Book III - Chapter XII. Darkness Quiz — A Tale of Two Cities

by Charles Dickens

Comprehension Quiz: Book III - Chapter XII. Darkness

Why does Sydney Carton visit the Defarges' wine shop?

To purchase poison for his planned suicide in prison
To show his face so revolutionaries see him as a separate person from Darnay
To confront Madame Defarge about her plans to denounce Lucie
To deliver a secret message from Mr. Lorry to Monsieur Defarge

What significant personal change has Carton undergone by the start of this chapter?

He has written a detailed last will and testament for Lucie
He has confessed his love for Lucie to Charles Darnay in prison
He has stopped drinking strong alcohol for the first time in years
He has disguised himself with a wig and new clothes to look different

What does Madame Defarge mutter when she first observes Carton?

"Another English spy sent to watch us, no doubt"
"He has the look of a man who knows our secrets"
"I swear to you, like Evrémonde!"
"This one is too drunk to be of any danger to us"

How far does Madame Defarge want the denunciations to extend?

Only to Charles Darnay, the last of the Evrémonde bloodline
To Darnay and Doctor Manette, but she would spare Lucie and the child
To complete extermination — Darnay, Lucie, her child, and Doctor Manette
To every aristocratic prisoner currently held in La Force prison

What is Madame Defarge's personal connection to the Evrémonde family?

Her parents were servants who were dismissed and ruined by the Evrémondes
She is the surviving younger sister of the peasant woman assaulted by the Evrémonde brothers
She was once engaged to an Evrémonde who abandoned her for a noblewoman
Her husband's family estate was seized and burned by the Evrémonde marquis

What is Monsieur Defarge's position in the debate about denouncing Lucie?

He enthusiastically supports his wife and urges even broader denunciations
He wants to stop with Darnay and spare the Doctor and his daughter
He remains completely silent throughout the entire conversation
He agrees with his wife but asks her to wait until after the next tribunal

What happens to Doctor Manette when he returns to Tellson's Bank?

He arrives with good news that Darnay's sentence has been reduced to exile
He collapses from exhaustion but is mentally lucid and gives detailed instructions
He has relapsed into his prison madness and searches for his shoemaking bench
He refuses to speak and sits in silent despair with his head in his hands

What critical document does Carton discover in Doctor Manette's coat?

A letter from the tribunal granting Darnay a second appeal hearing
A certificate permitting Manette, Lucie, and the child to leave France
A written confession from Madame Defarge admitting her personal vendetta
Doctor Manette's original prison letter that was read at the trial

What time must Mr. Lorry have the carriage ready for departure?

Dawn, before the city gates open for the day
Noon, when the guard changes at the city barriers
Two o'clock in the afternoon, with horses in starting trim
Midnight, under cover of the darkest hour of night

What does Carton warn will happen if Mr. Lorry deviates from the plan?

"The spy Barsad will betray us all to the Committee of Safety"
"Madame Defarge will have Lucie arrested before dawn breaks"
"Change the course, or delay in it, and no life can possibly be saved"
"The Doctor's certificate will be revoked and become worthless"

Why does Carton refuse to take his own travel certificate into the prison?

He fears the guards will confiscate it and prevent his future departure
He plans to give it to Darnay so Darnay can escape in his place
He worries it will reveal his true identity to the prison warden
He has already made a copy and keeps the original as a backup

What does the chapter's final image show Carton doing?

Writing a farewell letter to Lucie by candlelight at Tellson's Bank
Standing in the courtyard, looking up at Lucie's window, breathing a blessing and farewell
Walking alone through the dark streets of Paris toward La Force prison
Sitting by the dying fire at Tellson's, rehearsing his plan one final time

How does Dickens use the Defarge debate to develop the novel's theme of revolution?

He shows the revolutionaries are entirely justified in pursuing total vengeance
He reveals that Defarge has been secretly working against the Revolution all along
He suggests Madame Defarge's obsessive vengeance mirrors the tyranny she opposes
He demonstrates that Jacques Three and The Vengeance are the true leaders of the Terror

What multiple meanings does the title "Darkness" carry in this chapter?

It refers only to the physical darkness of the nighttime scenes in Paris
It symbolizes the literal night, the Terror's moral darkness, and Manette's mental collapse
It is a biblical allusion to the plague of darkness in the Book of Exodus
It refers exclusively to the dark future awaiting Charles Darnay on the guillotine

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