A Tale Of Two Cities Essay - 553 Words

Capitol Punishment: Toy of Evil Men nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;One might believe that because capital punishment plays such a large role in Charles Dickens’ A Tale Of Two Cities, that Dickens himself is a supporter of it. This just simply is not true. Dickens uses capitol punishment as a tool to define the evil embodied in both the French ruling class, and the opposing lower class during the French Revolution; as well as comment on the sheep-like nature of humankind. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In the beginning of the novel, capital punishment serves as the quot;cure-allquot; for France’s social problems. After all, quot;death is nature’s remedy for all things, and why not legislation’s?quot; (62). It is this attitude that†¦show more content†¦quot;They are murdering the prisoners,quot; says Mr. Lorry to Darnay after arriving in France (260). Again Dickens uses capitol punishment as a way to show the reader the atrocities that humanity can create when consumed with hatred and evil. Dickens can be seen approaching the subject of the guillotine with cynical sarcasm when he writes, quot;it was the popular theme for jests; it was the best cure for headache, it infallibly prevented the hair from turning gray†¦who kissed La Guillotine looked through the little window and sneezed into the sackquot; (271). Just as with the Aristocrats, Dickens does not condone the Jacques use of capital punishment. His disdain is apparent in his tone; which gnaws away at any inkling the reader may have that the treatment of the prisoners is fair. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Capital punishment is also used as a social commentary by showing how people cling to the popular attitudes and beliefs of the day. People are quick to adopt the guillotine as their new savior. Dickens articulates the common attitude towards this when he writes, quot;[the guillotine] was the sign of the regeneration of the human race. It superseded the crossquot; (271). These quot;followers of the guillotinequot; are ruthless in their quest for blood as they shout quot;Take off his head†¦an enemy to the republic!quot; (280). By showing the ridiculous manner in which the people of France behave, Dickens teaches us a lesson aboutShow MoreRelatedA Tale of Two Cities800 Words   |  4 Pages Charles Dickens characterizes the settings in his novel, â€Å"A Tale of Two Cities,† through indirect comparison and contrast between Paris and London during the French Revolution, a political and social upheaval from 1789–1799; â€Å"There was a king with a large jaw and a queen with a plain face on the throne of England; there was a king with a large jaw and a queen with a fair face on the throne of France. In both countries it was clearer than crystal to the lords of the State preserves of loaves andRead MoreA Tale of Two Cities900 Words   |  4 PagesChange can be a good thing. 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