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Why does William Collins propose to Elizabeth Bennet?

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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).

William Collins proposes to Elizabeth Bennet primarily as a matter of duty and convenience rather than romantic affection. As the heir to the Bennet family estate due to an entail, Collins feels a sense of obligation to make amends to the family by marrying one of Mr. Bennet’s daughters, thereby keeping the property within the immediate family circle.1

Upon his arrival at Longbourn, he is encouraged by Mrs. Bennet to pursue Elizabeth. However, his proposal is driven by his own pompous and misguided sense of propriety rather than genuine love. Elizabeth, who values personal connection and mutual respect in marriage, finds his offer entirely unsuitable and refuses him. Following her rejection, Collins quickly shifts his attention and becomes engaged to her friend, Charlotte Lucas, demonstrating that his primary goal was simply to secure a wife who would fulfill his domestic expectations.2