason (because I found the books much better xD) and disliked the inaccuricies. So exactly, in a way.

[@rcb3921]

I love the Bingly/Darcy alliance. I think, sometimes, it's easy to see Bingly as the charming guy who is rich but not really very clever. How fortunate Bingly is, we read, to have a friend like Darcy. A clever, sincere-if-cynical, and competent man to help Bingly from making any really foolish moves. I think even Austin acknowledges but could have underscored how valuable the relationship also is to Darcy. Darcy doesn't have many good friends and his good opinion, as he has said, once lost is lost forever. Darcy is this 'awkward turtle' and he needs some people like Bingly to bring new folk into his life and smoothe over the introduction. They compliment each other.

[@a.westenholz4032]

There is something in the book, I think it is part of Lizzy's internal dialogue at some point, to that affect. That while Darcy is sure to cause offense wherever he goes, Bingley's happy nature is sure to make friends. The inference being that while Darcy may have more intellectual capacity of the two, Bingley has the social skills that Darcy lacks.

[@jedidiahcarmichael5747]

I have to say that I never thought of Mr. Darcy as being awkward. I always thought he was uberly aware of the social standings of those around him and how his actions may be a reflection of his own. I would have called him overly cautious to the point of being standoffish and not awkward.

[@ivyreid7]

Ya a great example of awkward is Mr. Collins...

[@jenniferadam8052]

Yep, you are right. The 1995 version really nailed that, too. The 2005 version, on the other hand, made Darcy seem almost autistic.

[@stephanien6237]

Whenever I hear the word “obsequious” I immediately think of Mr. Collins. His character defines the word for me.

[@zehrazahoor7855]

The one thing i love about their relationship is that it is not love at first sight and beauty doesn't really contribute to their love like in EVERY romance movie. They LEARN to love eachother they both make conscious effort to understand eachother and clear the prejudice opinion. And fell in love somewhere along the way.

[@lillithb1661]

This adaptation really helped me out when I did the novel in school. Not because I didn’t read the novel, but because the novel didn’t come across right for me. Austen’s writing style didn’t work for me, particularly because she doesn’t describe the setting or any of the people, and the old english just made it hard for me to get immersed. Watching this, I could get a feel for the characters, the jokes actually landed and I was able to kind of remember what was going on, and it was super faithful to the books without feeling too derivative. After watching a scene in the show I could go to where it was in the book and be like “ahhh, that’s how it was supposed to look.” Also I just really enjoyed watching it. The actors were great and they all fit their characters, great setting, great music, I think it’s the perfect adaptation.

[@Willpower1409]

My sister wanted to marry this Mr. Darcy when she was 3. She's 29 now but we laugh at how adamant she was.

[@meetaverma8372]

If she's still single, I hope she finds a person like Mr. Darcy

[@lytsedraak]

But did she ever say she didn't want to marry Mr. Darcy anymore?

[@Brievel]

She had good taste.

[@0Demiyah0]

I still want to marry a Mr. Darcy. I am dating a supreme socially awkward turtle with a good heart and semi old money right now. It has actually taken me time to truly like him and see that his shyness is not pride, and his awkwardness in conversation is not a lack of genuine care and morals.

[@ludiprice]

The 1995 BBC adaptation is the best. I often have it on in the background when I'm working. All other adaptations fade in comparison!

[@hassanas4816]

Please where can I watch it? I’ve been looking for it

[@tiffanytaylor5295]

Me too! Or I have Persuasion with Ciaran Hinds as Capt Wentworth

[@cutie3638]

@@hassanas4816 it's been on Hulu for about a year now.

[@cutie3638]

I do the same thing. It's my go to when I need something on. After finally seeing the 1995 version 3 years ago I can't watch any other version. I just can't.

[@matthewclements6603]

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

[@CNBlaze-qj7fg]

You have skyrocketed in my estimation, my dear. Anyone defending the proper Mr. Darcy is a 10 in my book. :D

[@JillBearup]

Nobody really wants a cheap knockoff Mr. Darcy, do they? Not when you can have a proper one XD

[@whoviangirl3878]

@@JillBearup who’s Colin Firth. I only know William darcy

[@RachL87]

@@whoviangirl3878 Fitzwilliam Darcy

[@FebbieG]

@@whoviangirl3878 Colin Firth is the actor who portrayed Mr Darcy in the 1995 BBC miniseries.

[@paulaschroen3954]

I have to say, agree or disagree, I greatly enjoy the discussion of Jane Austen's novels in the comments on this and other podcasts.. I first read Pride and Prejudice in 9th grade, junior high or whatever it is called now. Again as assigned in Senior year, did do some college, friends at the time students/graduates. I've been a grown up now for longer than I was a human, then, and only now I get to read interesting and charming discussion of all the Austen novels. That some of the discussion includes movies just adds to the fun. Opinion: reading and thinking about fiction that involves accurate representation of human behavior, is good for at all being able to endure how crazy people are, and some of the understanding of ability to love.

[@katie-st8nx]

This series was beautifully done and wonderfully cast. I'm just glad it exsists.

[@elessarsgirl4883]

Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. Oh my freaking goodness! I watched this 28 times in a row, I think, when I first discovered it. Could be more. That was several years ago. I had to wean myself off. Time to watch again, I think.

[@TM15HAKRN]

Happy nd relieved to Knw Many people all.over world like me... Obssessed wth it💜😆

[@a35362]

4:51 I love this scene, where Lizzie is trying to figure out what the HECK is up with Darcy's change in behavior. What is going on??

[@CaitieLou]

Another thing that strikes me about Pride and Prejudice is that both Darcy and Lizzie (eventually) admit when they were wrong about things, and parse it out together. And they admit them to EACH OTHER. I've been watching a few classic/older films during quarantine, and My Fair Lady and Hello Dolly both failed to impress me as romantic comedies. Mostly because the leading men in those stories are total assholes, and they never apologize to the women they love. There is a point where they realize they were wrong, but they never admit it to the ladies they've done wrong to. And the story never forces them to apologize before the ladies just decide to return and take them back anyway.

[@jillyapple1]

Never seen Hello Dolly. But the ending to My Fair Lady always bothered me. First she sings a whole musical number about how she doesn't need him and is leaving him forever. Then she returns the same day. (She's wearing the same outfit, at least). I think they could have written it a little differently to make it a lot better. For instance, when he said "Bring me my slippers", the camera could have panned back to reveal she's wearing them, and he responds with a grin. She wears the slippers now, and is forcing him to acknowledge her as an equal. But I'm glad she didn't end up with Freddy because that relationship is unequal in the other direction, with him loving her more than her loving him (making her the superior).

[@chompers9371]

a fun thing about my fair lady is that it was never supposed to be a romance between eliza and higgins! my fair lady is based on george bernard shaw’s pygmalion (a romance in five acts) which, though named as it is, spends its five acts annihilating the idea that there could ever be romance between the pair. the idea that the two get together was an acting decision the OG higgins made while shaw was out of town, which gravely offended shaw. while the change made its way into my fair lady and the movie, the most recent revival of the musical reverses this change. in shaw’s original epilogue, eliza is set up to possibly marry freddy, who’s in her age range and actually likes her

[@abigailabbott2201]

The 1995 version is the BEST adaptation! I’m so glad you made all these points that I can add them to my arsenal :))

[@sirperybLakeney]

'Darcy is a supremely awkward turtle'. Pride and Prejudice described by Rak Wraithraiser.

[@TM15HAKRN]

Trying hard to Hide his Awkwardness by Using his pride..haughtiness..in a polished society..

[@sirperybLakeney]

@@TM15HAKRN People who like their own posts...

[@Lucyhascats]

How did KZbin know I just finished making a PowerPoint describing how the 1995 version was the best book representation? Kinda creepy timing

[@iseeaglade5002]

Gotta say, watching this in 2021, I am amazed at the technical improvement, but content has always been amazing ^^

[@a.westenholz4032]

Darcy is arrogant in the first half of the book. Too full of his of own social position and its importance compared to everyone else. Certainly lacks consideration for the feelings of other people, as Lizzy justly points out when he first proposes to her. That proposal he made WAS insulting, and he is described in the book as arrogantly leaning against the fireplace certain that he would be accepted, only to be shocked by Lizzy turning him down. He, like Collins, is also full of his own concerns when proposing, and while he at the end at least gets around to saying he loves her, it is only after saying how much he wishes he didn't. The thing is for both of them that is a turning point when BOTH face their faults. If they hadn't been basically decent and honest people they would have denied to themselves the truth the way other characters do in her books, and rationalized away what the other had said.

[@MrSmokinDragon]

All true to some extent, but keep in mind that the story is mostly told from Lizzy POV, and she is proven throughout the story to be somewhat unreliable, so my best guess is that Darcy isn't quite as arrogant as he is described.

[@a.westenholz4032]

@@MrSmokinDragon There is a reason the book is titled "Pride and Prejudice"- while Lizzy's flaw is prejudice, Darcy's is pride.

[@bcoll182]

@@a.westenholz4032 Or it's called Pride and Prejudice because they are both proud and both prejudiced, as are some of the other characters. As you pointed out Elizabeth and Darcy come to recognise and address their own faults and, in the case of Elizabeth, to realise that she has misjudged Darcy due to her own vanity. Recall the discussion at Netherfield about pride and vanity and also, Darcy telling Elizabeth that her defect "is to willfully to misunderstand" people. As Elizabeth tells Wickham (after Darcy's letter has removed her blinkers), "In essentials, I believe, he is very much what he ever was", and "When I said he improved on acquaintance, I did not mean that his mind or his manners were in a state of improvement, but that, from knowing him better, his disposition was better understood". When she later went to Pemberley, she gained an even greater understanding of his true character before they even renewed their acquaintance.

[@a.westenholz4032]

@@bcoll182 Indeed both have either fault to some degree, but Lizzy's tends more towards prejudice and Darcy towards pride. It is through the events of the book that both are forced to confront these faults and correct them. The turning point is at Rosings, where Lizzy and Darcy really confront each other; she with her prejudice and he with his pride. At that point both get a healthy dose of the other's POV to think about. And both end up realizing the essential error of their thinking. What Lizzy is referring to later in her conversation with Wickham, is that in knowing more about Darcy one understands him better, and that while his conduct in public may still be lacking, she no longer thinks him the villain Wickham made him out to be. It is only later, when she herself experiences the very changed Darcy at Pemberley (i.e. his conduct towards herself and the Gardiners as being without pride), coupled with her own changed perception of him, that she truly starts to love him. Darcy's conduct in the beginning is pompous, born out of too great a consideration for his own position and a lack of consideration for others- as Lizzy rightly points out. Lizzy allows her own initial slighted feelings and dislike to blind her, and seek bias confirmation for her dislike.

[@bcoll182]

@@a.westenholz4032 The genius of P&P is that we are utterly led astray by Elizabeth's POV. But it's all an illusion (well mostly). If Darcy really was everything arrogant, pompous and rude, then we could hardly accuse Elizabeth of being prejudiced because she would simply be justified in her assessment of him. She would be guilty of nothing more than being taken in by Wickham and of misunderstanding Darcy's motivation in persuading Bingley to avoid Jane. After reading Darcy's letter, she is full of remorse. She deems her actions despicable and remonstrates with herself: "I, who have prided myself on my discernment! I, who have valued myself on my abilities! who have often disdained the generous candour of my sister, and gratified my vanity in useless or blameable mistrust! How humiliating is this discovery! Yet how just a humiliation! Had I been in love, I could not have been more wretchedly blind! But vanity, not love has been my folly. Pleased with the preference of one, and offended by the neglect of the other, on the very beginning of our acquaintance, I have courted prepossession and ignorance, and driven reason away, where either were concerned. Till this moment I never knew myself." She admits to herself that it was her pride that led to her misjudging Darcy. I would argue that, as Elizabeth is the heroine of this story, the true turning point is here. We should NOT accept her complete interpretation of Darcy's behaviour during the proposal and we should remember that up to and including the proposal, we have at all times been influenced by Elizabeth's unreliable POV. After reading the letter, she doesn't regret refusing him, she's still indignant about the manner of his proposal, she has no desire to see him again but she has respect for his general character and is angry with herself for her unjust treatment of him. So when she speaks to Wickham she is as much as saying "Oh, he hasn't changed at all but I had misunderstood him before. I now know that he's essentially a good man". I agree that Wickham must realise Elizabeth knows he lied, which is why he is alarmed. By now, Elizabeth is not so shallow that she places as much importance on outward civility as she does on deeper character. Nor, crucially, does she confuse the two, as she has done up until now, but yes she still values civility. On a second reading of P&P, knowing that we were hoodwinked the first time, we should have a different understanding of Darcy when he arrives at the Meryton assembly. Darcy has only recently prevented Wickham eloping with Georgiana to gain her fortune and get his revenge. He is "ill-qualifed to recommend himself to strangers" because he doesn't find it easy to talk to people he has just met and he "cannot catch the tone of their conversation" or connect with them on an emotional level; that's quite a social handicap. When he enters the assembly rooms everyone is staring at him and assessing his income, his clothes, his looks and his manner. So in his discomfort he slights Elizabeth and he couldn't have chosen another person in the room who would be more pissed off about it than she was. Who do you think it was that "turned the tide of his popularity"? Bloomin' Elizabeth, that's who. Austen is so clever because she tells us about the change of opinion in the room before she relates Bingley's conversation with Darcy, so we don't connect the one with the other. And about that conversation between Bingley and Darcy - yes, he was rude about Elizabeth but now that we understand Darcy better, it has a completely different meaning to the first time we read it. But just like us initially, Elizabeth doesn't know it yet and she interprets it in the worst possible way. Darcy certainly had his faults but they were explainable faults - and not nearly as great as they were initially made out to be. When brought to his attention, he did some soul searching and acknowledged them. He tells Elizabeth that he was "allowed, encouraged, almost taught.............. to care for none beyond my own circle, to think meanly of all the rest of the world, to think meanly of their sense and worth compared to my own". His pride and his prejudice were taught to him. Likewise Elizabeth was spoilt by her father and encouraged to be self-satisfied with her own cleverness. She learned from him to laugh at people (what is that if not disdainful, yet she accuses Darcy of disdain). Her prejudice of Darcy may be her own, although we are told her father dislikes London, so he may object to London society and have influenced her perception of higher status gentry. And it is after all Pride and Prejudice, not Pride and Misjudgement.

[@monsoongirlnyc]

“Competent is important.” What an epic line. I wish I’d had that on my swoonworthy traits list when I was younger :) Great vid, tnx!

[@astrothsknot]

What i liked about his was, his assholery is pointed out to him and he does the work of not being an asshole, without any reward - eliza was never going to know. He may not be nice, but he's something more important. he's kind. Wait, i just realised - YOU'RE THE FIGHT GIRL. HELL YES.

[@sayrewilkin-dalby619]

I'm always hesitant to read such novels because I'm convinced the subtleties of what qualifies "socially awkward" will go way over my head. They'll be trying to exemplify the most awkward human ever and I'll be like, "Wow, I wish I could be so charming"

[@Mulletmanalive]

There’s also the fact the book is a massive critique of sharing your feelings too freely. The letters where Austin excoriates the cult of sentimentality are brutal. Darcy is kind of her ideal man. People come up to him at a party with their feelings and he’s having nine if it. Never liked the book until I found out it’s basically a parody of existing romances, then the digs started to make sense.

[@michaelhaddock8636]

I find it sad that the 1980 BBC adaptation seems to have lost out to the 1995 version in the popularity stakes. In my opinion it got nearly all of the characters spot on Elizabeth and Darcy especially, but Mr Bennett was also done tremendously well. I never really got Colin Firth as Darcy. He's too likeable at the beginning. Maybe I look at it through rose tinted glasses because I saw it when I was 15, just after I had read the book for the first time. Having fallen hard for Lizzie Bennett in the book fell even harder for Elizabeth Garvie's depiction of her in on TV. Maybe it also helps that I have not been able to rewatch it for some time. I have a copy on VHS - but no VHS player.

[@paulfedorenko2301]

When I was a kid, my dad bought a wooden moose to add whimsy to the backyard. My youngest sister named it Mr. Darcy. So I watched "Pride and Prejudice," and was sorely disappointed that there were no moose in the movie, named Darcy or otherwise.

[@ryanwatt6706]

I watched this in it’s total as a child in the 3rd grade with my mother. Though I barely remember it I remember never liking Wick-dick

[@heidibarker9550]

"There's Mr Collins the uuuuugggggghhhhhgg vicar." Yeah that sums up my feelings about him to.

[@FunkyM217]

But how do the Zombies factor into it?

[@williamchamberlain2263]

They _are_ socially awkward

[@TheLittleRedVixen]

@@williamchamberlain2263 yes

[@meetaverma8372]

Read that book

[@kikidevine694]

And this is why the 1995 version was WAY better than the 2005 film. Tye series showed the awkward manner of Darcy, where the film tried to make it into a Gothick romance with a 'tortured' hero. I half expected Matthew Mcfadyen to start wandering around on a moor shouting 'Cathy!!!'

[@matthewedwards6025]

I feel the main difference between the depiction of Darcy between the 1995 and 2005 versions is internal: 2005 Darcy seems embarrassed about what other people think about him and is paralyzed in social interactions by it. 1995 Darcy almost completely doesn't care about what other people think, but simply has no social skills because he doesn't spend time talking to people. That difference in motivation is very consequential but hard to depict in a condensed format.

[@KatanaKamisama]

Darcy is a pretty typical INTJ personality. At least as far as I can discern from the fictional character.

[@nurainiarsad7395]

Yes. He behaves perfectly normally for an INTJ. Austen is a great observer of people for Darcy is so typical he could serve as a type description, though the character predated MBTI.

[@elizabeth3555]

My stepdad is an INTJ, and my mom often compares him to Mr. Darcy.

[@angie44551]

I'm a female INTJ and it's insane how many mannerisms and personality quirks I share with Darcy. My friends usually joke about it.

[@TM15HAKRN]

Darcy was a friend's husband.. Jane Austens So he not Fictional..she observed him nd Wrote about him..😆💜🎊

[@kayreacts4763]

"Supremely awkward turtle" If that doesn't sum him up entirely. IDK why you even bothered with the rest of the video ;P I always say that Pride and Prejudice is the original rom-com. Everything about it is impeccable!

[@kwwwak]

Thank you for all your videos Jill! Having seen your comparison of P&P 2005 with P&P 1995, I wonder if you'd be interested in reviewing the 1980 BBC series too? I found it... different but I can't quite put my finger on why. (hey people, Like this comment if you agree Jill should do the 1980 adaptation too)

[@211Shinobu]

I loved the 80's version. David Rintoul was extremely awkward and haughty as Darcy and Elizabeth Garvie was down to earth and funny as Lizzie.

[@katfoster845]

Jane Austen was cutting in her social commentary.

[@meganjaime7728]

I love the book and I love the 1995 BBC miniseries! So well done! It was a great adaptation. After having done a very deep dive into P&P (both book and the miniseries) I appreciate the hard work of the screenwriter all the more. He really wanted the audience to connect to Darcy before he meets Elizabeth. In the book we don’t meet him for a while and when we do he comes off as proud and prejudiced 😁. It’s from Elizabeth’s perspective so we don’t like him. Anyways the screenwriter wants the audience to like him before Elizabeth does so that when she reaches that conclusion herself we are rooting for them.😁😊 And yes he is very awkward 😆 All that to say: if you don’t want to read the original novel by Jane Austen but, still want the satirical vibes she wrote in along with the original vibes of the characters (and let’s face it practically word for word the books dialogue) go watch the 6hr. BBC miniseries.😊😁

[@chelseascreatures]

Hi pardon me, watching this WAY too late. BUT from your video. (yes it took me until this video to realize) Darcy is the best example of an introvert.

[@robinormond8129]

My uncle was in P&P on Broadway in the 30's, and went to Hollywood to be in the movie. Unfortunately, the movie's extra 5 hours wound up on the cutting room floor, which included his entire part... I do have a photo and playbill from Broadway however.

[@cecilyerker]

You didn’t give us the name of your uncle or his IMDB or obituary or any other identifiers. Where’s the proof?

[@robinormond8129]

@@cecilyerkerMy grandfather sent him a ticket home, he went to war, and then lived a relatively quiet life n Maine. No IMBD or lights for him - but I do have the Broadway Playbill and a. cast photo.

[@robinormond8129]

I have the photo copied, but not the Playbill. Next summer, perhaps.

[@slimyweasles4973]

Nice work, as usual. :) Can't wait for part 2!

[@paulamusik2509]

This was the best video I've seen all week and the best summary of P & P I've EVER heard! :-D

[@eliza9799]

Darcy is just a gen z, who has to make a dentist appointment for the first time without his mother

[@IDoNotFeelCreative]

How perfect is discussing pride and prejudice right before going to a wedding

[@gogbpackers12]

I absolutely love your glasses. I know this is off topic, but could not refrain from complimenting them. And I like your opinion on the 6-hour version being the best adaptation.

[@everausten]

What! I didn't know you did P&P content! I only found you a year ago with the Inigo & Westley video, and have loved your super fun analysis videos since. And now my worlds have collided, definitely going on a deep dive! Loving the supremely awkward turtle 😂

[@EyeLean5280]

Very nice commentary and I love your delivery! Subscribing!

[@lisaroper421]

So imagine my joy to hear Jill say in a star wars movie that she has cool new facts about P&P, and then to go digging in the playlists and find movies there already!! Yay!! Thanks Jill, for going where the KZbin wind goes, so I could find you, but also having done so much more than just weapons and armor! 😁

[@rhubbard327]

2005 version is forbidden in my household.

[@DaniWhoPhD]

"I think we're out of ti-" 🤣

[@caseyw1288]

I like to think of Darcy as autistic bc i relate to being rude in social situations lol

[@P0nyl0ve]

Same!

[@jedhw4440]

Oh yeah absolutely

[@jedhw4440]

@Jonathan Parks I mean it's not just how he is around new people, bat that is a lot of it. There's other stuff but like, cba worth saying all that now. If you want, I can compile a list.

[@caseyw1288]

@Jonathan Parks I mean, most autistic people are introverts, and while Mr. Darcy does appear to have a few friends and loved ones I'd argue he's just as awkward around them. But then again, I've only seen the movie.

[@esthermclauchlan3146]

@@caseyw1288 the way the servants, his friends, tennants and family all talk about him would indicate being introverted rather than autistic.

[@kohakuaiko]

9 years ago Jill and today Jill look so different I'd sooner believe they are sisters than the same person.

[@sdoherty5988]

Well done!

[@E3ECO]

I disagree. I think Darcy is perfectly capable of handling social situations, such as when he made the effort with the Gardners, but as he himself remarks later, "As a child... I was given good principles, but left to follow them in pride and conceit." He genuinely believes country folk are beneath him and acts accordingly. It's Lizzy who forces him to confront his own prejudices and bad manners.

[@whatkatyread5166]

Idly browsing your playlists I've come across this video. It's so rare to see such a focus on Darcy and such an insightful one! Traditionally as a woman reading P&P, one's expected to identify with Lizzie (justified or not) but I've always identified very much with Mr Darcy, for I too very often give the impression of being a stuck up a-hole through sheer social awkwardness...

[@gloria8093]

Just found this and I love this.

[@royaneekhalil6488]

I watched the 2005 movie 1st...left me unsatisfied so I found 1995 miniseries. They did a ridiculously good job of the novel with it.

[@krose6451]

3:51 competent is important

[@mena94x3]

🥰🥰🥰 I love most adaptations of P&P, and quite enjoy all the others. All things Jane Austen are life. I recently listened through The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner on Audible. 👍🏼👍🏼 Very fun, and narrated by the _mouthwatering_ Richard Armitage, so now I’m binging on Austen stuff and am _kicking_ myself I that I hadn’t noticed these P&P vids on your channel earlier! 🤨🤷‍♀️😂 Edit - that’s not to say the hoards of P&P adaptations were all _well done,_ but that I enjoy them purely on entertainment value. Some are awesome, some are painful, but enjoyable.

[@dolcebelcanto3626]

There's an absolutely terrific modern adaptation of P&P here on youtube! it's called The Lizzie Bennet Diaries - it's essentially if P&P happened nowadays, but in vlog diary form - and it's _awesome_

[@taoistmonkey13]

I love your Pride and Prejudice series, would you consider doing one on the 1940's Adaptation?

[@BramptonGardener]

That is still my favorite! Its the version I gre up on. Reer Garson is amazing as Lizzy. Lawrence Olivier did a great job, and I loved their Lady Catherine!

[@ninoambardanishvili4142]

boy oh boy i LOVE watching mr darcy being awkward.

[@jefftitterington7600]

Mr. Darcy as turtle is a good one. My daughter calls Mr. Collins a toad - something that stuck in our family (including my sons...)

[@jacquil6718]

Great critique of Mr. Darcy‘s temperament.

[@thehistorybounder]

My ring tone is literally the BBC P&P theme. I felt like my phone was ringing when this video started 🤣

[@zeelax]

After watching mostly your recent(-ish) videos... boy, do you look different!

[@devilish84]

I think the worst I've ever seen is Death at Pemberley... they didn't get *any* of the characters right!

[@lloydfromfar]

Thanks! I finally understand what's the deal with this famous story I never read! :)

[@albertnorman4136]

The six hours thing is important: You can't tell an intelligent story of any depth in 2 hours of movie. And Pride and Prejudice is full of depth. Such as going back and trying to figure out when Darcy began to assume that Lizzy was flirting with him rather than politely snarling. The other thing is the distressing tendency to cast the prettiest actress as Lizzy instead of Jane and probably Georgiana. Elizabeth should have sparkling eyes but she shouldn't outshine the rest of the room.

[@Katherine_The_Okay]

I once had a high school lit teacher spend half an hour telling me I was wrong when I suggested that Darcy had some kind of social anxiety disorder, because 'those didn't exist back them" (how i wish i was making that up). But, if you take away his obvious anxiety and uncertainty around strangers and unfamiliar settings, then you're left with a complete @$$hole who is instantly and completely redeemed by the power of twu wuv, and that's not just supremely unrealistic, it's a dangerous idea to be planting in impressionable young minds. And most people are young and impressionable the first time they read P&P.

[@gozerthegozarian9500]

Colin Firth is my favourite Darcy ever, but I would allow for Nicolas Hoult to have a shot at the role some day...

[@avalangrin4904]

This my absolute favorite adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel Pride & Prejudice. 🥰 I hate the 2005 version. 🤢

[@fatemah4444]

Right! I hate how they misinterpret him for an awkward and shy puppy, his opinions dont even come across convincingly enough theres no personality !

[@DezMarivette]

Fatmah In 2005 they didn’t misinterpret him, they chose to reinterpret him for new viewers! But I’m not here to change your mind - Colin Firth and 1995 Pride and Prejudice will always have your back!

[@fatemah4444]

@@DezMarivette I guess I understand your view point (so it appeals to the masses + modern viewership) but did you see how very much they misinterprted Mr & Ms.Bennets' relstionship? Joe Wright (the director) literally said he thought they were relationship goals (!) I beg to differ.

[@DezMarivette]

Fatmah now that I have no idea about!

[@yasmineed-daoudi6023]

@@fatemah4444 ... r e l a t i o n s h i p g o-WHAT

[@TurboWulfe]

Great vid, saw the zombie remake. I think Jane A. should have put more zombies in the original. Lol. Take care.

[@maddie9602]

Was cutting off the last sentence an intentional editing gag?

[@barbarabaker1457]

My favorite Darcy is in the musical. Which says a lot considering how many problems the musical has. Basically it thinks Lizzie is Jo March meets Mr. Scrooge... Yeahhhhhhhh. Plus side the reading of the Ms. Bingley letters are perfection.

[@IanKjos]

Comment # is a clean power of 2. What happened to this show? I enjoy talk of stage combat and not-actually-armor as much as the next guy, but I find these movie break-downs at least as compelling.

[@tamberello1966]

Wonderful video, thank you for putting it together and posting. I feel like I just fell in love with you. 😍

[@benkenobi834]

Thank you madam 👏👏👏 (Darcy is a turtle lol 😂)

[@petemack3076]

My god that tophat. It's half a meter high

[@murielbarker4311]

the main diffrence between COLINS Version andMatthews one is time BBC version was 6 hours long where you saw a lot more of Darcys charcter and the actor who played Wickham brought out his really nasty side than the film could ever do but Matthew is a really good Darcy

[@samvimes117]

So when can we look forward to an analysis of Beatriz and Benedick in much ado about nothing

[@JillBearup]

About two years ago :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/pqCriYJuidmrmJI

[@h.s.l6875]

On the big 5 personality traits, Darcy would probably score: Openness to experiences- average/high. Conscientiousness - high. Extroversion - low. Agreeableness - average. Neuroticism - low. Overall- these are the merits of a good man.

[@LairdErnst]

Fascinating🖖🏻

[@Omni315]

Slightly off topic but you look amazing with a fringe.

[@JillBearup]

Thanks! It was way too much trouble for someone with my hair type and general level of hair-related motivation, but it did look nice.

[@Helgatwb]

If Darcy is a turtle, then Bingley is a golden retriever.

[@ItsAMe-KT]

Everyone touting 1995 and not a prep for 1980. I feel like it stays truest to the book in that it doesn’t add or detract anything and the behaviors of people from that era are most accurately portrayed. I feel like in the 1995 one and the 2000 something one they get more and more dramatic and less of a formal but loving tone if that makes sense. But they all have their place for me

[@kiltedjohn1000]

Thee Mr Darcy

[@danhurl1349]

I feel the need to point out that the reason Mr Bennet married Mrs bennet was not for her looks but for her 4000 pounds

[@ThePa1riot]

0:13 WHOAH! Gorgeous, Shakespearean, loves fighting, she’s the perfect woman.

[@pinkyboy8576]

I wish mr wickham was played by hugh grant 🌚

[@SiiriRebane]

he is, in version known as Bridget Jones Diaries 😊

[@freya1132]

I hear you saying first impressions

[@rebeccam7717]

@Freya x - "First Impressions" was Jane Austen's original title for Pride and Prejudice.

[@freya1132]

@@rebeccam7717 yes I know

[@rebeccam7717]

@@freya1132 Sorry! I should have picked up on that!