SEASON 2, Episode 9
A TALE OF TWO CITIES PODCAST EPISODE
CHARLES DICKENS TRIVIA, CHARACTERS & THE REAL PEOPLE BEHIND THEM
Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay share a face, a woman and, quite possibly, a creator's initials. In this episode, Jess and Rach take on Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities, the 1859 French Revolution classic, and the real-life drama behind its characters. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or search "Book Trivia Podcast" in your preferred app.
What is this A TALE OF TWO CITIES podcast episode about?
This episode covers the characters of A Tale of Two Cities and the people Dickens may have built them from. Jess and Rach dig into why Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay might be two halves of Dickens himself, the actress who may have inspired Lucie Manette, and the hidden code in Madame Defarge's knitting.
It's also packed with general book trivia, would you rather, a true or false round, and Jess's tinfoil-hat theory about why Carton and Darnay look so alike.
A TALE OF TWO CITIES Podcast Episode Summary
A Tale of Two Cities follows Charles Darnay, a French aristocrat who gives up his family name, Lucie Manette, the woman he marries, and Sydney Carton, the brilliant, self-loathing English lawyer who loves her. When Darnay is condemned to the guillotine in revolutionary Paris, Carton, his near-identical double, takes his place.
In this episode, Jess and Rach cover how that ending came straight out of Dickens's own life: in 1857 he starred in The Frozen Deep, playing a man who sacrifices himself so the woman he loves can be happy with his rival. Rach makes the case for Carton as one of the most memorable characters in literature, and Jess makes the case that Lucie ended up with the wrong man.
Behind A TALE OF TWO CITIES & CHARLES DICKENS
This episode goes beyond the story to cover the real history and controversy behind the book. We cover:
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The 1857 play, The Frozen Deep, where Dickens rehearsed Sydney Carton's sacrifice on stage before he ever wrote it
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How Dickens fell for 18-year-old Ellen Ternan the same summer, and why she's thought to be the model for Lucie Manette
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The plagiarism row over Watts Phillips's The Dead Heart, and the Brighton reading that complicates who copied whom
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Why Dickens moved in the same circles as Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace, and the theory linking them to Madame Defarge's knitting code
👉 A love triangle Dickens lived, then acted, then wrote, and only one version ends at the guillotine.
What You'll Hear in This A TALE OF TWO CITIES Podcast Episode
✔️ Why the famous "200 million copies sold" figure can't be true
✔️ The plagiarism row over The Dead Heart, and who was really copying whom
✔️ Charles Babbage, Ada Lovelace, and the theory behind Madame Defarge's knitting code
✔️ Dickens's death and Poets' Corner burial, his separation from Catherine, and Grip the raven
✔️ Adaptations from a 1911 silent film to The Dark Knight Rises and the 2026 Kit Harington series
✔️ Jess's theory on why Carton and Darnay look so alike
Whether you're searching for an A Tale of Two Cities podcast or a Charles Dickens trivia podcast, this episode covers it all.
👉 Think you know the book? Test yourself with our A Tale of Two Cities trivia questions.
A TALE OF TWO CITIES Characters: The Real People Behind Them
Sydney Carton is the brilliant but dissolute English barrister who saves Charles Darnay twice: once in a London courtroom, by pointing out how alike they look, and once at the guillotine. In Dickens's early notes he was called "Dick Carton," after Richard Wardour, the self-sacrificing role Dickens had just played on stage.
Charles Darnay is the nephew of the cruel Marquis St. Evrémonde, who renounces his title and moves to England. His initials, CD, are Charles Dickens's own, and many readers see Darnay and Carton as two halves of their author: one decent and dull, one fascinating and self-destructive.
Lucie Manette is the daughter of Dr Alexandre Manette, a physician imprisoned in the Bastille for 18 years. She's widely thought to be based on Ellen Ternan, the 18-year-old actress Dickens fell for in 1857, though Dickens never confirmed it.
Madame Defarge is the revolutionary wife of a Paris wine-shop owner, who knits the names of those marked for death into a coded register. Her vengeance against the Evrémonde family is personal: her sister was abused by Darnay's uncle and father.
👉 Want the full story behind Dickens himself, from debtors' prison to his secret train crash? Read our A Tale of Two Cities fun facts.
A TALE OF TWO CITIES PODCAST FAQ
Who are the main characters in A Tale of Two Cities?
The main characters are Charles Darnay, a French aristocrat who renounces his family; Lucie Manette, the woman he marries; Sydney Carton, the English lawyer who loves Lucie and looks almost identical to Darnay; Dr Alexandre Manette, Lucie's father; and Madame Defarge, the revolutionary who wants the Evrémonde family destroyed.
Who is Sydney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities?
Sydney Carton is a brilliant but alcoholic English lawyer who loves Lucie Manette and looks strikingly like her husband, Charles Darnay. He uses that likeness to save Darnay twice, finally taking his place at the guillotine. Dickens modelled his sacrifice on a role he played in the 1857 play The Frozen Deep.
Who is Madame Defarge in A Tale of Two Cities?
Madame Defarge is a Paris wine-shop owner's wife and a leader of the revolutionaries, who secretly records the names of people marked for death in her knitting. Her hatred of the Evrémonde family is personal, rooted in what Darnay's uncle and father did to her sister and brother.
Is Lucie Manette based on a real person?
Lucie Manette is widely thought to be based on Ellen Ternan, the 18-year-old actress Charles Dickens fell in love with in 1857 while writing the novel. People at the time noted a physical resemblance, but Dickens never confirmed it, so it remains a well-supported theory rather than fact.
Where can I listen to this A Tale of Two Cities podcast episode?
You can listen to Book Trivia Podcast's A Tale of Two Cities episode (Season 2, Episode 9) on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and all major podcast apps, using the links on this page or by searching "Book Trivia Podcast."