oking for wives. In reality, poor families with unmarried daughters, such as the Bennets, are looking for a wealthy husband for their daughters. So Austen says about Mrs. Bennet that,

“The business of her life was to get her daughters married.”

This ironic tone sets the theme for the entire novel. This shows how society chases wealth. In Austen’s society, marrying a wealthy man was more important than love.

Verbal Irony- Mr. Bennet’s Speech: Mr. Bennet, Elizabeth’s father, is a very ironic character. He often says the opposite of what he means. Thus, he mocks his wife’s foolishness. He highlights the stupidity of others.  When Mrs. Bennet is excited about Mr. Bingley, Mr. Bennet says:

“You are as handsome as any of them, my dear, and Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party.”

He does not really mean this. It is his way of teasing her foolish excitement. His dry, ironic comments bring humor. This also shows how he keeps a distance from family problems.

Dramatic Irony- Elizabeth’s Misjudgment: Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows something the character does not. Elizabeth thinks Darcy is proud and cruel because of his manners and Wickham’s lies. But the readers slowly learn the truth. Darcy is actually noble and kind. When Elizabeth reads Darcy’s letter and realizes her mistake, she says:

“Till this moment I never knew myself.”

This moment is deeply ironic. Here, Elizabeth, who was so confident in her judgment, realizes that she herself was full of prejudice.

Situational Irony- Darcy’s First Proposal: Darcy’s first proposal to Elizabeth is full of irony. Though he says he loves her, he also mentions her family’s low status and lack of wealth. At first, he says, 

“You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you,” 

He also says that he loves her, 

“Despite the inferiority of her connections.” 

The irony is that he insults her even while proposing. Instead of winning her heart, his proud attitude makes her angry. This shows how pride and social prejudice ruin relationships.

Satirical Irony- Social Characters: Austen uses satire (a form of irony) to expose the foolishness of different characters. Mr. Collins is proud of being connected to Lady Catherine, but he is actually a ridiculous man with no real wisdom. Lady Catherine thinks she has great power. However, he ends up helping Darcy and Elizabeth’s love by trying to stop it. Mrs. Bennet wants to marry off her daughters quickly, but her loud behavior almost ruins their chances. Through these characters, Austen criticizes the blind respect for wealth, titles, and marriage.

Jane Austen’s use of irony makes “Pride and Prejudice” funny, smart, and deep. Through irony, she shows the truth about people, love, and society. It helps us understand the difference between what people say and what they really mean.