Discuss the role of tragedy in Thomas Hardy's 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles'.

From the beginning of the novel it is clear that tragedy will taint the life of Hardy's protagonist. As Hardy equates Hamlet and Tess from the start, we learn that he sees Tess as a virtuous victim and therefore as a tragic heroine. This is no surprise as a view often assimilated with the Victorian novel genre is fatalism and Hardy was known for his fatalistic outlook on life; this becomes apparent through Tess's own …

…amp;lt;Tab/><Tab/><Tab/><Tab/><Tab/><Tab/> References: Hardy, Thomas (1891) Tess of the D'Urbervilles. London: Penguin Books Ltd (2003). Higonnet, Margaret (1998) Introduction in Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1891). London: Penguin Books Ltd (2003). Sayer, Karen (1998) York Notes: Tess of the D'Urbervilles. London: York Press. The Victorian Web (2002). Thomas Hardy. Victorianweb.org/authors/hardy/html.