George Knightley

George Knightley is a principal character depicted by Jane Austen in her novel Emma, written in 1816. He is a very wealthy landowner and a lifetime friend of Emma's, though he is nearly seventeen years older than her. He enjoys correcting Emma, as Emma observes in chapter 1. A kind and compassionate person, Mr Knightley portrays good judgment, high moral character and maturity in contrast to Emma's adolescent personality. One incident which displays this is his disappointment when he sees Emma insult Miss Bates, a spinster of modest means. Mr. Knightley's later reprimand of Emma also demonstrates his affection and esteem for her as a friend. Another incident which shows his quality is his anger with Emma for persuading Harriet Smith to...