History Literature / ATaleOfTwoCities

-->'''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.

* ThePowerOfLove: Not ''literally'' power, but the book outright states that Miss Pross is able to overcome Defarge through the power of love.

* RevengeByProxy: Madame Defarge towards [[spoiler:Darnay's ''entire'' family; even his wife, child and father-in-law, [[UngratefulBastard who'd actually tried to get justice for her loved ones in the past and suffered dearly for it]] ]].

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Charles Darnay]] is saved and lives a long and happy life with Lucie, but only because [[spoiler:Sydney Carton swaps clothes with him and is executed in his place]].

''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a novel by Creator/CharlesDickens first published in 1859, dealing with the events of UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution and their impact on the lives of a number of fictional characters living at the time. The two cities of the title are UsefulNotes/{{London}} and UsefulNotes/{{Paris}}: Paris is used as a [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized symbol of lawlessness]], while London represents Order, albeit containing problems that could, in time, lead to a situation as bad as Paris.

Lucie Manette, a young Frenchwoman living in England, receives news that her father, who has been lost for sixteen years and was presumed dead, is actually alive, albeit insane, and would she please come see him to see if her presence can help restore his sanity. She later marries Charles Darnay, who, unknown to her family, is the son of a deceased Marquis in France. When he receives a letter from France calling him to go save one of his former servants, France draws him in, and attempts to execute him. At the same time, Sydney Carton, a man [[IdenticalStranger who looks as if he were Darnay's twin separated at birth]], tries to redeem his wasted life.

* IdenticalStranger: Carton and Darnay are not even from the same country, never mind the same family, yet their astonishing resemblance to each other is a major plot point. It first discredits eyewitness testimony when Darnay is falsely accused of spying for the French crown, then it allows Carton to [[spoiler:take Darnay's place when the latter is sentenced to death for being a member of the hated St Evremonde family]].

* MoreExpendableThanYou: Carton's self-sacrifice at the end is probably the most famous example of this trope.

* AntiHero: Sydney can't be bothered to care about anything, but he finds a cause by the end.

* BreakoutCharacter: Carton, obviously, to the point where it's easy to forget that he's actually absent for large portions of the story (Lorry, Dr. Manette, Darnay and Lucie all appear significantly more often). Some adaptations essentially make him the main character by giving him scenes that aren't in the original text, which often leads to Dr. Manette and Mr. Lorry being DemotedToExtra.

* BrilliantButLazy: Subverted with Sydney Carton. He is quite skilled at his job ''and'' does it very diligently, but he allows Stryver to take all the credit for the cases they win. Not to mention, of course, that he is the only one able to [[spoiler:save Charles Darnay and get the rest of the family out of France at the end of the book]]. He only pretends to be lazy, as in this exchange:
--> '''Sydney:''' Business! Bless you, I have no business.
--> '''Mr. Lorry:''' If you had, perhaps you would attend to it.
--> '''Sydney:''' Lord love you, no! - I shouldn't.

* CasanovaWannabe: Stryver.

* DarkActionGirl: Madame Defarge wields weapons and is one of the most bloodthirsty revolutionaries.

* OneSteveLimit: Averted: There are *five* different characters with the first name Jacques, although only three are really relevant. And once, they are all in the same room!
--> ''Jacques One, Jacques Two, Jacques Three, this is the witness, who I, Jacques Four, brought along after the meeting. Speak, Jacques Five.''

As one of Dickens' most famous works and indeed one of the most famous novels of 19th century English literature, it has been adapted to the screen several times. There were no fewer than four silent film adaptations. The most famous sound adaptation is the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward-nominated 1935 film directed by Jack Conway and starring Creator/RonaldColman as Carton. There was also a 1958 film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Creator/DirkBogarde as Carton, with Creator/ChristopherLee and Creator/DonaldPleasence in supporting roles; a well-regarded 1980 BBC series starring Paul Shelley as Carton and Darnay and produced under Creator/BarryLetts; a 1989 Granada/ITV series that utilised both English and French actors; and a 2008 Broadway musical.

----
!!Tropes found in the 1935 film:

* AndThatLittleGirlWasMe: The story of Dr. Manette's fatal manuscript is told in court by Madame Defarge herself. Shakespearean actress Blanche Yurka nails it with disheveled, half-crazed fury, styled rather for the stage than screen.
* {{Fainting}}: Lucie does when she finds out that her father is actually alive in France.
* IWasNeverHere: "No one saw a coach leave here, understand?", as the coach bearing Dr. Manette trundles away.
* MatchCut: From the Marquis St. Evremonde's crest on Madame Defarge's little blanket hit list, to his crest on his coach as he barrels through the Paris slums.
* OhCrap: Carton and Miss Pross realise that the Defarges, having seen little Lucie as Darnay's child, will want to have her killed too.
* PanUpToTheSkyEnding: The camera pans up to the clouds over Paris as Carton's voiceover delivers the "It is a far, far better thing I do" ending.
* RepeatAfterMe: Carton's considerably less competent boss Stryver rises to question Barsad in court. Carton scribbles a note saying "No questions now. Later on if you're not too silly we'll land him." Stryver then blurts out "No questions now, later on if you're not too silly--" before catching himself.

* DoTheyKnowItsChristmasTime On Christmas Eve, Lucie Manette invites the drunken Sydney Carton away from the taverns and into attending Christmas Mass with her. At the Mass, he falls in love with her and decides to change his wastrel life. The carol "Adeste Fideles" becomes his Redemption Theme, played in his key moments in the film.

* LoveTriangle: One of the most famous in literature, with Lucie Manette at the centre, flanked by Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton. Lucie and Darnay meet on a packet ship to England after the latter has retrieved her father from Paris, and the kindness Darnay shows in ensuring the sickly Doctor Manette's comfort on the journey ignites the sparks of attraction between him and Lucie, and they are married several years later. Carton, meanwhile, finds himself attracted to Lucie when he first meets her at Darnay's treason trial, but he feels unworthy of her due to the years he has spent as an idle drunkard, and is convinced she does not return his affections, so when he does confess his love for her, he frames it as a pledge of undying loyalty to her and those she loves. Though Lucie agrees that Carton could have made so much more of himself, she remains fond of him.

* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: How do you show that you are a really really decadent French aristocrat? Get a pet monkey and feed him grapes.

As one of Dickens' most famous works and indeed one of the most famous novels of 19th century English literature, it has been adapted several times. There were no fewer than four silent film adaptations. The most famous adaptation is a 1935 film directed by Jack Conway and starring Creator/RonaldColman as Carton. There was also a 1958 film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Creator/DirkBogarde as Carton, with Creator/ChristopherLee and Creator/DonaldPleasence in supporting roles; a well-regarded 1980 BBC series starring Paul Shelley as Carton and Darnay and produced under Creator/BarryLetts; a 1989 Granada/ITV series that utilised both English and French actors; and a 2008 Broadway musical.

As one of Dickens' most famous works and indeed one of the most famous novels of 19th century English literature, it has been adapted several times. There were no fewer than four silent film adaptations. The most famous adaptation is a 1935 film directed by Jack Conway and starring Creator/RonaldColman as Carton. There was also a 1958 film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Creator/DirkBogarde as Carton, with Creator/ChristopherLee and Creator/DonaldPleasence in supporting roles, a well-regarded 1980 BBC series starring Paul Shelley as Carton and Darnay and produced under Creator/BarryLetts, a 1989 TV production that utilised both English and French actors, and a 2008 Broadway musical.

[[quoteright:295:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sydney_carton_at_the_guillotine.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:295:"It is a far, far better thing..."]]

''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a novel written by Creator/CharlesDickens first published in 1859, dealing with the events of UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution and their impact on the lives of a number of fictional characters living at the time. The two cities of the title are UsefulNotes/{{London}} and UsefulNotes/{{Paris}}: Paris is used as a [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized symbol of lawlessness]], while London represents Order, albeit containing problems that could, in time, lead to a situation as bad as Paris.

[[quoteright:245:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ATaleOfTwoCities_2621.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:245:It is a far, far better thing...]]

''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a novel written by Creator/CharlesDickens first published in 1859, dealing with the events of UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution and their impact on the lives of a number of fictional characters living at the time. The two cities of the title are London and Paris: Paris as a [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized symbol of lawlessness]], while London represents Order, albeit containing problems that could, in time, lead to a situation as bad as Paris.

As one of Dickens' most famous works and indeed one of the most famous novels of 19th century English literature, it has been adapted several times. There were no fewer than four silent film adaptations. The most famous adaptation is a 1935 film directed by Jack Conway and starring Creator/RonaldColman as Carton. There was also a 1958 film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Creator/DirkBogarde as Carton, with Creator/ChristopherLee and Creator/DonaldPleasence in supporting roles, a well-regarded 1980 BBC series starring Paul Shelley as Carton and Darnay and produced under Barry Letts, a 1989 TV production that utilised both English and French actors, and a 2008 Broadway musical.

* FamousLastWords: The narrator in the book provides the FinalSpeech that Sydney would have given had he the opportunity.

Dickens' novel was largely inspired by his reading of Thomas Carlyle's ''The French Revolution: A History'', and took from it the sense of the Revolution as an elemental eruption of the human spirit when pushed too far. Thomas Carlyle's book was itself a highly romantic and melodramatic work rather than historical so the novel does suffer from DatedHistory to some extent despite being broadly accurate to the circumstances and events of the French Revolution. Unlike Carlyle, Dickens sympathized with the ends, though not the conduct, of the Revolution, and offers a glimpse of hope that after the extremists meet their end, France itself would rise a free and happy Republic, [[UsefulNotes/FrenchPoliticalSystem eventually]].

As one of Dickens' most famous works and indeed one of the most famous novels of 19th century English literature, it has been adapted several times. There were no fewer than four silent film adaptations. The most famous adaptation is a 1935 film directed by Jack Conway and starring Creator/RonaldColman as Carton. There was also a 1958 film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Dirk Bogarde as Carton, with Creator/ChristopherLee and Creator/DonaldPleasence in supporting roles, a well-regarded 1980 BBC series starring Paul Shelley as Carton and Darnay and produced under Barry Letts, a 1989 TV production that utilised both English and French actors, and a 2008 Broadway musical.

* TheAlcoholic: Sydney Carton to a T, and Mr. Stryver. While doing paperwork well into the night, Stryver becomes increasingly inebriated, while Sydney seems to [[DrunkenMaster become even more efficient.]]

** Darnay's uncle. He caused [[spoiler:the death of Madame's Defarge's entire family, ran over a peasant child and coldly [[BuyThemOff tosses Gaspard a coin to pay for his son's death]]. Unsurprisingly, no one's upset when the pissed off Gaspard murders him]].

* AudienceSurrogate: Mr. Lorry, who isn't really at the center of any of the events in the story, but is present for almost the entire thing, and we see what he's thinking more than many of the other characters.

* BangBangBANG: Miss Pross gets permanently deafened when Madame Defarge's gun goes off during the struggle with her.

* BigBadSlippage: Madame Defarge starts out as an ordinary woman with extremist views and eventually becomes a strong leader in the revolution.

* BulletHolesAndRevelations: During the struggle between Miss Pross and Madame Defarge over a gun, it goes off. [[spoiler:It takes a few lines to find out where the shot went.]]
* ButtMonkey: Sydney Carton, although he admittedly does this to himself.
* BuyThemOff: The Marquis tosses a coin to the father whose child his carriage runs over. He is really offended when that gold coin gets tossed back in to the carriage, rightly seeing it as an action of contempt.

** Cruncher's graverobbing. It gets mentioned in one chapter, but doesn't become relevant until it turns out that Cruncher had tried to rob Cly's grave and found no corpse.
* CompanionCube: A somber example PlayedForDrama: The shoemaker's bench and tools are this for Doctor Manette. Manette refers to this equipment as ''a friend'' and deplores its destruction. When Lorry and Miss Prost destroy the shoemaker's bench, they also treat him like something alive:

* CoolOldGuy: Mr. Lorry.
* TheCynic: Sydney Carton.

** Charles Darnay: Is actually a French aristocrat, Charles St. Evrémonde, whose family is infamous for its mistreatment of the poor. He renounces his title and wealth, moves to England and attempts to live a new life.

** Dr. Manette: Is wrongly imprisoned in the Bastille for 18 years by Darnay's father and uncle, causing him to write a manifesto [[spoiler:that would later sentence his son-in-law to the Guillotine]].

* DeadpanSnarker: Sydney Carton.

* DomesticAbuse: Cruncher's introduction reveals that he gets into violent rows with his wife, which is more or less played for comedy. It helps establish him as a dumb, working-class cockney.

* EntitledToHaveYou: Stryver first tries to offer himself to Lucie, believing that his position is more than enough for her; he is aghast when Mr. Lorry tries to talk him out of it.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Even the vicious revolutionary Ernest Defarge has his qualms about executing children. His wife Thérèse, [[WouldHurtAChild on the other hand...]]

* FinalSpeech: A hypothetical one is given for Sydney [[spoiler:as he foresees the fates of the other characters.]]

* IdenticalGrandson: Darnay looks a whole lot like his uncle the Marquis. We find out much later that Darnay's father and uncle were identical twins.

* TheIngenue: Lucie Manette.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Carton's obsession with Lucie motivates him to take her husband's place at the guillotine.

* MeaningfulName: Stryver is ambitious and is said to always be shouldering his way through life.

* PutOnABus: Stryver pretty much disappears in the last third of the book.
* QuintessentialBritishGentleman: Mr. Lorry fits this one to a T.

* LeftHanging: Because the last part of the novel shifts the focus entirely to [[spoiler: the Miss Pross/Madame Defarge fight and Carton's execution]], we never actually get a scene where [[spoiler: Lucie realizes what Carton has done for her.]] Most adaptations of the book insert one in.