Emma (1996)

Jeremy Northam: Mr Knightley

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Quotes 

• Mr. Knightley : Emma, how could you be so unfeeling to Miss Bates? How can you be so insolent to a woman of her age and situation? I had not thought it possible.

  Emma : How could I help saying it? I daresay she did not understand me.

  Mr. Knightley : I assure you, she felt your full meaning. She cannot stop mentioning it. I wish you could have heard her honour your forbearance in putting up with her when her society is so irksome.

  Emma : I know there is no better creature in all the world, but you must allow that blended alongside the good, there is an equal amount of the ridiculous in her.

  Mr. Knightley : Were she prosperous or a woman equal to you in situation, I would not quarrel with you about any liberties of manner. But she is poor, even more so than when she was born. And should she live to be an old lady, she will sink further still. Her situation being in every way below you should secure your compassion! Badly done, Emma. Badly done. She has watched you grow from a time when her notice of you was an honour to this, humbling her, laughing at her in front of people who would be guided by your treatment of her. It is not pleasant for me to say these things, but I must tell you the truth while I can, proving myself your friend by the most faithful counsel, trusting that sometime you will do my faith in you greater justice that you do it now.

• Mr. Knightley : I rode through the rain! I'd - I'd ride through worse than that if I could just hear your voice telling me that I might, at least, have some chance to win you.

• Mr. Knightley : Marry me. Marry me, my wonderful, darling friend.

• Mr. Knightley : Vanity working on a weak mind produces every kind of mischief.

• Mr. Knightley : Emma, you didn't ask me to contribute a riddle.

  Emma Woodhouse : Your entire personality is a riddle, Mr. Knightley. I thought you overqualified.

• Mr. Knightley : [about Emma's insult to Miss Bates]  Badly done, Emma!

• Mr. Knightley : I can think of nothing less appealing than an evening of watching other people dance. Go on!

  [throwing stick for dog to fetch] 

  Emma Woodhouse : Then you shall have to dance yourself.

  Mr. Knightley : I have no taste for it. I'd rather fetch that stick.

  Emma Woodhouse : I'll try to remember to bring it to the ball.

  Mr. Knightley : [pause]  I just want to stay here where it's cozy.

• Emma : The most incomprehensible thing in the world to a man is a woman who rejects his offer of marriage.

  Mr. Knightley : I do not comprehend it because it is madness.

  [about Harriet's refusal of Robert Martin's offer of marriage] 

  Mr. Knightley : I hope you are wrong.

  Emma : I could not be. I saw her answer.

  Mr. Knightley : Emma

  [looking at her suspiciously] 

  Mr. Knightley : ... you wrote her answer, didn't you?

  Emma : If I did, I would have done no wrong. He is not Harriet's equal.

  Mr. Knightley : I agree he is not her equal.

  Emma : Good.

  Mr. Knightley : He is her superior in sense and situation!

• Mr. Knightley : Better be without sense than misapply it as you do.

• Mr. Knightley : The truest friend does not doubt... but hope.

• [Emma shoots a badly-aimed arrow] 

  Mr. Knightley : Try not to kill my dogs.

• Emma Woodhouse : How fascinating that any discordancy between us must always arise from *my* being wrong.

  Mr. Knightley : Not fascinating, but true.

• Mr. Knightley : Men of sense, whatever you may say, do not want silly wives!

• Mr. Knightley : [Whilst standing in front of the enormous Donwell Abbey]  I just want to stay here where it's cozy.

• Mr. Knightley : You must be happy that she settled so well.

  Emma Woodhouse : Indeed! One matter of joy in this is that I made the match myself. People said Mr. Weston would never marry again, and what a triumph!

  Mr. Knightley : Triumph? You made a lucky guess!

  Emma Woodhouse : Have you never known the triumph of a lucky guess? Had I not promoted Mr. Weston's visits and given encouragement where encouragement was needed, we might not have had a wedding today.

  Mr. Woodhouse : Then please, my dear, encourage no one else. Marriage is so disrupting to one's social circle.

• Mr. Knightley : Maybe it is our imperfections which make us so perfect for one another.

• Mr. Knightley : Is it not a brother's job to find fault with his sister?

• Emma : [worried that Mr. Knightley may be in love with Harriet Smith]  Oh dear!

  Mr. Knightley : What?

  Emma : What? Oh...

  [realizing her mistake] 

  Emma : Oh!

  [uneasily] 

  Emma : Something about the deer we need for the... the... venison stew.