Revenge and Moral Duty in A Tale of Two Cities A victimized person in greater distress sooner or later focuses on seeking revenge rather than thinking about moral duty. Madame Defarge, in Dickensâ A Tale of Two Cities, was such a person. Because her family suffered at the hands of a noble family, without ever recourse to justice, Defarge wants revenge, not merely on the family that perpetrated the evil but on the entire class from which it came.
In seeking vengeance, Madame Defarge has acquired the very traits of those who wronged her. She sees no focused blame and is willing to exploit an entire class to satisfy her need. Her vengeance emerges through her knitting, which represents both her cold patience and her impassioned urge to retaliate, as she steadfastly knits the names of her intended victims into the shrouds.
Madame Defargeâs vendetta totally disobeys the idea of moral duty. There can be no morality in the closure she seeks. Moral duty is the product of reason; revenge is an emotion too often too sweet to those whose hearts are filled with hatred and hurt.
© Essay by:Peter Tadros, Sophomore
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