tale of two cities essay topics

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A Tale of Two Cities

118 pages • 3 hours read

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Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Book 1, Chapters 1-3

Book 1, Chapters 4-6

Book 2, Chapters 1-3

Book 2, Chapters 4-6

Book 2, Chapters 7-9

Book 2, Chapters 10-13

Book 2, Chapters 14-16

Book 2, Chapters 17-20

Book 2, Chapters 21-24

Book 3, Chapters 1-5

Book 3, Chapters 6-9

Book 3, Chapters 10-12

Book 3, Chapters 13-15

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

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Discussion Questions

Discuss the significance of the title in terms of its themes, style , etc.

Sydney Carton is a lawyer, and several scenes in the novel take place in courtrooms. What role does the law or justice play in the novel, and how does it interact with the maticideas about redemption?

Several characters in A Tale of Two Cities seem to function largely as comic relief—Miss Pross, Jerry Cruncher , etc. Choose one of these humorous characters and explain how they contribute to the novel’s broader meaning.

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A Tale of Two Cities Essay Topics & Writing Assignments

Essay Topic 1

1) Discuss how Mr. Lorry grows as a character from the beginning of the novel to the end.

2) How do his attitudes change toward Tellson's Bank?

3) How does his attitude about his lifestyle change?

4) What are the differences in his attitude toward the meaning of life differ from the beginning to the end of the novel?

Essay Topic 2

1) Evaluate the relationship between Lucie and her father, Doctor Manette.

2) How does the doctor's past affect their relationship with one another?

3) What does Doctor Manette wish for Lucie's future?

4) How does Lucie feel about her father at the end of the novel?

5) Give examples from the story of how they interact with one another.

Essay Topic 3

1) Summarize how Charles Dickens uses local color and imagery to describe London and Paris.

2) Cite descriptive examples of the atmosphere, landscaping, the citizens, the wine shop, the prisons, and Tellson's Bank.

3) Does the...

(read more Essay Topics)

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A Tale of Two Cities

Charles dickens.

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Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

A Tale of Two Cities: Introduction

A tale of two cities: plot summary, a tale of two cities: detailed summary & analysis, a tale of two cities: themes, a tale of two cities: quotes, a tale of two cities: characters, a tale of two cities: symbols, a tale of two cities: literary devices, a tale of two cities: quizzes, a tale of two cities: theme wheel, brief biography of charles dickens.

Historical Context of A Tale of Two Cities

Other books related to a tale of two cities.

• Full Title: A Tale of Two Cities
• When Written: 1859
• Where Written: Rochester and London
• When Published: 1859
• Literary Period: Victorian era
• Genre: Historical novel
• Setting: London and Paris
• Climax: Sydney Carton's rescue of Charles Darnay from prison
• Antagonist: French revolutionaries; Madame Defarge
• Point of View: Third person omniscient

Extra Credit for A Tale of Two Cities

Serial fiction: Like many of Dickens's novels, A Tale of Two Cities was first published in installments in his magazine All the Year Round . Many Victorian novels were first published in serial parts and then later collected into books.

American favorite: Since its publication, A Tale of Two Cities has always been Dickens's most popular work in America.

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A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens

A Tale of Two Cities essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

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A Tale of Two Cities Essays

Madame defarge personifies fate anonymous college, a tale of two cities.

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Resurrection Jessica Williamson

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In the Absence of Hate Helen Huggins

Geoffrey Chaucer once wrote, "Trouthe is the hyeste thing that a man may kepe" (The Canterbury Tales ëThe Knight's Tale'). Since before the ancient Greeks, mankind has striven to discern and define truth, a noble if somewhat arduous task. Even...

Light vs. Dark Throughout A Tale of Two Cities Betsy Tucker

The chaotic and churning society of the eighteenth century is well-depicted in Dicken's A Tale of Two Cities. As France goes through its intense revolution, England remains in its peaceful state. Dickens compares the two countries and their...

Violence in A Tale of Two Cities Anonymous

The storming of the Bastille, the death carts with their doomed human cargo, the swift drop of the guillotine blade - this is the French Revolution that Charles Dickens vividly captures in his famous novel, A Tale of Two Cities. With dramatic...

Mirror Images: Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay Wenjia Chen

In his masterpiece, A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens strengthens his theme of paired opposites by juxtaposing the characters of Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay. Initially, it seems as though Carton and Darnay are completely bipolar. While...

Recalled to Life Anonymous

In A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens asserts his belief in the constant possibility of resurrection and transformation, both on a personal level and on a societal level. The narrative suggests that Sydney Carton's death secures a new, peaceful life...

Resurrection in A Tale of Two Cities Elizabeth Marcil 11th Grade

Resurrection is a term that is often used to describe the rebirth of someone, not only after death, but often as a new person in their own lifetime. In A Tale of Two Cities, a novel written by the famous English author Charles Dickens, the idea...

Death as a Liberation in A Tale of Two Cities Anonymous 11th Grade

Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities is his first of two historical novels. Published in 1859, the book discusses the themes of resurrection, destiny, and concealment. Dickens’ novel both demonstrates his view of society, and contains historical...

A Tale of Two Cities: Opportunity in the Face of Failure Joshua Arispe 12th Grade

When a man’s road to happiness is cut off by a wrong turn and a person finds themselves lost in an unknown state, a second chance is a miraculous hand that comes out at the person, opening up another path, even at his lowest of stages, to once...

Not-So-Great Expectations Anonymous College

As simplistic and politically impartial as Victorian novels and their common familial themes of love and companionship may seem, there is customarily a greater sociopolitical concern inserted within the narrative for the reader of the time to have...

Synthesis Essay on the Theme of Sacrifice Vy Nguyen 12th Grade

In Western literature, sacrifice is often regarded as a noble act because it invokes the powerful image of Christ's death. Many writers throughout history have used this familiar association to reprimand the prevalence of selfishness in the human...

Wine Symbolism in A Tale of Two Cities Anonymous 11th Grade

Tumbling out of the cart, clashing into the dark grey stone, the cask explodes over the pavement, its contents seeping into the jagged cracks of the street. Perplexed by the event, the people watch intently before hastily running towards the...

Pollution of Power in A Tale of Two Cities Lucy Yang 10th Grade

From even the beginning of civilization, social hierarchy molded the formation and development of society. Whether it be the power of a single monarch or that of a democratic board of officials, authority always induces change in both the lives of...

Recurring Purposes Within Dickens' Novels Anonymous 12th Grade

Charles Dickens was a famous critic of his time. He took on Victorian ideals and issues that he viewed as social injustices and criticized them, both in public speeches and in his writing. In his novels, these were primarily subjects like poverty...

From Dreariness to Chaos: The Significant Role of Imagery in "A Tale of Two Cities" Charles Dickens 10th Grade

Imagination is a key requirement when reading in order to interpret or “experience” significant settings and scenes that reflect specific moods throughout the story. An author’s use of adjectives through various senses helps the reader to do so....

La Guillotine: Dickens' Philosophical Use of Figurative Language Emily Miller 10th Grade

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Lucie Manette's Suitors Rachel Lynch 10th Grade

Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities artfully weaves the story of the Manette family through the background of the French Revolution. Though, as readers know, uprising and overthrow in France is imminent, M. Manette and his daughter Lucie deal...

“The Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens Essay

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The story ‘The Tale of two Cities’ written by Charles Dickens is considered to be dedicated to the disclosure of French Revolution period; it is the classic work representing the archetypal characters through the concepts of good and evil interaction, physical and moral courage. The paper will be concentrated on the analysis of the story central heroes, Charles Darnay, Sydney Carton, Lucie Mannette and Madame Defarge, combining the elements of violence and horror with the romanticism and realism style portrayed by Dickens.

Charles Darnay is depicted by Dickens as a French aristocrat, living in England through his inability to accept the injustice and cruelty of French social system. The character is the embodiment of moral values and greatest virtues by his rejection of uncle Marquis Evremonde’s snobbism. Darnay, who is presented as the protagonist of the story, is the expression of nobility and morality. Moving to London, he marries Lucie Manette and they have a little daughter Lucie.

‘He had loved Lucie Manette from the hour of his danger. He had never heard a sound so sweet and deer as the sound of her compassionate voice; he had never seen a face so tenderly beautiful, as hers when it was confronted with his own on the edge of the grave that had been dug for him.’ (Dickens 131)

The events surrounding the character are filled with envy, evilness and hatred; nevertheless, the power of love and deep moral values make the character remain just and faithful. Dickens depicts Darnay as a flat character; despite this fact, he undergoes only minor changes in the flow of the novel. It is interesting to note that the story beginning shows Darnay as a noble character with aristocratic behavior and fleeing to England.

But gradually then character is turned into a loving husband and devoted father, who is a generous and kind son-in-law and a considerate friend at the same time. His attempts to help the servant can be characterized as naïve and noble gesture making him returning to France at the period of revolution oppression. Being imprisoned and helpless, Darnay has no opportunities to help anyone and himself either. Only the character’s faithfulness and devotion, as well as honors and appreciation, expressed in the world perception and attitude to close people and society saved him through actions of Carton and Dr. Manette. (Chisick, 2000)

Sydney Carton is presented as an unrecognized lawyer and heavy drinker; physically the character resembles Darnay, nevertheless, he is quite different. Carton is shown as worthless human being having no high social position and loving family to who he can devote his life. The loneliness was the only friend of his accompanying the character’s thoughts and actions.

‘I care for no man on earth, and no man on earth cares for me.’ (Dickens, 99)

Nevertheless, it is necessary to stress that Carton never harmed anybody and even strived to provide some help he could. He helped in Darnay’s prosecution for treason allowing his colleague Stryver (a friend, who lacks ambitions and gets success due to Carton’s efforts) to reveal him. Carton’s assistance to people positioned the character as a positive personage; despite Carton’s slight hatred to Darnay through their mutual love with Lucie, he wished to become a friend of his, which characterizes carton as a kind-hearted person.

It is necessary to stress that Dickens managed to demonstrate Carton’s gradual changes in his attitude and position in the world; the novel events underline the idea that carton has got the real sense of life being ready to help others and even sacrifice his life. The depiction of Sydney Carton contributed to the central theme of the novel, underlining the symbolism of moral and physical courage. The readers gave an opportunity to see how people can sacrifice all they have for the only love of their love. Carton’s love for Lucie appeared to be the embodiment of happiness and greatest virtue. (Sims, 2009)

‘Think now and then that there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you’ (Dickens, 184)

The fact that Carton gave his life for Darnay, Lucie’s husband, depicted him as a noble, generous, warm-hearted person who believed in the power of love and came to the self conclusion that his life sense was Lucie’s happiness, the only person he lived for. (Stout, 2007)

Lucie Manette seems to be an angel in the world of evilness and hatred; blue eyes and golden hair made the image of this character marvelous attracting attention of all men. Lucie, who is physically and spiritually beautiful, is considered to be ‘lesser developed’ character in the story possessing the best qualities and virtues. The readers have an opportunity to judge Lucie analyzing her actions and attitude to surrounding people, rather than words. She is the inspiration of loyalty and love; her character managed to connect the lives of Darnay, her husband, and Carton, who gave his life for his love to her, in the power of love.

‘I think, Charles, poor Mr. Carton deserves more consideration and respect than you expressed for him to-night… I fear he is not to be reclaimed; there is scarcely a hope that anything in his character or fortunes is reparable now… remember how strong we are in our happiness, and how weak he is in his misery?’ (Dickens 207)

The flatness of Lucie character does not push her to indifferent position in the story; she is an important figure who indirectly symbolizes unconditional compassion and love. It is necessary to stress that dickens uses this character to underline the power of love and spiritual wealth in the atmosphere of hatred and violence. Her rare dialogues in the novel do not make her actions transparent to the readers; the author managed to depict successfully the symbol of kindness and justice, which is also transferred to Lucia’ and Darnay’s daughter.

The character of Madame Defarge is considered to be unrelievedly horrible; she is illustrated as cruel revolutionary combining the features of aristocracy hatred with evilness expressed to everyone interacting with her interests.

‘Madame Defarge was a stout woman…, with a watchful eye that seldom seemed to look at anything, a large hand heavily ringed, a steady face, strong features, and great composure of manner.’ (Dickens 35)

It is necessary to stress that throughout the novel Madame Defarge is busy with making a list of those, who are to die for revolution. The character is depicted as blood-thirsty with the unbounded lust for vengeance. Dickens underlined the fact that Madame Defarge and her family used to suffer cruel oppression, influencing her worldview and attitude to the society.

‘…imbued from her childhood with a brooding sense of wrong, and an inveterate hatred of a class, opportunity had developed her into a tigress.’ (Dickens, 369)

It is necessary to stress that the flow of story events shows Madame Defarge as less than human, characterized by the features of Greek tragedy moral world. The early life experience resulted in the woman moral oppression and internal evilness expressed to people.

The author lets the readers to understand how people, who suffered deprivation and old regime oppression from the very childhood, change their perception of the surrounding environment and react violently to the opportunities they get. Reading ‘The Tale of Two Cities’ provides a clear connection between the people making the Revolution and those, who suffered its conditions. It is necessary to stress that Dickens success fully illustrated a memorable, powerful and chilling character through Madame Defarge depiction, who was concerned about the Revolution flow in England. (Patterson, 2009)

The analysis of four different lives in the story ‘The Tale of two Cities’ written by Charles Dickens gave an opportunity to the reader evaluate the features of the characters living in the same era. The characteristics presented above demonstrate the idea that Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton can be perceived as the dynamic characters, while Lucie Manette and Mrs. Defarge as static ones. Such a position underlines the fact that the author strived to depict female characters for the novel events and mood background, symbolizing the contrast of evil and good, hatred and justice. Dickens managed to centralize these characters even through their rare communicative roles and dialogues, making special stress on dynamism of Darnay and Carton in the play.

The novel ‘The Tale of two Cities’ appeared to be a valuable contribution to the world literature. This masterpiece is generally recognized on the international level, through the author’s successful description of the most important virtues of humanity.

The description of four different lives in one epoch, living under the pressure of old regime and French revolution, disclosed the way in which people can change through weak willed nature and lack of resistance to internal interference. Despite the focus on evil and cruelty promotion, Dickens brightly illustrated the victory of good and justice. The author managed to underline the importance of love, showing how his characters were ready to sacrifice everything they had for human virtues and this great feeling.

Works Cited

Chisick, Harvey “Dickens’ Portrayal of the People in A Tale of Two Cities.” European Legacy 5.5 (2000): 645. MasterFILE Premier . EBSCO. Web.

Dickens, Ch. “A Tale of Two Cities: Easyread Edition”. ReadHowYouWant. 584p. 2009.

Patterson, Frank M. “Dickens’s A tale of Two Cities” Explicator 47.4 (1989): 30. MasterFILE Premier . EBSCO. Web.

Stout, Daniel “Nothing Personal: The Decapitation of Character in A Tale of Two Cities.” Novel: A Forum on Fiction 41.1 (2007): 29. MasterFILE Premier . EBSCO. Web.

Sims, Jennifer S. “Dickens’s A TALE OF TWO CITIES.” Explicator 63.4 (2005): 219. MasterFILE Premier . EBSCO. Web.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — A Tale of Two Cities — Justice And Sacrifice In Charles Dickens’ A Tale Of Two Cities

Justice and Sacrifice in Charles Dickens’ a Tale of Two Cities

• Categories: A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens

About this sample

Words: 836 |

Published: Feb 8, 2022

Words: 836 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Works Cited

• Dickens, C. (1859). A Tale of Two Cities. London, England: Chapman and Hall.
• Evans, J. R. (2008). Justice and Injustice in Dickens's "A Tale of Two Cities". Victorian Literature and Culture, 36(1), 173-188.
• Gallagher, C. (2012). The French Revolution in Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities. The English Historical Review, 127(527), 339-363.
• Graham, W. (2010). Dickens and the Limits of Justice in A Tale of Two Cities. Dickens Studies Annual, 41, 109-124.
• James, S. (2015). Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities: A Casebook. Oxford University Press.
• Kaplan, F. L. (2011). Dickens and the Struggle for Justice: A Tale of Two Cities. Novel: A Forum on Fiction, 44(2), 308-327.
• Nemesvari, R. (2016). Revolution and Sacrifice in A Tale of Two Cities. Dickens Studies Annual, 47, 123-142.
• Orestano, F. (2014). Sacrifice and Salvation in Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities. The Yearbook of English Studies, 44(1), 104-118.
• Stroshane, B. (2017). A Tale of Two Cities: A Mirror of Revolution. Connotations, 27(1-3), 131-151.
• Wagenknecht, E. (1962). Dickens and the City. Routledge & Kegan Paul.

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On some holidays, beauty and bloodshed are entwined

In grand old cities like verona, your gelato comes with a moral education.

H e survived seven bouts in the arena at Verona, but at the age of 23 Glaucus was slain in his eighth. When it was built in 30 AD the arena stood outside the Roman city—to keep away the stench of death. Glaucus was one of countless fighters, prisoners and exotic beasts who shed their blood on its sandy floor over centuries of grisly games.

These days, imagining yourself as a gladiator, you make your way into the erstwhile killing zone through one of the arena’s pink-and-white limestone entrances. But at Verona’s summer opera festival, the worst hardship is the stone seating in the ancient stands. Audiences are often given candles to light in unison at dusk. A gong sounds; the orchestra strikes up. The show begins.

“There is no document of civilisation”, wrote the critic Walter Benjamin, “that is not at the same time a document of barbarism.” Culture, for Benjamin, was indelibly tainted by conquest and exploitation. Take your holiday in a storied European city and you see what he meant. Beauty and bloodshed, dark and light, are entwined in the chiaroscuro canvas of history. In gory, glorious Verona, the contrast is stark.

Though you know the tragedy of “Romeo and Juliet” was invented, you begin, like most visitors to Verona, in the thronged courtyard of the Casa di Giulietta, where you jostle to snap a stranger-free photo of the balcony. You cross the Adige river and ride the funicular to gaze down on the old town and the Ponte Pietra, a Roman bridge blown up in 1945 but later rebuilt. Intermittently you nip into the churches, which even sightseeing-averse children appreciate as refuges from the heat.

The loveliest is the Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore, a 12th-century Romanesque masterpiece dedicated to Verona’s patron saint. A bas-relief shows Zeno, whose reconstructed corpse reposes spookily in a crypt, pulling a devil from a woman’s mouth. Look closely, and the church, like others, is in part a cathedral of suffering—from the martyrdom of saints and the ransacking by invading armies, to the torture and massacres depicted in carvings and frescoes.

It isn’t only the churches. Creepingly you realise that the stunning city’s history is a chronicle of torment: sieges, ambushes and coups, plus earthquakes, plagues and floods. After the Romans came the Ostrogoths and the Lombards (in 572 a Lombard ruler was killed by his wife after making her drink wine from her father’s skull). Barbarism and beauty mixed most glaringly under the Scaligeri, Verona’s bosses in the 13th and 14th centuries. They were a murderous lot, specialising in fratricide. Yet they were patrons of Dante and other artistic luminaries, building ornate palaces, bridges and tombs.

Verona is hardly alone. Paris has the Tuileries and the Terror, Venice the gondola and the ghetto, Seville the Alcázar and the auto-da-fé : Europe’s great cities are saturated with treasures and tyranny, culture and cruelty, dual facets of the political and commercial clout they once amassed. Visit one of these places, open a guide book or read a plaque, and you are bound to encounter both. With the escapism and gelato , you get a lesson in the moral complexity of the past.

In Verona’s arena, the horror outlasted the Romans. One of the Scaligeri strongmen used it to burn scores of heretics at the stake. Napoleon Bonaparte watched dogs and bulls rip each other apart there. The modern opera festival traces its roots to a performance of Verdi’s “Aida” in 1913. “Aida” is playing again this summer, minus the elephants that featured in some previous productions. Instead it has whizzy lasers and a huge animatronic hand, which clutches at the hundreds of performers as an embodiment of power and fate.

The show is another magnificent spectacle with a tragic edge. An Ethiopian princess enslaved in Egypt, Aida is torn between loyalty to her homeland and her passion for an Egyptian warrior. She sings poignantly of her longing for the valleys and streams of her youth. Hers is a tale of war and exile, themes both primeval and painfully current.

After the curtain call, you emerge into balmy Piazza Bra and find a table at one of the restaurants. On some nights you may spot the orchestra’s conductor heading over for a late repast. “Bravo, maestro!” the punters cry. This, you think fondly, is civilisation. Then, in what may be a trick of the floodlights and shadow, you glance across the piazza and the arena’s pink stone seems, for a moment, to turn blood-red.  ■

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