A Tale of Two Cities

Anticipation Guide
Revenge and Justice
1. Is revenge ever justified? Is so, under what circumstances?

2. How far would you go to obtain revenge on someone or some group

who destroyed your family?

3. Can you achieve justice through revenge?

4. What is justice?

5. How does our society treat those who achieve revenge?

Developing Character in a Crisis

6. Generate a list of people (try to think of at least 3) in real life
(someone you know or a celebrity) or literature who have developed
character in crisis (meaning that they took a tough life situation and
learned from it and became stronger):
1.
2.
3.

Duty vs. Desire

7. When, if ever, should desire be placed before duty?

8. When have you ever placed desire before duty? What was the result
of this decision?

9. Who do we expect to place duty before desire? Why? What happens

if they do not do so?

Corruption
10. What individuals can you think of from recent news that have
dealt with corruption, either individually or within a government or
business (try to think of at least 2)? What effect has this had on
common people? What would the long term consequences be if this
practice became the norm?
1.
2.

Adapted from A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities 7
Honor versus dishonor
11. Generate a list of qualities (at least 5) that you believe
characterize honorable behavior. Is there anyone in particular that
you believe ascribes to some of these characteristics?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

12. How are characteristics of honor established, and who

establishes them?

13. How does honorable behavior differ from group to group?

14. Who, if anyone, do we expect to be honorable? Employers?

Family? Politicians? Lawyers? Business-people?

Adapted from A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities 7