A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Plot Diagram

View Activity

Characters

View Activity

Literary Conflict

View Activity

Themes, Symbols, and Motifs

View Activity

TWIST Analysis

View Activity

Visual Vocabulary

View Activity

Essential Questions for A Tale of Two Cities

1. What responsibilities do leaders have to their people?
2. Why is equality such an important concept to people?
3. How can sacrifice make a person feel whole?
4. How can power and money corrupt people?
5. Why is seeking revenge sometimes more destructive than the original crime?
6. What are some things that can corrupt the original idealistic intentions of a revolution?
7. Can a person ever truly renounce their family name and history?

The French Revolution

In order to best understand this novel and the motivations of the characters, students should have a solid understanding of the causes and effects of the French Revolution, especially the tensions between the aristocracy and the peasants. While the French Revolution was inspired by many of the Enlightenment ideals that inspired the American Revolution, things didn’t go quite as well for the French citizens and there are important reasons why. Luckily, our Storyboard That history teachers have crafted a complete teacher’s guide for the French Revolution that has some handy activities for getting students thinking about the important aspects of this time period.

Some important causes of the Revolution to review with students include:

• Poor harvests and food shortages
• Extreme debt caused by French involvement in wars, including the American Revolution
• The success of the American Revolution
• The ideals of the Enlightenment, including the rights of citizens and men
• The caste system that perpetuated the poverty and exploitation of those not in the aristocracy
• The absolutist monarchies which were quickly losing power and influence in other parts of Europe as well

The Bastille

The Bastille was a symbol of oppression and abuse of power, as many of those who were imprisoned there never went to trial. Instead, they spent years in dark cells, alone with their thoughts - and many lost their minds in that isolation, like Dr. Manette. The Bastille was a fortress dating back to the 14th century, and it became the focus of the revolutionaries’ ire with the Storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789.

Buy A Tale of Two Cities on Amazon