Book II - Chapter IX. The Gorgon's Head Quiz — A Tale of Two Cities

What is the relationship between Charles Darnay and the Marquis St. Evrémonde?

• Darnay is the Marquis's son and direct heir to the estate
• Darnay is the Marquis's nephew, the son of his twin brother
• Darnay is the Marquis's cousin who was raised in England
• Darnay is the Marquis's brother who changed his identity

Why is the chapter called "The Gorgon's Head"?

• A stone sculpture of a Gorgon decorates the chateau entrance
• Darnay compares his uncle's cruelty to the mythological Gorgon
• The chateau is so covered in stone it seems turned to stone by the Gorgon, and the dead Marquis becomes another stone face
• The Marquis collects Greek antiquities including a Gorgon relief

What is a lettre de cachet, as referenced in the chapter?

• A royal letter granting noble families the right to tax peasants
• A sealed letter from the king authorizing imprisonment without trial
• A formal letter of inheritance passed between aristocratic families
• A diplomatic letter of safe passage for travel between countries

What crime does the Marquis recall happening in his own bedroom?

• A servant was executed for stealing silverware from the estate
• A peasant was stabbed to death for objecting to the treatment of his daughter
• A revolutionary was captured and tortured for plotting against the family
• A neighboring nobleman was poisoned during a political dispute

What is the Marquis's stated philosophy on maintaining aristocratic power?

• "Generosity earns the loyalty that force cannot compel"
• "Repression is the only lasting philosophy"
• "The people must be educated to know their proper station"
• "Let them prosper moderately, and they will never rebel"

Why can the Marquis no longer obtain a lettre de cachet to imprison Darnay?

• The practice has been officially abolished by the French king
• Darnay's English citizenship protects him from French royal orders
• The Marquis has fallen out of favor with the French court
• The Marquis lacks sufficient wealth to bribe court officials

How does Darnay describe the family estate?

• "A monument to the grandeur and noble history of our ancestors"
• "A paradise for those wise enough to appreciate aristocratic refinement"
• "A crumbling tower of waste, mismanagement, extortion, debt, mortgage, oppression, hunger, nakedness, and suffering"
• "A relic of former greatness now sustained only by the loyalty of devoted peasants"

Who is the "Doctor with a daughter" the Marquis mentions to Darnay?

• A physician in Paris who once treated the Evrémonde family
• Doctor Manette and his daughter Lucie, living in England
• A local village doctor whose daughter was wronged by the family
• A fictional character the Marquis invents to test Darnay's reaction

What does the note found on the murdered Marquis say?

• "Justice comes for all tyrants. Signed, the People of France"
• "An eye for an eye, a child for a lord. Remember the fountain"
• "Drive him fast to his tomb. This, from Jacques"
• "The blood of the innocent cries out for vengeance. Liberty"

What foreshadowing does Dickens include about the chateau's fate?

• Darnay warns his uncle that the peasants will burn the estate within a decade
• The narrator describes the chateau as already appearing to be "fire-charred, plunder-wrecked ruin" with its lead roof fired from musket barrels
• A servant whispers to Darnay that the villagers are secretly hoarding weapons
• The mender of roads tells Gabelle that a peasant uprising is being planned

What animal does Dickens compare the Marquis to as he prepares for bed?

• A serpent coiled in silk, waiting to strike with venomous precision
• A wolf stalking through a grand but empty den of stolen riches
• A refined tiger whose periodical change into tiger form was coming or going
• An owl surveying its domain from the highest perch of the chateau

What happens to Gabelle after the Marquis's body is discovered?

• He is arrested by the villagers and held responsible for the murder
• He is hastily put on horseback and sent galloping away from the estate
• He locks himself inside the chateau and refuses to open the doors
• He leads the local authorities in searching for the assassin

Which of these events actually happened in this chapter?