Madame Defarge's Revenge

Charles Dickens was not only an astute businessman, but also one of the most inventive and brilliant writers of his time, the Victorian Era. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is regarded by the author as the best story he has written. In A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens refers to revenge as a negative force that drives humans’ morals. There are many examples of vicious acts driven by revenge in this novel. Dickens shows revenge is not justified and does not heal through Gaspard’s revenge on the Marquis, Madame Defarge’s revenge on Darnay, and the Revolutionaries’ revenge on the aristocrats.
Gaspard’s revenge on the Marquis eventually brings about his death and does not heal Gaspard or change what the Marquis did to cause him so much pain.

Dickens describes Gaspard in A Tale of Two Cities as, “A tall man in a nightcap… down in the mud and wet, howling over it like a wild animal” (Dickens 84). Gaspard is also described, “in wild desperation, extending both arms at their length above his head” (84). The tall man, Gaspard, is compared to an animal while in his state of suffering. The Marquis runs over his child in his carriage and Dickens uses Gaspard’s reaction and loss of humanity in his grief to foreshadow the drastic measures he takes in his revenge. Gaspard is so shocked and overcome with desperation he is affected physically. This reaction foreshadows Gaspard’s vengeance when he goes to the chateau and stabs the Marquis in his home. Although what the Marquis does is tragic, Gaspard’s revenge leads him to an even more tragic end. When describing Gaspard’s punishment for the murder of the Marquis, Dickens says, “Although condemned to death he will not be executed; they say that petitions have been presented in Paris, showing that he was enraged made mad by the death of his child”(130). Furthermore, Dickens says, “‘Again; on the other hand, they whisper at the fountains,’ resumed the countryman, ‘that he is brought down into our country to be executed on the spot, and that he will very certainly be executed’”(130). Gaspard kills the Marquis to avenge his dead child who was carelessly run over. Gaspard’s revenge only ends his life when he is condemned to death. In the end, three lives are lost in this tragedy. Dickens’ view of revenge is it never resolves problems and usually has a negative punishment or outcome on the avenger. Further, Gaspard is not healed and his son does not return so his punishment was the only outcome of his actions. Gaspard’s revenge on the Marquis is one of many examples of the aristocracy treating the poor badly and paying for it later.
Madame Defarge’s need for revenge on Charles Darnay and his family corrupts her morals and overtakes her life.

When recalling her past life to Monsieur Defarge, Madame Defarge says,“ ‘that peasant family so injured by the two Evrémonde brothers, as the Bastille paper describes, is my family Defarge, that sister of the mortally wounded boy upon the ground was my sister, that husband was my sister’s husband, that unborn father, those dead are my dead, and that summons to answer for those things descends to me!’” (264). This connects Madame Defarge to Charles Darnay. Charles Darnay’s family, the Evremondes, is the family that destroys Madame Defarge’s family. This explains Madame Defarge’s hatred of not only the aristocracy as a whole, but also Charles Darnay specifically. Madame Defarge feels responsible to avenge her family. Madame Defarge also says, “‘Tell the Wind and the Fire where to stop; not me!’”(265). Madame Defarge says this to Monsieur Defarge when she is trying to make a point that she will not be stopped from avenging her family. She is comparing herself to the elements saying she is even more unstoppable than wind and fire. This shows her revenge is the force that drives her life and what she will dedicate her life to. Her attempt to find and kill Lucie and her family is also foreshadowed. This hunger for revenge from an early age is recalled when Dickens says, “But imbued from her childhood with a brooding sense of wrong, and an invertebrate hatred of a

class, opportunity had developed her into a tigress. She was absolutely without pity. If she had ever had the virtue in her, it had quite gone out of her”(281). Madame Defarge has been affected by the wrongdoings on her family since she was a child and has had a thirst for revenge ever since. If she had not been wronged and attained this need of revenge, she might have been more pleasant and humane. Revenge has shaped her character as she has grown and taken over her life. She has no pity, and revenge has driven out any humanity and sympathy she may once have had. She is compared to a tigress; she is on the hunt and is unstoppable. Dickens uses Madame Defarge to explain revenge is not the answer and if one lets it consume their life it will bring about their end. Madame Defarge is killed in the end when she fights Miss Pross in efforts to find and kill Darnay’s family. In addition to revenge on Charles Darnay, Madame Defarge wants revenge on the aristocracy as a whole and leads many Revolutionaries in violent acts in result of this.
The Revolutionaries’ violent revenge on many aristocrats brings out the inhumanity of the people and also causes the death of innocent people.

One innocent seamstress who was killed at the Guillotine said, “I am not afraid to die, Citizen Evremonde, but I have done nothing. I am not unwilling to die, if the Republic which is to do so much good to us poor, will profit by my death; but I do not know how that can be, Citizen Evremonde. Such a poor weak little creature!” (275-276). The innocent seamstress represents many innocent people killed in the Revolution by vengeful Revolutionaries. The seamstress’ innocence contrasts drastically with the cruelty of the Revolutionaries. The paradox of the Revolutionaries is that their goal is to help the poor and weak but ended up killing many poor innocents instead. Dickens is showing how the revenge in the hearts of the Revolutionaries destroyed more than it built up and their efforts were not worth the innocent lives lost. Furthermore, the Revolutionaries are described as, “The grindstone had a double handle, and, turning at it madly were two men, whose faces, as their long hair flapped back when the whirlings of the grindstone brought their faces up were more horrible and cruel than the visages of the wildest savages in their most barbarous disguise”(203). The gruesome, inhumane description of the Revolutionaries shows how Dickens thinks the revenge of the Revolutionaries takes away their humanity and their actions are not

justified.
Gaspard’s revenge on the Marquis, Madame Defarge’s revenge on Darnay, and the Revolutionaries’ revenge on the aristocrats, represent Dickens’ idea that revenge does not heal, can ruin people, and is never justified. Revenge is one of the many corrupting values that forces victims to avenge people close to them by afflicting pain on others. This never-ending cycle of wrongdoings and retaliation is a very negative part of human society that causes many problems. The avenger almost always ends up paying for vengeance leaving no positive end result for anyone.