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A Tale of Two Cities
Charles Dickens
A Tale of Two Cities Study Guide: This should help you battle through the references,
vocabulary and difficult narration.
Book the First—Recalled to Life
Vocabulary:
1. Countenance
2. Doleful
3. Prevalent
4. Sagacity
5. Sublime
6. Tedious
7. Tremulous
8. Epoch
9. Expeditiously
10. Cadaverous
11. Piscatory
12. Memoranda
13. Modicum
Background References:
1. There were a king with a large jaw…on the throne of France: The
monarchs are King George III and Queen Charlotte Sophia of England and King
Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette of France.
2. The Cock-Lane ghost: a reference to a strange series of events popularly
connected with a poltergeist in eighteenth century London.
3. City Tradesman: man of business in the City, London’s financial district.
4. Newsgate: a famous London prison.
5. The Dover Road: the road from London to Dover, a town on England’s
southeast coast
6. A crown to drink: a coin given as a tip
7. Mam’selle: for mademoiselle, French title for an unmarried young woman.
8. Temple Bar: from 1670-1878 a gateway marking London’s western boundary.
The heads of executed traitors were displayed on Temple Bar.
9. The head drawer: the chief bartender or tapster
10. A packet of Calais: a small passenger ferry bound for Calais, a town in
northern France.
11. Filling up bank forms: a reference to the infamous warrants of imprisonment
(letters de cachet) which influential French nobles could use to punish their
enemies arbitrarily without a trial.
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12. Ninepence…shillings…guineas: units of English currency.
13. The suburb of Saint Antoine: one of the poorest districts of Paris and a
hotbed of revolutionary fervor
14. In every farthing porringer: a tiny dish that could be bought for a farthing;
worth one fourth of a British penny
15. How goes it, Jacques?: the revolutionaries used to refer to themselves by the
common code name Jacques.
Homework Questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Dr. Manette’s feelings about his ‘position.’
Significance of the title of Book the First, “Recalled to Life.”
Jarvis Lorry’s dream
Dr. Manette’s hostess and her ‘habits/hobbies.’
Attic scene when Lucie meets Dr. Manette for the first time.
St. Antoine residents’ reactions to the spilled wine.
Longer Focus Questions:
1. The opening paragraph of A Tale of Two Cities is one of the
most famous in all English literature. It is an example of
parallelism, the repeated use of words, phrases or sentences
that have similar grammatical form. Analyze Dickens’s use of
parallelism to state themes that might develop in the novel.
Point out examples in Book the First that continue the
development of themes introduced in the opening paragraph.
2. The setting is the time and place in which the literary work
occurs. Details of setting are especially important in a
historical novel like A Tale of Two Cities because such details
make the novel seem realistic and believable. Setting also can
create an atmosphere, or overall mood. In A Tale of Two Cities,
after his general description of the period in Chapter 1, Dickens
develops two major settings: France and England. He
introduces the English setting at the beginning of Chapter 2.
The description of the Dover mail on a Friday night lat in
November, plodding up a hill in the mist “like an evil spirit,”
helps to establish the overall atmosphere of the novel as dark
and ominous. What details does Dickens use to introduce the
French setting in the opening two paragraphs in Chapter 5?
How would you describe the atmosphere created by these
paragraphs?
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A Tale of Two Cities
Charles Dickens
Book the Second—The Golden Thread
Chapters 1-24
Vocabulary:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Deprecated
Debauchery
Circuitously
Laconic
Elate
Despondency
Vivacity
Background References:
1. Barmecide room: a reference to a mock banquet held by a Persian family in
Arabian Nights; in the room everything was just an illusion.
2. Whitefriars: a district in London known as a haven for criminals and debtors.
3. Anno Domino: Latin for “in the year of our Lord.”
4. laudanum: a sleep-inducing addictive drug containing opium.
5. hackney coach: a coach for hire, oftentimes a six-seat carriage drawn by two
horses.
6. A crown to drink: a coin given as a tip
7. Old Bailey: London’s chief law court (historic)
8. Bedlam: the popular name for Bethlehem Hospital for the insane in London.
9. The head drawer: the chief bartender or tapster
10. Tyburn: public hangings in London took place at gallows called the Tyburn
Tree until 1783.
11. calling the reckoning: asking for the bill.
12. winding sheet: a cloth in which the body of a dead person is wrapped for
burial (shroud); also refers to solidified candle drippings, signifying death.
13. Bastille: a state prison in Paris that held many prisoners indefinitely without
trial.
14. Bacchanalian propensities: a tendency toward drinking alcohol, from
Bacchus, the Greek god of wine.
15. the Sessions: meetings of legal officials to transact court business.
16. Hilary Term and Michaelmas: the terms during which the courts heard
cases; academic terms at Oxford University. Hilary Term lasted from January
11-31 and Michaelmas term lasted from November 2-25.
17. jackal: someone who performs menial tasks for another.
18. The Tower: the Tower of London, a fortress made up of several buildings on
the Thames in London, where the English government held criminals charged
with high crimes.
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19. Saint Paul’s: The greatest cathedral in London, whose landmark dome was
designed by Christopher Wren.
20. the lower regions: the area of a house where servants often resided and where
one could find the kitchen.
21. footpad: a highwayman who travels by foot.
Homework Questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
The charge against Charles Darnay and the result of the trial.
Sidney Carton’s comments to the mirror.
The English system of justice according to Dickens (chapter 2 and 3).
To whom does the title of Book the Second “The Golden Thread” refer?
Longer Focus Questions:
1. Characterization refers to the methods by which the characters in a
work are portrayed. When a narrator directly states facts about a
character’s appearance and personality, the story is said to use
direct characterization. For example, the narrator directly
characterizes Charles Darnay upon his first appearance in Chapter
2: “The object of all this staring…was a young man of about five-andtwenty, well-grown and well-looking, with a sun burnt cheek and a
dark eye. His condition was that of a young gentleman.”
Writers also use indirect characterization to portray the
personality traits of characters. In this type of characterization, a
character’s personality is revealed through the character’s own
words and actions and through what other characters say and think
about the character. Dickens uses indirect characterization to
describe Sydney Carton when Sydney meets Charles at the tavern in
Chapter 4.
Discuss the use of direct and indirect characterization,
considering the reasons behind Dickens methods.
2.
Nature is a powerful element in A Tale of Two Cities. Dickens often
uses natural phenomena to comment on what is happening among
the characters. Two examples of this technique can be found in Book
the Second, Chapters 5 and 6. One occurs when Carton emerges
from Stryver’s office after a long night of work. The other occurs
during the summer thunderstorm at the Manettes’ house in Soho.
Reread these passages. Then discuss the following statement:
“Dickens’s use of nature to mirror human emotions is ineffective and
contrived.”
Roon 5
A Tale of Two Cities
Charles Dickens
Vocabulary:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
obsequiousness
imperturbable
portend
complacent
magnanimous
dubiously
emissary
Background References:
1. Monseigneur: A French title of great respect, accorded to powerful noblemen.
2. hotel: a large town or mansion.
3. the merry Stuart: Charles II, who reigned 1660-1685, was popularly called the
“merry monarch.
4. Farmer-General: a businessman who contracted with the government to
collect taxes and who was allowed to make whatever he could over a certain
sum. The system was widely abused and was one of the contributing causes of
the French Revolution.
5. Palace of Tuilleries: Paris home of the kings of France; built in 1566 and torn
down in 1871.
6. The Gorgon’s head: a reference to the Greek myth of the Gorgon Medusa,
whose frightful head, covered with snakes, turned all who looked on it to stone.
7. flambeau: torch
8. a letter de cachet: a document containing a royal warrant for the
imprisonment without trial of a specified person.
9. Vauxhall Gardens: London’s first amusement park; the gardens located on the
south bank of the Thames River, opened in 1660 and closed in 1859. Visitors
enjoyed not only the natural setting, but also food, drink, musical performances,
fireworks, and balloon launches.
10. Ranelagh: a competitor of Vauxhall Gardens, open from 1742 to 1803 and
famous for its masquerades.
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Homework Questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The Marquis’ carriage.
Who is Charles Darnay? Describe his familial relationships.
The Marquis’s murder message.
The Doctor and Charles Darnay’s conversation.
Sidney Carton. 
Longer Focus Questions:
1. Describe the three men who are romantically interested in Lucie Manette.
Which man seems to truly love her?
2. Select one speech or incident from Chapter 8 that indirectly characterizes
the Marquis, and explain how the speech or incident contributes to our
knowledge of his personality.
Roon 7
A Tale of Two Cities
Charles Dickens
Vocabulary:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
transitory
ruminated
altercation
repast
infallible
palpable
genteel
interpose
9. felicity
10. diffidence
11. lenient
12. turbid
13. pensive
14. conflagration
15. munificent
16. remonstrance
Background References:
1. Issak Walton: the author of The Compeat Angler. Dickens comically links the graverobbing expedition with a fishing party.
2. leagues: a unit of distance equal to three miles.
3. messieurs: French for “gentlemen”
4. Versailles: the famous palace built by King Louis XIV outside Paris.
5. King’s Bench (Bar) association of lawyers.
6. Bastille: the fortresses was the beginning of the revolution; the date now marks the national
holiday of France.
7. Foulon: an actual historical figure, Foulon had fortune as a military contractor.
8. tocsin: the alarm bell.
9. Sardanapulus: an ancient Assyrian king who was celebrated for his displays of wealth.
10. Prison of the Abbaye: hated prison in Paris, used after the Revolution for aristocrats.
11. Loadstone Rock: a reference to a popular folktale in which the sailors were drawn to their
doom by the mysterious magnetic rock.
Homework Questions:
1. Who is the “fellow of no delicacy” in Chapter 13, and who is the “honest tradesman”
in Chapter 14?
2. John Barsad attempts to trick the Defarges.
3. Dr. Manette’s relapse
4. Sydney Carton’s plea.
5. Natural element does the narrator repeatedly liken the revolutionary mob in Chapter
21 and 22
6. irony of the titles of Chapters 13 and 14
7. Jarvis Lorry—as a keen psychologist
8. What doe Lucie represent to Sydney Carton
9. What is the Loadstone Rock in Chapter 24?
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Longer Focus Questions:
1. The critic George Woodcock wrote the following evaluation of Dickens’s opinions on
revolution:
a. “The violence of the revolution, he maintains, is as negative as the oppression of
a rigid social order, and just as self-destructive”
Based on what you’ve read thus far, how would apply this quote to the novel?
Support your answer with specific references that illustrate both revolutionary
violence and social oppression.
Book the THIRd—The TRACK OF A STORM
Chapters 1-15
Vocabulary:
1. Functionary
2. Stolid
3. Doggedly
4. staid
5. Acquiescence
6. Solicitude
7. Felons
8. Embellished
9. Culpability
10. Abhorrence
11. Abashed
12. Prevaricate
13. Acclamations
14. Prodigious
15. Presentiment
16. Wantonly
17. Implacably
18. Adjured
19. Vestige
20. Assignation
21. Vied
22. Alacrity
23. Imbued
24. Malevolent
25. Latent
26. Tenacity
27. Buffeted
28. Insatiate
29. Rapacious
30. Petulantly
31. Sundry
32. Retributive
Background References:
33. Equipages: carriages and other equipment.
34. Tri-colored cockades: knots of blue, white and red ribbon worn on the hats of
revolutionary guards and other officials.
35. Beauvais: a city about fifty miles north of Paris.
36. Farrier: a blacksmith.
37. La Force: the old debtor’s prison, which the revolutionaries turned into a jail
for political prisoners.
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38. La Guillotine: named for Dr. J. I. Guillotin, who had, ironically, advocated its
use on humane grounds.
39. Wicket: small gate.
40. the Saint Germain quarter: on the left bank of the river Seine.
41. Liberty…or Death: Liberty, Equality and Fraternity was the slogan and
rallying cry of the revolution.
42. Flambeaux: candelabra.
43. the head of the King…the head of his fair wife: Louis XVI was executed on
January 21, 1793 and Marie Antoinette on October 18 of the same year.
44. law of the Suspected: passed in September of 1793, this law, which permitted
random, unsubstantiated denunciations of people as “enemies of the state”
marked the start f the Reign of Terror, eleven months of violence in which
presumed opponents to the Revolution, and eventually even revolutionary
leaders, were guillotined by the thousands.
45. Tumbrils: carts that carried the condemned to their execution.
46. the Conciergerie: a prison built in medieval times.
47. Confound their knavish tricks: a popular gloss on the words of the British
national anthem, “God Save the King(queen).”
48. the Good Republican Brutus of Antiquity: a reference to Lucius Junius
Brutus, who helped establish the Roman Republic.
49. the spy of Pitt: William Pitt, Prime Minister of England from 1783-1801.
50. Section Committee: a neighborhood sub-unit of the revolutionary
government.
51. the Sheep of the prisons: the spy, John Barsad.
52. the Seine: the principal river of Paris.
53. people of condition: people of high social status.
54. a rouleau of gold: a small roll of gold coins.
55. erst: formerly
56. an epicure: a refined judge of pleasure.
57. exordium: speech.
58. one of the most remarkable sufferers: Madame Roland, the wife of a leading
politician. She was guillotined on November 8, 1793.
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Homework Questions:
59. The charge against Charles.
60. Charles’ escort to prison.
61. Who casts “the shadow” in Chapter 3?
62. Contrast Ernest and Therese Defarge’s attitudes towards the Darnays.
63. Manette denounces the family of Charles Darnay.
64. Charles’ savior.
65. Point out 2 examples of verbal irony in Chapter 11.
Longer Focus Questions:
1. Irony arises in literary works when the author creates a
contrast between reality and what seems to be real.
Situational irony exists when what actually happens in a
situation is the opposite of what the reader expects. For
example, in A Tale of Two Cities, we expect Charles to go
free after he is acquitted in France; instead, he is arrested
again.
a. Before the revolution, John Barsad had spied on the
rebels. Explain the irony that arises from his current
employment.
b. Until this section of the novel, Syndey Carton was a
passive, self-pitying wretch. Explain how our
expectations are reversed by Carton’s behavior in
Chapter 8.
2. Identify the moral values stressed by Dickens in A Tale of
Two Cities. How important do you think these values are in
today’s world?
3. The critic Edgar Johnson praises the intricate craftsmanship
of Dickens’ plot in A Tale of Two Cities, remarking that the
author had never “previously plotted a novel with more
skill.” Nevertheless, Johnson writes, “Melodramatic
coincidences…flaw the otherwise splendid structure of the
book.”
a. Pick out two examples of coincidence and tell whether
or not you agree that they can be criticized as flaws.