Tess Of The D'Urbervilles. Episode 2
(eVideo)

eVideo

English

Originally released by BBC Worldwide Ltd., 2008.

Streaming video file encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on January 17, 2017.

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The baby is mortally ill. Because Tess's father refuses to let him be baptized in a church, she is forced to perform the ceremony herself, calling him "Sorrow." The baby dies. Tess pleads with Parson Tringham to allow the baby to be buried in the churchyard, but the parson says he cannot permit this, so Tess digs a small grave for Sorrow in a field next to the church, on unconsecrated ground. Tess leaves home and finds work at a dairy farm, a happy and sun-filled place, presided over by the jovial Mr. Crick. Tess becomes immediate friends with three dairy girls, Marion, Izzy and Retty. The girls are totally besotted with an educated young man who is on the farm learning how to become a gentleman farmer. His name is Angel Clare. Tess instantly recognizes him. Over a hot summer, Tess and Angel fall in love. Angel is unwavering in his wish to marry Tess, and travels home to tell his parents of his intentions. They do not approve as he is informally betrothed to a prim and proper local girl, Mercy Chant. But Mr. Clare, a deeply religious but tolerant man, concedes that the decision whom Angel should marry must be Angel's alone. Briefly, at the parsonage, Angel has caught a glimpse of Alec d'Urberville, who is taking religious instruction from Mr. Clare after the death of his mother. Angel rushes back to the farm to propose to Tess. She is torn between ecstasy and fear as she struggles with her strong love for Angel and a sense of guilt and unworthiness. Can she tell him about her past, her relationship with Alec, her dead baby? She eventually succumbs to his passionate entreaties and accepts his hand. The girls are jealous of course, but pleased for her. Retty seems to be more distressed than the others. On a trip to town to choose her wedding dress, Tess encounters Alec's bailiff, Groby. He calls her a whore to her face. Not knowing who he is, Angel knocks the man to the ground. Tess now decides that she must reveal all to Angel, before they get married. She writes him a letter on the night before the wedding and puts it under his door. The next morning, she is relieved to see that Angel appears to be completely unaffected by her confession. But when she goes to his room to fetch something she sees that the letter has slipped under a rug. It hasn't been opened. She tries to tell Angel everything verbally, but he will not hear about anything now; they have a wedding to get to... Tess burns the letter.

9 & up.

Streaming video file.

System requirements: Classroom Video On Demand playback platform.

Closed-captioned.