Angel

• "As he fell out of the dance, his eyes lighted on Tess Durbeyfield, whose own large orbs wore, to tell the truth, the faintest aspect of reproach that he had not chosen her."

  
  

  "He, too, was sorry then that, owning to her backwardness, he had not observed her."

  - Fate & missed opportunity. As the novel progresses, we realise as readers that the theme of fate and missed opportunity are crucial in heightening the tragedy. It can certainly be argued that 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles' would not be as tragic without Tess' missed opportunities and fate which are outside of Tess' control. Thus, it can be argued that much of Tess' experiences are not controlled by herself or her inward characteristics, rather, there is an exterior power controlling Tess' fate.

  - We begin to question why Angel plays such an important role at the very beginning of the novel? Why does Hardy focus on Tess' encounter with Angel? Does this anticipate Angel becoming an important character to Tess' fate?

  - Arguably love at first sight between the two characters. A natural love which involves two people and is not one-sided. It can be argued that when Tess meets Alec, we feel disappointed and upset as the readers. We cannot help but think of what Tess would have experienced if she would have ended up dancing with Angel at the May Day dance.

  - This missed opportunity is crucial to Tess' fate. In missing the opportunity of dancing together, Tess remains available to other marriage prospects, leading her to 'claim kin' and get married to Alec (as her parents hope). This leads Tess to become a victim of his evil behaviour.

  - Could this all have been prevented?
• "They seemed to have quite forgotten him already. All of them, except, perhaps, one. This white shape stood apart by the hedge alone."

  - Missed opportunity & fate; significant to the tragedy.

  - In making a stranger, Tess, such a big part of Angel's life, it can be argued that Hardy anticipates the emergence of their relationship as the novel progresses. Although they cannot be together now, they will be in the future. However, does Angel's erroneous judgement of picking a different girl to dance with lead to it being a bad-omen for the two when they reunite and rekindle? Does this missed opportunity anticipate their future relationship which will only work based on secrets and missed-opportunities which feed into Angel's idealism?

  - Angel is presented as being regretful and disappointed at his erroneous judgement. Could his fault of judgement and misinterpretation of what the right decision was, be reflective of his future erroneous judgements and misinterpretations? Is Angel too rash and often lacks rationale when making crucial decisions such as who the right girl to dance with is, or how to react to Tess' truth? Why did he act in such a way? Was there a hidden motive?

  - It can also be argued that Tess' future would have played out differently if she was the 'chosen' one by Angel?
• "She was so modest, so expressive, she had looked so soft in her think white gown that he felt he had acted stupidly."

  - We are made aware of Angel's idyllic and unrealistic perception of Tess, a motif which will be carried throughout the novel and one that will be crucial to their relationship when they reconvene.

  - It can be argued that in making Angel's view of Tess known even when Angel does not have an interaction with Tess, Hardy implies that modesty is a key necessity and trade required by Angel's prospective wife. Does it also imply that much of Angel's judgement of Tess will be based on modesty and purity?

  - Angel romanticises Tess without knowing her. Could he be seen as his own tragic villain and a tragic villain to Tess as he is blinded by his own ideals which creates unrealistic expectations for himself of Tess which lead to further downfall for Tess?
• "She (Tess) did not so easily dislodge the incident from her consideration."

  
  

  "She might have had plenty of partners; but ah! they did not speak so nicely as the strange young man had done."

  - About Tess; she misses her opportunity to dance with Angel.

  - Tess' emotional response to Angel's rejection shows Tess' attraction to Angel. If Angel was just an ordinary boy who wanted to dance with Tess, perhaps she would not be so emotionally impacted by the missed opportunity. Yet, the fact that Tess puts so much emotion into the missed opportunity, Hardy implies that Angel was more than a missed opportunity. He was a man who could have potentially been of large importance to Tess.

  - We need to consider why Hardy focuses so much on this missed opportunity. He would not place this scene in the novel for no reason. Angel was brought into the novel for a reason. Thus, Hardy's extensive focus on Angel anticipates his relevance to Tess as the novel progresses.

  - Tess' emotional response to Angel also shows that their potential relationship would have come naturally and was not forced, juxtaposing the relationship she will form with Alec.

  - This shows that Tess' future and destiny are against her. We begin to feel upset and pity for her which will be intensified when she encounters Alec. We are aware that Tess' missed opportunity prevented her from forming a relationship with a man whom she had a natural connection with from the very beginning. Instead, she experiences unnatural and forced love, a painful type of love which will cause her pain throughout the novel.
• "[Tess had] the discovery that he was one whom she had seen before."

  
  

  "Had danced with others but not with her."

  - Fate/missed opportunity.

  - Although these quotes are not necessarily a flashback, it does involve Tess reminiscing her past as an innocent girl living at Marlott. Thus, it can be argued that in making Tess be reminded of her past, Hardy suggests to the readers that Tess' past missed opportunities and her past mistakes will make a reappearance.

  - It is also important to understand that Angel has been brought back into Tess' life for a reason. Although we see that Angel misses the opportunity to dance with Tess, and rekindling with someone is often rare, for the two it isn't. They are naturally attracted to each other and will eventually find each other. The dynamic and structure of their current unknown relationship thus suggests that they are ideal lovers, lovers whose relationship is natural and not forced by other factors - like Tess' poverty forced her to claim kin from Alec.

  - In making Angel reappear in Tess' life, Hardy also creates a fear within the readers. Are Angel and Tess going to miss another opportunity? Or, does Hardy reintroduce Angel as a character which helps Tess escape the past?

  - Some may even feel upset at the fact that the two faced a missed opportunity and would pity Tess for her suffering with Alec, only for her to re-encounter Angel. Right person, wrong time. FATE
• "[Angel] had acquired a young man's shapely moustache."


  - First description of Angel although we have encountered him previously.

  - The narrator's description of Angel is similar to Alec's: both the characters have a "moustache". Some may argue that Angel is a mirror character of Alec.

  - In presenting Angel as having similar traits to Alec, it can be argued that Hardy alludes to an Angel that embodies the same morals and values as Alec - a patriarchal, misogynistic and wealthy man who abuses his power. OR, perhaps the moustache is a sign of wealth as they were both of the same social class?

  - This could be seen as a bad-omen. Angel is deliberately made to mirror Alec's appearance. Could it be Hardy implying that Angel is a threat to Tess too, or, perhaps there are elements of Alec's behaviour in Angel? It can also be argued that Angel is far from Alec's mirror - rather, the moustache is a distorted form of Alec's moustache which could suggest that Alec will haunt their relationship in some way.
• "Clare"


  - Angel's surname; French for clarity, light, hope in the darkness.

  - Symbolism of name; Angel as Tess' angel who provides her light and hope in moments of darkness? A hope for changes in the future and escaping her past?
• "He concluded that he had beheld her before; where he could not tell."

  - Missed opportunity/fate. Bad omen -> the potential relationship starts on a missed opportunity. Perhaps they are meant to be but there are many barriers stopping them from being together, reflective of their love for each other but the barriers placed on them by their past as a potential couple and each individual character's past.

  - Bad omen -> Tess remembers where she encountered him. He does not. Tess as an after thought? Maybe his attraction to her was not genuine and therefore did not remember of the moment? The moment was not so significant for Angel but it is ironically significant for Tess as he is the ideal man to her but she regrets her missed opportunity when in the clasps of the tragic villain.
• "Perhaps somebody in the house is in love."


  - Said by Mrs Crick after the dairy is paralysed and the farm is struggling with producing milk. As their relationship changes the natural order of things, it can be argued that their relationship is unnatural or is threatening to society or to each other,

  - Superstition & idea of fate. Superstition is a common theme throughout the play: fortune-telling, bad-omens, good-omens, certain incidents representing certain beliefs, etc.

  - The relationship of Angel and Tess is built on superstitious views.

  - Fate; foreshadowing.

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• "O Mr Clare - I cannot be your wife - I cannot be!"

  - Active character; gives herself a voice and an opportunity to stand up for herself and against anything that challenges her plans, aspirations or her values. Contrast to her approach to her mother's suggestion that she should "claim kin".

  - We question why Tess refuses the proposal? Past trauma?

  - Some may argue that in Tess refusing the proposal the first time but nevertheless, marrying Angel, it is a bad-omen. Tess' reluctance to marry Angel and not accepting his proposal initially shows that Tess is perhaps not ready mentally and emotionally and therefore, perhaps not ready for the marriage.

  - Significant to the tragedy -> Had Tess kept to her word and refused every single marriage proposal of Angel's, Tess would have not been put in a position where she felt she had to become a murderess to save her marriage. The marriage with Angel as a factor which leads to her downfall.
• "I will tell you my experiences - all about myself - all!"


  - Tess to Angel about her past.

  - "Experiences" -> her encounters and interactions with men.

  - NOTE: Many critics argue that Tess is a tragic villain to Angel because she does not let him know of her secret early on, and therefore, encourages and feeds into Angel's unrealistic and deluded view of her. She arguably puts on a facade which is successful in making Angel romanticise her innocence.

  - However, this is not the case. It is evident that Tess feels guilty of not being able to open up about her secrets. It would be inhumane to expect Tess to open up to a character she does not trust yet. It is important to acknowledge that she has trust issues because of her past, and therefore, it may be much more difficult for her to open up.
• Angel asks Tess to join him on the journey to the station to deliver some milk.

  As the two pursue the journey, "the evening grew darker" and colder. As Tess had "nothing upon [her] arms or shoulders", Angel asks her to "creep close to [him]".


  - The journey to the station to deliver some milk ironically parallels Tess' journey from the market to Trantridge with Alec. Like her journey with Alec, her journey with Angel also takes place in the darkness.

  - Being aware of past incidents, both Tess and the readers inevitably feel scared about what could potentially happen.

  - Darkness -> element of tragedy.

  - Like Alec, Angel asks Tess to embrace him physically. However, it is important to note that Angel does not do it deliberately. Alec puts Tess in a position of vulnerability on purpose, making her fear for her life because of her past incident with her horse as they are horse riding together. For Angel however, it seems that it is just an innate desire of his to help Tess.

  - Thus, this difference in attitudes towards Tess makes it evident that although there are parallels between Angel and Alec, Alec is a better man/partner towards Tess. We begin to trust Angel more as he provides us with a glimmer of hope that he might be a change for Tess after being a victim of misogyny and male violence.
• "There's one of the kidney who has taken the name - where have I heard of him? Up in the neighbourhood of The Chase, I think."

  - Tess reveals one of her secrets to Angel: her ancestors are the D'Urbervilles.

  - Upon hearing this news, Angel ironically refers to Alec. His first thought after hearing Tess' secret is to think of him. Thus, it can be argued that Tess cannot escape her past.

  - Her fate is marked by her lineage, her poverty and her rape.
• "She wanted to tell all her history to Angel Clare, despite her mother's command."


  - Tess is close to revealing the truth about her past despite being advised by her mother not to.

  - Tess as an active character; contrasting the beginning of the novel where Tess remains powerless and passive under the control of her parents, especially her mother. Thus, it is obvious that Tess is experiencing a character change.

  - Some however may argue that this is a sense of pride in Tess as well. Despite being advised by her mother not to admit to the truth as her mother is aware of the impact it could have for her, Tess' pride potentially jeopardises Tess' relationship with Angel and thus, brings her own downfall. It can be argued that Tess is her own tragic villain, it is not Angel who brings her downfall.

  - However, others may understand why Tess does not accept her mother's advice. Her mother's erroneous judgement has previously made Tess a victim of suffering.

  - Erroneous judgement of Tess which leads to a turning point; significant to the tragedy, Tess' pride and her attempt to create solid foundations for the marriage lead to the deterioration of the marriage.
• "[Tess] slipped the note under his door."

  
  

  "She withdrew the letter. She destroyed the letter."

  - This is the closest Angel will be to finding out the truth. Tess takes responsibility for her past and puts on an act of bravery in attempt to make her true nature and experiences known to her future husband.

  - Many readers would praise Tess for having the courage to reveal her secret considering the harshness and weaponisation of gender norms during the Victorian era.

  - Others however, would condemn Tess for lacking bravery. In "slipping the note under his door" and not informing him directly of her past, it is as if Tess is reluctant of her truth being found out. Rather, she wants to alleviate some of her guilt by just attempting to tell him the truth, even if he does not find out.

  - Fate/missed opportunity. The note becomes lodged under the door. Structurally important -> perhaps Hardy structures this scene in this way to prevent the potential marriage from being called off. In doing so, Hardy allows the couple to get married and thus, putting more emotional pressure on Tess when she encounters her rapist, determining her to kill him.

  - Having found out that Angel did not read the letter, Tess destroys it. The relationship is built on the foundations of lying and deception. Tess destroys the truth and acts as a manipulator towards Angel.
• "The D'Urberville Coach - a well-known superstition of this county about your family."

  
  

  "A certain D'Urberville committed a dreadful crime in his family coach; and since that time, members of the family see or hear the old coach whenever."

  - The couple is about to get married.

  - FATE; Tess cannot escape her past. Even in moments of happiness, her lineage and ancestry, as well as the sins of her past ancestors haunt her. BAD OMEN -> The marriage starts off negatively with Tess being haunted by her past. It is evident that Hardy is telling us that Tess will be unable to escape her past, even when she is married. The past will return to her.

  - Her ancestry is a driving force of the tragedy. Had Jack not known of their ancestry of the D'Urberville family, perhaps Tess would have not been put in the position of meeting her rapist.

  - The D'Urberville name is what impacts Tess' life significantly.

  - Mention of superstitions AGAIN.
• "The crowing of a white cock with the a rose comb."


  - The couple are now married. As soon as the couple gets married and leave the church, they hear a cock.

  - In the world of superstitions and farming, the cock is an omen for ill-fortune. Once again, in their relationship, ill-omens are frequently occurring. Thus, in frequently including omens in their relationship, Hardy anticipates the failure of the relationship and the failure of the relationship to overturn its fate.

  - Moreover, this also shows the consequences of Tess' past on her present life. The white coloured cock with a "rose comb" reflects Tess clothing at the beginning of the novel: a "white muslin figure" "splashed from face to skirt with crimson drops". Thus, it can be argued that the cock is telling us that the bad-omen is Angel finding out of Tess' sinning and loss of innocence, which will tragically lead to the destruction of the relationship.
• "Ancestral mansions"


  - Angel takes Tess on a honeymoon to her ancestral mansions.

  - In the past few chapters there have been repeated references to Tess' D'Urberville ancestry. Although to Angel, Tess' ancestry is something beautiful and a part of her that makes her in line with his family's beliefs; he is deceived. To Tess, the D'Urberville family is the epitome and danger of threat. There is no villain more dangerous than her ancestry which has forced her to sacrifice her innocence for her family's desperation of wealth.

  - In repeatedly referencing Tess' D'Urberville ancestry, Hardy makes it known that Tess cannot escape. He makes her feel claustrophobic with her lineage and suggests that her efforts are futile in escaping the past. It is inevitable that Angel will find out.
• "How can we be together while that man lives? If he were dead it might be different."

  - Angel offers Tess with an insight of how he would be willing to sacrifice his hatred towards her and accept her of her past. Angel makes it clear that he could potentially have forgiven her had Alec not been alive. Thus, in a way, it can be argued that Angel is what determines Tess to become a murderess.

  - Significant to the tragedy: Had Angel not made Tess aware of his own belief, Tess would have not felt the need to become a murderess and kill Alec. Therefore, Angel is one of the reasons as to why Tess sins even more and becomes a threat to Victorian society, leading to her double damnation and execution.

  - However, many would admire Tess for becoming a murderess. In killing Alec, Tess proves her devotion to Angel. She sacrifices her life in hell (after purposely sinning, unlike previously) to prove her love to him. TESS AS A DEVOTED, LOYAL AND LOVING WIFE -> Dutiful wife role.

  - Irony; in telling Tess the situation would have been different if Alec was dead, Angel encourages Tess to commit murder. Thus, it can be argued that Angel commits 'joint-enterprise' and abandons his family's morality. NOTE: Angel does not get punished. Proof that the punishment falls on Tess as she is a woman and is unjustly sentenced.
• "Dead! dead! dead!"

  
  

  "My wife - dead, dead!"

  
  

  "Lifting her from the bed with as much respect as one would show to a dead body, he carried her across the room."

  - Dreams typically foreshadow future events or are reflective of current suppressed feelings. Thus, it can be argued that in making Angel dream of Tess being dead, Hardy foreshadows Tess' death.

  - It could also be argued that in making Angel be the one who has a prophesy of Tess' death, Hardy also suggests that Angel will have some sort of connection to her death. Perhaps he is the reason she dies?

  - This event also mirrors the event that has previously occurred: Angel carrying Tess from one side of the river to the other. However, this time; his love for her is dying. Moments of happiness are short-lasting in tragedy.
• "The empty stone coffin in which Clare carefully laid Tess."


  - Metaphor for Tess being dead in Angel's eyes?

  - It is important to note that chapter 37 begins with this scene: Angel dreaming about Desdemona being dead. There must be a reason as to why he dreams of her being dead.

  - Either it is a prophesy or, Angel is mentally frustrated to the extent that he has devilish thoughts of killing her.

  - Angel is beginning to mirror Alec in the sense that although he does not take advantage of Tess like Alec does, his dreams assert a level of patriarchy and misogyny over Tess - perhaps taking control of her life and deciding her fate.
• "O Tess! If you had one told me sooner, I would have forgiven you."


  - Fate/missed opportunity. It seems as if a lot of the issues Tess faces involve wrong-timing. Could she have been prevented from meeting Alec had Prince never died? Could she have been saved from being raped had she danced with Angel?

  - A change of attitude to Tess' revelation. We begin to question as to why Angel has changed his behaviour towards her and now admits he would have forgiven her had she let him known earlier.

  - It could perhaps be argued that Angel loves her and that is why he is willing to forgive her. Yet, it seems that there are some underlying reasons as to why he can't. Could it be because of his over-emphasis and exaggeration to his parents about Tess' purity before he marries her and therefore does not want to cause them disappointment? Had he known prior to meeting his parents about her purity, maybe he wouldn't have accepted his parents requirement of "orthodoxy"?
• "Going to Brazil."

  - Journey -> writer's method; Throughout this novel, Hardy repeatedly uses journeys as metaphors for change experienced by characters. For example, each journey experienced by Tess changes her as a woman, e.g. from virgin to a fallen woman.

  - Thus, it can be argued that Hardy uses a similar authorial method on Angel. Although it is tragic that Angel has abandoned his wife, it could be argued that Angel's journey to Brazil could be a metaphor for his change of views as well as attitudes to Tess. Considering he is far from his parental influence, it can be argued that he will now adopt a more liberal, non-religious stance on purity.
• Tess' letter to Angel: "I am so exposed to temptation, Angel." "Can you not come to me now, at once, before anything terrible happens?"

  "Come to me, come to me, save me from what threatens me!"

  - One of the only times Tess is active and not passive against her own circumstance and does not allow herself to become a victim.

  - Tess' letter is a sign of desperation.

  - We begin to question why Tess is tempted. Usually, Tess is tempted when an offer involves benefits for her family. Thus, it can be argued that Alec's temptation of her will aid her and her family. Perhaps it can be argued that Alec once again manipulates Tess and her needs to win her over.

  - Others may argue that Angel's move to Brazil and his inexplicable response to her confession has made Tess desperate for love, thus, she is willing to accept any form of love. Perhaps, Alec provides her with more love than her own husband? Maybe she has been deceived into thinking so?

  - Poverty as a driving force.

  - Fate. The author increases tension as we begin to question whether Angel will return on time. Considering the typical structure of the novel and the focus on missed opportunities, it is almost inevitable that Angel will miss the opportunity of saving Tess.
• "During this time of absence, he had mentally aged a dozen years. He now began to discredit the old appraisements of morality."


  - Change in Angel's character -> Although he had initially rejected the church's control over him, he was unable to reject the control of his morality by his family which was influenced by the church. Thus, before his journey to Brazil, it can certainly be argued that Angel was a moralist.

  - However, in focusing on Angel and his return to Brazil, Hardy makes it evident that there has been a change within Angel's character - like Tess, who faces change after every single journey.

  - Thus, although some may argue that Angel's journey to Brazil is immoral in the sense that he has left Tess helpless, making her fall for temptation, it could also be argued that his journey was necessary for him to abandon his trait as a people-pleaser and influenced-thinker, allowing himself to form a thought of his own on morality.

  - Structurally important -> Angel returns to Brazil with a heart changed on the views of morality. In presenting Angel in such a way, we have hopes as readers that Angel will forgive Tess and prevent her from falling for temptation,
• "It is too late, too late!"

  - Fate/missed opportunity. The events unroll like anticipated. A key theme of the novel is the theme of fate/missed opportunity, thus, it was expected that the reunion of the married couple to have been too late.

  - Angel's return - found Tess.

  - We begin to feel pity for Tess as she is likely to be put in a conflicting mental state with the arrival of the man she loves most whilst she is in the presence of the man who provides for her family. Likely to be in a sense of desperation.

  - Angel as a tragic villain: his late return likely persuades her to become a murderess so she can escape her rapist and reunite with him.