Tess

Parson Tringham, a local historian, reveals that the Durbeyfield family are descended from the noble d'Urbervilles. He shares the lineage with John Durbeyfield as a passing historical curiosity. The discovery plants the seed that lineage might restore the family's fortunes.

John Durbeyfield fixates on the idea that noble blood could lift his family's fortunes. He and his wife decide Tess should seek work with the nearby d'Urbervilles, hoping for a favorable connection. The plan sets Tess on a path that will test her innocence and change many lives.

Tess is sent to the nearby manor to call on the d'Urberville family and seek employment. She is naïve about the danger of the social trap she is entering. Her visit marks the collision of two different worlds.

At the manor, Alec d'Urberville makes his first advances, attempting to seduce Tess with flattery and gifts like strawberries and roses. Tess resists and tries to keep her dignity, but Alec's persistence continues.

After months of pursuit, Alec finally overpowers Tess and rapes her. The assault marks the loss of Tess's innocence and the start of her troubles.

Tess discovers she is pregnant and returns to her family to face the consequences. The baby is born sickly and dies, deepening Tess's guilt and burden.

Sometime later Tess finds work as a milkmaid at a local dairy farm to support her family. There she meets Angel Clare, a young farmer from a respectable background, and they begin to fall for each other.

Tess and Angel fall in love, with Angel believing Tess to be an innocent country girl. They become engaged in their hearts and dream of a future together.

On their wedding night Tess confesses her previous relationship with Alec. Angel, shocked and disillusioned, rejects Tess.

Deserted by Angel and faced with poverty after her father's death, Tess reluctantly submits to Alec to support her mother and siblings. The harsh reality of hardship pushes her further into a dangerous alliance.

Angel returns from travels with remorse and tracks Tess down, only to find her living with Alec. He is left heartbroken by the state of her life and the choices forced upon her.

To secure her future and escape an impossible situation, Tess murders Alec. She and Angel flee together, sharing two nights of happiness before their freedom is endangered by pursuit.

The couple is captured while Tess sleeps at Stonehenge. Tess is convicted of murder and hanged, ending the tragedy that began with a lineage reveal and a fateful encounter.