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How does George Wickham first influence Elizabeth Bennet’s opinion of Mr. Darcy?

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Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy and Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet in period costumes stand outdoors in a scene from the 1995 television series Pride and Prejudice. — Pride and Prejudice Colin Firth as Darcy and Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet in the BBC TV miniseries *Pride and Prejudice* (1995).

George Wickham significantly shapes Elizabeth Bennet’s negative opinion of Mr. Darcy by exploiting her existing prejudices. While Elizabeth already disliked Darcy due to his initial dismissive comment about her appearance, Wickham deepens this animosity by presenting himself as a victim of Darcy’s cruelty.1

Wickham, a Lieutenant stationed in Meryton, uses his charm to gain Elizabeth’s confidence. He reveals that his father once managed the estates of the Darcy family, but claims that Darcy cheated him out of an inheritance intended for him by Darcy’s late father. By framing Darcy as arrogant, unjust, and spiteful, Wickham confirms Elizabeth’s suspicions about Darcy’s character. This deception reinforces her belief that Darcy is a man of low moral standing, further distancing her from him until the truth of their history is eventually revealed later in the novel.2