A Tale of Two Cities | Critical Analysis of A Tale of Two Cites

In this essay, Roger Moore discusses the dramatic contrasts in A Tale of Two Cities, the theme of duality manifested in Dickens's twinned characters, and the themes of social revolution and personal resurrection/self-sacrifice.

With its famous opening line "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times," A Tale of Two Cities was plainly intended by Dickens as a study in dramatic contrasts. Clear-cut polarities furnish this story of individuals caught in the maelstrom of the French Revolution with its central dynamic. Portraying events that take place over nearly two decades, the novel's setting shifts from the repression of autocratic rule and the impassioned violence it unleashes in Paris to the rule of law and the humane concern...

[The entire page is 1635 words long]

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass

Summary and Analysis – Themes – Characters – And much more...