Foreshadowing In A Tale Of Two Cities

Foreshadowing is a tool that many authors utilize so they can hint towards upcoming events in their novels. Most readers comprehend the hints and make the connections that enhance the reading of the book and that emphasize the main themes. The foreshadowing ends up playing a crucial part to the ending of the book and adds depth to characters and storylines. In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens uses foreshadowing to hint towards destruction, death of others, and the impending revolution.
Charles Dickens utilizes foreshadowing to hint towards the upcoming French Revolution. After the wine cask spills in front of Defarge’s wine shop, a jester named Gaspard, “scrawled upon a wall with his finger dipped in muddy wine-lees–BLOOD” (32). The red
When describing the scene during Darnay’s first trial, Dickens says, “Something especially reckless in his demeanour, not only gave him a disreputable look, but so diminished the strong resemblance he undoubtedly bore to the prisoner” (73). There are multiple hints towards the resemblance of Darnay and Carton, giving the reader the impression that their similar looks will play a key role later in the novel. The men are only similar in looks, as one has a family he loves, and the other has nothing and sees himself as an unredeemable man. During his emotional talk with Lucie, Carton says, “...there was any opportunity or capacity of sacrifice in it, I would embrace any sacrifice for you and for those dear to you” (147). Carton says he will sacrifice himself for anyone who Lucie loves, foreshadowing his willingness to sacrifice himself for anyone important to Lucie. Dickens very obviously foreshadows the death of Sydney Carton, and references the reason he will sacrifice himself, for the well-being of Lucie and the ones she loves. The foreshadowing of the death of Carton and the life of Darnay is a tool that Dickens uses to give both characters more depth and to give more connections throughout the