Full of wit, wisdom, and romance, Jane Austen’s novels have captured the admiration of generations of readers. Fans of Austen’s work may have noticed that she recycled themes and even personality types for many of her stories. The handsome but heartless rogue is probably the most recognizable of Austen’s recurring characters.
Wickham in Pride and Prejudice
As Mr. Darcy’s archenemy, George Wickham makes a wickedly charming villain indeed. The attractive military officer sweeps Elizabeth off her feet, spreads lies about the much misunderstood Darcy, and eventually persuades fifteen year-old Lydia Bennet to run away with him.
Wickham is, perhaps, the most odious of Austen’s rogues, refusing even to marry the disgraced Lydia until he’s received a payment in return. Elizabeth, unaware of the financial arrangement, is still able to guess rightly that “his flight was rendered necessary by distress of circumstance…” (213).
Willoughby in Sense and Sensibility
Appearing out of the rain to rescue a damsel in distress, John Willoughby is certainly one of Austen’s most complex rogues. He sparkles next to the novel’s true romantic hero, Colonel Brandon, who seems noble but dull in comparison.
Too good to be true, Willoughby breaks the passionate Marianne’s heart and weds another for purely financial reasons. But his worst crime is the seduction of Colonel Brandon’s young ward, who then becomes pregnant and bears his illegitimate child.
Despite his reckless behavior, Willoughby is not a cold-hearted villain. Rather, he is a careless man, who ends up creating his own punishment---a life without love.
Even the sensible Elinor fails to condemn him once she learns how unhappy he’s become. At their last meeting together, the reader learns that Elinor “forgave, pitied him, wished him well--was even interested in his happiness--and added some gentle counsel as to the behavior most likely to promote it” (222).
Frank Churchill in Emma
The least harmful of the Austen villains, Frank Churchill enjoys toying with Emma’s affections even as he is secretly engaged to her archrival, Jane Fairfax. Like Willoughby and Wickham, Frank is highly imprudent and derives much of his fun from insulting those around him. With good-looks and charm, he manages to fool everyone, except Mr. Knightly, who recognizes him as a shallow and immature sort.
Henry Crawford in Mansfield Park
A charming and cunning eligible bachelor, Henry Crawford is probably the most comical of the Austen villains. He enjoys breaking hearts and misleading foolish girls. After romancing the snobbish sisters Julia and Maria, he sets his sights on poor Fanny Price, the only female in the novel capable of recognizing his deceptive nature. In the end, the joke is on Henry, as he finds himself sincerely attached to a woman who has no interest in returning his affections.
William Elliot in Persuasion
Talked out of marrying Captain Wentworth by a close friend years before, Anne Elliot finds herself a confirmed spinster, whose youthful bloom has all but faded. To make matters worse, the captain is still as handsome and single as ever---and definitely still bitter about being rejected.
As she endures the humiliation of watching Wentworth flirt with a younger and prettier woman, Anne finds comfort in the friendship of her cousin, William Elliot. His motives aren’t as pure as they seem, however. Elliot is in need of money for his extravagant form of living, and a marriage to Anne would almost certainly assure him of inheriting her father’s fortune.
What the Austen Rogues Have In Common
The above mentioned villains share many of the same flaws and weaknesses. The need for money and extravagant living is what drives Willoughby, Wickham, and Elliot. Frank Churchill and Henry Crawford, on the other hand, are spurred on by vanity. Some are more wicked than others, but all five are terribly important to Austen’s romantic world.
Sources:
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Wordsworth Classics, 1992
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. Wordsworth Classics, 1992
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