This GCSE English Literature quiz takes a look at dialogue in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Direct speech in literature is referred to as “dialogue”, although the technical meaning of the term is a conversation between at least two people. A significant aspect of characterisation, dialogue provides much crucial information about the characters. By paying close attention to the style and content of a person’s speech, you will be able to create a mental portrait of the character. Characters in Pride and Prejudice are sharply distinguished from one another by the style and content of their dialogue.
One way to approach dialogue in a work of fiction is to ask yourself how a character’s speech differs from that of the other characters. Do you see evidence of a different vocabulary or the use of a different register?