Book II - Chapter VII. Monseigneur in Town Quiz — A Tale of Two Cities

by Charles Dickens

Comprehension Quiz: Book II - Chapter VII. Monseigneur in Town

How many servants are required to serve Monseigneur his morning chocolate?

  • Two servants: one to carry the pot and one to pour it out
  • Three servants, each assigned a specific role in the ritual
  • Four servants, plus the Cook who prepared the chocolate
  • Six servants, reflecting his immense wealth and status

Why has Monseigneur allied himself with a Farmer-General?

  • The Farmer-General provides military protection for Monseigneur's estates
  • Monseigneur is growing poor and needs the Farmer-General's wealth
  • The King has ordered the alliance to consolidate political power
  • The Farmer-General possesses aristocratic connections Monseigneur lacks

What phrase does Dickens use to describe the French aristocracy's disconnect from reality?

  • "The blindness of privilege corrupted every courtier in the room"
  • "The leprosy of unreality disfigured every human creature in attendance"
  • "The madness of luxury had consumed every noble soul present"
  • "The poison of entitlement infected every aristocrat at court"

What is "the one unfailing talisman and charm used for keeping all things in their places"?

  • The power of the military to suppress the common people
  • The Catholic Church and its authority over moral conduct
  • Dress—elaborate clothing and fashion at every level of society
  • Gold—the aristocracy's wealth used to buy loyalty and silence

What does the last guest say as he leaves Monseigneur's reception?

  • "I pledge my sword and loyalty to Monseigneur and to France"
  • "I devote you to the Devil!"
  • "I shall never return to this house of vanity and waste"
  • "I curse this court and all who gather in it tonight"

How is the Marquis St. Evremonde's face described?

  • Weathered and scarred from years of military service abroad
  • Handsome, transparent, and mask-like, with pinched nostrils that suggest treachery
  • Round and ruddy with a perpetual smile that conceals his cruelty
  • Gaunt and skeletal with hollow eyes that show his moral decay

What happens when the Marquis's carriage reaches the fountain at the street corner?

  • The horses stumble on cobblestones and the carriage overturns completely
  • A wheel jolts sickeningly and the carriage has run over and killed a child
  • Revolutionary protesters block the road and force the carriage to stop
  • Gaspard deliberately throws himself in front of the carriage in protest

What is the Marquis's reaction to the child's death?

  • He orders his driver arrested and promises justice for the family
  • He expresses brief regret and sends a servant to fetch a physician
  • He blames the poor for being in his way and throws a gold coin at the father
  • He panics and orders the carriage to speed away before a crowd gathers

What does Defarge say to console the grieving Gaspard?

  • "Justice will come for the Marquis; his crimes are being recorded"
  • "It is better for the poor little plaything to die so, than to live"
  • "Be patient, my friend—the day of reckoning is almost upon us"
  • "Take this money and leave Paris while you still can, brother"

What trade does Defarge practice?

  • He is a blacksmith who forges tools and horseshoes
  • He is a vendor of wine who keeps a shop in Saint Antoine
  • He is a physician who treats the poor of Paris for free
  • He is a baker who distributes bread to the starving populace

What act of defiance occurs after the Marquis prepares to drive away?

  • Gaspard strikes the carriage with his fists and is beaten by the valet
  • A voice from the crowd shouts curses at the Marquis as he departs
  • Someone throws the gold coin back into the carriage, where it rings on the floor
  • Defarge blocks the carriage path and refuses to let the horses pass

What does the Marquis threaten after the coin is thrown back?

  • He threatens to report the crowd to the secret police for punishment
  • He warns that soldiers will burn every house on the street by morning
  • He vows to ride over them willingly and exterminate them from the earth
  • He promises to return with armed men and arrest every person present

Who is the woman who looks the Marquis steadily in the face at the end of the scene?

  • Lucie Manette, who has followed the Marquis from London to Paris
  • Miss Pross, who confronts the Marquis on behalf of the Manette family
  • Madame Defarge, a dark stout woman who knits while watching the Marquis
  • The Vengeance, a revolutionary agitator who openly challenges the nobility

What metaphor does Dickens use to describe all of aristocratic society throughout this chapter?

  • A house of cards about to collapse under its own weight and vanity
  • A Fancy Ball that was never to leave off—a permanent costume party
  • A sinking ship whose passengers rearrange the furniture on deck
  • A grand theater where every actor has forgotten the lines of the play

What animal does the Marquis compare the common people to?

  • Dogs—he calls them "you dogs" and treats them with casual violence
  • Rats—he looks at them "as if they had been mere rats come out of their holes"
  • Insects—he considers them pests to be exterminated from the land
  • Sheep—he views them as a flock to be controlled by their betters

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