Tess Durbeyfield is a luminous beauty who is violated by one man and forsaken by another, but she refuses to remain a victim. Her struggle to endure despite the abandonment of her true love, and despite her desperate attempt to attain happiness, propels Tess toward a tragic end
At a West Country fair a drunken Michael Henchard auctions his wife and daughter, a shameful act which he is never able to forget. Years later, his wife goes in search of him and finds a respected and prosperous man. Henchard is determined to make amends, but his actions only serve to bring more despair and destruction
Jude Fawley is a poor stone carver who is tricked into a loveless marriage and ultimately forced to give up his dreams of a university education. After his wife deserts him, he begins a scandalous relationship with his cousin Sue Bridehead