A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is a story written to promote awareness of the tragedies that occurred in France during the French revolution. The two themes of the book are interconnected with each other. The themes are those of sacrifice, and hate. The themes are portrayed through out the book and are shown by the actions of the characters. The story is perfectly described in the following paraphrase by William Butler Yeats, in The Second Coming Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned. The centre in this poem represents Paris, France. Paris was the center of the newly formed republic and revolution. The monarchy in France had only a few jobs and responsibilities, to represent, care for, create jobs for, and make peace for all people of France. King Luis XVI was a failure, one of the worst and most selfish kings to ever reign over France, he was the straw that broke the camels back. King Louis XVI has his priorities in disarray.
Not once did he place the eople of France before himself, he was impeccably greedy. He taxed the peasants more than ever, they were starving, sick, and dying. He failed at his duty. Chaos broke out and people rebelled, Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world. The center, the government, fell apart. Things fell apart; the centre cannot hold. The people needed a leader, someone other than the king, and that was in their situation, someone that understood their needs. Madame Defarge, Ernest Defarge, and the Jacques were all willing to lead the French people against the ing and for the new democracy.
The people were angry and wanted revenge, they hated all aristocrats, the king, and the old regime. Leaders like Madame Defarge had the same beliefs and were followed because they were willing to act upon their hatred. Hatred and revenge were the main reasons for the sixty-three deaths a day. Everyone was in fear of the sharp lady, the guillotine. Many innocent people were sacrificed for the republic for being traitors of France. The entire revolution broke out into such chaos that people were being killed eft and right, including the leaders.
Dickens uses France and England to compare and contrast his views and opinions about the French revolution and to show the anarchy that was taking place. He mocks the king and the nobles. His mornings chocolate could not so much as get into the throat of Monsignor, without the aid of four strong men besides the cook. Yes. It took four men, all four ablaze with gorgeous decoration, and the Chief of them unable to exist with fewer than two gold watches in his pocket, emulative of the noble and chaste fashion set by
Monsignor, to conduct the happy chocolate to Monsignors lips. Pitiful situations as these, were the concerns of the nobility and royalty in France, not that of the starving population. These were the little things caused the huge explosion and rebellion in France. Death was the answer to everything, the term innocent until proven guilty was never used, guilty till proven innocent in the courts. People during this time lived in fear, constant fear, and in hate of their situation, their leaders, their republic, and the democracy and even their ewly found freedom.
Hate and revenge were the only things that mattered. The best act of sacrifice was shown by Sydney Carton. Carton is in loving adoration of Lucie Manette and will do anything for her. For the life you love was the phrase whispered into Lucies ear by Carton before he sacrificed his life for her beloved husband. Carton met his death with great dignity, in fulfilling his old promise to Lucie, he attains peace within. Those that watched Cartons death stated, The peacefullest mans face ever beheld at the guillotine.