A TALE OF TWO CITIES

It all started when a YOUNG NOBLEMAN TRIES TO OUTRUN HIS PAST…

Set in London and Paris during the 1700s, A Tale of Two Cities introduces us to a rich cast of characters in the years leading up to the French Revolution. In Paris, the people are suffering from extreme poverty while the rich enjoy extraordinary luxury. Disgusted by his noble family’s treatment of the poor, a young French nobleman named Charles Darnay tries to build a new life in London. Sadly, he finds that his family’s cruelty follows him everywhere. When he falls in love with Lucie Manette, Charles discovers that her father was imprisoned by Charles’ family. Meanwhile in Paris, the people have had enough. They are secretly plotting a revolution to overthrow the King, the Queen, the nobility and anyone who ever contributed to the suffering of the poor. Will they go to far in their fight for justice? And will the innocent Charles and his young family be caught in their web?

To enrich your understanding of the historical setting, have your students participate in SPY WEEK: French Revolution Edition just before reading the play.

After reading this play, children can flex their story-based reading, writing and math skills by using The French Revolution Skills Book. One of the greatest benefits of reading the play adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities is that it makes children want to read more and more. In addition to reading the original A Tale of Two Cities novel by Charles Dickens, many students want to read more novels by Dickens such as A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations or Oliver Twist. They often also want to learn more about The French Revolution from Marie Antoinette to the revolutionaries to the philosophers who shaped ideas of the enlightenment. Our French Revolution Reading List here can point your students in some great directions!