She's just as deserving as Demelza.
I dont want to see her only ever have loveless marriages and Ross, whom she's too good for at this point and who she doesn't get in the end anyway.
Are you serious?
I've read the books, and am a huge fan of Oldark. The Poldark writers have softened Elizabeth's character. But she will always be an extremely selfish, manipulative and stupid bitch to me. Her pandering to George is disgusting, and as Francis himself said "Elizabeth is far from perfection."
I fall between the two extreme views expressed here about Elizabeth.
I agree that her character has been softened for this series and, although I've been puzzled by this, I can understand Horsfield not wanting to make Elizabeth a one-dimensional "villain". In fact, the gradual revealing of the inner deviousness has created more impact, and has been more realistic. After all, who would continue to carry a torch for someone so obviously artful?
Although I don't have much sympathy for Elizabeth, I do see the tragedy of her situation. Book 4, Warleggan, describes the period covered by the books up to that point as the tragedy of a woman unable to make up her mind. And no woman deserves the ending that Elizabeth ultimately suffers.
If there aren't any skeletons in a man's closet, there's probably a Bertha in his attic.
It is a sad ending to her life. BUT she does bring it on herself. She manipulates and lies to George throughout their marriage. Then to try and cover her lies, she puts both her child and her life at risk trying to have a preemie! What mother would do that to a child? I highly doubt that there was a great rate of survival for 7 month preemies in that time.
It is sad that her continual lying brought her to such an end.
I suppose you're right, mmariaga. And NO death is pretty! Lol. But, still...
If there aren't any skeletons in a man's closet, there's probably a Bertha in his attic.
You can actually lay that one at Ross' feet. I'm reading "The Four Swans" now and he's the one who suggests she should have another baby and make sure it's premature like the last to put George's suspicions to rest. That's after he tells her she was the love of his life, but before he grabs her and lays kisses all over her face and tells her he never regretted having sex with her. I doubt she would have thought of it if not for him.
As for the OP, no I feel no sympathy for Elizabeth, nor do I find her sympathetic in the least. After Demelza saved her child at the cost of her own that cow was making a play for her husband. She also was planning on Ross dumping his wife and child for her. Save your sympathy for someone who deserves it.
Right now with how I'm feeling about Ross I wasn't too fond of him in the Black Moon with him and Caroline aka The Mouth Kisser and his attitude towards Demelza's brother's, then added to that scene with Elizabeth, I don't think I'm going to be all that upset when Demelza cheats on him. She should tell him she doesn't regret it, either, and see how he likes it.
Something tells me he'll consider it a much different matter when he isn't the one doing it.
That's after he tells her she was the love of his life
I'm reading "The Four Swans" now and he's the one who suggests she should have another baby and make sure it's premature like the last to put George's suspicions to rest.
It's not just Caroline acting that way that bugs me, all these men who have been after Demelza knows she's married and still they go after her. It's like no one respects anyone's marriage and think everyone is fair game married or not.
I think why I despised what the "Mouth Kisser" did twice is she's sat down at a table with Demelza, she's slept under her roof and even went to her when Ross was gone the first time looking for comfort from her and then she kisses her husband twice because she wants to. Wanna bet she'd have a fit if Dwight decided to kiss Demelza or any other woman a couple of times because he felt like it? It's one thing if you don't know the man's wife, but it just smacks of these back-stabbing bimbos who sleep with a friend's husband.
In regards to Ross you can interpret it in many ways, especially when you take into consideration that little private dialogue he has with himself. That he tried to make Elizabeth believe he still loved her, but if he told Demelza he'd have to says thinks he'd didn't mean.
I haven't got up to the point where Demelza cheats on Ross, but I think she did it because for once there was a man who made her feel like she was "The One" the same way Ross has always treated Elizabeth as. Whether it's Elizabeth or wanting to go off on some dangerous mission, Ross has a habit of making Demelza feel like second best. Maybe I'll feel differently when I read it, but that's my feelings right now. Someone also claimed that Jud tells Demelza he saw Ross kissing Elizabeth, which if true, is another contributing factor. Demelza can't have any faith he won't do it again, because he never said he wouldn't do it again. Ross said he didn't come back after the first time because it would have caused too many problems; was that so he could have another helping of Elizabeth or to talk to her?
I know Ross says in the show Demelza is the love of his life, but has he ever said that to her in the books? That's why the syntax doesn't matter. What does is he declares Elizabeth was the love of his life, when he claims he idealized the relationship. So how can he still claim she was the love of his life?
She's sympathetic only because she was given a raw deal. And couldn't change her circumstances.
As for Demelza most don't feel sorry for her. She strong and can handle her own. If Ross was a total cad and left her she'd mananfe just fine as Ross pointed out. So no sympathy for Demelza. Just admiration.
She's sympathetic only because she was given a raw deal.
I always thought Elizabeth married Francis for his money. She never would have lasted at Nampara.
shareI always thought Elizabeth married Francis for his money. She never would have lasted at Nampara.
I firmly believe that Elizabeth broke Francis.
shareI firmly believe that Elizabeth broke Francis.
Elizabeth had an "out" before she married Francis. He offered to let her out of her promise to marry him and she CHOSE not to take it telling him she loved him.
Just because Ross hadn't come a callin', sacrificing his own happiness for Francis' didn't mean she had to go through with the marriage.
Had she accepted Francis' offer to let her off the hook Ross would have eventually come to her.
She made her own decisions sealing her fate in 1799.
Dr Jason Bull: Don't give up on people, they're all we've got.
Elizabeth had an "out" before she married Francis. He offered to let her out of her promise to marry him and she CHOSE not to take it telling him she loved him.
> or having to roll up her sleeves and work in the fields
In the series we were shown her working in the field to assist Francis during the harvest, and she did it with a good attitude and not one word of complaint. Even when her mother got sick, she readily accepted her role in taking care of her for the rest of her life. She doesn't shy away from work, I don't know why people act like she does.
She's sympathetic only because she was given a raw deal. And couldn't change her circumstances
I'm not so sure. Both Verity and Caroline are of the same social class as Elizabeth and yet both had the courage and sheer gumption to take some control of their own destinies for the sake of their happiness. The problem with Elizabeth is not that she compares so unfavorably with Demelza. It's that she compares so unfavorably with Verity and Caroline, these two young women of her own class.
I've never felt an ounce of sympathy for her so far in the show, softened character or no. I've felt more sympathy at times even for George (though not so much in season 2, I admit) than for Elizabeth.
shareSympathy for George? In Oldark, I felt pity for him on occasion, because I think he genuinely loved Elizabeth. In Poldark, she's a trophy wife to him that he won through manipulation. For me,he's hard to watch. And it's very hard for me not to compare the new and old Poldarks. Ralph Bates was awesome. Jack Farthing really puts me off.
shareSympathy for George? In Oldark, I felt pity for him on occasion, because I think he genuinely loved Elizabeth. In Poldark, she's a trophy wife to him that he won through manipulation. For me,he's hard to watch. And it's very hard for me not to compare the new and old Poldarks. Ralph Bates was awesome. Jack Farthing really puts me off.
I saw Clive Francis in a program recently, still an attractive man. Robin Ellis looks good, too!
When I saw the first episode of Poldark years ago, I didn't think much of Robin Ellis. But I warmed up to him quite quickly, and became a huge fan. He and Anghared Rhys were fantastic together: she had incredible energy and he just smoldered!
I agree. Ellis also had a great sense of humor as Ross. I remember a couple of scenes that were my favorite. I really loved the ending scene of season one when he called Demelza, "Gypsy." I also still prefer the first Dwight to the second. Those two were really great together, but so are Turner and Tomlinson.
shareI like Verity much better than either of them.
share