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T e a c h e r’s n o t e s
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A Tale of Two Cities
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by Charles Dickens
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UPPER
INTERMEDIATE
S U M M A R Y
harles Dickens, one of Britain’s greatest and bestloved nineteenth century writers, wrote this story
about the French Revolution in 1859.
The story begins in the last decades of the eighteenth
century, when the poor and oppressed of France were at
last beginning to plan the downfall of the aristocracy.
Charles Darnay, a young French aristocrat, disgusted by his
family’s treatment of the poor people around them,
renounces his inheritance and goes to England. He falls in
love with a young woman called Lucy Manette and marries
her. By strange coincidence, many years ago, Darnay’s
father and brother caused the lengthy imprisonment of
Lucy’s father, Dr Manette. The doctor, however, bears no
grudge against Darnay. But in Paris, there are two powerful
revolutionary figures, Monsieur and Madame Defarge, who
have reason to hate Darnay’s aristocratic family. And when
Darnay returns to Paris on an errand of mercy, in 1789,
during the French Revolution, the Defarges are determined
that he will die on the guillotine. But there is another man
called Sydney Carton, who also loves Lucy Manette. He
loves her so much that he will do anything in order to save
the man she loves ...
C
ABOUT CHARLES DICKENS
This world-famous author, born in 1812, was the son of a
clerk in the Navy office. His irresponsible parents ran into
great debt and when Dickens was twelve, his father was
placed in a debtors’ prison and the boy was put to work in
a factory for some months. Dickens’ intense misery in this
place made a profound impression on him and he drew
greatly upon this experience in his novels. At the age of
fifteen, Dickens started work as an office boy and then
became a reporter of debates in the Houses of Parliament.
He started writing for several journals and achieved his first
success with a series of articles called Sketches by Boz. His
first novel, The Pickwick Papers, published in serial form,
became very popular and Dickens became a celebrity. In
1836, he married Catherine Hogarth, the daughter of his
publisher. Oliver Twist, again written in serial form, was
published between 1837 and 1839.
A steady stream of novels followed, about twenty in all.
Dickens lived an extraordinarily active life; besides writing
his novels and editing magazines, he championed a variety
of social causes, among them the abolition of slavery and
capital punishment, and the reform of prostitutes. He
staged numerous theatrical productions and from 1858
onwards, he travelled through England and America, giving
public readings of his novels. By the late 1850s, Dickens’
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marriage was in serious trouble and he separated from his
wife in 1858, having become involved with the actress Ellen
Ternan. Dickens died suddenly in 1870, a writer who had
achieved admiration and acclaim in a way no other novelist
had done before.
BACKGROUND AND THEMES
The French Revolution, which began in 1789 and continued
with extreme violence until 1799, turned the country of
France upside down.
The Bastille, a prison in Paris famous for its political
prisoners, was stormed by a mob on 14 July 1789 and the
prisoners released. The King and Queen of France were
imprisoned and executed, as were thousands of
aristocrats. They were sent to the ‘guillotine’, a large device
used to behead people, which was set up in a public
square. During the ‘Days of Terror’, many innocent people
were wrongly accused of sympathising with the old regime
and were guillotined. What began as a revolution that had
right on its side, turned into mob terror and legitimised
mindless violence. But out of the revolution the first
‘consitutional’ government was born. In other words, this
was a government that operated according to written and
agreed principles about the rights of every individual in the
country. It is true to say that the French Revolution, the first
of its kind in the world, set a formidable example to other
countries. It taught the world that ordinary people had
‘rights’ and that governments could be overthrown by
ordinary people.
Dickens, who had great sympathy for poor people, having
known great poverty himself as a child, was naturally drawn
towards the French Revolution, as a subject for a novel. In
A Tale of Two Cities he depicts with tremendous power and
realism the sufferings of the poor, and the way in which
aristocrats oppressed and abused them. He shows, with
great insight, how ordinary men and women were driven by
their suffering to become implacable murderers of the
aristocracy. But Dickens was never a revolutionary.
When Dickens wrote this novel, which came out in serial
form between April and November 1859, he was fortyseven years old. His marriage to Catherine Hogarth had
failed and he no longer lived with her. He had fallen in love
with a young actress called Ellen Ternan, but in those days
it was unthinkable that he should live with her. Critics have
suggested that Ellen, who was blond and blue-eyed, could
have been the model for Charles Darnay’s beautiful wife,
Lucie.
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T e a c h e r’s n o t e s
Dickens had got the basic idea for the plot from a play
where two men fall in love with the same woman; one of the
men gives up his life to save the other man. At the end of A
Tale of Two Cities, Sydney Carton, a clever man who has not
lived a good life, does something utterly heroic. He gives up
his life to save Charles Darnay, knowing that this will protect
the woman he loves, Lucie, from terrible unhappiness.
This is the ultimate self-sacrifice. Again, critics have
speculated, that Dicken was – subconsciously or even
consciously – writing about ‘sacrifice’ because of the
tremendous sacrifice he had to make in not being able to
live more closely with Ellen Ternan. The last scene, in which
Sydney Carton dies, is very moving, and his final words are
rightly famous: ‘It is a far, far better thing that I do than I
have ever done’.
Communicative activities
The following teacher-led activities cover the same sections
as the exercises at the back of the Reader, and supplement
those exercises. For supplementary exercises covering
shorter sections of the book, see the photocopiable
Student’s Activities pages of the Factsheet. These ar e
primarily for use with class readers, but with the exception
of the pair/group work questions, can also be used by
students working alone in a self-access centre.
ACTIVITIES BEFORE READING THE BOOK
Tell students that this story takes place during the French
Revolution. In groups of three or four, students write down
what they know about the French Revolution (See
‘Background and Themes’). Then elicit information from the
class and put it on the board. You may want to add more
facts yourself about the subject.
ACTIVITIES WHILE READING THE BOOK
Chapters 1–5
In pairs, students write down the following characters in
order, according to how interesting they find each character.
They must explain their reasons for placing the characters in
this order. Each pair must come to an agreement about the
order. In other words, they can only write one list between
them.
Lucie Manette
Dr Manette
Charles Darnay
Mr Jarvis Lorry
Sydney Carton
Monsieur Defarge
Chapters 6–10
Put students in groups of four. They play the following parts.
The Marquis of Evremonde
Someone in the Marquis’ village
Defarge
Gaspard (before he has murdered the Marquis)
Tell students to talk to each other. They can say whatever
they want to each other.
Chapters 11–16
1 In pairs, students choose an illustration for each chapter
and write a description of the illustration. Then pairs
describe their illustrations to the class. Write their
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choices on the board, then the class can vote on the
best illustration for each chapter.
2 In pairs, students discuss the following question:
Do you think Darnay was right to return to France? Say
why/why not.
Chapters 17–21
1 In pairs, students answer this question.
A number of unexpected things happen in these
chapters? What are they?
2 In pairs,students play the parts of Lucy and Dr Manette.
Ask them to make the conversation that the father and
daughter have after Darnay is arrested for the second
time.
Chapters 22–27
Teach students the word sacrifice. In pairs, students discuss
these questions. Then have a whole class discussion about
them.
Do you think Madame Defarge deserved to die?
Do you think that Darnay deserved Carton’s sacrifice?
Give reasons for your opinions.
ACTIVITIES AFTER READING THE BOOK
1 In pairs, students discuss this question. Then they write
two or three paragraphs in answer to it.
Who do you think is the strongest person in the book?
Give reasons for your opinion.
2 In pairs, students discuss this question. Then they write
two or three paragraphs in answer to it.
Which is most important in this novel, plot, character or
dialogue? Give reasons for your opinion.
Glossary
It will be useful if your students know the following new words. They are
practised in the ‘Before You Read’exercises at the back of the book.
(Definitions are based on those in the Longman Dictionary of
Contemporary English.)
Chapters 1–5
aristocrat (n) someone who belongs to the highest social class
arrest (v) if the police arrest you, they take you away because they
think you have done something illegal
barrel (n) a large curved container with a flat top and bottom, made of
wood or metal
bench (n) a long heavy table used for working on with tools
carriage (n) a vehicle with wheels that is pulled by a horse
courtyard (n) an open space that is completely or partly surrounded by
buildings
evidence (n) facts, objects or signs that make you believe something is
true
knit (v) to make something, for example clothes, out of wool using two
long needles
Madame, Monsieur (n) the French for Mr and Mrs
Marquis (n) title of a French aristocrat
misery (n) great unhappiness and suffering
tale (n) a story, usually containing some imaginary events
Chapters 11–16
cart (n) a vehicle with wheels, pulled by a horse and used for carrying
heavy things
emigre (n) someone who leaves their country to live in another, usually
for political reasons
fraternity (n) a feeling of friendship and unity betweenmembers of a
group
liberty (n) freedom
mercy (n) kindness and pity
patriot (n) someone who loves his or her country
republic (n) a country governed by elected representatives of the
people
revolution (n) a time of great social or political change
roar a deep loud noise
Publis hed and d is tribut ed by Pearson Ed ucation
F act s heet wri tte n by W S Fowler
Fact sheet ser ies de ve loped by Louis e Ja mes
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Student’s activities
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A Tale of Two Cities
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Photocopiable
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These activities can be done alone or with one or more
other students. Pair/group-only activities are marked.
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Activities before reading the book
Read the Introduction from the bottom of page vi (A Tale
of Two Cities is the second of . . . ’) to the end. Then
match the names with the descriptions.
(a) Dr Manette
(b) Gabelle
(c) Thomas Carlyle
(d) Charles Darnay
(e) Sydney Carton
(f) Mr Lorry
(g) Lucie
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
(vii)
He is tried in London as a spy.
Darnay and Carton are in love with her.
He goes to Paris with Lucie.
This lawyer looks like Charles Darnay.
Writer of The French Revolution.
Father of Lucie.
A tax collector.
Activities while reading the book
CHAPTERS 1–5
Chapters 1 & 2
1 Are these sentences true or false? If they are false,
correct them.
(a) The people in Saint Antoine are very poor.
(b) Someone drops a barrel of wine and the poor
people drink it.
(c) Monsieur Defarge keeps Dr Manette prisoner in
his wine shop.
(d) Dr Manette used to work for Monsieur Defarge.
(e) Jarvis Lorry brought Lucie up.
(f) When Lucie saw her father, he was busy making
shoes.
(g) The Bastille is a great prison in London.
(h) Lucie’s father had been a prisoner in the Bastille.
(i) Lucie’s father remembers a lot about his life before
prison.
(j) They decide to take Dr Manette to London.
2 Work in pairs.
(a) Write three or four sentences describing these
people:
Dr Manette
Monsieur Lefarge
Madame Lefarge
(b) What do you think Dr Manette was in prison for?
(c) Why do the two ‘Jacques’ go to look at Dr
Manette? Defarge says about this, ‘the sight is
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likely to do good’. What do you think Defarge
could mean?
Chapters 3, 4 & 5
1 Who asks these questions? What are the answers?
Explain the situation.
(a) ‘What’s the next case?’
(b) ‘Miss Manette, have you seen the prisoner
before?’
(c) ‘Are you quite sure that it was the prisoner?’
(d) ‘... do you think I like you?’
(e) ‘Why have I been so successful and you so
unsuccessful?’
(f) ‘Father! Are you ill?
2 (a) Find the word motive in your dictionary? Put these
people into two groups. In the first group, put
those who want to help Charles Darnay. In the
second group, put those who want him to be
found guilty. What do you think the motives of
each person are?
Mr Stryver
John Barsad
Lucie
Sydney Carton
Roger Cly
Dr Manette
(b) Why do you think Dr Manette looks at Darnay with
‘an expression of dislike and even of fear’? What
could be the answer?
CHAPTERS 6–10
Chapters 6, 7 & 8
1 Answer these questions.
(a) Who does the Marquis of Evremonde kill and how
does this happen?
(b) Why do you think someone throws a gold coin
into the carriage. Who does this?
(c) Why does the roadmender stare hard at the
Marquis’ carriage?
(d) How does Darnay feel about his family?
(e) Who do you think killed the Marquis?
(f) In Chapter 8, how long is it since Darnay has left
France and what kind of work does he do?
(g) Why does Darnay go to see Dr Manette?
(h) How does the Doctor feel about this? What is his
final answer?
(i) What does the Doctor stop Darnay from telling
him? Why do you think this is?
(j) What does Lucie find the Doctor doing? Why do
you think he is doing this?
2 Do you think the Marquis deserved to die? Say
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INTERMEDIATE
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Student’s activities
why/why not. What do you think should happen to the
man who killed him?
Chapters 9 & 10
1 Complete these sentences so that they summarise the
chapters. You will need to write 1-3 sentences.
(a) Mr Lorry persuades Stryver not ..................
because ..................
(b) Sydney Carton tells Lucie that ..................
(c) The roadmender tells the people in the wine shop
that Gaspard ..................
(d) Madame has a knitted list of ..................
2 Work in pairs. Describe Madame Defarge from the
point of:
(a) the roadmender (b) Defarge.
CHAPTERS 11–16
Chapters 11, 12 & 13
1 Who says these words? What do you think the speaker
means by them?
(a) ‘But revenge takes a long time to prepare.’
(b) ‘Good day, Jacques.’
(c) ‘I hope her husband stays out of France.’
(d) ‘Unfortunately he has recently had a return of his
illness.’
(e) ‘Work, Jacques One, Jacques Two, Jacques One
Thousand ...’
(f) ‘Cut open that bed and search it.’
2 Work in pairs. Answer these questions.
(a) Who is Solomon?* What do you know about him?
(b) What is the terrible shock that the Doctor receives
in Chapter 12?
(c) What is your opinion of Monsieur and Madame
Defarge? How does Defarge feel about the
Doctor? Give reasons for your opinions.
Chapters 14,15 & 16
1 Put these events in the right order:
(a) Darnay reads the letter from Gabelle.
(b) Darnay is put in prison.
(c) Mr Lorry tells Darnay that he is going to France.
(d) The villagers set fire to the castle.
(e) Darnay meets Defarge.
2 Imagine that Darnay writes a letter from prison to his
wife. Write that letter.
CHAPTERS 17–21
Chapters 17, 18 & 19
1 Complete these sentences.
(a) Dr Manette believes he can .............. Darnay
because he (the doctor) was a ............. in the
Bastille.
(b) Lucie feels very ................. of Madame Defarge.
(c) Every day Lucie goes and stands at the corner of
a dark and dirty ............ .
(d) Sydney Carton ............. from Lucie and the
Doctor.
(e) The court says Darnay was wrong to ............... to
France.
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(f) Gabelle’s ............. to Darnay is read out in court.
(g) Four rough men from .............. ........... come to
arrest Darnay.
2 Work in pairs. Play these parts and have a discussion
about the revolution.
Student A: Play an aristocrat.
Student B: Play a revolutionary.
3 What do you think will happen to Darnay? Write down
your predictions.
CHAPTERS 20–21
1 Say what you know about these people or things:
Jeremy Cruncher
a small packet
Darnay’s accusers in court
Cell 105, North Tower
2 Imagine that you are John Basard. After your
conversation with Sydney Carton you go and tell Cly
what has happened. You also tell him about meeting
your sister. Write that conversation.
3 What do you think Sydney Carton’s plan is to help
Darnay? Give reasons for your opinion.
CHAPTERS 22-–27
Chapters 22–24
1 Answer these questions.
(a) Why do the young woman and boy die?
(b) Why does the younger brother ’s wife come to see
the Doctor?
(c) Why does the Doctor go to the Bastille?
(d) Why does the Doctor’s letter mean that Charles
must die?
(e) Why does Carton go to the Defarge’s wine shop?
(f) Why does Madame Defarge want everyone in the
Evremonde family to die?
(g) Why does Carton say that the Doctor, Lucie and
her child must leave the next day?
2 Explain how Sydney Carton succeeds in taking
Darnay’s place in prison. What is your opinion of
Carton now? Did you expect this?
CHAPTERS 25–27
1 What examples of great love for others are there in this
chapter? Explain how this love is shown.
2 The last words of Sydney Carton are very famous: ‘It is
a far, far better thing that I do than I have ever done ...’
Why do you think they are famous?
Activities after reading the book
1 How do you feel about the French Revolution after
reading this book? Write one or two paragraphs about
this.
2 Work in pairs. Do you think A Tale of Two Cities would
make a good film? Say why/why not.
Pu blished and dist ributed b y P ear son E ducat ion
Factsheet written by W S Fowler
F act sheet s eri es devel oped b y L ouise J am es
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