BBCs Pride & Prejudice 10 Things In The Show That Only Make Sense If You Read The Book

BBC’s Pride & Prejudice: 10 Things In The Show That Only Make Sense If You Read The Book

While the BBC’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice is one of the best of Austen’s work, some things make much more sense to book readers.

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Jane Austen’s 1813 romantic novel Pride and Prejudice has been adapted for the screen numerous times, most notably with the 1995 BBC miniseries starring Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, and the 2005 feature film starring Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet and Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy.

Fans frequently point to the BBC miniseries as the best adaptation. It’s an in-depth representation of Austen’s story and characters, with memorable performances by the talented cast. However, there are certain details in the film that make more sense to viewers who have read Austen’s novel. For the most part, the miniseries is an accurate adaptation, but reading the novel first might answer some questions.

10 Elizabeth’s Practical (Yet Active) Nature

Both in Austen’s novel and the BBC miniseries, Elizabeth Bennet (played by Jennifer Ehle) is a strong female heroine. She doesn’t want to marry someone for money, like society demands for young women her age, but rather she chooses to marry for love.

Elizabeth’s bold personality is further represented in Austen’s novel. While the miniseries demonstrated Elizabeth’s desire to marry for love (and her pride), the novel adds more details in Elizabeth’s written voice. Readers understand her practical, active, emotional, and intellectual nature. They are not surprised by Elizabeth’s personality in the miniseries.

9 Britain’s Social Class Structure

Pride and Prejudice is set in Great Britain during the early 1800s. It is an entirely different time period than what is represented in today’s society. Social classes are even more important in Austen’s world.

For example, the Bennet family are a middle-class family, and they are inferior to the upper-class families, including the Darcys and the Bingleys. Austen satirized the social classes in her novel, especially with the introduction of Mr. Collins (David Bamber). This satirical nature would make more sense to viewers who already read Austen’s novel.

8 Mrs. Bennet’s Obnoxious Behavior

Every good film or TV show needs a memorable mother who adds humor or tries to meddle in her children’s lives. In Pride and Prejudice, Mrs. Bennet (Alison Steadman) is the ultimate overbearing mother.

She pressures her five daughters to get married. Due to their social class, and the fact that the Bennets don’t have a son, the Bennet daughters must marry (and marry well) in order to make sure they are taken care of. This is a stressful situation, so readers understand why Mrs. Bennet is anxious. She constantly screams and has hysterical meltdowns about their future. Who could blame her? If her daughters don’t get married, they will be lost. That’s a scary thought.

7 Mr. Bennet’s Voice Of Reason

When viewers think about the early 1800s, they might assume the husband and father is the head of the household. While this was mostly true, Mr. Bennet (Benjamin Whitrow) is not your typical 19th-century father, as depicted in Austen’s novel.

For example, he is constantly on the receiving end of Mrs. Bennet’s hysterics and jokes, but he doesn’t mind. Like Elizabeth, he would much rather sit and read than be involved in his family’s personal drama. He’s the voice of reason in the household, but he doesn’t overstep his boundaries. Mrs. Bennet takes control of the family’s reputation, and he calmly stands his ground when he is needed.

6 All The Humor

Viewers might not think Pride and Prejudice is a comedy, but Austen has been celebrated for her unique humor in her writing. Her famous novel has been classified as a comedy of manners, in which the novel satires the British society of the early 1800s.

In many ways, Austen was mocking the society she lived in as she was writing the novel. She pokes fun at different people and adds these characteristics in the novel, including Mrs. Bennet’s behavior, Mr. Collins’ ridiculous marriage proposals, brilliant irony, and witty dialogue. This unique form of humor makes more sense to readers who already have an understanding of Austen’s wit.

5 Exchanging Letters

Like many of Austen’s novels, characters exchange letters and these details help drive the plot. Much of these exchanges are believed to be based on Austen’s actual letters between herself and her friends and family. In the early 19th century, letters were the primary form of communication, and Austen’s characters rely on letters to express their feelings.

The miniseries used these letters to tell the story, but they were depicted onscreen through visual action, not actual letters. This was mostly accomplished through flashback scenes.

4 Changing Dialogue

Dialogue is crucial in Austen’s novel. There are important, and sometimes comical, exchanges between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth’s older sister Jane (Susannah Harker) and Mr. Darcy’s best friend Mr. Charles Bingley (Crispin Bonham-Carter), and other characters.

The miniseries was forced to add more dialogue into the story than what was originally included in Austen’s novel, including when Mrs. Bennet said she wished she had sons. Changing the dialogue is a common practice for film adaptations, and the miniseries handled these changes appropriately. In addition, some characters were given dialogue that was originally spoken by another character in the book to give them more inclusion in the story. Viewers might not know the difference, but readers would know.

3 Mr. Wickham’s Deception

Everyone hates Mr. George Wickham (Adrian Lukis). He is the main antagonist in the book and the miniseries. Originally, viewers are led to believe that he is similar to Mr. Darcy. He’s charming and his deception fools audiences into believing he is far better than Mr. Darcy.

However, readers already understand Wickham’s cruel behavior when he first appears on the screen. They might roll their eyes. More details about Wickham’s character are included in Austen’s novel, but viewers eventually understand that Wickham is basically a womanizer who shouldn’t be trusted at all.

2 Why Lydia’s Elopement Is So Scandalous

In the early 19th century, one’s reputation relied on everyone in the family. If someone was scandalous, the family’s reputation was ruined. This is depicted in Pride and Prejudice after the Bennet’s youngest daughter, Lydia (Julia Sawalha), suddenly elopes with Wickham.

In today’s society, this elopement might cause some gossip, but it wouldn’t ruin a family’s reputation. For the Bennets, it’s too scandalous and Mrs. Bennet is petrified that her family’s reputation is ruined. These scandalous actions and social customs are explained better in Austen’s novel.

1 Why Mr. Bennet Pays Wickham

When Lydia elopes with Wickham, Mr. Bennet is forced to pay him so the newlyweds can afford to live above Wickham’s salary as a soldier. Mr. Bennet does this to prevent Wickham from leaving Lydia, which would ultimately ruin the family’s reputation.

This money exchange is further detailed in Austen’s novel. In addition, Elizabeth doesn’t originally know that Mr. Darcy actually paid Wickham off, saving the Bennet family. The reasoning behind this is covered in the series, but as with many things, it is covered in much more detail in the book.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/bbc-pride-prejudice-austen-times-book-knowledge-needed/

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