He presents this as his main reason for wanting to marry her. This insults Elizabeth because she doesn't understand why he is, as he says, proposing to her against his own will. Mr Collins, however, doesn't go into detail about why he is marrying Elizabeth. He proposed in a rather long-winded fashion and made lengthily speeches, which Elizabeth replied to with very short answers. However in these speeches he very rarely expressed his feelings by telling her that as soon as he entered the house, he singled her out as the companion of his future life. The rest of his speeches were regarding to why he wanted to got married, and not why he wanted to marry her in particular. He states three reasons.
'My reasons for marrying are, first, that I think it a right thing for every clergyman in easy circumstances (like myself) to set the example of matrimony in his parish. Secondly, that I ma convinced it will add very greatly to my happiness; and thirdly - which perhaps I ought to have mentioned earlier, that it is the particular advice and recommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honour of calling patroness. '
Mr Collins
Mr Collins places Elizabeth in an extremely awkward by telling her that by proposing to her he was doing the Bennet's a large favour because when he inherits Longbourn, if he was to marry one of the Bennet girls it would not be such a great loss. Mr Collins also states Elizabeth's value of £1000 in four per cents after Mrs. Bennet's decease.
Mr Collins is so confident that Elizabeth will accept his offer after his speech that he uses the phrase ' when we are married' .At this point Elizabeth interrupts him with her refusal which he cannot believe so he refuses to accept her refusal and assures her she will change her mind.
' …That it is usual with young ladies to reject the address of the man whom they secretly mean to accept, when he first applies for their favour; and that sometimes the refusal is repeated a second or even a third time. '
Mr Collins
When she reassures him this is not the case with her, Mr Collins finally accepts her rejection; he insults her by telling her she may not receive another offer of marriage.
' It is by no means certain that in spite of your manifold attractions, it is by no means certain that another offer of marriage may ever be made to you. Your portion is unhappily so small that it will in all likelihood undo the effects of your loveliness and amiable qualifications'
Mr Collins
When Mr Darcy proposes to Elizabeth he uses a completely different approach but still adopts the same insulting manner. Darcy declares his love for her and tells Elizabeth that he has overcome his pride and scruples. He presents his love for her as the only reason for marrying her and makes Elizabeth extremely angry by telling her that she could not expect him to rejoice in the inferiority of her connections and congratulate himself on hope of relations whose position in life was so beneath his own. Mr Darcy says this under pretence of paying her a compliment. He thought Elizabeth would be flattered that he would still marry her even though her family was so despicable and his family would certainly dissaprove. Elizabeth decides to also reject Mr Darcy. This is because of his alleged ill treatment of Mr Wickham, his pride, his bad first impression, his insulting manner of proposing and his mistreatment of Bingley and Jane to which he showed no remorse.
Darcy's proposal to Elizabeth was narrated so that the reader is not made to be biased towards any particular character. However as the event progresses more and more dialogue is introduced as both Mr Darcy and Elizabeth get angrier and angrier. However Mr Darcy's proposal is more formal and intensely said than Mr Collins'. Both men are alike in the way that they cannot believe that Elizabeth has refused them and they both seem to put emphasise on her faults by continuously repeating them. Both men seem to be embarrassed of her refusal and try to justify their actions afterwards, but worst of all for Elizabeth both men have managed to make their proposals insulting.
