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A Midsummer Night's Dream
Don Quixote
Fahrenheit 451
Pride and Prejudice
The Outsiders
No Fear Shakespeare
Literature
Other Subjects
Teacher
Blog
Help
A Tale of Two Cities
Charles Dickens
Study Guide
NO FEAR
Translation
Study Guide
NO FEAR
Translation
Summary
Plot Overview
Five Key Questions
What Does the Ending Mean?
Summary & Analysis
Preface
Book the First: Recalled to Life Chapters 1–4
Book the First: Recalled to Life Chapters 5–6
Book the Second: The Golden Thread Chapters 1–4
Book the Second: The Golden Thread Chapters 5–6
Book the Second: The Golden Thread Chapters 7–9
Book the Second: The Golden Thread Chapters 10–13
Book the Second: The Golden Thread Chapters 14–17
Book the Second: The Golden Thread Chapters 18–21
Book the Second: The Golden Thread Chapters 22–24
Book the Third: The Track of a Storm Chapters 1–5
Book the Third: The Track of a Storm Chapters 6–10
Book the Third: The Track of a Storm Chapters 11–15
Video Plot Summary
Characters
Character List
Sydney Carton
Madame Defarge
Doctor Manette
Charles Darnay and Lucie Manette
Jarvis Lorry
Monsieur Ernest Defarge
Main Ideas
Themes
Plot Analysis
Protagonist
Antagonist
Setting
Motifs
Symbols
Genre
Style
Point of View
Tone
Foreshadowing
Key Facts
How is
A Tale of Two Cities
a critique of English society?
Quotes
Important Quotes Explained
Quotes By Theme
Revolution
Sacrifice
Imprisonment
Class
Justice
Quotes By Section
Book the First: Recalled to Life Chapters 1-4
Book the First: Recalled to Life Chapters 5-6
Book the Second: The Golden Thread Chapters 1-4
Book the Second: The Golden Thread Chapters 5-6
Book the Second: The Golden Thread Chapters 7-9
Book the Second: The Golden Thread Chapters 10-13
Book the Second: The Golden Thread Chapters 14-17
Book the Second: The Golden Thread Chapters 18-21
Book the Second: The Golden Thread Chapters 22-24
Book the Third: The Track of a Storm Chapters 1-5
Book the Third: The Track of a Storm Chapters 6-10
Book the Third: The Track of a Storm Chapters 11-15
Quotes By Character
Charles Darnay
Sydney Carton
Doctor Manette
Lucie Manette
Monsieur Defarge
Further Study
Context
The French Revolution
A Tale of Two Cities and The Historical Novel
Movie Adaptations
Full Book Quiz
Section Quizzes
Character List
Analysis of Major Characters
Themes, Motifs, and Symbols
Book the First: Recalled to Life Chapters 1-4
Book the First: Recalled to Life Chapters 5-6
Book the Second: The Golden Thread Chapters 1-4
Book the Second: The Golden Thread Chapters 5-6
Book the Second: The Golden Thread Chapters 7-9
Book the Second: The Golden Thread Chapters 10-13
Book the Second: The Golden Thread Chapters 14-17
Book the Second: The Golden Thread Chapters 18-21
Book the Second: The Golden Thread Chapters 22-24
Book the Third: The Track of a Storm Chapters 1-5
Book the Third: The Track of a Storm Chapters 6-10
Book the Third: The Track of a Storm Chapters 11-15
Study Questions
Suggestions for Further Reading
Companion Texts
Writing Help
How to Write Literary Analysis
Suggested Essay Topics
Sample A+ Essay
How to Cite This SparkNote
Further Study
Full Book Quiz
Further Study
Full Book Quiz
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1
.
A Tale of Two Cities
opens in 1775. Which of the following does not characterize this period?
The British colonies in America have just presented a list of grievances to the King of England.
Crime and capital punishment plague the streets of London.
The guillotine stands as a much-feared fixture on the streets of Paris.
The French aristocracy causes great suffering among the lower classes.
2
. Why are the drivers of the Dover mail coach hesitant to stop for Jerry Cruncher’s message?
They fear that he is a highwayman attempting to rob the passengers.
They fear that stopping will put them behind schedule for delivering the mail in a timely fashion.
They have been charged with the safety of Jarvis Lorry, one of the coach’s passengers.
Jerry Cruncher’s troublesome reputation precedes him.
3
. What object does Doctor Manette keep during his imprisonment in order to escape “in spirit”?
A picture of his wife and daughter
The Bible
A keg of wine
A lock of his wife’s hair
4
. By what name do the men in Defarge’s wine shop call their fellow revolutionaries?
Jacques
Pierre
Jasper
Xavier
5
. What skill did Doctor Manette develop in order to pass the time during his incarceration?
Drawing
Whittling
Shoemaking
Storytelling
6
. What symbol does Dickens use to portend the bloodshed of the French Revolution?
The Dover mail coach
The broken wine cask
Tellson’s Bank
Madame Defarge’s malevolent stare
7
. During her testimony, to whom does Lucie claim that Charles Darnay alluded on the boat ride from Calais to Dover?
Louis XVI
John Adams
Napoleon Bonaparte
George Washington
8
. After Darnay’s acquittal, why does Sydney Carton claim to dislike him?
Darnay is unattractive and mean-spirited.
Darnay abuses the love of Lucie Manette.
Darnay reminds him of how far he has fallen and everything he might have been.
Even though he has been acquitted, Darnay is a traitor.
9
. To which animal does Dickens compare Sydney Carton?
A jackal
A lion
A weasel
A sloth
10
.
A Tale of Two Cities
was published in weekly installments from April to November of what year?
1845
1859
1879
1890
11
. What image does Dickens frequently use to describe Lucie Manette?
An earth-bound angel
A golden thread
A tiger lily
A calm in a storm
12
. What sound does Lucie often hear echoing off the street when she is in her home?
Footsteps
Brawling
The yells of the crowd at public executions
A choir singing
13
. Which of the following characters is related to the Marquis, whose carriage runs down a small child?
Doctor Manette
Sydney Carton
Charles Darnay
Miss Pross
14
. Who does Miss Pross believe is the ideal suitor for Lucie Manette?
Sydney Carton
Charles Darnay
Her brother, Solomon
She believes that no man is good enough for Lucie.
15
. What does Mr. Lorry try to persuade Mr. Stryver not to do?
Propose to Lucie Manette
Invest his money in Tellson’s Bank
Drop Sydney Carton as a business colleague
Visit Paris at a time of political turmoil
16
. Who promises Lucie Manette that he would, if necessary, die for her?
Jarvis Lorry
Sydney Carton
Charles Darnay
Monsieur Defarge
17
. What does Jerry Cruncher frequently go out to do at night?
Raid Tellson’s Bank
Deliver messages to prisoners in the Bastille
Dig up bodies in the cemetery
Meet with other revolutionaries to plan uprisings
18
. Who informs the Defarges that Lucie Manette has married Charles Darnay?
The mender of roads
Jarvis Lorry
Gaspard
John Barsad
19
. On the night after Lucie and Charles are married, what does Doctor Manette do?
He prepares to join them on their honeymoon.
He reverts to his prison pastime of making shoes.
He confesses to Miss Pross that he thinks Lucie has made a terrible mistake.
He writes a letter to Defarge, asking him to spare Darnay’s life.
20
. During the storming of the Bastille, who decapitates the fortress’s guard?
Madame Defarge
Defarge
John Barsad
An anonymous Jacques
21
. Why does the Paris mob kill Foulon?
Because he is a spy
Because he suggested that starving people should eat grass
Because his carriage ran down a child in the street
Because he collected high taxes from the peasants
22
. What is the duration of Manette’s psychological relapse after Lucie leaves for her honeymoon?
Nine days
Four days
A fortnight
A year and three months
23
. Who develops a habit of watching and speaking to Lucie as she waits on a Paris street corner each day, hoping that Darnay will be able to see her from his prison window?
Madame Defarge
Defarge
A wood-sawyer
A seamstress
24
. Who does the spy John Barsad turn out to be?
Miss Pross’ brother, Solomon
A relation of the Marquis Evrémonde
Madame Defarge’s long-lost brother
Roger Cly
25
. Why was Doctor Manette imprisoned?
He stole bread.
He failed to save the life of an aristocrat’s daughter.
The Marquis Evrémonde feared that Manette would reveal one of the Marquis’ dark secrets.
He was an outspoken critic of the royal family.
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