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50 free Sense and Sensibility trivia questions with answers — literature quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
Sense and Sensibility was the first novel Jane Austen ever published, and she paid for the printing herself under the byline 'By A Lady'. This Sense and Sensibility trivia quiz covers the book from Norland to Barton Cottage to Delaford: the Dashwood sisters, the wretched John and Fanny, the secret engagement of Lucy Steele, Willoughby's betrayal and Colonel Brandon's patient devotion. It also digs into how the book was written and received (the epistolary first draft, the 750-copy first edition, the French 'translation' that rewrote whole scenes) and gives plenty of room to Ang Lee's 1995 film, from Emma Thompson's five-year screenplay to Kate Winslet's audition trick and the Golden Bear in Berlin. Questions run from easy to expert, and every answer is verified and cited to its reference page. If you enjoy this quiz, try our other Jane Austen and classic literature quizzes.
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Q 01Who wrote Sense and Sensibility?
Jane Austen
It was her debut novel, published in 1811 with 'By A Lady' on the title page instead of her name.
Q 02What was the novel's working title?
Elinor and Marianne
Renaming it after the sisters' qualities rather than their names added what critics call philosophical depth.
Q 03How was the author identified on the 1811 title page?
By A Lady
Austen paid for publication herself and made a profit of £140 on the first edition of 750 copies.
Q 04How many Dashwood sisters are there?
Three
Elinor and Marianne carry the story; Margaret is the youngest, aged about thirteen.
Q 05In which county is the Dashwoods' original family estate?
Sussex
After Henry Dashwood's death they are pushed out to a modest cottage in Devon on a relative's land.
Q 06What is the name of the Devonshire home the Dashwoods move to?
Barton Cottage
Sir John Middleton, Mrs Dashwood's second cousin, offers it at a low rent on his Barton Park estate.
Q 07Who persuades John Dashwood not to support his stepmother and half-sisters?
His wife Fanny
On his deathbed Henry Dashwood had extracted John's promise to provide for them.
Q 08How old is Colonel Brandon when he first meets sixteen-year-old Marianne?
Thirty-five
His age seems hopelessly old to her romantic sensibilities, though she marries him in the end.
Q 09How does Marianne first meet John Willoughby?
He carries her home after she sprains her ankle
Their shared artistic tastes make her fall for him, abandoning caution and propriety.
Q 10On whom is Willoughby financially dependent, giving him an excuse to leave for London?
His elderly cousin Mrs Smith
She later disinherits him for seducing Brandon's ward, forcing him to marry an heiress.
Q 11Which sisters, cousins of Mrs Jennings, come to stay at Barton Park?
Anne and Lucy Steele
Lucy confides to Elinor that she is secretly engaged to Edward Ferrars, revealing her calculating nature.
Q 12Whom does Willoughby become betrothed to in London?
The rich Miss Grey
He greets Marianne coldly at a ball; she is heartbroken but admits they were never actually engaged.
Q 13Who was Colonel Brandon's teenaged ward, seduced and abandoned by Willoughby?
Eliza Williams
The revelation explains why Willoughby's cousin disinherited him.
Q 21What does 'sensibility' mean as Austen uses it?
Sensitivity or emotionality
'Sense' meant judgment and prudence; the title contrasts the two sisters' governing qualities.
Q 22Which Shakespeare play do Gilbert and Gubar see the novel's opening as retelling from a female view?
King Lear
Their book The Madwoman in the Attic reads the disinheritance of the Dashwood women as a critique of patriarchal inheritance.
Q 23Which London publisher accepted the manuscript in 1811?
Thomas Egerton
Austen paid the printing costs, more than a third of her household's £460 annual income, and paid a commission on sales.
Q 14Who blurts out the secret of Lucy's engagement to Edward?
Anne Steele
She wrongly assumed the Ferrars family had grown fond enough of Lucy to welcome her; the sisters were promptly thrown out.
Q 15What does Colonel Brandon offer Edward after he is disinherited?
A parsonage
The living at Delaford would let Edward marry Lucy once ordained, an act of admiration for his honourable conduct.
Q 16How does Marianne fall gravely ill?
Walking in the rain
She contracts a putrid fever; Brandon rides to fetch her mother while Willoughby turns up to plead his case.
Q 17Whom does the scheming Miss Steele finally marry?
Robert Ferrars
She jilts Edward for his now-wealthy younger brother, freeing Edward to marry Elinor.
Q 18In what form did Austen write the first draft, possibly as early as 1795?
Epistolary (in letters)
She was around 19; the letters format was later replaced by continuous narrative.
Q 19Which 1796 novel by Jane West, featuring a romantic sister named Marianne, is thought to have influenced Austen?
A Gossip's Story
West's book likewise pits a sister of rational sense against one of passionate sensibility.
Q 20Which Governor-General of India is often cited as an inspiration for Colonel Brandon?
Warren Hastings
Both had rumoured illegitimate daughters named Eliza and left for India at seventeen.
Q 24How many copies were in the first edition, all sold by July 1813?
750
Austen's profit was £140, roughly £5,000 in 2008 money.
Q 25How much did Austen profit from the first edition?
£140
A second edition was advertised in October 1813, and the book has been in print ever since.
Q 26Who produced the notoriously loose 1815 French version, Raison et Sensibilité?
Isabelle de Montolieu
With little English, she worked from assistants' summaries and rewrote scenes, even having Marianne call Willoughby an 'Adonis'.
Q 27Which honour did the novel earn in Richard Bentley's Standard Novels series of 1833?
First illustrated Austen book in Britain
It was also the first Austen title republished in England after her death.
Q 28Who directed the 1995 film adaptation?
Ang Lee
Producer Lindsay Doran chose him partly on the strength of The Wedding Banquet.
Q 29Who wrote the screenplay for the 1995 film and played Elinor?
Emma Thompson
She spent five years on drafts and initially wanted another actress to play Elinor.
Q 30Which Oscar did the film's screenwriter-star win?
Best Adapted Screenplay
It made her the only person to win Academy Awards for both acting (Howards End) and writing.