Character of Angel Clare or Character Sketch of Angel Clare

Angel Clare is the most important character in the novel “Tess of D’Urbervilles”. He is the youngest son of Reverend Clare and Mrs. Clare. He appears in the first phase of the novel where some girls were dancing and he didn’t dance with them. Then he reappears in the third phase of the novel in Toolbathays dairy farm.

He does not have any university degree like his brothers, because of religious difference with his father, yet he has real taste for reading books. His father was shocked once to receive a book by mistake ordered by Angel Clare. The book dealt with philosophy which was against the views of his father.

His brother ordained ministries and his father wanted Angel to join Church but he was not satisfied and convinced with the practices of Church. He was interested in the field of agriculture. 

In Toolbathays dairy farm he fell in love with Tess. Tess was beautiful, simple, light-hearted and innocent girl. He wanted to marry her and few times he desired to kiss her, but always requested her permission and desisted. This shows the innocence & simplicity of Angel Clare. He was guilty of life spent with dissolute woman of forty eight hours, who was older than him. He was the victim of same sin as Tess was, but he becomes stony hearted when Tess revealed her secret of losing virginity. He leaves for Brazil, but there he senses arise and realizes that he has done wrong to her and came back in search of her. At last he found her and apologized to her. 

To sum up, Angel Clare is the important character after Tess. He has tendency of dry reasoning which make his life unhappy. He is innocent, simple, light-hearted character in the novel “Tess of D’Urbervilles”