Pride and Prejudice

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Volume 1, Chapters 1-3

Reading Check

1. What gentleman arrives at the Netherfield estate and becomes the subject of discussion for the Bennet family?

2. Which of Mrs. Bennet’s daughters does Mrs. Bennet suggest will first dance with Mr. Bingley at the ball?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How is Mrs. Bennet’s character portrayed in the first three chapters of Pride and Prejudice? 

Paired Resource

Historical Context of Pride and Prejudice

• An article discussing the cultural implications of the gentry, gender roles, landownership, and literacy in Regency England
• Supports the themes of Pride and Prejudice and Social Hierarchy
• How is land passed down to future generations in the landed gentry? How do inheritance laws affect The Role of Women and the Importance of Marriage in Regency England?

Volume 1, Chapters 4-6

Reading Check

1. Mr. Bingley’s sisters are described as proud and haughty because of their large fortune, but which social flaw should prevent them from being so?

2. Which of Mr. Darcy’s flaws could Mrs. Bennet have overlooked if he had not insulted her?

3. Why is Charlotte concerned about the relationship between Jane and Mr. Bingley?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How do Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley’s dispositions differ?

2. Why does Elizabeth assume Mr. Darcy seeks to belittle her when they meet at Longbourn?

Volume 1, Chapters 7-10

Reading Check

1. Why is Jane detained at Mr. Bingley’s estate after a visit with the Bingley sisters?

2. Name one reason the Bingley sisters criticize Elizabeth when she stays with her sister at Longbourn.

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Mrs. Bennet’s scheming play a role in Chapters 7-10, and what is her motive?

Volume 1, Chapters 11-15

Reading Check

1. Who owns the estate on which Mr. Collins’s parsonage is located?

2. Mr. Collins initially visits the Longbourn estate under what pretense?

3. Who are the guests Mrs. Philips invites to her house along with the Bennet sisters?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What makes Mr. Collins’s character contradictory?

2. How do the reactions of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet differ when Jane and Elizabeth return from Netherfield, and why?

Volume 1, Chapters 16-18

Reading Check

1. Who does Elizabeth think should be publicly disgraced because of his poor treatment of Wickham?

2. To whom is Mr. Darcy engaged?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What are the most probable reasons Mrs. Bennet likes Elizabeth the least of all her daughters?

Volume 1, Chapters 19-23

Reading Check

1. What reason did the Bingley sisters give for their withdrawal from Netherfield, and what was the outcome they hoped for as a result?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What conclusions can be drawn from Mrs. Bennet’s behavior in relation to her daughters and marriage?

Paired Resource

Regency Ballroom Etiquette

• This article outlines the appropriate etiquette and and protocol of balls and dancing, connecting to the novel’s theme of The Role of Women and the Importance of Marriage.
• What are some of the social cues that a modern-day reader may easily miss about ballroom culture? What was the purpose of a ball? 

Volume 2, Chapters 1-6

Reading Check

1. How does Elizabeth feel about the home Mr. Collins and Charlotte share?

2. How is Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s character described during Elizabeth’s visit to Rosings?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. According to Elizabeth, how does Jane’s personality taint her perception of reality?

Volume 2, Chapters 7-11

Reading Check

1. Which friend is with Mr. Darcy when he visits Rosings?

2. Name two reasons Elizabeth gave for rejecting Darcy’s proposal.

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Based on Mr. Darcy’s description of himself, why can we assume he spent little time communicating during his visits with Elizabeth at Rosings?

Volume 2, Chapters 12-15

Reading Check

1. What did Elizabeth receive that made her second guess her rejection of Mr. Darcy?

2. Which Pride and Prejudice character made plans to elope with Mr. Wickham?

3. Who does Elizabeth conclude is ultimately at fault for separating Mr. Bingley and Jane?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How have assumptions by Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth shaped the decisions and friendships they have formed in Pride and Prejudice up to this point?

Volume 2, Chapters 16-19

Reading Check

1. Who has used Jane “extremely ill,” according to Mrs. Bennet?

2. What does Lydia receive an invitation to do?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What fault is Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s major flaw, and how does Elizabeth see it affecting her family?

Paired Resource

"Napoleonic Wars on Regency Society"

• This article from Medium gives an overview of the Napoleonic War and its social implications during the Regency era.
• Why was there a military presence in Meryton and how did it affect the Bennet family?

Volume 3, Chapters 1-3

Reading Check

1. Which estate does Elizabeth visit with the Gardiners?

2. How is Miss Darcy described?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Miss Bingley frequently insults Elizabeth. What are some possible reasons she does this?

Volume 3, Chapters 4-10

Reading Check

1. Where does Mrs. Bennet go after learning the news of Lydia and Mr. Wickham’s marriage, and why?

2. In her time of crisis, how does Elizabeth view the neighbors who visit, write letters, and offer help?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How has the perception of Mr. Wickham changed from what it once was, and what are the reasons for this change?

2. What are some indications that Lydia was wholly unaware of the danger she was in by running off with Mr. Wickham?

Paired Resource

“Should You Trust Your First Impression?”

• A video by TedEd about how the brain processes first impressions
• Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was first titled “First Impressions.” Would this have been an appropriate title? According to the video, how are first impressions formed, and how do they become long-lasting? How do first impressions change over time?

Volume 3, Chapters 11-14

Reading Check

1. Why does Mr. Bennet joke that Jane and Mr. Bingley will always exceed their income?

2. What is the reason Elizabeth gives when she says she will never be as happy as Jane?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. During her visit to Longbourn, how is Lady Catherine’s behavior hypocritical?

Volume 3, Chapters 15-19

Reading Check

1. What is in the contents of Mr. Collins’s letter to Mr. Bennet?

2. What is the primary reason Mr. Darcy gives for assisting Lydia with her marriage?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. In the conclusion of Pride and Prejudice, what lessons can be learned about Austen’s perspective on marriage that may be in opposition to the time in which she was writing?

Recommended Next Reads 

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

• A novel in which a woman from northern England moves to southern England and experiences the social change taking place in the 19th century
• Shared topics include misguided first impressions, social structure, gossip, and marriage.
• Shared themes include The Role of Women and the Importance of Marriage, The Social Hierarchy, and Pride and Prejudice.
• North and South on SuperSummary

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

• A novel about the life of a girl and her experiences as an orphan, social outcast, and governess
• Shared topics include marriage, social structure, and gossip.
• Shared themes include The Role of Women and the Importance of Marriage and The Social Hierarchy.
• Jane Eyre on SuperSummary