Written By Charles Dickens
 A Tale of Two Cities takes place in London,
England and Paris, France between the years
1775 to 1793; shows the beginning of the
French Revolution (1789-1799)
 During this time period, the French, especially
those in poverty, began to stir up a revolt
against the French aristocracy-leading up to
the French Revolution
 Doctor Alexandre Manette: Ex-prisoner of
Bastille
 Lucie Manette: Daughter of Dr. Manette
 Charles Darnay (Charles Evrémonde): By birth
is a French aristocrat & Husband of Lucie
Manette
 Jarvis Lorry: Close Family Friend of The
Manettes
 Sydney Carton: Friend of Manettes & Works as
an attorney with Stryver
 Mr. Stryver: Lawyer, Friend of Manettes, & Works with
Carton
 The Defarges: French revolutionists who at the
beginning help the Manettes, but at the end they go
against them
 Miss Pross & Jerry Cruncher: servants to the Manettes
and help them throughout the novel
 Roger Cly ( dies later in book) & John Barsad: British
spies; Barsad is blackmailed by Carton to help the
Manettes at the end
 Book The First: Recalled to Life
** Takes place in 1775
 Book The Second: The Golden Thread
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** Takes place between 1780 to 1792
 Book The Third: The Track of a Storm
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** Takes place between 1792 to 1793
 Movie Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a6xo7WwV3k

 “ It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”
** Refers to the times of England (prosperous)
and France (excessive spending and violence)
 Doctor Manette is “recalled to life” with the help of
Jarvis Lorry, Lucie Manette, and the Defarges
 Doctor Manette has been imprisoned for 18 years at
Bastille
 When they found Doctor Manette, they saw that he
had been working as a shoemaker (did this in order to
ease the pain he had from being imprisoned)
 Their journey begins from Dover, England to Saint
Antoine (part of Paris),France
 Defarges, who used to be Manettes’ servants watched
over him until he was “recalled to life”
 At the end of book one, Lucie decided that it is time
for his father to return to England where he will be put
back to health than staying in Paris for another second
 Lucie Manette is “the golden thread” in this novel; she
is the one that brings her family and friends back
together once again
 Five years go by and Doctor Manette is back to himself
and has a close connection to his daughter, Lucie, now
 Trial One: Charles Darnay is accused of treason- said
to have been a spy for the British (false accusation); at
the end he is found not guilty and is free to go
 Darnay renounces his French aristocracy to his uncle, the
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Marquis Evrémonde -brought shame to family name (later
that day Marquis is killed)
Three fellow gentleman (Darnay, Carton, & Stryver) have
fallen in love with Lucie and are asking her hand in
marriage
At last Darnay is the one to wed Lucie Manette
The Defarges , who are informed by Barsad, know now that
Lucie is going to wed Darnay- a French aristocrat
They know that the revolution is on the way and that all
aristocrats must die
As the newlyweds go off, Dr. Manette is back to his
“illness” self; right before he goes to meet up with his
daughter (nine days later) he returns to his happier statethat very day, Lorry & Miss. Pross destroy the shoemaking
bench
 Few years have gone by, and everyone is happy once
again
 In France, the revolution began to slowly ease to its
righteous state; the Defarges were the leaders of the
mob in Saint Antoine and were planning to bring the
Manettes down
 Now three years, have past and France is down to the
grounds
 Lorry is said to go to Paris for his job, but Darnay
insists that he must be the one to in order to save
Gabelle, who has been imprisoned by his own people,
but it is due to he is apart of the aristocracy of France
 Trial Two: Darnay is imprisoned by the French for
being an immigrant; later on he is free with the help of
Dr. Manette’s words
 Lorry decides that Lucie and her family must be taken
care of; if something happens his wife, child, and
father-in-law they must be taken to the Defarges in
order for them to recognize them
 After Darnay is freed, he is re-imprisoned
 The Defarges accused them for a crime that Darnay’s
father and uncle had done earlier in their lives (Trial
Three)
 At Darnay’s trial, the accuser stepped forward: The
Defarges & Dr. Manette (he was in shock that his name
was called)
 Dr. Manette later finds out that he was called due to a
letter he wrote when he was imprisoned at the Bastille
in 1757; he was hired by the Evrémonde to care for a
young woman (who Darnay’s uncle had rapped) and
her brother, who the uncle stabbed
 He was threatened that if he did not cure them that he
will be put to prison, which did take place
 Darnay is then sentenced to death for his father’s and
uncle’s actions
 Carton, who surprising followed them the Paris if any help
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is needed by him, overheard the Defarges’ plan to accuse
the rest of the Manettes as spies (including Lucie’s
daughter)
Carton will not allow it and has a plan up his sleeve
Carton gives Lorry papers (which later reveal to be papers
for him and the Manettes to exit France)
Many are sentenced to death, including Darnay
Carton gives Darnay a powder, and in a quick of time
Darnay is “Carton”, while Carton is “Darnay”
Carton put himself in Darnay’s shoes in order for Darnay to
live his life with his family
Carton put himself in this situation because he felt that he
had achieved something grand in his life; earlier in the
book, he was the only man who told Lucie how he really
felt about her and helped her later on in the novel to safety
“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,
we had everything before us, we had nothing before us,
we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going
direct the other way…”
What themes are present in this excerpt?
What ideas came to mind as you read?
What rhetorical device is used?
“The wine was red wine, and had stained the ground of the narrow
street in the suburb of Saint Antoine, in Paris, where it was
spilled. It had stained many hands, too, and many faces, and
many naked feet, and many wooden shoes. The hands of the man
who sawed the wood, left red marks on the billets; and the
forehead of the woman who nursed her baby, was stained with the
stain of the old rag she wound about her head again. Those who
had been greedy with the staves of the cask, had acquired a
tigerish smear about the mouth; and one tall joker so besmirched,
his head more out of a long squalid bag of a night-cap than in it,
scrawled upon a wall with his finger dipped in muddy wine-lees—
blood.”
What are some thoughts that came to mind as you read?
Does this depict the era well?
"My last supplication of all, is this; and with it, I will relieve you of a visitor with
whom I well know you have nothing in unison, and between whom and you there
is an impassable space. It is useless to say it, I know, but it rises out of my soul.
For you, and for any dear to you, I would do anything. If my career were of that
better kind that there was any opportunity or capacity of sacrifice in it, I would
embrace any sacrifice for you and for those dear to you. Try to hold me in your
mind, at some quiet times, as ardent and sincere in this one thing. The time will
come, the time will not be long in coming, when new ties will be formed about
you- ties that will bind you yet more tenderly and strongly to the home you so
adorn- the dearest ties that will ever grace and gladden you. O Miss Manette,
when the little picture of a happy father's face looks up in yours, when you see
your own bright beauty springing up anew at your feet, think now and then that
there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you!"
He said, "Farewell!" said a last "God bless you!" and left her.
What do you think about dying for someone you love?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KTWyT9answ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeFaDy5L3Cw
 Count off into two groups
 Each group will receive a bag with events from the
novel
 Place the events in chronological order
 10 minutes
 The group that has all events in the right order wins a
prize