illustration of a guillotine

A Tale of Two Cities

by Charles Dickens

Start Free Trial

Student Question

In A Tale of Two Cities, what is Charles Darnay's punishment if found guilty of treason?

Quick answer:

If found guilty of treason, Charles Darnay faces the brutal punishment of being hung, drawn, and quartered. This gruesome sentence involves being drawn on a hurdle, half-hanged, disemboweled while alive, and then beheaded and quartered. Such a severe penalty was intended to deter others from committing treason, reflecting the seriousness with which the crime was regarded during the time the novel is set.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

We can find the answer to your question in Book II Chapter Two of this excellent novel that gives us a literary treatment of the French Revolution. Treason of course is and was an incredibly serious charge, as it indicated that you had worked against the crown to try and overthrow it in some form. During the time in which the novel was set, the brutal punishment reserved for those who committed treason was to be hung, drawn and quartered. A bystander next to Jerry Cruncher can give us a better description of what this process actually involves:

"Ah!" returned the man, with a relish; "he'll be drawn on a hurdle to be half hanged, and then he'll be taken down and sliced before his own face, and then his inside will be taken out and burnt while he looks on, and then his head will be chopped off, and he'll be cut into quarted. That's the sentence."

Clearly, therefore, the punishment designed for those convincted of committing treason is designed to be particularly terrible to act as a deterrent to prevent anyone from thinking of doing such a crime for fear of what would happen to them.

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Approved by eNotes Editorial