Home A Tale of Two Cities. Script use:. Synopsis Details. Synopsis Set during the terror of the French Revolution, A Tale of Two Cities follows the influence of historical and political upheaval on a small group of individuals: Charles Darnay, a French aristocrat who rejects his family and its tradition of terrorizing the lower classes; Dr.
Manette, a physician whose year imprisonment in the bastille left him bereft of his senses and a symbolic hero for the masses; Lucie, the daughter of Manette who unknowingly marries the descendent of her father's oppressors; Sydney Carton, Darnay's drunken lawyer who finds meaning in life through an unrequited love for Lucie; and Madame Defarge, a mob leader whose sheer rage at the oppression of the lower classes is woven into her knitting and who schemes for vengeance.
Bookended by Darnay's two trials the first, a false accusation of spying against the British; the second, a mob trial based on the deeds of Darnay's ancestors , this adaptation of the Dickens classic explores the relationship between an individual and the historical and political forces that govern his or her times. The themes of A Tale of Two Cities are as current for today's young adults as they were two centuries ago: How does one prioritize loyalty to country, to friends, to a moral code?
Is violence in the name of vengeance ever justified? Is imprisonment of an individual permissible in light of larger social and historical injustices? What are the costs to society of a citizenry divided between rich and poor? Can a single act of honor and love counteract a world filled with hatred and vengeance? And, in the face of war and terror perpetrated in the name of a broader cause, what is the definition of a life well lived?
Read an Excerpt Related Titles. Explore our selection of frequently asked questions about A Tale of Two Cities and find the answers you need. Find the quotes you need to support your essay, or refresh your memory of the book by reading these key quotes.
Test your knowledge of A Tale of Two Cities with quizzes about every section, major characters, themes, symbols, and more. Go further in your study of A Tale of Two Cities with background information, movie adaptations, and links to the best resources around the web. Ace your assignments with our guide to A Tale of Two Cities! Back in London, Darnay, on the morning of his wedding, keeps his promise to Manette; he reveals his true identity and, that night, Manette relapses into his old prison habit of making shoes.
After nine days, Manette regains his presence of mind, and soon joins the newlyweds on their honeymoon. Darnay assures Carton that he is always welcome in their home. The peasants in Paris storm the Bastille and the French Revolution begins. Three years later, he writes to Darnay, asking to be rescued. Despite the threat of great danger to his person, Darnay departs immediately for France. As soon as Darnay arrives in Paris, the French revolutionaries arrest him as an emigrant. Lucie and Manette make their way to Paris in hopes of saving him.
Darnay remains in prison for a year and three months before receiving a trial. In order to help free him, Manette uses his considerable influence with the revolutionaries, who sympathize with him for having served time in the Bastille.
Darnay receives an acquittal, but that same night he is arrested again. Photos 3. Add image. Top cast Edit. Henri Szeps. Phillip Hinton. Ken Wayne. Liz Horne. Robin Stewart. John Stone. John Benton. John Eveison.
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