Mr. Collins: A Comedic Character

While D.W. Harding mentions both the comedic side and nightmarish side of Mr. Collins, the reader may predominantly look at Mr. Collins as a character to laugh at. The exaggeration of his personality and the absurdities he embodies allow the reader a sense of comic relief. Though Mr. Collins is a true nightmare to some of his co-characters, such as Elizabeth, the arrogance, ignorance, and dumbness in his remarks give the reader a reason to laugh at his self-absorbed demeanor. Jane Austen uses Mr. Collins as a humorous but sadly true vision of the superficial society the novel is based in. The comedy of Mr. Collins lies in his unnecessary overconfidence in himself ; the reader accompanies Elizabeth in making fun of the character rather than taking his pompous words to heart. Mr. Collins, in his exaggerated obnoxious behavior and obliviousness to the emotions of the people that surround him tells the reader that he is meant to be a funny yet didactic character in the novel.