In A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens paints a compelling picture of the horrors of capital punishment. He shows that the death penalty is a tool of evil men, not a means of justice.
Dickens first introduces the concept of capital punishment through the character Sydney Carton. Carton is a disreputable alcoholic who seems to have little to offer society. However, when his friend Charles Darnay is sentenced to death for treason, Carton steps up and offers to take his place.
Carton knows that he is not worth saving, but he makes the sacrifice anyway because he knows that Darnay is innocent. This selfless act illustrates Dickens’ point that capital punishment is not about justice – it’s about revenge. The government uses the death penalty as a way to hurt its enemies, not to punish them fairly.
Dickens makes it clear that the death penalty is not about deterrence. He shows that capital punishment does not prevent crime – in fact, it may even encourage it. When people know that they may be executed for their crimes, they are less likely to think twice about committing them.
Ultimately, Dickens believes that the death penalty is wrong because it is based on hatred and revenge. He argues that society should never condone violence, no matter what the justification may be. Dickens’ powerful words make a compelling case against capital punishment and remind us that violence only begets more violence.
Some may believe that because capital punishment features so prominently in Charles Dickens A Tale Of Two Cities, Dickens himself is a supporter of it. This is simply not the case. During the French Revolution, Dickens uses capital punishment as a tool to expose the bad in both the French aristocracy and the rebellious lower class; as well as illustrate humanity’s sheep mentality.
Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a criminal by the state. The practice dates back to ancient civilizations, and has been used in many different forms throughout history. In A Tale Of Two Cities, Dickens uses capital punishment as a tool to define the evil embodied in both the French ruling class and the opposing lower class during the French Revolution; as well as comment on the sheep-like nature of humankind.
The French Revolution was a time of great turmoil and change. The people of France were fed up with being oppressed by the aristocracy, and revolted against them in 1789. This was a bloody time, with much fighting and bloodshed taking place. Charles Dickens A Tale Of Two Cities is set during this period, and focuses on the struggle between the aristocrats, who wanted to keep things the way they were, and the lower class, who wanted to see change.
One of the ways Dickens illustrates the difference between these two groups is through their attitudes towards capital punishment. The aristocracy saw capital punishment as a tool to maintain their power, and used it frequently to kill anyone who threatened them. The lower class, on the other hand, saw capital punishment as a tool of justice, and only used it when absolutely necessary.
Dickens uses this contrast to show that the aristocracy are evil, while the lower class are good. He also uses it to comment on the sheep-like nature of humankind. People are often willing to go along with whatever the majority believes, without thinking for themselves. This is illustrated by the fact that the lower class only used capital punishment when it was absolutely necessary, while the aristocracy used it for their own selfish purposes.
In the end, Dickens does not take a clear stance on capital punishment. However, he does make it clear that it is a tool of evil men, and should be used sparingly if at all.
Capital punishment serves as the “cure-all” for France’s social ills in the beginning of the novel. After all, “why not make legislation out of death?” (62). It is this attitude that terrifies lower-class people and causes them to keep quiet about their oppressors. They are instead urged to extol the virtues of law and leave it to the authorities to handle.
However, as the novel progresses, capital punishment becomes more and more evident of its flaws. For one, it is often used as a tool for revenge by those in power. For example, in one particularly brutal scene, a man is executed merely for being related to someone who opposed the government. Additionally, capital punishment is often used as a way to placate the masses; when there is unrest among the people, executions are carried out in order to remind them of who is in charge.
Ultimately, Charles Dickens shows that capital punishment is nothing more than a toy of evil men. It is used to scare and intimidate the lower classes, while those in power are able to abuse it for their own gain. In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens offers a scathing critique of capital punishment and its effects on society.
The aristocracy, on the other hand, thought death by hanging to be a convenience rather than justice. “The trouble of each particular case was cleared away by the guillotine,” leaving nothing else to be dealt with (62). Dickens’ intention in this regard was to cast a negative light on the rulers of France. Jacques becomes drunk with bloodlust once the revolution is underway.
Previously, he had been “a mere dreamer of ideal justice, which was to be obtained by wholesale massacre and the burning down of houses” (191). A Tale of Two Cities is a scathing indictment of those in power who use capital punishment as nothing more than a tool to inflict terror on the people. In doing so, they prove themselves to be evil men.
Dickens’ condemnation of capital punishment is especially relevant today, when innocent people are often put to death. In A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens makes it clear that capital punishment is not only barbaric and unjust, but also counterproductive. It does nothing to further the cause of justice; instead, it only serves to reinforce the rule of evil men.