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Wickham is a villain. He became selfish and entitled living amongst wealth as a boy and felt the world owed him as an adult. So he took what he wanted as he wanted. He gambled, lied, stole, manipulated, etc. He showed no change of character throughout the novel. Great video!
With respect, I think that you have missed an important revelation of Wickham's character before Darcy's letter tells us how unscrupulous Wickham is: he dumps Lizzy for Mary King, who has just inherited £10,000. Lizzy is forgiving - understanding, almost: "..young men must have something to live on..", but even the first time reader won't be. Even if we've been taken in before ('fess-up time: I was) our (well, my) reaction was "this guy isn't a good person". Fortunately, Miss King is moved from Meryton, so her inheritance is safe (at least, from Wckham).
Yes, good point. Him not pursuing Lizzy further (or more seriously) is one thing. They both know there is no future in their little flirtation, so fair enough. But Wickham settling so abruptly and definitely on newly wealthy Mary King as prospective bride shows how unscrupulous he truly his. He's set on marrying a girl with money and will pursue that even at the cost of a loveless marriage and/or taking advantage of a naive young girl. It doesn't definitely proof he's a seriously bad person, yet. Not like trying to secretly elope with 15 year old Georgiana Darcy or running off with Lydia with no intention to marry her at all But it definitely already shows he's shallow and materialistic. Not a man of good character, certainly.
I think much of Lizzy's willingness to only see good in Wickham is her determination to only see bad in Darcy. If Darcy hadn't insulted her so badly when they met, and continued to be aloof, then I don't think she would have become such a champion of Wickham, the man she thought was wronged by Darcy.
Yes indeed. Lizzy makes excuses for Wickham's sudden interest in a local heiress, but her justifications do not make her aunt Mrs Gardiner, who is always a source of common-sense advice, change her disapproval of Wickham's about-face.
I would love to see a video on Lady Catherine. The actress who portrayed her in the 1995 series did an amazing job. Even though she is pompous and arrogant behind belief, I always chuckle when she’s on screen.
Mr Bennett was the first person to see the real Wickham. After Wickham left the Bennett home after having tea, Mr Bennet said something to the effect of Wickham revels in his tales of victimhood and that Darcy might not turn out to be any worse than any other rich and powerful man of his station.
I agree with Mr Bennett’s reasoning, in my experience people that are too comfortable talking about their misfortunes and victimhood usually have an agenda.
I cannot get enough of your explanatory videos on p&p so please keep them coming. They give me a greater depth of understanding of the novel and of Jane. Thank you
I don't (I admit) always get things right, but they are my insights and these are all open to discussion. I'm glad it offers you some additional insight into the story though 🙏
I always feel I am missing something with the elopement: Wickham's running off with Lydia makes very little sense to me. The Bennetts have very little money and this is not a secret. They could not have covered all his debts, and their social circle is relatively small, presenting him with few opportunities to extract money from someone else. There's no reason for Wickham to think Darcy would come to the Bennetts' rescue at this time (he has in fact been slagging him to the family, and only recently learns that Lizzie thinks Darcy's character to be better than first believed, but I don't think she gives any indication of romantic feelings or expectations from Darcy at that time to anyone). Also, while he might be selfish and short-sighted, I don't think he's blind. The only Bennett sister who has had even a glimmer of a rich prospective husband at this point of the story is Jane, and he must surely know the match has already been opposed by Bingley's sisters and Darcy, and so is unlikely to happen anyway; Lydia's elopement would make it impossible for Jane to marry anyone "worth catching," so he would not be able to count on leaning on Bingley (or any other rich brother in law) for financial support either. It's a really big gamble, when he could just abandon it all and start afresh somewhere else, leaving his debts unpaid.
Absolutely. He had nothing to gain. I think someone mentioned in a comment that Wickham was running away from Brighton due to his debts. Lydia threw herself at him and it’s suggested he took her with him just to use her, and would abandon her as soon as he possibly could. That kind of makes sense.
I view Wickham as a rather acute portrayal of a sociopathic personality (particularly his pronounced delight in duping), and such types often wreak general destruction even when their own self-interest (soberly considered) is not forwarded in the process.
Wickham, at some point, says there is one person that he does not want to lose the society of, and turns to look at Lydia and Lydia turns and looks at him all quizzical. Did he have his sights set on Lydia earlier than we thought?
Again another interesting insight. The casting of Adrian Lukis as Wickham is perfection but then again wasn't all the casting in P&P 95. Tudor thanks for putting these together. Always interesting and insightful.
I agree that Adrian Lukis is very good. I'd love to hear from someone who watched the 1995 series without any knowledge of the book or story - I know it would be hard to find such a person. I wonder if they would be taken in by Mr Wickham initially.
Thank you for another absolutely fascinating video, and you're discussing a man so vital to the twists and turns of the plot of Pride and Prejudice that it's irresistible to join in with the conversation. Like others, I don't think for a moment that he and Darcy are half brothers; his father managed the family's estates and I think he grew up with a chip on his shoulder about the difference in their stations and wealth, and always wanted an easy life - no matter what it took to get it. He is so smooth, such a credible sufferer, in contrast to Darcy's insistence on keeping his private life, including his sister's near-seduction, absolutely private (for which he blames himself later, as it enabled Wickham to be accepted in Meryton as a man without a stain on his character). Mr. Bennet is the only one to sniff anything of the rogue about him, at first. In the television adaptation he refers to the way Wickham recites his woes, but in the book it's more succinct, as he says to Lizzie, "Here are officers enough at Meryton to disappoint all the young ladies in the country. Let Wickham be your man. He is a pleasant fellow, and would jilt you creditably." But even he doesn't suspect Wickham would run off with Lydia. Wickham is the essential catalyst in the novel; once the scales fall from Lizzie's eyes about him, she realises how wrong she has been in other opinions, and crucially in her opinion of Darcy. It's such a wonderfully written book and I love listening to you and going over it again with you. Thank you so much.
I enjoy your vidoes Tudor. You (and others) mention Wickham as a foild for Darcy - Wickam is charming but not substantive, Darcy begins as substantive but not charming. If we complete the Punnett Square, there are two other characters to be compared: Bingley is both charming and substantive - he gives his sisters a better life by letting them hang out with him, even though nothing is ever mentioned about them making Bingley's life materially better. This lets Wickham and Darcy show off the character of Jane's match without having to devote additional pages to that sub-story. In contrast, Mr. Bennett is neither charming nor substantive - he doesn't invest time in his family, and doesn't even save money to try to help his daughters. Thus Mr. Bingley presence shows Mr. Bennett in a worse light. And to kick poor Mr. Bennet while he is down, even Mr. Lucas, who isn't too bright, manages to be both charming and substantive, and his family advances in importance under his care.
I have always thought that perhaps Wickham saw Elizabeths change of feelings for Darcy (even before she does) and thinks to use that to damage Darcy or at least get money from him
Darcy is not completely honorable. He did move in the shadows when he was manipulating Bingley and convincing him that Jane did not really care for him. And yet he says “ but disguise of every sort is my abhorrence “ Ha! Also, it always amused me when Mr Bennett says of Wickham, once after he had been visiting at Longbourn”It was very good of him to entertain us so eloquently with stories about his misfortunes. With such narratives to hand, who would read novels?” It seemed that Mr Bennett could sense the inappropriateness of Wickham being so candid to strangers, but Elisabeth could not.
Darcy always excused his behaviour regarding Bingley on the grounds that he had been kinder to his friend than to himself, and I think Bingley was a kinder but also weaker man than Darcy, and allowed himself to be influenced by his strong willed, long time friend. Darcy on his own admission, despite the loving kindness with which he had been brought up, had been fixed in his prideful opinions of class, etc., until Elizabeth had cured him of it. I have always loved Mr. Bennets wry, dry remarks. He often sees through people far better than the rest of his family.
Mr. Darcy later admitted that he had become arrogant and excessively prideful without realizing it. He regained his honor when he owned up to his faults (including trying to separate Bingley from Jane) and apologized to Bingley and Lizzie. So, Lizzie married an honorable man.
That’s the thing though: he wasn’t manipulating Bingley. He really, truly did believe that Jane didn’t actually care for Bingley. Remember when Charlotte Lucas says a woman “had rather show more” liking than less, if she liked a man? And how Jane was always so circumspect? Given Mrs. Bennet’s open fortune hunting on her daughters’ parts, and Jane being universally kind to everyone, Darcy had no idea she actually truly was in love with Bingley, and not just going along with (or actively colluding in) her mother’s fortune hunting. He admits as much in his letter, that Elizabeth (knowing Jane better) must have the right of it, that Jane truly did love Bingley, but that he (as an outsider) was genuinely trying to act in his friend’s defense. He DOES admit to helping to keeping Jane’s presence in London from Bingley, in fears that Bingley might fall prey to her again. Which he does admit as being beneath his own character. But once sure (thanks to Elizabeth) that Jane truly does love his friend, he presents absolutely no further obstacle.
I’d love a deep dive into Charlotte Lucas and her reasons for marrying Mr Collins. I’ve often wondered if she ever regretted that. Wonderful video as always!
I think Charlotte knew she could regret it, but resolved to make the best of it. It seems she did -- by "managing" their interactions after marriage so deftly to create a space of manageable solitude which she could "bear "
I don’t believe Wickham is Darcy’s bastard half brother. Darcy describes his father as having strict principles, and he says to Elizabeth that he was the son of a high-ranking male servant, I forget which one. Darcy would not have lied to her about this. Wickham is jealous not only of the wealth but the lineage. In the ‘95 adaptation, Wickham is smarmy and ingratiating rather than polite from the start. It’s not until later that Elizabeth perceives the impropriety of his telling her such damaging personal things right away. She was so angry and humiliated by Darcy that she wasn’t thinking clearly. She WANTED to believe the worst of Darcy’s character. It’s inspired writing and shows again what a painful burden her mother’s and sisters’ horrible public behavior puts on her. Darcy’s thoughtless comments at the first village dance hit very hard.
That was a good discussion of Wickham's character. One thing I really like about Jane Austen is that she goes for realistic, rather than melodramatic, resolutions to the human interactions in her novels. In this case, Lydia does not learn any lessons from the near-disaster that befell her - she is not even aware of it, and stays as annoyingly over-confident as ever. Wickham doesn't suffer any immediate serious consequences either, although being stuck with a silly wife who won't have much to recommend her once her youth and beauty are gone could be punishment enough.
@@TudorSmith Truly it does! And she was so impressed and pleased that the other women must call her Mrs. Wickham now! That's really all I remember about her. I see you have a video on Mary Bennett too. Going to watch that next. Your videos are so well done and add to our appreciation of Austen. Thank you for your effort.
But at least (we assume) that Mr Bennet was able to enjoy some years of felicitous marriage with his wife - after all, he was a good man who will have married for the proper reasons. Wickham almost certainly never intended marriage with Lydia, after the elopement and having been manoeuvred into it was probably destined to suffer its effects from the very start (as was implied in the 1995 series).
I had to come back to you, because thanks to your enthralling videos, we've always discussed the characters in Pride and Prejudice, but in the 1995 TV version we not only get all the necessary detail, we have the most perfect cast, and Wickham is another stunning example. He needed to be very attractive, so that even intelligent Lizzie is interested, until she learns the truth, but also with more than a hint of the louche, which develops. And Adrian Lukis is so good in the role. Quite by chance, I saw an episode of "New Tricks" on television, which had been made twenty years after "Pride and Prejudice", and thought I recognised a wonderfully good looking actor with a cynical manner - it was him. I just had to comment, because yet again the acting of the role is perfection.
Hola! Just a note to help you clarify the title of the novel. In the BBC’s Pride & Prejudice version from 1979/1980, the title of the series was “Pride & Prejudice or First Impressions”. When I was in Mexico back then, being a 10 year old kid, my first idea was to buy the novel in Spanish and I rushed to the bookstore. Obviously, I found it as “Orgullo y Prejuicio”. I even thought back then that they were two different books but “Primeras Impresiones” was nowhere to be seen. So, you were right 😊 greetings from Malaysia 🤗
I think that at least some, if not all of Wickham's vendetta against Darcy is because he is eaten alive by a deep-seated jealousy of Darcy from childhood that segues into hatred as an adult. He envies Darcy's wealth, intelligence, even his integrity because he lacks them.
Yes he is a manipulating figure to everyone he meets. Resentful towards Darcy because even in his upbringing aside Darcy he is not on his level . Austin did not mention it in full but gave the impression he is a jealous person. At least by the end of the book it gives the impression because it is Lydia who writes to her sisters and they assure a donation from time to time or give money for a new commission for him. In a certain way Lizzy and Jane provide a bit for their sister even Lydia deserves it. Lydia's character is like her mother careless and in mind that it normal others have to provide for them ( out the words of her mother who finds it normal that her brother had to provide to solve the situation for Lydia not understanding the debt who was created ). For sure Austin in her novels did write about people or situations she knew not only fiction.
I love your Pride and Prejudice videos!!! Keep them coming. This is how I found all of your channels. I have to go with villain here. He is very international in what he is doing, and he had many opportunities to better himself and he chose not to. I also always wondered if Lizzie’s change in attitude to him (after Darcy’s letter) set him off to pursue Lydia almost as a revenge against both Lizzie and Darcy.
Thank you so much for this video, Tudor! I love how you mentioned that Wickham and Darcy are complete foils to each other. Yes, Wickham might appear to shine forth as a great person, but that shine is of fool's gold. However, Darcy is the diamond in the rough that is right under our noses, and only reveals himself in time. I would also love to see a videos of Kitty and/or Jane on their characters, as well.
Thank you Erin. I'm hoping to do a video on all the characters when time permits. I'm currently working on Mr. Bennet who is one of my favourite characters despite his flaws as a husband and father!
The suggestion that Wickham might have been Darcy's father's illegitimate son is not borne out by Austen's writing. It would have been hinted at, at least subtly, I think. There have been several Pride & Prejudice variations (in the Jane Austen Fan Fiction/Pastiche Fiction subgenre of historical fiction with that scenario. I've read over 700 variations and only found that detail in a couple of them. There could very well be more.
I don't believe the half brother theory either although it would sharpen the rivalry between Darcy and Wickham further. However, the late Mr. Darcy is described as such an upright character that I can't believe it. There is not a hint of scandal around the Darcys. I found the depictions of Darcy and Wickham as children a very clever way of showing their diverging paths. Darcy as a social superior always had better chances while Wickham relied on his charm to get him through life. Wickham was envious of Darcy from a young age. Jane Austen's approach to storytelling was quite revolutionary. In Pride and Prejudice, she introduces the unreliable narrator, letting Wickham charm us like he charms Elizabeth and her whole neighbourhood. In Emma, Austen misleads us perfectly - only Agatha Christie would lead us down an even more confusing garden path. Only after Wickham reveals his true character do we realize the red flags hidden in plain sight in the text. It's very well done. Adrian Lukis plays him very well. I was at first disappointed because I had imagined a much better-looking Wickham but Lukis is very charming. When he confesses "I can't bear being idle" I LOL every time. He does the boyish charm so well.
I wonder if Wickham realised thar Darcy was falling for Lizzie and set his sights on Lydia as another way of getting more money out of Darcey. He would have known Darcey's nature, that he would have helped the woman he loved whatever the cost, almost taking young Lydia as a ransom for more money.
With Wickham, Austen has created a villain who was gross from the start and is only grosser to modern readers. Completely false, a greedy, lazy golddigger, AND a pedo groomer. He’s the worst.
I really loved this video, as I have loved your other videos discussing a book to which I return time and again. Wickham is a fascinating agent from his first appearance, in so many ways vital, reinforcing Elizabeth's poor opinion of Darcy, so that she not only finds the man's snobbery appalling, but also sees him as unjust - a greater sin. But when Darcy is finally forced to reveal what he has clearly considered deeply private - the near seduction of his sister - all that Elizabeth had believed is turned on its head. The reality, the truth beneath the surface, continues throughout Pride and Prejudice as its dominant theme.
Thanks for sharing. I love how I put forward my thoughts and then everyone contributes, making the whole story much more understandable and I think when we reread the book or re-watch any adaptation, we have a greater understanding. Anyone who writes a book (Jane Austen in this case) must do so much preparation to tell a story, knowing all the plot lines and subtleties and yet not revealing them to the reader until they need to be revealed. Such a gift.
I understand why people want to see Wickham as a more tragic figure: no matter what he will never have the hope of outpacing someone of the genteel class in the workforce. He will never have their accolades, no matter that we don't even know if he'shood at his job. But. He also goes out of his way to destroy other people. "There is not a merchant's daughter he did not meddle with" always rings in my memory. Wickgam was never satisfied with anything and constantly skipping out on debts. He is the closest we can come to an avatar of the sin of Envy.
I observed that *Jane* (with her reserved character) actually first warned Elizabeth not to be too hasty in her assessment of Wickham's character. I also wondered about the impact of Lydia's frantic pursuit of men and attention - on Elizabeth's behavior. Lydia was clearly allowed to run wild, and the 1995 movie showed the beginning of Lydia's determination to pursue Wickham as related to Wickham's attentions to Elizabeth. Psychological analysis of these characters in contemporary terms would be dizzying.
Indeed. Jane showed awareness and in the novel she points out to Lizzy after the first assembly that “She speaks as she finds”. It wasn’t just Elizabeth with common sense!
I think it’s unlikely that Wickham was the son of the late Mr Darcy as Lady Catherine only accuses him of being the son of a steward - and given her desire to find out secrets and gossip she would be likely to know
I wonder - had it not been for Darcy's intervention, what would have happened? I think that Wickham had an idea that the Bennet family didn't have big money. Would he have abandoned Lydia at some point?
Yes I think that abandoning Lydia would have been the most likely outcome. I think the general idea from the people who have commented was that Wickham was not intending to elope with her. She kind of threw herself at him and he must have thought “Why not? I’ll have some fun with her before I leave her”.
I have thought that Lydia seemed unaware of what could happen to her if Wickham left her in London. I imagined that she would have *no* resources at all, even to find her Uncle and Aunt. She would likely have been reduced to a prostitute at worst.
The people of Meryton are all speculating that Lydia would soon be “on the town” which meant to be a prostitute. The townspeople seem a bit disappointed to me when Lydia shows up with a husband.
I thought Fitzwilliam was the real catch. He seemed so kind and down-to-earth especially for an aristocrat. He and Elizabeth would have been a lovely couple.
But he also was looking for a wife with a fortune, or at least with favourable connections, of which Elizabeth had neither. Not in a mercenary way, but a pragmatic way. Not sure Colonel Fitzwilliam was in the position to support a wife. At least not in the manner that would have been expected.
@@kt3255 Yes. Excellent point you made. Darcy being at the top of the pecking order of the aristocracy had the money and power to marry "down" without it negatively effecting his life. Fitzwilliam might not have been so lucky.
Interesting what you say about Wickham's financial motives. Those never occurred to me. I thought always he was a shortsighted fool only interested in the physical delights of a young virgin.
I would have taken plenty of money to fund his bad habits He blew through the money the elder Mr. Darcy left him, and the money Darcy gave him to compensate for the Kympton living. Georgiana's £30,000 dowry is what he was after.
@@TudorSmith There are a few clips of the rehearsal and an interview with Adrian Lukis on RUclips. I think there was a few shows at a London Theater last year.
Mr. Lukis has credits for guest roles on several British TV series (one I remember as the villain in a PBS mystery series) and at least one movie with Colin Firth.
Does anyone think that Wickham chooses Elizabeth as his confidante because, during their first meeting, he has somehow realized that Darcy has a liking for her, and so he wants to come between them? In this case, could it be that he deliberately chooses to seduce Lydia in order to cause a scandal in the Bennet family, thus preventing any possible marriage between Darcy and Elizabeth (I know, it's far-fetched...)
Before Wickham relates his story to Lizzy, he only saw them interact for one minute, so he would be sharp indeed if he detected any interest in Darcy's demeanor. Also after Darcy and Bingley move out, he tells everyone about Darcy's ill-treatment. While we know Darcy is taking an interest in Elizabeth, Wickham has very little information about their relationship. Of course, Elizabeth tells him her opinion of Darcy has improved, so it is possible that Lydia became more desirable as a companion because it would create difficulties for Darcy.
I don't believe Wickham had any inkling yet that Darcy had any interest in Elizabeth, but part of his modus operandi whenever he settled into a new location was to quickly plant his lying story about how Darcy wronged him so that word of it would begin spreading. This way he could hurt Darcy by planting early prejudice against him among the local society (unfortunately, Mr. Darcy's prideful and aloof manner played right into Wickham's hands), and help himself by painting himself as the noble-hearted victim of injustice so people would sympathize with him and tend to trust him. He probably had picked up on the reputations of the various people he would meet at the parties and balls to find out who was already liked and trusted, and learned that Miss Elizabeth Bennett would be a good choice to plant his false story of woe and start it spreading.
Enjoyed this analysis of Wickham. I wouldn’t go as far to say he is a villain, but definitely a very flawed character. I think given the opportunity he could change and become a better person.
There are different types of character ‘villains’. Wickham is purposely deceitful, a manipulator, a degenerate, a seducer of multiple young girls, a liar, immoral, opportunistic, and a gambler. It may be a bit of a ‘traditional’ way to describe his character as the ‘villain’ of the story but he’s all the characteristics a parent would teach their children to avoid when choosing a friend or partner. The book is silent on any evidence or storyline that indicates Wickham could/would change. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Towards the end of the book Wickham continues to live a life of turmoil and instability causing Elizabeth to set aside money to try and help Lydia when she can. At least Willoughby loved Marianne but not enough. Wickham was a full-on con man going from Georgianna, to Elizabeth to Ms. King to Lydia.
He told her that he had to marry a rich woman because he was brought up with luxury and wealth and could not support a family with no income. Words to that effect.
Thank you for another thought provoking and interesting video, I loved it. Does anyone know how long before Wickham met Elizabeth did the attempted elopement take place? Did Darcy give Wickham money to go away and join the militia? Incidentally, did your family ever live in Thaxted?
Well, in Darcy's letter to Elizabeth, he states that "About a year ago" in reference to Wickham's attempted elopement with Georgianna. I'd hazard a guess that Darcy's proposal to Elizabeth and that subsequent letter occurs maybe 5 or 6 months into Elizabeth's and Wickhams acquaintance. Thaxted...I've never lived there. In fact you mentioning it is the first time I've heard of it 😊
I think it's implied that it probably isn't that long before the start of the novel. At the beginning, Mrs. Bennet has heard that Bingley will be at Netherfield "by Michaelmas" (i.e. 29 September), and Darcy writes his letter the following spring, so probably no later than May. (He does come to Rosings for Easter - apparently the latest possible date of Easter is 25 April - and the first proposal is some time after that, it isn't stated exactly when.) The letter also says something about the trip to Ramsgate occurring "last summer", so I've always reckoned it was between 1 and 4 months before Darcy and Bingley arrived at Netherfield (i.e. between June and very early September). I can definitely see why Darcy comes across as anti-social at the beginning, when the Bennets first meet him - he's still recovering from the aftermath of his childhood companion (and, seemingly, a favourite of his father) trying to elope with the little sister that he's responsible for, and then he has to listen to Mrs. Bennet going on about his land and £10,000 a year. (From that angle, I totally understand why he steered Bingley away from the Bennets; he'd had his fingers burnt by a fortune-hunter and he didn't want the same to happen to his friend.)
The half-brother idea is plausible, but reflects badly on Mr Darcy Senior. Or perhaps not: extra-marital dalliance was not as uncommon as one would wish, & a man who provided for his by-blows was unusual. Would Darcy admit it if it was so? I think the best argument against it was, He tried to elope with his half-sister! Ew!
Darcy explains that they are almost the same age, so Darcy senior would have been having an awful lot of sex in a very compressed time frame! When one considers that Wickham seems to be an only child and Darcy doesn't have another sibling for 11 years, it seems unlikely that Darcy senior was running around much.
@@marilynsobel7414 Although there was still a lot of infant mortality...so there might be children who did not survive their early years. But I think Austen considered that Darcy's father was an upstanding person of good character, although possibly duped by Wickham's charming ways into intending for him the living he did not get and would possibly not have served well at all.
Why does Wickham even bother to elope with Lydia? Georgiana makes sense. Was he just hoping for some free sex then dump a ruined Lydia? And I'm curious about your thoughts on Wickham being Darcy's bastard brother (unknown to all, except Darcy maybe).
He needed to get out of Brighton to escape is debts. Lydia likely had some money on her to aid travel, and was a willing travel companion and bed-mate. He had no intention of marrying her-- just using her for a while.
I wonder that, too. Either he sees her as an expendable easy girl to shack up with, or he’s angry because Miss King was pulled from his greedy fingers and Lizzy isn’t falling for his charms anymore. Since any number of people seemed to have gotten the idea that Lizzy and Darcy were a thing, Wickham may also have thought so, and decided to hit them both with the same blow.
Wickham had little to lose by eloping with Lydia, especially if he did NOT marry her. In another Austen novel, a character runs off with a married woman. She is ruined forever and must retire from a society that refuses to interact with her, while he continues on his normal life and can look forward to eventually marrying someone. Austen comments on the unfairness of this double standard. Austen explains Wickham's actions in the book as a desire to have a fun companion as he fled from his "debts of honor" (gambling debts). So yes, he was hoping for some free sex and then dump a ruined Lydia. I have to admit, it never occurred to me that he was also trying to disrupt a potential relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy; a most interesting insight. As for the supposed bastard brother, it is possible. However, Darcy mentions in his letter to Elizabeth that Wickham's father was "always poor from the extravagance of his wife". When I read that I felt it implied that Wickham's character was heavily influenced by his mother. At any rate, there was a wife. Darcy strikes me as quite shy, while Wickham is obviously outgoing. One can understand why Darcy's father enjoyed his company so much.
I think it was for the exact same reason - money. He might have known that Mr. Bennett wasn't as rich as Darcy but that he would probably come up with the money and pay his debts.
I agree that Whickham could be D'Arcy half brother. Often men of that class would carry syphilis causing long gaps between live births. Also when their wives were pregnant they would seek fulfilment with women of lower classes as almost their right. Men believed then that they would get unwell if they didn’t have sex often. Children of these relationships would be farmed out and sometimes supported by the gentry. Dickens mentions it in Bleak House i think. Whether the children are told, or not, is unclear. Some knew. But i agree re D'Arcy perhaps being told by his father but not being at liberty to say.
There is no justification in the novel for suggesting this. (Nothing to stop you writing a fanfic along these lines if that floats your boat). George Wickham's father was an attorney who became Mr Darcy Snr's steward. He and his wife were respectable people, not peasants subject to some sort of droit de seigneur, even if there was any suggestion that Mr Darcy Snr would have been such a predator, which there is not.
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As with everyone else in the 1995 version, the actor who plays him is perfect for the role.
His tiny facial gestures and glances are perfect
Wickham is a villain. He became selfish and entitled living amongst wealth as a boy and felt the world owed him as an adult. So he took what he wanted as he wanted. He gambled, lied, stole, manipulated, etc. He showed no change of character throughout the novel. Great video!
With respect, I think that you have missed an important revelation of Wickham's character before Darcy's letter tells us how unscrupulous Wickham is: he dumps Lizzy for Mary King, who has just inherited £10,000. Lizzy is forgiving - understanding, almost: "..young men must have something to live on..", but even the first time reader won't be. Even if we've been taken in before ('fess-up time: I was) our (well, my) reaction was "this guy isn't a good person". Fortunately, Miss King is moved from Meryton, so her inheritance is safe (at least, from Wckham).
Yes, good point. Him not pursuing Lizzy further (or more seriously) is one thing. They both know there is no future in their little flirtation, so fair enough.
But Wickham settling so abruptly and definitely on newly wealthy Mary King as prospective bride shows how unscrupulous he truly his. He's set on marrying a girl with money and will pursue that even at the cost of a loveless marriage and/or taking advantage of a naive young girl.
It doesn't definitely proof he's a seriously bad person, yet. Not like trying to secretly elope with 15 year old Georgiana Darcy or running off with Lydia with no intention to marry her at all
But it definitely already shows he's shallow and materialistic. Not a man of good character, certainly.
I think much of Lizzy's willingness to only see good in Wickham is her determination to only see bad in Darcy. If Darcy hadn't insulted her so badly when they met, and continued to be aloof, then I don't think she would have become such a champion of Wickham, the man she thought was wronged by Darcy.
Yes indeed. Lizzy makes excuses for Wickham's sudden interest in a local heiress, but her justifications do not make her aunt Mrs Gardiner, who is always a source of common-sense advice, change her disapproval of Wickham's about-face.
I would love to see a video on Lady Catherine. The actress who portrayed her in the 1995 series did an amazing job. Even though she is pompous and arrogant behind belief, I always chuckle when she’s on screen.
Mr Bennett was the first person to see the real Wickham. After Wickham left the Bennett home after having tea, Mr Bennet said something to the effect of Wickham revels in his tales of victimhood and that Darcy might not turn out to be any worse than any other rich and powerful man of his station.
Yes it’s interesting that Jane Austen shows us Mr. Bennet’s observations.
I agree with Mr Bennett’s reasoning, in my experience people that are too comfortable talking about their misfortunes and victimhood usually have an agenda.
I cannot get enough of your explanatory videos on p&p so please keep them coming. They give me a greater depth of understanding of the novel and of Jane. Thank you
I don't (I admit) always get things right, but they are my insights and these are all open to discussion. I'm glad it offers you some additional insight into the story though 🙏
I always feel I am missing something with the elopement: Wickham's running off with Lydia makes very little sense to me. The Bennetts have very little money and this is not a secret. They could not have covered all his debts, and their social circle is relatively small, presenting him with few opportunities to extract money from someone else.
There's no reason for Wickham to think Darcy would come to the Bennetts' rescue at this time (he has in fact been slagging him to the family, and only recently learns that Lizzie thinks Darcy's character to be better than first believed, but I don't think she gives any indication of romantic feelings or expectations from Darcy at that time to anyone).
Also, while he might be selfish and short-sighted, I don't think he's blind. The only Bennett sister who has had even a glimmer of a rich prospective husband at this point of the story is Jane, and he must surely know the match has already been opposed by Bingley's sisters and Darcy, and so is unlikely to happen anyway; Lydia's elopement would make it impossible for Jane to marry anyone "worth catching," so he would not be able to count on leaning on Bingley (or any other rich brother in law) for financial support either.
It's a really big gamble, when he could just abandon it all and start afresh somewhere else, leaving his debts unpaid.
Absolutely. He had nothing to gain. I think someone mentioned in a comment that Wickham was running away from Brighton
due to his debts. Lydia threw herself at him and it’s suggested he took her with him just to use her, and would abandon her as soon as he possibly could. That kind of makes sense.
I view Wickham as a rather acute portrayal of a sociopathic personality (particularly his pronounced delight in duping), and such types often wreak general destruction even when their own self-interest (soberly considered) is not forwarded in the process.
I don’t know how many time I have watched 1995 PP and read the novel. Love both.
Wickham, at some point, says there is one person that he does not want to lose the society of, and turns to look at Lydia and Lydia turns and looks at him all quizzical. Did he have his sights set on Lydia earlier than we thought?
Again another interesting insight. The casting of Adrian Lukis as Wickham is perfection but then again wasn't all the casting in P&P 95. Tudor thanks for putting these together. Always interesting and insightful.
I agree that Adrian Lukis is very good. I'd love to hear from someone who watched the 1995 series without any knowledge of the book or story - I know it would be hard to find such a person. I wonder if they would be taken in by Mr Wickham initially.
@@pollyparrot9447 I do remember when I read it at 12 or 13 I was taken in by him at first.
I'm having such a good time with these videos! You do a great job and make me appreciate Miss Austen's talents even more.
There’s so much hidden depth in the storylines isn’t there. It’s like one needs to reread the book or rewatch the series in order to “see” everything.
Thank you for another absolutely fascinating video, and you're discussing a man so vital to the twists and turns of the plot of Pride and Prejudice that it's irresistible to join in with the conversation. Like others, I don't think for a moment that he and Darcy are half brothers; his father managed the family's estates and I think he grew up with a chip on his shoulder about the difference in their stations and wealth, and always wanted an easy life - no matter what it took to get it. He is so smooth, such a credible sufferer, in contrast to Darcy's insistence on keeping his private life, including his sister's near-seduction, absolutely private (for which he blames himself later, as it enabled Wickham to be accepted in Meryton as a man without a stain on his character). Mr. Bennet is the only one to sniff anything of the rogue about him, at first. In the television adaptation he refers to the way Wickham recites his woes, but in the book it's more succinct, as he says to Lizzie, "Here are officers enough at Meryton to disappoint all the young ladies in the country. Let Wickham be your man. He is a pleasant fellow, and would jilt you creditably." But even he doesn't suspect Wickham would run off with Lydia. Wickham is the essential catalyst in the novel; once the scales fall from Lizzie's eyes about him, she realises how wrong she has been in other opinions, and crucially in her opinion of Darcy. It's such a wonderfully written book and I love listening to you and going over it again with you. Thank you so much.
Yeah Mr Bennet “read” Wickham right from the start.
I don’t think Wickham is Mr Darcy’s half brother, him running away with Georgiana would have been extremely weird if he was.
I enjoy your vidoes Tudor. You (and others) mention Wickham as a foild for Darcy - Wickam is charming but not substantive, Darcy begins as substantive but not charming. If we complete the Punnett Square, there are two other characters to be compared: Bingley is both charming and substantive - he gives his sisters a better life by letting them hang out with him, even though nothing is ever mentioned about them making Bingley's life materially better. This lets Wickham and Darcy show off the character of Jane's match without having to devote additional pages to that sub-story. In contrast, Mr. Bennett is neither charming nor substantive - he doesn't invest time in his family, and doesn't even save money to try to help his daughters. Thus Mr. Bingley presence shows Mr. Bennett in a worse light. And to kick poor Mr. Bennet while he is down, even Mr. Lucas, who isn't too bright, manages to be both charming and substantive, and his family advances in importance under his care.
I have always thought that perhaps Wickham saw Elizabeths change of feelings for Darcy (even before she does) and thinks to use that to damage Darcy or at least get money from him
I also thought that. Pleased to not be the only one
Darcy is not completely honorable. He did move in the shadows when he was manipulating Bingley and convincing him that Jane did not really care for him. And yet he says “ but disguise of every sort is my abhorrence “ Ha!
Also, it always amused me when Mr Bennett says of Wickham, once after he had been visiting at Longbourn”It was very good of him to entertain us so eloquently with stories about his misfortunes. With such narratives to hand, who would read novels?” It seemed that Mr Bennett could sense the inappropriateness of Wickham being so candid to strangers, but Elisabeth could not.
Probably because Mr Bennett is a man and therefore not affected by Wickham's charm and good looks.
Darcy always excused his behaviour regarding Bingley on the grounds that he had been kinder to his friend than to himself, and I think Bingley was a kinder but also weaker man than Darcy, and allowed himself to be influenced by his strong willed, long time friend. Darcy on his own admission, despite the loving kindness with which he had been brought up, had been fixed in his prideful opinions of class, etc., until Elizabeth had cured him of it. I have always loved Mr. Bennets wry, dry remarks. He often sees through people far better than the rest of his family.
Mr. Darcy later admitted that he had become arrogant and excessively prideful without realizing it. He regained his honor when he owned up to his faults (including trying to separate Bingley from Jane) and apologized to Bingley and Lizzie. So, Lizzie married an honorable man.
That’s the thing though: he wasn’t manipulating Bingley. He really, truly did believe that Jane didn’t actually care for Bingley. Remember when Charlotte Lucas says a woman “had rather show more” liking than less, if she liked a man? And how Jane was always so circumspect?
Given Mrs. Bennet’s open fortune hunting on her daughters’ parts, and Jane being universally kind to everyone, Darcy had no idea she actually truly was in love with Bingley, and not just going along with (or actively colluding in) her mother’s fortune hunting.
He admits as much in his letter, that Elizabeth (knowing Jane better) must have the right of it, that Jane truly did love Bingley, but that he (as an outsider) was genuinely trying to act in his friend’s defense.
He DOES admit to helping to keeping Jane’s presence in London from Bingley, in fears that Bingley might fall prey to her again. Which he does admit as being beneath his own character. But once sure (thanks to Elizabeth) that Jane truly does love his friend, he presents absolutely no further obstacle.
I'm pretty sure you're right about the draft title! Thanks for this video--I'm a new subscriber, and I'm excited for more P&P content!
Thank you for subscribing. I've got a few P&P videos so hopefully you'll find something that interests!
I’d love a deep dive into Charlotte Lucas and her reasons for marrying Mr Collins. I’ve often wondered if she ever regretted that. Wonderful video as always!
I think Charlotte knew she could regret it, but resolved to make the best of it. It seems she did -- by "managing" their interactions after marriage so deftly to create a space of manageable solitude which she could "bear "
I don’t believe Wickham is Darcy’s bastard half brother. Darcy describes his father as having strict principles, and he says to Elizabeth that he was the son of a high-ranking male servant, I forget which one. Darcy would not have lied to her about this. Wickham is jealous not only of the wealth but the lineage.
In the ‘95 adaptation, Wickham is smarmy and ingratiating rather than polite from the start. It’s not until later that Elizabeth perceives the impropriety of his telling her such damaging personal things right away. She was so angry and humiliated by Darcy that she wasn’t thinking clearly. She WANTED to believe the worst of Darcy’s character. It’s inspired writing and shows again what a painful burden her mother’s and sisters’ horrible public behavior puts on her. Darcy’s thoughtless comments at the first village dance hit very hard.
That was a good discussion of Wickham's character. One thing I really like about Jane Austen is that she goes for realistic, rather than melodramatic, resolutions to the human interactions in her novels. In this case, Lydia does not learn any lessons from the near-disaster that befell her - she is not even aware of it, and stays as annoyingly over-confident as ever. Wickham doesn't suffer any immediate serious consequences either, although being stuck with a silly wife who won't have much to recommend her once her youth and beauty are gone could be punishment enough.
It kind of mirrors Mr Bennet and Mrs Bennet’s marriage.
@@TudorSmith Truly it does! And she was so impressed and pleased that the other women must call her Mrs. Wickham now! That's really all I remember about her. I see you have a video on Mary Bennett too. Going to watch that next. Your videos are so well done and add to our appreciation of Austen. Thank you for your effort.
But at least (we assume) that Mr Bennet was able to enjoy some years of felicitous marriage with his wife - after all, he was a good man who will have married for the proper reasons. Wickham almost certainly never intended marriage with Lydia, after the elopement and having been manoeuvred into it was probably destined to suffer its effects from the very start (as was implied in the 1995 series).
I had to come back to you, because thanks to your enthralling videos, we've always discussed the characters in Pride and Prejudice, but in the 1995 TV version we not only get all the necessary detail, we have the most perfect cast, and Wickham is another stunning example. He needed to be very attractive, so that even intelligent Lizzie is interested, until she learns the truth, but also with more than a hint of the louche, which develops. And Adrian Lukis is so good in the role. Quite by chance, I saw an episode of "New Tricks" on television, which had been made twenty years after "Pride and Prejudice", and thought I recognised a wonderfully good looking actor with a cynical manner - it was him. I just had to comment, because yet again the acting of the role is perfection.
Wickham: the character we love to hate, and the casting director got it right because Adrian Lukis delivers a believable Wickham 👍
Hola! Just a note to help you clarify the title of the novel. In the BBC’s Pride & Prejudice version from 1979/1980, the title of the series was “Pride & Prejudice or First Impressions”. When I was in Mexico back then, being a 10 year old kid, my first idea was to buy the novel in Spanish and I rushed to the bookstore. Obviously, I found it as “Orgullo y Prejuicio”. I even thought back then that they were two different books but “Primeras Impresiones” was nowhere to be seen. So, you were right 😊 greetings from Malaysia 🤗
Wickham likes 'em young.
I think that at least some, if not all of Wickham's vendetta against Darcy is because he is eaten alive by a deep-seated jealousy of Darcy from childhood that segues into hatred as an adult. He envies Darcy's wealth, intelligence, even his integrity because he lacks them.
Yes he is a manipulating figure to everyone he meets. Resentful towards Darcy because even in his upbringing aside Darcy he is not on his level . Austin did not mention it in full but gave the impression he is a jealous person. At least by the end of the book it gives the impression because it is Lydia who writes to her sisters and they assure a donation from time to time or give money for a new commission for him. In a certain way Lizzy and Jane provide a bit for their sister even Lydia deserves it. Lydia's character is like her mother careless and in mind that it normal others have to provide for them ( out the words of her mother who finds it normal that her brother had to provide to solve the situation for Lydia not understanding the debt who was created ). For sure Austin in her novels did write about people or situations she knew not only fiction.
I love your Pride and Prejudice videos!!! Keep them coming. This is how I found all of your channels. I have to go with villain here. He is very international in what he is doing, and he had many opportunities to better himself and he chose not to. I also always wondered if Lizzie’s change in attitude to him (after Darcy’s letter) set him off to pursue Lydia almost as a revenge against both Lizzie and Darcy.
Sorry, you meant he was very intentional? which he is. No wonder Darcy denied him the living.You don't want that kind of chap in the clergy!
Thank you so much for this video, Tudor! I love how you mentioned that Wickham and Darcy are complete foils to each other. Yes, Wickham might appear to shine forth as a great person, but that shine is of fool's gold. However, Darcy is the diamond in the rough that is right under our noses, and only reveals himself in time. I would also love to see a videos of Kitty and/or Jane on their characters, as well.
Thank you Erin. I'm hoping to do a video on all the characters when time permits. I'm currently working on Mr. Bennet who is one of my favourite characters despite his flaws as a husband and father!
The scary thing is that if Elizabeth is easily fell for his charms too, it’s not wonder that little Lydia falls even harder for him! 😅
The suggestion that Wickham might have been Darcy's father's illegitimate son is not borne out by Austen's writing. It would have been hinted at, at least subtly, I think. There have been several Pride & Prejudice variations (in the Jane Austen Fan Fiction/Pastiche Fiction subgenre of historical fiction with that scenario. I've read over 700 variations and only found that detail in a couple of them. There could very well be more.
It's very fascinating to listen to you. Your wonderful speaking style is relaxing and a fun time is spent. Thank you.
That’s kind of you. Thank you 🙏
I don't believe the half brother theory either although it would sharpen the rivalry between Darcy and Wickham further. However, the late Mr. Darcy is described as such an upright character that I can't believe it. There is not a hint of scandal around the Darcys.
I found the depictions of Darcy and Wickham as children a very clever way of showing their diverging paths. Darcy as a social superior always had better chances while Wickham relied on his charm to get him through life. Wickham was envious of Darcy from a young age.
Jane Austen's approach to storytelling was quite revolutionary. In Pride and Prejudice, she introduces the unreliable narrator, letting Wickham charm us like he charms Elizabeth and her whole neighbourhood. In Emma, Austen misleads us perfectly - only Agatha Christie would lead us down an even more confusing garden path. Only after Wickham reveals his true character do we realize the red flags hidden in plain sight in the text. It's very well done.
Adrian Lukis plays him very well. I was at first disappointed because I had imagined a much better-looking Wickham but Lukis is very charming. When he confesses "I can't bear being idle" I LOL every time. He does the boyish charm so well.
I agree that Wickham can't be Darcy's half brother. If he was, then he would also be Georgiana's half brother.
I wonder if Wickham realised thar Darcy was falling for Lizzie and set his sights on Lydia as another way of getting more money out of Darcey. He would have known Darcey's nature, that he would have helped the woman he loved whatever the cost, almost taking young Lydia as a ransom for more money.
Tha thought had crossed my mind.
If Wickham was Darcy’s half brother that puts a repugnant implication on his marriage to Georgiana 😬.
With Wickham, Austen has created a villain who was gross from the start and is only grosser to modern readers. Completely false, a greedy, lazy golddigger, AND a pedo groomer. He’s the worst.
Delightful and insightful video! Glad you are back!
Thank you. I've been so busy with content for my other channels and rather neglected this one!
The coda clip here worked perfectly lol.
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I really loved this video, as I have loved your other videos discussing a book to which I return time and again. Wickham is a fascinating agent from his first appearance, in so many ways vital, reinforcing Elizabeth's poor opinion of Darcy, so that she not only finds the man's snobbery appalling, but also sees him as unjust - a greater sin. But when Darcy is finally forced to reveal what he has clearly considered deeply private - the near seduction of his sister - all that Elizabeth had believed is turned on its head. The reality, the truth beneath the surface, continues throughout Pride and Prejudice as its dominant theme.
Thanks for sharing. I love how I put forward my thoughts and then everyone contributes, making the whole story much more understandable and I think when we reread the book or re-watch any adaptation, we have a greater understanding. Anyone who writes a book (Jane Austen in this case) must do so much preparation to tell a story, knowing all the plot lines and subtleties and yet not revealing them to the reader until they need to be revealed. Such a gift.
I understand why people want to see Wickham as a more tragic figure: no matter what he will never have the hope of outpacing someone of the genteel class in the workforce. He will never have their accolades, no matter that we don't even know if he'shood at his job. But. He also goes out of his way to destroy other people. "There is not a merchant's daughter he did not meddle with" always rings in my memory. Wickgam was never satisfied with anything and constantly skipping out on debts. He is the closest we can come to an avatar of the sin of Envy.
I observed that *Jane* (with her reserved character) actually first warned Elizabeth not to be too hasty in her assessment of Wickham's character. I also wondered about the impact of Lydia's frantic pursuit of men and attention - on Elizabeth's behavior. Lydia was clearly allowed to run wild, and the 1995 movie showed the beginning of Lydia's determination to pursue Wickham as related to Wickham's attentions to Elizabeth.
Psychological analysis of these characters in contemporary terms would be dizzying.
Indeed. Jane showed awareness and in the novel she points out to Lizzy after the first assembly that “She speaks as she finds”. It wasn’t just Elizabeth with common sense!
These days we would call George Wickham a manipulative narcissist. Lord knows I've dated a few Wickhams!
I love nerding out over Austen with others 😂
It’s so interesting and fun isn’t it?
It was first impressions
I thought so and that would make sense!
I think it’s unlikely that Wickham was the son of the late Mr Darcy as Lady Catherine only accuses him of being the son of a steward - and given her desire to find out secrets and gossip she would be likely to know
I wonder - had it not been for Darcy's intervention, what would have happened? I think that Wickham had an idea that the Bennet family didn't have big money. Would he have abandoned Lydia at some point?
Yes I think that abandoning Lydia would have been the most likely outcome. I think the general idea from the people who have commented was that Wickham was not intending to elope with her. She kind of threw herself at him and he must have thought “Why not? I’ll have some fun with her before I leave her”.
I have thought that Lydia seemed unaware of what could happen to her if Wickham left her in London. I imagined that she would have *no* resources at all, even to find her Uncle and Aunt. She would likely have been reduced to a prostitute at worst.
The people of Meryton are all speculating that Lydia would soon be “on the town” which meant to be a prostitute. The townspeople seem a bit disappointed to me when Lydia shows up with a husband.
I thought Fitzwilliam was the real catch. He seemed so kind and down-to-earth especially for an aristocrat. He and Elizabeth would have been a lovely couple.
They certainly have what appears to me, a good connection.
But he also was looking for a wife with a fortune, or at least with favourable connections, of which Elizabeth had neither. Not in a mercenary way, but a pragmatic way. Not sure Colonel Fitzwilliam was in the position to support a wife. At least not in the manner that would have been expected.
Agreed, Except that Fitzwilliam is also expected to marry “money.”
@@pmarkhill519
And so was Darcy.
@@kt3255 Yes. Excellent point you made. Darcy being at the top of the pecking order of the aristocracy had the money and power to marry "down" without it negatively effecting his life. Fitzwilliam might not have been so lucky.
Interesting what you say about Wickham's financial motives. Those never occurred to me. I thought always he was a shortsighted fool only interested in the physical delights of a young virgin.
Well her certainly had a desire to “meddle” with the girls but he did have a gambling problem or at least imagined himself beyond his means.
I would have taken plenty of money to fund his bad habits He blew through the money the elder Mr. Darcy left him, and the money Darcy gave him to compensate for the Kympton living. Georgiana's £30,000 dowry is what he was after.
@@lizardas Yes, but Lyida had only a small dowry (if any).
if Wickham was son of late Mr. Darcy, he would have not had affair with his sister.
Perhaps Wickham was unaware that he was a half brother to the D'Arcy siblings.
Have you seen the one man show with Adrian Lukis? I heard about it and would love to see it but I'm not sure if it's on DVD or elsewhere
No I've not heard of that. In fact I can't recall seeing Adrian Lukis in anything other the P&P!
@@TudorSmith There are a few clips of the rehearsal and an interview with Adrian Lukis on RUclips. I think there was a few shows at a London Theater last year.
My friend and I saw his show, really enjoyable and a great q&a session afterwards
Mr. Lukis has credits for guest roles on several British TV series (one I remember as the villain in a PBS mystery series) and at least one movie with Colin Firth.
Fitzwilliam should marry Miss King!
That could have been a good match!
@@TudorSmithNooooo, she may have £10,000 but she was young, probably just as naive and I wouldn't wish him on anyone. A user and leech. 🤮
Does anyone think that Wickham chooses Elizabeth as his confidante because, during their first meeting, he has somehow realized that Darcy has a liking for her, and so he wants to come between them? In this case, could it be that he deliberately chooses to seduce Lydia in order to cause a scandal in the Bennet family, thus preventing any possible marriage between Darcy and Elizabeth (I know, it's far-fetched...)
I always thought he just wanted to went about darcy to someone who dislikes him too
Before Wickham relates his story to Lizzy, he only saw them interact for one minute, so he would be sharp indeed if he detected any interest in Darcy's demeanor. Also after Darcy and Bingley move out, he tells everyone about Darcy's ill-treatment. While we know Darcy is taking an interest in Elizabeth, Wickham has very little information about their relationship. Of course, Elizabeth tells him her opinion of Darcy has improved, so it is possible that Lydia became more desirable as a companion because it would create difficulties for Darcy.
I don't believe Wickham had any inkling yet that Darcy had any interest in Elizabeth, but part of his modus operandi whenever he settled into a new location was to quickly plant his lying story about how Darcy wronged him so that word of it would begin spreading. This way he could hurt Darcy by planting early prejudice against him among the local society (unfortunately, Mr. Darcy's prideful and aloof manner played right into Wickham's hands), and help himself by painting himself as the noble-hearted victim of injustice so people would sympathize with him and tend to trust him. He probably had picked up on the reputations of the various people he would meet at the parties and balls to find out who was already liked and trusted, and learned that Miss Elizabeth Bennett would be a good choice to plant his false story of woe and start it spreading.
Enjoyed this analysis of Wickham. I wouldn’t go as far to say he is a villain, but definitely a very flawed character. I think given the opportunity he could change and become a better person.
Yeah I agree. Villain is too strong a work. Perhaps a victim of his situation or even of his own making?
There are different types of character ‘villains’. Wickham is purposely deceitful, a manipulator, a degenerate, a seducer of multiple young girls, a liar, immoral, opportunistic, and a gambler. It may be a bit of a ‘traditional’ way to describe his character as the ‘villain’ of the story but he’s all the characteristics a parent would teach their children to avoid when choosing a friend or partner. The book is silent on any evidence or storyline that indicates Wickham could/would change. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Towards the end of the book Wickham continues to live a life of turmoil and instability causing Elizabeth to set aside money to try and help Lydia when she can. At least Willoughby loved Marianne but not enough. Wickham was a full-on con man going from Georgianna, to Elizabeth to Ms. King to Lydia.
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I want to know more about Fitzwilliam. Lizzie should have gone for him.
They both seemed to enjoy each other’s company didn’t they?
He told her that he had to marry a rich woman because he was brought up with luxury and wealth and could not support a family with no income. Words to that effect.
Yes @@viviennehayes2856
Thank you for another thought provoking and interesting video, I loved it.
Does anyone know how long before Wickham met Elizabeth did the attempted elopement take place? Did Darcy give Wickham money to go away and join the militia? Incidentally, did your family ever live in Thaxted?
Well, in Darcy's letter to Elizabeth, he states that "About a year ago" in reference to Wickham's attempted elopement with Georgianna. I'd hazard a guess that Darcy's proposal to Elizabeth and that subsequent letter occurs maybe 5 or 6 months into Elizabeth's and Wickhams acquaintance.
Thaxted...I've never lived there. In fact you mentioning it is the first time I've heard of it 😊
I think it's implied that it probably isn't that long before the start of the novel. At the beginning, Mrs. Bennet has heard that Bingley will be at Netherfield "by Michaelmas" (i.e. 29 September), and Darcy writes his letter the following spring, so probably no later than May. (He does come to Rosings for Easter - apparently the latest possible date of Easter is 25 April - and the first proposal is some time after that, it isn't stated exactly when.) The letter also says something about the trip to Ramsgate occurring "last summer", so I've always reckoned it was between 1 and 4 months before Darcy and Bingley arrived at Netherfield (i.e. between June and very early September). I can definitely see why Darcy comes across as anti-social at the beginning, when the Bennets first meet him - he's still recovering from the aftermath of his childhood companion (and, seemingly, a favourite of his father) trying to elope with the little sister that he's responsible for, and then he has to listen to Mrs. Bennet going on about his land and £10,000 a year. (From that angle, I totally understand why he steered Bingley away from the Bennets; he'd had his fingers burnt by a fortune-hunter and he didn't want the same to happen to his friend.)
No….villain thru and thru!
Covert narcissist.
In the book, Wickham pleads with Lydia to return to her family but it is Lydia who insists on staying with Wickham. Be careful what you wish for.
This is a mistake. Wickham doesn't plead for her to return; Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner do. Lydia refuses.
The half-brother idea is plausible, but reflects badly on Mr Darcy Senior.
Or perhaps not: extra-marital dalliance was not as uncommon as one would wish, & a man who provided for his by-blows was unusual.
Would Darcy admit it if it was so?
I think the best argument against it was, He tried to elope with his half-sister! Ew!
Yikes...I hadn't considered the half-brother aspect. It does present a good argument against the bastard son angle!
Darcy explains that they are almost the same age, so Darcy senior would have been having an awful lot of sex in a very compressed time frame! When one considers that Wickham seems to be an only child and Darcy doesn't have another sibling for 11 years, it seems unlikely that Darcy senior was running around much.
@@marilynsobel7414 Although there was still a lot of infant mortality...so there might be children who did not survive their early years. But I think Austen considered that Darcy's father was an upstanding person of good character, although possibly duped by Wickham's charming ways into intending for him the living he did not get and would possibly not have served well at all.
Why does Wickham even bother to elope with Lydia? Georgiana makes sense. Was he just hoping for some free sex then dump a ruined Lydia? And I'm curious about your thoughts on Wickham being Darcy's bastard brother (unknown to all, except Darcy maybe).
Yes, he just wanted some company and easy sex. He would have deserted her at the lodgings in London if Darcy hadn't stepped in and paid him off.
He needed to get out of Brighton to escape is debts. Lydia likely had some money on her to aid travel, and was a willing travel companion and bed-mate. He had no intention of marrying her-- just using her for a while.
I wonder that, too. Either he sees her as an expendable easy girl to shack up with, or he’s angry because Miss King was pulled from his greedy fingers and Lizzy isn’t falling for his charms anymore. Since any number of people seemed to have gotten the idea that Lizzy and Darcy were a thing, Wickham may also have thought so, and decided to hit them both with the same blow.
Wickham had little to lose by eloping with Lydia, especially if he did NOT marry her. In another Austen novel, a character runs off with a married woman. She is ruined forever and must retire from a society that refuses to interact with her, while he continues on his normal life and can look forward to eventually marrying someone. Austen comments on the unfairness of this double standard. Austen explains Wickham's actions in the book as a desire to have a fun companion as he fled from his "debts of honor" (gambling debts). So yes, he was hoping for some free sex and then dump a ruined Lydia. I have to admit, it never occurred to me that he was also trying to disrupt a potential relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy; a most interesting insight.
As for the supposed bastard brother, it is possible. However, Darcy mentions in his letter to Elizabeth that Wickham's father was "always poor from the extravagance of his wife". When I read that I felt it implied that Wickham's character was heavily influenced by his mother. At any rate, there was a wife. Darcy strikes me as quite shy, while Wickham is obviously outgoing. One can understand why Darcy's father enjoyed his company so much.
I think it was for the exact same reason - money. He might have known that Mr. Bennett wasn't as rich as Darcy but that he would probably come up with the money and pay his debts.
I agree that Whickham could be D'Arcy half brother. Often men of that class would carry syphilis causing long gaps between live births. Also when their wives were pregnant they would seek fulfilment with women of lower classes as almost their right. Men believed then that they would get unwell if they didn’t have sex often. Children of these relationships would be farmed out and sometimes supported by the gentry. Dickens mentions it in Bleak House i think. Whether the children are told, or not, is unclear. Some knew. But i agree re D'Arcy perhaps being told by his father but not being at liberty to say.
Yes it’s an interesting observation and times were different then.
@TudorSmith thanks for your response. I am really enjoying your deep dives into P&P. Would love you to do similar for S&S and Persuasion.
But that would make Wickham a half-sibling of Georgiana! Would he elope with his half-sister?
There is no justification in the novel for suggesting this. (Nothing to stop you writing a fanfic along these lines if that floats your boat). George Wickham's father was an attorney who became Mr Darcy Snr's steward. He and his wife were respectable people, not peasants subject to some sort of droit de seigneur, even if there was any suggestion that Mr Darcy Snr would have been such a predator, which there is not.
I don’t think darcy sr would mess with his stewards wife.
Early ❤