Book II - Chapter II. A Sight Practice Quiz — A Tale of Two Cities
by Charles Dickens — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Book II - Chapter II. A Sight
Where is Jerry Cruncher sent at the beginning of the chapter, and why?
He is sent from Tellson's Bank to the Old Bailey courthouse to deliver a note to Mr. Lorry and remain as a messenger at hand.
What crime is being tried at the Old Bailey?
Treason — specifically, Charles Darnay is accused of passing British military secrets to the French King.
What is the punishment for treason that shocks Jerry Cruncher?
Drawing on a hurdle, half-hanging, being sliced and disemboweled while alive, beheading, and quartering.
What is Jerry Cruncher's reaction to the punishment of quartering?
He calls it "Barbarous" and says "It's hard in the law to spile a man" — showing common-sense moral outrage.
How does Dickens describe the Old Bailey gaol and its dangers?
It is a vile place breeding deadly diseases that sometimes "rushed straight from the dock at my Lord Chief Justice himself, and pulled him off the bench."
What satirical phrase does Dickens use to sum up the Old Bailey's justice system?
"Whatever is is right" — an aphorism he immediately undercuts by saying it implies "nothing that ever was, was wrong."
Why does Dickens compare paying to enter the Old Bailey to paying to visit Bedlam?
To emphasize that trials were treated as public entertainment, just like watching inmates at the infamous asylum, and that "the former entertainment was much the dearer."
What is the physical description of Charles Darnay when he enters the dock?
A young man of about twenty-five, well-grown and well-looking, with a sunburnt cheek, dark eye, long dark hair gathered in a ribbon, plainly dressed in black or dark grey.
What does Dickens mean when he says Darnay's paleness showed "the soul to be stronger than the sun"?
Despite his sunburn, the pallor caused by his dire situation showed through — his inner emotional state was more powerful than the physical effects of the sun on his skin.
What word does Dickens use to describe the crowd's interest in Darnay?
"Ogreish" — meaning their fascination was rooted in a monstrous appetite for watching suffering, not genuine human concern.
What is the mirror above the prisoner's dock used for?
To throw light down upon the prisoner. Dickens notes it has reflected "crowds of the wicked and the wretched" who have since passed from the earth.
What specific military secrets is Darnay accused of revealing?
Information about British forces being prepared to send to Canada and North America — revealed to "Lewis, the French King."
How does Darnay behave during his trial?
He is quiet, attentive, self-possessed, and composed — his hands so still on the dock that "they had not displaced a leaf of the herbs" strewn there against gaol fever.
Who are the two figures Darnay notices seated near the judge's bench?
Dr. Manette (a man with remarkably white hair and an intense, pondering face) and Lucie Manette (a young lady of about twenty, his daughter).
What expression does Lucie show during the trial, and how does it affect the crowd?
Her forehead shows "engrossing terror and compassion" for the prisoner, so naturally expressed that even heartless spectators are touched by her, whispering "Who are they?"
What surprising fact is revealed about the Manettes at the chapter's end?
They are identified as witnesses against the prisoner — not for his defense — creating dramatic irony given Lucie's obvious compassion for Darnay.
Who is the wigged gentleman whose attention seems "concentrated on the ceiling of the court"?
This mysterious figure, later revealed to be Sydney Carton, ignores the proceedings while everyone else stares at the prisoner.
What is the extended simile Dickens uses to describe the crowd's reaction to Darnay?
"All the human breath in the place, rolled at him, like a sea, or a wind, or a fire" — comparing collective human attention to overwhelming natural forces.
Why are herbs strewn on the floor and vinegar sprinkled in the court?
As a precaution against "gaol air and gaol fever" — infectious diseases that commonly spread from prisoners to everyone in the courtroom.
What does the chapter title "A Sight" refer to?
It refers to the spectacle of the trial (the crowd treating Darnay's potential death as entertainment), but also to the sight of Lucie and Dr. Manette, and the prisoner reflected in the mirror.
How does the chapter foreshadow Lucie's relationship with Darnay?
Her intense compassion and terror for the prisoner — even though she is technically a witness against him — signals the deep emotional connection that will develop between them.