Book III - Chapter X. The Substance of the Shadow Quiz — A Tale of Two Cities

by Charles Dickens

Comprehension Quiz: Book III - Chapter X. The Substance of the Shadow

What document is read aloud at Darnay's second trial?

  • A confession written by Charles Darnay before fleeing France
  • A letter written by Dr. Manette during his imprisonment in the Bastille
  • A deposition taken from Madame Defarge about the Evrémonde family
  • A royal decree ordering the arrest of all former aristocrats

How does Dr. Manette first realize the two men who summon him are twin brothers?

  • They introduce themselves as the Evrémonde twins when they meet him
  • He notices they strike a servant in the same manner with identical gestures
  • Their mother later tells him they are twins during a private visit
  • He reads their names in a family Bible at the country house

What does the young woman ceaselessly repeat in her delirium?

  • "Justice! Justice!" while beating her fists against the bedframe
  • "My husband, my father, and my brother!" then counting to twelve, then "Hush!"
  • "The Marquis must pay!" followed by sobs and then silence
  • "Help me, Doctor!" while reaching toward the window in desperation

According to the dying peasant boy, how was his sister's husband killed?

  • He was stabbed by the younger Evrémonde in a duel over his wife
  • He was harnessed like a dog and worked to exhaustion until he died
  • He was thrown from the Evrémonde estate and beaten by soldiers
  • He was poisoned by food given to him at the Evrémondes' table

What does the dying boy do with his final act of strength?

  • He lunges at the elder Evrémonde with a broken sword blade
  • He draws a cross of blood in the air and curses the Evrémondes to the last of their race
  • He whispers his family name to Dr. Manette so it can be recorded
  • He pulls a hidden knife and wounds the younger Evrémonde brother

What does Dr. Manette discover about the young woman's condition before her death?

  • She has been blinded by a blow to the head during her captivity
  • She is in the early stages of pregnancy, which destroys his hope for her
  • She has been poisoned by the medicines in the brothers' case
  • She has lost her ability to speak any words except her repeated cries

What does the elder Evrémonde say when the young woman finally dies?

  • "Pray for her soul, Doctor, and forget what you have witnessed here"
  • "At last she is dead?" and then to his brother: "I congratulate you, my brother"
  • "We must bury her quickly before anyone discovers what has happened"
  • "A pity she could not recover—she was quite beautiful in her way"

Who is the young boy in the carriage when the Marquis's wife visits Dr. Manette?

  • A servant's child brought along as a decoy to avoid suspicion
  • The young Charles Darnay, the Marquis's son, two to three years old
  • The orphaned son of the dead peasant woman, rescued by the wife
  • Ernest Defarge as a child, before becoming Manette's servant

What happens to Dr. Manette's letter to the Minister reporting the crimes?

  • The Minister reads it but takes no action due to the nobles' immunity
  • The Evrémondes intercept it and burn it before Manette's eyes as he is kidnapped
  • It is delivered successfully but filed away and never investigated
  • Manette's wife discovers and destroys it to protect the family

Who is identified as Dr. Manette's young servant in the letter?

  • Jacques Three, later a member of the Revolutionary Tribunal
  • Ernest Defarge, later a leader of the Revolution and wine-shop keeper
  • Gabelle, later the caretaker of the Evrémonde estate
  • Jerry Cruncher, later a messenger for Tellson's Bank

What is the verdict of the jury after hearing Dr. Manette's letter?

  • A split decision requiring a second vote the following morning
  • A unanimous vote for death within twenty-four hours
  • Acquittal, since the crimes were committed by Darnay's father and uncle
  • Life imprisonment in the Bastille as poetic justice for the family

What does Madame Defarge say after the verdict is delivered?

  • "Justice has been done at last for my family's suffering and pain"
  • "Much influence around him, has that Doctor? Save him now, my Doctor, save him!"
  • "The knitting is finished and the name is complete in my register"
  • "Let the guillotine speak for the people of Saint Antoine tomorrow"

What central irony does Dickens emphasize at the chapter's conclusion?

  • Darnay is condemned for crimes he actively tried to prevent by renouncing his name
  • The denouncer of the Evrémondes is Darnay's own father-in-law, making his daughter a widow
  • The Revolution that was supposed to bring justice has become as cruel as the aristocracy
  • The letter that could have saved Darnay was hidden by the very people who now use it

Why does Dr. Manette refuse the rouleau of gold offered by the Evrémondes?

  • He fears accepting payment would make him legally complicit in their crimes
  • He is morally troubled by what he has witnessed and refuses on principle
  • The gold coins are counterfeit and he recognizes them as worthless
  • His medical oath forbids accepting payment when a patient has died

What detail on the scarf binding the young woman first alerts Dr. Manette to the brothers' identity?

  • A family crest and the embroidered letter "E" for Evrémonde
  • The name "St. Evrémonde" stitched in gold thread along the edge
  • A royal seal indicating the brothers' connection to the French court
  • A monogram matching the carriage door he had seen earlier that night

Comprehension Quiz

Question 1 of 0
Score: 0 / 0
Read Chapter
← Previous Next →