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Characters · 14
Charles Darnay
Charles Darnay is the main moral protagonist of the novel.
character
Doctor Alexandre Manette
Doctor Alexandre Manette is a moral and emotional anchor in the novel, and his eighteen-year wrongful imprisonment in the Bastille propels the entire story.
character
Ernest Defarge
Ernest Defarge is a wine-shop keeper in Paris and a revolutionary leader who connects the novel's themes of oppression and rebellion.
character
Jarvis Lorry
Jarvis Lorry is a senior agent at Tellson's Bank, known for his quiet competence and fierce loyalty, which position him as one of the novel's moral anchors.
character
Jerry Cruncher
Jerry Cruncher is a comical yet morally intricate minor character in Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities, working as a messenger and odd-job man for Tellson's Bank in London.
character
John Barsad (Solomon Pross)
John Barsad, whose real name is Solomon Pross, stands out as one of Dickens's most elusive characters.
character
Lucie Manette
Lucie Manette serves as the emotional and moral heart of A Tale of Two Cities, acting as the "golden thread" that weaves together the novel's diverse characters and plots.
character
Madame Defarge
Madame Thérèse Defarge serves as the main antagonist in A Tale of Two Cities.
character
Marquis St. Evrémonde
The Marquis St. Evrémonde represents the cruel essence of French aristocracy and drives much of the novel's tragic events.
character
Miss Pross
Miss Pross is the fiercely devoted English servant and surrogate mother to Lucie Manette, serving in A Tale of Two Cities as both comic relief and one of the novel's most morally steadfast figures.
character
Mr. Stryver
Mr. Stryver is a loud, self-important barrister in London, and his ambition and social climbing make him one of Dickens's sharpest satirical depictions of professional vanity.
character
Roger Cly
Roger Cly is a minor yet structurally important antagonist in Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities.
character
Sydney Carton
Sydney Carton is the tragic hero of A Tale of Two Cities, portrayed as a talented but dissolute barrister who acts as the legal jackal for the ambitious Mr. Stryver.
character
The Vengeance
The Vengeance is a minor yet striking revolutionary figure in Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities, acting as Madame Defarge's closest aide and most passionate follower among the women of Saint Antoine.
character
Key quotes · 11
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”
This famous opening line is delivered by the narrator (who is Charles Dickens himself, speaking in his own voice) right at the beginning of A Tale of Two Cities (1859), in Book the First, Chapter I: "The Period."
The Narrator (Charles Dickens) · Book the First, Chapter I: The Period
“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”
These are the last, quiet thoughts of Sydney Carton in Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities (1859), imagined as he reflects internally while ascending the guillotine in revolutionary Paris, having taken Charles Darnay's place.
Sydney Carton · Book III, Chapter 15 – "The Footsteps Die Out For Ever"
“A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other.”
This reflective passage can be found near the beginning of Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities (1859), specifically in Book the First, Chapter III ("The Night Shadows").
Narrator (Charles Dickens) · Book the First, Chapter III: The Night Shadows
“I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”
This quote, taken from the Gospel of John (11:25), is delivered by Sydney Carton in Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities (1859) as he stands before the guillotine awaiting his execution in the story's climactic final scene.
Sydney Carton · Book the Third, Chapter 15: The Footsteps Die Out For Ever
“You have been the last dream of my soul.”
This emotional declaration is made by Sydney Carton to Lucie Manette in Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities (1859).
Sydney Carton · Book II, Chapter 13 – "Fifty-two"
“I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from this abyss, and, in their struggles to be truly free, in their triumphs and defeats, through long long years to come, I see the evil of this time and of the previous time of which this is the natural birth, gradually making expiation for itself and wearing out.”
This powerful passage is delivered by Sydney Carton near the end of Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities (1859).
Sydney Carton · Book III, Chapter 15 – The Footsteps Die Out For Ever
“Sadly, sadly, the sun rose; it rose upon no sadder sight than the man of good abilities and good emotions, incapable of their directed exercise, incapable of his own help and his own happiness, sensible of the blight on him, and resigning himself to let it eat him away.”
This poignant passage is narrated by Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities (1859) as an external, omniscient reflection on Sydney Carton after a long night of drinking following Charles Darnay's acquittal.
Narrator (Charles Dickens) · Book the Second, Chapter 5 – "The Jackal"
“There is prodigious strength in sorrow and despair.”
This line is spoken by Madame Defarge in Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities (1859), during a tense moment where the revolutionary women of Saint Antoine discuss their determination and ability to act.
Madame Defarge
“It is a far, far better thing to have a firm answer to 'What are you?' than to have the best answer to 'What do you do?'”
This quote is misattributed or paraphrased — the actual closing words of Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities (1859) are spoken in the internal monologue of Sydney Carton as he faces the guillotine: "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known."
Sydney Carton (internal monologue) · Book the Third, Chapter 15 – The Footsteps Die Out For Ever
“Tell the Wind and the Fire where to stop; not me!”
This powerful line is delivered by Madame Defarge in Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities (1859).
Madame Defarge · Book III, Chapter 12 – Darkness
“I wish you to know that you have been the last dream of my soul. In my degradation I have not been so degraded but that the sight of you with your father, and of this home made such a home by you, has stirred old shadows that I thought had died out of me.”
This deeply moving declaration is delivered by Sydney Carton to Lucie Manette in Book II, Chapter 13 ("The Fellow of No Delicacy") of Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities (1859).
Sydney Carton · Book II, Chapter 13 – 'The Fellow of No Delicacy'
Symbols · 6
Echoing Footsteps
In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens uses the sound of echoing footsteps to symbolize fate, the unavoidable past, and the relentless advance of revolutionary violence.
Madame Defarge's Knitting
In Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities, Madame Defarge's knitting represents the relentless, hidden forces of revolutionary vengeance and fate.
The Broken Wine Cask
In A Tale of Two Cities, the shattered wine cask outside Defarge's wine shop in the Saint Antoine district reflects the dire poverty of the French lower classes and hints at the violent upheaval to come.
The Golden Thread (Lucie's Hair)
In A Tale of Two Cities, Lucie Manette's golden hair serves as the novel's key symbol of love, unity, and healing connections.
The Guillotine
In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens uses the guillotine to illustrate how the French Revolution shifted from a just uprising to ruthless tyranny.
The Loadstone Rock
In A Tale of Two Cities, the Loadstone Rock represents the unavoidable pull of doom—specifically, the magnetic force that draws Charles Darnay back to revolutionary France despite his better judgment and desire for self-preservation.
Literary devices · 11
Anaphora
The novel's most famous passage starts with a powerful series of parallel clauses: 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.'
Paradox
Dickens opens the novel through a series of interlocking paradoxes — "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times… we had everything before us, we had nothing before us" — making contradiction the central theme rather than just a stylistic choice.
Symbolism
The most prominent symbol in the story is Madame Defarge’s knitting, which starts as a simple domestic activity but slowly turns into a death register: each stitch represents the name of an aristocrat sentenced to die.
Motif
Resurrection is the central theme of the novel, introduced in the title of Book One — 'Recalled to Life' — and threaded through every narrative strand that follows.
Dramatic Monologue
Sydney Carton's interior monologue at the end of the novel — "It is a far, far better thing that I do than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known" — serves as a compact dramatic monologue.
Juxtaposition
The novel's title highlights its main contrast — London versus Paris, stability versus revolution, life versus death — a theme that Dickens weaves throughout the entire structure.
Extended Metaphor
The 'golden thread' embodied by Lucie Manette runs as a powerful metaphor throughout all three books.
Irony
Dickens wields irony powerfully in his depiction of the Revolution.
Imagery
Dickens's visual imagery feels vividly cinematic, packed with moral weight.
Personification
The guillotine stands out as the novel's most prominent personification; Dickens describes it as 'the sharp female newly born' and portrays it as a relentless social force with its own desires and tendencies.
Allusion
Carton's last imagined words—'I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord'—are a direct quote from the Gospel of John (11:25), and this reference is central to the narrative rather than just a side note.
Vocabulary · 25
epoch
A long and distinct period of history marked by a particular quality or event. Dickens uses it to describe the contradictory character of the era in which the story is set.
noun · Chapter 1
incredulity
A state of being unwilling or unable to believe something; deep skepticism or disbelief. Here it describes the widespread doubt and distrust that defined the age.
noun · Chapter 1
gaoler
An old spelling of 'jailer' — the person in charge of keeping prisoners locked up. Used throughout to refer to the keeper of the prison where Dr. Manette was held.
noun · Chapter 1
incommodious
Cramped, awkward, and inconvenient to use or move around in. Dickens applies it to Tellson's Bank to stress how uncomfortable and impractical the old building is.
adjective · Chapter 2
bearing
The way a person holds and carries themselves — their posture, manner, and overall physical presence. Used here to note the physical resemblance between two characters.
noun · Chapter 2
drudge
A person who does hard, tedious, or menial work without reward or recognition. Used here as a self-description by a character who feels his efforts go unappreciated.
noun · Chapter 2
Hilary Term
One of the four legal terms of the English court calendar, running roughly from January to April. It marks one boundary of the period during which Carton and Stryver drink heavily together.
noun · Chapter 3
Michaelmas
The feast of St. Michael on 29 September, which also marks the end of the English legal and academic autumn term. Used here as a time marker for the legal year.
noun · Chapter 3
ally
A close partner or helper, especially one who provides essential support. Here it describes Carton's role as the real intellectual force behind Stryver's courtroom success.
noun · Chapter 3
deference
Submission and yielding to the authority or power of another, often out of fear rather than respect. In this passage it describes the obedience the Marquis believes terror forces from the poor.
noun · Chapter 3
repression
The use of force or intimidation by those in power to control and silence people. The Marquis presents it as the only reliable way to keep the lower classes in line.
noun · Chapter 3
dissociated
Separated or distanced itself from something, refusing any connection or responsibility. Used here to describe how the French aristocratic class detached itself from the reality of its own uselessness.
verb · Chapter 7
remunerated
Paid or compensated for work or services. Used ironically here, since the aristocrats expected lavish reward while contributing nothing of value to society.
verb · Chapter 7
deserts
What a person deserves as reward or punishment based on their actions or merit. Used here in the phrase 'in proportion to his deserts,' meaning the reward the aristocrat felt he had earned.
noun · Chapter 7
émigré
A person who has left their home country, especially a French aristocrat or noble who fled or stayed abroad during the Revolution. Being labeled one was a serious criminal charge in revolutionary France.
noun · Chapter 8
smear
A dirty streak or stain spread across a surface. Used here to describe the blood visibly coating the bodies of the men sharpening their weapons at the grindstone.
noun · Chapter 8
grindstone
A large revolving stone wheel used to sharpen blades and tools. In this scene it is being used by revolutionaries to sharpen weapons, and is covered in blood.
noun · Chapter 8
knot
A small, tightly gathered crowd of people. Used here to describe the cluster of spectators who gathered daily to watch the prisoner being transported.
noun · Chapter 8
forefathers
Ancestors; the people from earlier generations of one's family. Used here to describe the crimes of Darnay's noble ancestors for which he is being condemned.
noun · Chapter 9
Carmagnole
A wild, frenzied dance performed in the streets by French revolutionaries during the Reign of Terror. Dickens uses it to show the brutal festivity surrounding the executions.
noun · Chapter 9
tribunal
A court or panel of judges with the authority to try and sentence people. In revolutionary France, these tribunals had near-absolute power and routinely condemned the accused to death.
noun · Chapter 10
resurrection
The act of rising from death back to life. Used in the biblical quotation Carton repeats to himself, and as a thematic echo of his own self-sacrifice giving new life to others.
noun · Chapter 9
saith
An archaic third-person singular form of 'says,' used in older English Bible translations. It appears here in the King James Bible verse that Carton recites as he goes to his death.
verb · Chapter 9
sacrifice
The act of giving up something precious — here, one's own life — for the benefit of others. Carton's willingness to die in Darnay's place is the novel's central act of sacrifice.
noun · Chapter 5
condemned
Officially sentenced to death by a court or authority. Used to describe the fifty-two prisoners, including the man Carton replaces, who have been sentenced to the guillotine.
verb · Chapter 11