Tale of two cities: essay

Individual essay: Resurrection

The Dickens`s novel “Tale of two cities” is situated in the revolutionary France and England of the XVIII century. It was a time of great changes as well as violence and death. Charles Dickens illustrates these events in a particular way. He personify the “resurrection” of France and England before the revolution with the “recalling to life” of certain characters of the book who give a twist in the story. What is more, he connects the theme of the resurrection with the death and sacrifice in an extraordinary way.

The idea of resurrection appears for the first time in an encrypted message that Jarvis Lorry, a businessman, gave to Jerry Cruncher. The Tellson`s Bank messenger stopped the Dover mail-coach in which Lorry was traveling and told him to wait at Dover for a young woman. Mr Lorry answered with the encrypted message “recalled to life”.

Another fact that represents a symbol of resurrection happened with certain dark business of Jerry Cruncher. In chapter three Dickens tells us that Jerry “... was on his way to dig someone out of grave” in the shadows of the night. He dug up dead bodies and sold them to scientists in order to increase his income.

The transformation of Doctor Manette exemplifies another example of “resurrection”. He mutated from being a mindless shoemaker who was prisoned for eighteen years into a man of clearness. His surrounding and his loving daughter caring influenced Doctor Manette positively so as he could covered from his long-suffering confinement.

An unexpected twist of Sydney Carton represents a different expression of resurrection. Carton was an indifferent and alcoholic attorney with no prospects in life; however, he was in love with Lucie. At the end of the story, his deep feelings for Lucie made him sacrifices  himself for Lucie´s happiness. Sydney changed places with the condemned to death Charles Darnay and then he met his decease at the guillotine giving, in some way, a meaning to his life.

Finally, the story shows us how peacefully impoverished peasants revealed after suffering several years of atrocities from the higher states. Besides the fact that peasants had to pay several taxes, the bourgeoisie took advantage of the surplus of labor by keeping wages low. The poor people remained poor and often they lived cramped in squalor so, in their attempt to fight their way out of such poverty and despair, they attacked the Bastille and the French Revolution began. All of this illustrates a clear case of resurrection of the disadvantaged lower states against the aristocrats.

To sum up, Resurrection was such an important theme for Dickens that he developed it along all the book and through several character. Nevertheless, the most important resurrection took place with the fall of the ancient regime of France with the resulting renewed France after the appearance of the Guillotine.   

George III: Britain under rule of a mentally diseased King

Britain under rule of a mentally diseased King

It is astonishing the way in which a person can be blind to achieve power. Ambition is the most common characteristic and the perfect word to describe this kind of people. It seems as if anything is possible in order to reach privileges or influences and there is always an opportunity instead of impossibility. People usually take so many risks in the search for power. There is no brotherhood nor friendship nor even family matters in the conquest of fame at any price. What is more, envy often comes as a usual consequence of ambitious people. We can find lots of examples of people thirsty of power not only in the real life and throughout the history but also in fiction.

The king George III ruled Great Britain and Ireland from October 1760 to January 1801. At the end of that period George got sick, although he continued reigning. His erratic behaviour confused his family as well as the Members of Parliament. He suffered from Porphyria. The symptoms of the disease included aches and pains, as well as blue urine and mental disturbances. George became progressively depressed, insane and blind. He suffered in isolation and that period was like a torture for him: he was kept in straight jacket and behind bars to be medically supervised and protected. At that time he was not diagnosed as having Porphyria because doctors could not think and prove a logical explanation for the King´s condition. The disease had lapses of improvements but in periods of crises the reign stayed without any ruler. Once George regained consciousness and became less eccentric, he was back to have the entire leadership of his country again. This impulse made him become even more popular and loved than never before. However, after a final relapse in 1810, a regency was established and George III's eldest son, Prince of Wales, ruled as Prince Regent.

On the other hand, George´s son, the Prince of Wales, had a terrible relationship with his father. The only thing he was worried about was the possibility of being in the throne. George III´s disease was not a major problem for the Prince. He seeked to displace his father at all cost. His courageous and dangerous plan was to conspire to have his father declared mad so he could become the ruler of the kingdom. Consequently, he was against his mother´s thoughts, Queen Charlotte, who wanted his husband to recover from the illness and come back to rule. The Prince of Wales tried to persuade everybody several times in order to have a flawless victory in Parliament. Unfortunately for him, that was not possible because of the popularity of his father coupled with the fact that he was not chosen by votes until this mentioned final relapse of his father. In addition, George was always returning to his throne mainly with his wife´s support.

All in all, and based on the previous research of events during George III’s reign, it is evident that ruling in his conditions was not a positive point for Britain. At the same time, George did not count on somebody to rely on his responsibilities as a ruler. Consequently, during all his worst days there were only henchmen without limits trying to discharge him from the throne. If it were necessary, they were ready to kill him in order to get his whole power and wealth. Nevertheless, his perseverance made people loved him much than before and as he returned after recovering partially from his disease he achieved in getting more followers.

We conclude with the following well-known advice taken from one of the “Spiderman” ´s movies: “A great power carries a big responsibility”.To rule a country or an entire empire is a responsibility that affects not only the country or empire itself but also the people living in it. A ruler must be completely conscious of the importance of every choice.

Mind map: George III

Exelearning. Exercises

Chronology of conflict between GB and Fr

Military aspect French and British Conflict Chronology: The chronology of war between France and England. 1106 Sep 28 King Henry of England defeats his brother Robert at the Battle of Tinchebrai and reunites England and Normandy. 1169 Jan 06 Peace is established between Henry II of England and Louis VII of France. 1198 Sep 20 Richard I beats the French at Gisors 1214 Jul 27 At the Battle of Bouvines in France, Philip Augustus of France defeats John of England. 1216 May 21 Prince Louis of France lands in England to claim the English Throne. 1259 Dec 04 Treaty of Paris: English king Henry III & French king Louis IX. 1303 May 20 Treaty of Paris restores Gascony to British in Hundred Years War. 1340 Jun 24 The English fleet defeats the French fleet at Sluys, off the Flemish coast. (First major engagement of 100 years war.) 1346 Jul 12 King Edward III lands an invasion force of about 10,000 men on the coast of Normandy. Aug 23 Victory of English under King Edward III over French (Philip VI) in Battle of Crécy (100 Yrs War). Aug 25 (or 26th) Edward III of England defeats Philip VI's army at the Battle of Crecy in France. Aug 26 English longbows defeat French in Battle of Crecy. Sep 04 England's Edward III begins the siege of Calais that would last for almost a year. 1347 Aug 03 Six burghers of the surrounded French city of Calais surrender to Edward III of England in hopes of relieving the siege. Aug 03 Calais, France surrenders to Edward III of England in the Hundred Years War. 1356 Sep 19 In a landmark battle of the Hundred Years' War, English Prince Edward defeats the French at Poitiers. 1360 May 08 Treaty of Brétigny signed by English & French 1364 Sep 29 Battle of Auray, English forces defeat French at Brittany. 1415 Oct 25 An English army under Henry V defeats the French at Agincourt, France. The French had out numbered Henry's troops 60,000 to 12,000 but British longbows turned the tide of the battle. 1419 Jan 19 French city of Rouen surrenders to Henry V in Hundred Years War. 1420 May 21 Treaty of Troyes-French King Charles VI gives France to English in an unsuccessful attempt to end the Hundred Years War. 1429 Feb 12 Battle of the Herrings salt fish convoy for English army at siege of Orleans repulses French. 1450 Apr 15 French defeat English at Battle of Formigny in 100 Years' War. 1453 Jul 17 France defeats England at Castillon, France, ending the Hundred Years' War. 1475 Aug 29 Edward IV agrees to withdraw army from France in exchange for gold under Truce of Picquigny. 1513 Aug 16 Henry VIII of England and Emperor Maximilian defeat the French at Guinegatte, France, in the Battle of the Spurs. 1527 Apr 30 Henry VIII of England and King Francis of France sign treaty of Westminster. 1528 Jan 22 England & France declare war on Emperor Charles V. 1544 Sep 14 Henry VIII's forces take Boulogne, France. 1546 Jun 07 The Peace of Ardes ends the war between France and England. 1549 Aug 09 England declares war on France. 1550 Mar 24 France & England sign Peace of Boulogne. 1557 Aug 10 French troops are defeated by Emmanuel Philibert's Spanish army at St. Quentin, France. 1558 Jan 07 The French, under Francois, the Duke of Guise, finally take the port of Calais, the last English possession in France, from the English. Jun 22 The French take the French town of Thioville from the English. 1561 Sep 20 Queen Elizabeth of England signs a treaty at Hamptan Court with French Huguenot leader Louis de Bourbon, the Prince of Conde. The English will occupy Le Harve in return for aiding Bourbon against the Catholics of France. 1564 Apr 11 England & France sign Peace of Troyes. 1572 Apr 21 France & England sign anti-Spanish military covenant. 1589 Sep 21 The Duke of Mayenne of France is defeated by Henry IV at the Battle of Arques. 1629 Apr 14 England & France sign Peace of Susa. 1662 Oct 17 Charles II sells Dunkirk to the French (Treaty of Dunkirk). 1666 Jan 26 France declares war on England & Münster. 1670 May 26 Charles II and Louis XIV sign a secret treaty in Dover, England, ending hostilities between England and France. Dec 31 France & England sign Boyne-treaty. 1689 May 11 Battle of Bantry Bay, French & English naval battle. 1692 Aug 03 French forces under Marshal Luxembourg defeat the English at the Battle of Steenkerke in the Netherlands. 1697 Sep 03 King William's War ends; French and English forces neither win nor lose. 1701 Sep 07 England, Austria, and the Netherlands form an Alliance against France. 1702 May 14 England & Netherlands declares war on France & Spain. Oct 12 Admiral Sir George Rooke defeats the French fleet off Vigo. 1704 Aug 13 The Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Austria defeat the French Army at the Battle of Blenheim in the War of Spanish Succession. (XDG, p 4A, 8/13/2000) 1708 Jul 11 The French are defeated at Oudenarde, Malplaquet, in the Netherlands by the Duke of Marlborough and Eugene of Savoy. 1709 Sep 11 John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, wins the bloodiest battle of the 18th century at great cost, against the French at Malplaquet. 1711 Aug 23 A British attempt to invade Canada by sea fails. 1713 Apr 11 The Treaty of Utrecht is signed, ending QUEEN ANNE'S War (War of Spanish Succession in Europe). France cedes Maritime provinces to Britain; Gibralter becomes British. The treaty of which recognizes Iroquois as British subjects. 1743 Jun 27 English defeat French at Dettingen. Battle of Dettingen in Bavaria, the last engagement in which a British monarch (King George II) participated in person. 1744 Mar 15 French King Louis XV declares war on England in what would be called King George’s War (1744 - 1748), third of four North American wars waged by the British and French. The Iroquois give the British permission to build a blockhouse at the Forks of the Ohio. 1745 May 11 Victory of French over British at Battle of Fontenoy. 1755 Jul 08 Britain breaks off diplomatic relations with France as their disputes in the New World intensify. Sep 08 British forces under William Johnson defeat the French and the Indians at the Battle of Lake George. 1756 May 17 Britain declares war on France (7 Years' or French & Indian War). Aug 14 French commander Louis Montcalm takes Fort Oswego, New England, from the British. Aug 31 The British at Fort William Henry, New York, surrender to Louis Montcalm of France. 1758 Mar 27 Battle at Emmerich: British army floats around France the Rhine. Jun 23 British and Hanoverian armies defeat the French at Krefeld in Germany. Jul 08 The British attack on Fort Carillon at Ticonderoga, New York, is foiled by the French. 1759 Apr 08 British troops chase French out of Masulipatam India. Apr 23 British forces seize Basse-Terre and Guadeloupe from France. Aug 01 British and Hanoverian armies defeat the French at the Battle of Minden, Germany. Aug 18 The French fleet is destroyed by the British under "Old Dreadnought" Boscawen at the battle of Lagos Bay. Sep 18 Quebec surrenders to the British after a battle which sees the deaths of both James Wolfe and Louis Montcalm, the British and French commanders. Nov 20 British navy defeats French at Battle of Quiberon Bay. 1760 Jan 22 Battle at Wandewash India British troops beat French. Sep 08 The French surrender the city of Montreal to the British. 1762 Feb 05 Martinique, a major French base in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, surrenders to the British. 1778 Feb 06 England declares war on France. Jul 27 British and French fleets fight to a standoff in the first Battle of Ushant. 1781 Apr 29 French fleet stops Britain from seizing the Cape of Good Hope. 1782 Apr 12 Battle at Les Saintes West-Indies British fleet beats French. 1783 Jan 20 Britain signs a peace agreement with France and Spain, who allied against it in the American War of Independence. 1786 Sep 26 France and Britain sign a trade agreement in London. 1793 Dec 19 French troops recapture Toulon from the British. 1794 Jun 01 British victory over French in naval battle off Ushant ‘Glorious first of June.' Aug 21 France surrenders the island of Corsica to the British. 1798 Aug 01 Admiral Horatio Nelson routs the French fleet in the Battle of the Nile at Aboukir Bay, Egypt. Aug 02 British under Adm Horatio Nelson beat French at Battle of Nile. 1800 Sep 05 Britain captures Malta; French troops surrender to British forces.

George I - military aspect

http://youtu.be/6W4f7bTQCt0