polygamy-cruel?

Assalamualaikum, readers. i just got back from Penang, so now i'm in USM Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, continuing my life as a 2nd year dental student. 
yesterday, i watched Downton Abbey Season 3, one of the last few episodes before this series come to an end, and something from the series itself gave me an idea on what to write.
as a Muslim, i know that a man can marry more than one if he think he is capable of coping with the consequences. one might think, oh, that's pretty easy, just meet the girl's family, get their consent, persuade your wife so that she agrees for him to marry another one, pay for the wedding ceremony and Ta-Daaa!!! you become a man who married more than one! but that's not all you need to think of. the burden is more now. the man needs to provide food, shelter, love and money for BOTH his wives, and if they have kids with him, he needs to provide all of those elements in the kids as well. not only that. as a Muslim, he needs to make sure his wives obey the teachings of Islam. he needs to monitor them praying 5 times a week, doing extra good deeds and many others. 
why must he do this? in Islam, a man is responsible for the wives and kids once the lady is married to him. so if the lady does anything wrong, the husband needs to pay for it at Judgement Day. 
can you see the responsibilities a man needs to carry when he marries one, or more than one? *where am i going with this?*
okay, back to Downton Abbey. Lady Edith works for a newspaper company in London and in the episode i watched yesterday, she confronted her boss, who is married and flirted with her. Lady Edith expressed how much she disapproves his actions. the boss opened up to her and told her that he is indeed married with a wife, but his wife is crazy, and the wife is now in an asylum. Lady Edith asked him why would he be attracted with a young lady like her? and he told her he's lonely. he has been lonely for a few years now. so, Lady Edith asked him, 'why wouldn't you divorce her?' and guess what the man said? he told her how he can't just let go of the wife, especially when she is in such condition.
this is why Islam is so great. if this thing were to happen in a Muslim community, one may get married with a second wife without abandoning the first wife. how can he not abandon his first wife when he is happy and jolly with his second wife, who is much younger? you see, a husband's responsibility is not just providing one with love. he needs to provide the wife with money, shelter and food. in the case of Downton Abbey, if the man were to divorce his wife just to marry Lady Edith, that's considered wrong in Islam. the wife needs her husband to provide her with money for her stay at the asylum. who would provide her money and food at the asylum without the husband giving money to the institution? 
i don't expect you to digest this issue all at once, because it's a VERY sensitive issue. but, i'm just sharing my point of view as a Muslim in this. however, this is my conclusion:

thanks for reading.