韓查德原本是個幫人家做工的小人物，在一次喝醉的狀態下竟賣了他的老婆蘇珊及女兒伊莉莎白珍。韓查德酒醒後悔不當初，於是決定洗心革面，離開他原本居住的小農村，到另一城鎮奮發向上。十八年後，蘇珊帶著伊莉莎白珍回來找韓查德，發現他已經成為嘉德市市長。擁有財富與地位的韓查德儘管已和另一名女子私訂終身，但仍計劃重新迎娶蘇珊，試著彌補他過去所犯的錯誤及多年來的虧欠。奈何命運捉弄人，韓查德雖然有心重修舊好，但過去的罪行並未因此煙消雲散。錯綜複雜的三角關係及名利相爭再度引發一連串悲劇，而他的人生，究竟該如何走下去？

Michael Henchard, an unemployed farm labourer, gets drunk at a country fair and sells his wife and baby daughter. Eighteen years later they return to look for him and find that he has risen in the world, to become the damage of his past actions but his impetuous nature leads to tragedy once again.