Lakota Fordham 4B 03-21-2023 Charles Dickens Opposing Pairs Charles Dicken’s novel A Tale of Two Cities is a story of love, sacrifice, and the chaotic events of the French Revolution. One of the most significant themes in the novel is the opposing forces of forgiveness and revenge, represented by the characters of Dr. Manette and Madame Defarge. While Dr. Manette embodies forgiveness and redemption or the new testament law, Madame Defarge represents the desire for retribution and vengeance or, the old testament law. Charles Dickens used the two to further enhance the clash of mercy and revenge. Furthermore he used it to show that mercy and forgivness are qualities far more positive than retribution. In this essay, we will traverse into the dichotomy between these two characters …show more content…
She is the embodiment of pure hatred and retribution. She, like Dr. Manette, was also a victim of the Evremonde family. However, unlike Dr. Manette, Thérèse Defarge refused to forgive them, and she stopped only at death in her determination to exterminate them all, innocent or not. Madame Defarge was ruthless and had an incredibly keen eye for her victims like a predator or as described in the novel, “opportunity had developed her into a tigress. She was absolutely without pity” (Dickens 372). Madame Defarge's character in "A Tale of Two Cities" is closely tied to the idea of retributive justice. She seeks to avenge the wrongs done to her family by the aristocracy and is willing to do anything, including murder to achieve her goal. She believed that the only way to bring justice to the victims of the aristocracy was through violent revolution and punishment of the guilty. She used her ability to knit to keep track of who was to be exterminated. Her pursuit of justice led her to become as cruel as those she wished to punish, as she was willing to kill innocent people in the name of