compare and contrast tale of two cities and the french revolution
...ed as a great symbol of the Revolution. When the storming of the Bastille occurred in the book, it was to get vengeance on the mercenaries whom had oppressed them, not to look for weapons and gun powder. Another difference is that there were seven newly liberated prisoners, and seven murdered men at the end of this gory siege. "Seven prisoners released, seven gory heads on pikes, the keys of the accursed fortress of the eight strong towers, some discovered letters and other memorials of prisoners of old time, long dead of broken hearts--such, and such-like, the loudly echoing footsteps of Saint Antoine escort through Paris streets in mid-July, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine." (1) The guillotine was a method of death commonly used during the French revolution. The tumbrels were the transporters of the prisoners that were to be executed by the guillotine. "Six tumbrels carry the days wine to La Guillotine."(2) After a head was severed, it would fall into a waiting basket; this was true in the novel and in fact. "Crash!-A head is held up out of the basket." (3) The sharpness of the blade was also referred to in the novel. It was said that it is better to go in the morning when the blade was sharp, rather than after a large amount of people had gone, because of how dull the blade would be then. When the revolution began all aristocrats thought it smart to flee the country. After fleeing the country the king and queen were put into prison. In Dec., Louis XIV was placed on trial for violating the rights of his subjects. On Jan 21st, 1793 he was carried through the crowd in a tumbrel and die...