Tess of the d’Urbervilles Characters
TD
Tess Durbeyfield
Protagonist
Innocent
Hardworking
Pure
Tragic
Tess is the protagonist and tragic heroine of the story. A poor country girl who is innocent and hardworking, life treats her cruelly despite her doing no real wrong. She is considered a pure woman who endures great suffering throughout her life.
sister of:
Liza-Lu Durbeyfield
sister of:
Abraham Durbeyfield
loves:
Angel Clare
mother of:
Sorrow
+3 more
AC
Angel Clare
Supporting
Honest
Proud
Idealistic
Romantic
Angel Clare is the son of a clergyman who chooses to become a farmer rather than a priest. He loves Tess deeply but fails her at her most critical moment due to his pride and rigid idealism.
married to:
Tess Durbeyfield
loves:
Tess Durbeyfield
brother of:
Cuthbert Clare
brother of:
Felix Clare
AD
Alec d'Urberville
Antagonist
Selfish
Arrogant
Cunning
Shameless
Alec d'Urberville is a rich and unscrupulous young man who uses his wealth and power to ruin Tess's life. He is arrogant, cunning, and entirely without remorse for the harm he causes.
violates and exploits:
Tess Durbeyfield
controls:
Tess Durbeyfield
JD
John Durbeyfield
Minor
Lazy
Drunk
Vain
Irresponsible
John Durbeyfield is Tess's father, a lazy and frequently drunk man. He becomes consumed with pride upon learning of his supposed noble family heritage, to the detriment of his family.
father of:
Tess Durbeyfield
JD
Joan Durbeyfield
Minor
Simple
Careless
Selfish
Naive
Joan Durbeyfield is Tess's mother, a simple and often careless woman. She prioritises the family's material wellbeing over her daughter's welfare, hoping Tess will marry Alec for financial gain.
mother of:
Tess Durbeyfield
LD
Liza-Lu Durbeyfield
Minor
Good-natured
Kind-hearted
Gentle
Liza-Lu is Tess's younger sister, known for her goodness and kind heart. Tess's dying wish is for Angel to marry Liza-Lu after her own death.
sister of:
Tess Durbeyfield
AD
Abraham Durbeyfield
Minor
Young
Innocent
Abraham Durbeyfield is Tess's younger brother and a minor member of the Durbeyfield family.
HD
Hope Durbeyfield
Minor
Young
Innocent
Hope is one of Tess's younger sisters and a minor member of the Durbeyfield family.
MD
Modesty Durbeyfield
Minor
Young
Innocent
Modesty is one of Tess's younger sisters and a minor member of the Durbeyfield family.
S
Sorrow
Symbolic
Innocent
Short-lived
Symbolic
Sorrow is Tess's baby boy who dies shortly after birth. He serves as a symbolic representation of the suffering and injustice Tess endures, and his denial of a Christian burial highlights the cruelty of social and religious institutions.
MC
Mr. Clare
Minor
Strict
Religious
Principled
Devout
Mr. Clare is Angel's father and a strict clergyman with deeply held religious convictions. His strong faith and rigid views shape the values of his household.
father of:
Angel Clare
MC
Mrs. Clare
Minor
Proud
Class-conscious
Kind
Mrs. Clare is Angel's mother, a woman who is proud and aware of social class distinctions yet possesses a kind nature beneath her exterior.
mother of:
Angel Clare
CC
Cuthbert Clare
Minor
Scholarly
Religious
Conventional
Cuthbert Clare is Angel's scholarly brother who works as a clergyman. He later marries Mercy Chant.
brother of:
Angel Clare
FC
Felix Clare
Minor
Religious
Conventional
Felix Clare is Angel's other brother, serving as a curate or assistant priest. He represents the conventional religious path that Angel chose to reject.
brother of:
Angel Clare
MC
Mercy Chant
Minor
Religious
Pious
Conventional
Mercy Chant is a devout young woman who was expected to marry Angel Clare. She ultimately marries Cuthbert Clare instead.
intended bride of:
Angel Clare
DC
Dairyman Crick
Supporting
Kind
Generous
Welcoming
Fair
Dairyman Crick is Tess's employer at Talbothays Dairy, known for his kindness. He provides Tess with a relatively happy and supportive working environment.
employer of:
Tess Durbeyfield
married to:
Mrs. Crick
MC
Mrs. Crick
Minor
Friendly
Helpful
Respectable
Mrs. Crick is the wife of Dairyman Crick, described as friendly, helpful, and respectable. She contributes to the warm atmosphere at Talbothays Dairy.
married to:
Dairyman Crick
IH
Izz Huett
Supporting
Loving
Compassionate
Honest
Loyal
Izz Huett is a milkmaid at Talbothays Dairy who works alongside Tess. She is one of several milkmaids who love Angel Clare, and she later shows pity and compassion toward Tess.
loves unrequitedly:
Angel Clare
friends with:
Tess Durbeyfield
M
Marian
Supporting
Loving
Compassionate
Sympathetic
Marian is a milkmaid at Talbothays Dairy who loves Angel Clare along with her fellow workers. She later feels pity for Tess's misfortunes.
loves unrequitedly:
Angel Clare
friends with:
Tess Durbeyfield
RP
Retty Priddle
Supporting
Loving
Emotionally fragile
Sensitive
Retty Priddle is a milkmaid at Talbothays Dairy who is in love with Angel Clare. She is so devastated by Angel's marriage to Tess that she attempts to harm herself.
loves unrequitedly:
Angel Clare
FG
Farmer Groby
Minor
Harsh
Cruel
Unsympathetic
Farmer Groby is Tess's harsh employer at Flintcomb-Ash, contrasting sharply with the kindly Dairyman Crick. He represents the cruelty and hardship Tess faces in her later life.
harsh employer of:
Tess Durbeyfield
MB
Mrs. Brooks
Minor
Observant
Detached
Mrs. Brooks is the landlady at The Herons in Sandbourne, where Tess stays with Alec. She is a witness to the circumstances surrounding the story's climax.
landlady of:
Tess Durbeyfield
PT
Parson Tringham
Minor
Knowledgeable
Unwittingly influential
Parson Tringham is the clergyman who informs John Durbeyfield of his supposed noble d'Urberville ancestry. His revelation sets the tragic chain of events in motion.
informs of noble lineage:
John Durbeyfield
VO
Vicar of Marlott
Minor
Rigid
Dogmatic
Institutional
The Vicar of Marlott initially refuses to grant Tess's infant Sorrow a Christian burial, representing the cold and unforgiving face of institutional religion.
MR
Mrs. Rolliver
Minor
Permissive
Business-minded
Mrs. Rolliver is the owner of the ale-house frequented by the Durbeyfield family. She is a minor figure associated with the family's vices and irresponsibility.
MD
Mrs. d'Urberville
Minor
Reclusive
Eccentric
Emotionally detached
Animal-loving
Mrs. d'Urberville is Alec's blind, elderly mother who shows more affection for her pet birds than for people. Tess once worked for her, and she represents the hollow reality behind the d'Urberville name.
mother of:
Alec d'Urberville