Examples Of Madame Defarge In A Tale Of Two Cities

In the Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens utilizes Madame Defarge to show the theme that revenge has the capability of corrupting an individual.

At the beginning of the novel, Dickens portrays Madame Defarge as, “a stout woman ... with a watchful eye ... a steady face, strong features, and great composure.” Defarge seems to be no more than a common spouse in the novel, merely occupied with her knitting. As the novel progresses, however, we find that she is anything but the average housewife. She’s the bloodthirsty leader of the revolution. The true evolution of Madame Defarge isn’t seen until the revolution begins. Madame Defarge and the oppressed peasants recently turned patriots, drunk with their newfound power, begin the pursuit of justice

Though originally in pursuit of a noble goal such as justice, it quickly deteriorates into a bloodbath. Madame Defarge not only kills, but also relishes in watching the torment and execution of people for her entertainment. Evidence of this is shown after the storming of the Bastille where Dickens writes, “down on the steps of the Hotel de Ville where the governor’s body lay—down on the sole of the shoe of Madame Defarge where she had trodden on the body to steady it for mutilation.” Madame Defarge couldn’t just kill the man, she had to excessively harm it by stomping on the body. The bloodthirsty rage elicited by Madame Defarge is derived from the desire of vengeance, first formed at witnessing the torture, rape, and death of her family at the hands of the aristocracy and more specifically the Evrémondes’. Clearly as shown above, her desire