Sydney Carton

In Charles Dickens’ novel A Tale Of Two Cities, Sydney Carton is a man of several distinct characteristics.  Carton is shown originally to be a frustrated alcoholic, but then turns out to be a very noble and genuine man.  Sydney Carton is also shown in the novel to be somewhat immature in his actions and thoughts.

Throughout the book, Sydney Carton does not always act or seem like he is the age that he is.  He is depicted in the novel to be middle-age, perhaps in his mid-forties, yet several times he shows some very immature actions and feelings.  One example is his feelings for Lucie Manette.  Even after Lucie is married to Charles Darnay, whom she loves, Sydney refuses to give up his love for her.  For someone in his mid-forties, this is somewhat an immature action.  Had he been more mature, he might have forgotten about Lucie when she was married and found someone else.  Another perhaps less important but very noticeable example is his appearance.  He didn’t seem to care what people really thought about him or the way he was dressed, and remained very calm and relaxed, maybe even carefree, most of the time he was in court.  This also gives Sydney Carton an immature appearance in the novel.

At the beginning of the story and a large part of the novel, Sydney Carton is shown to be a very arrogant, frustrated man with a drinking problem.  Several times in the novel he indulged in his drinking to the point of becoming drunk or close to it.  Many times that he is seen, he is drinking wine or has a flask of liquor in his hand.  This may keep him calm or help him to remain composed in the court, but it becomes more to the point of being a necessity or habit.  Also, his drinking causes him to be loose with his tongue when he is with Charles Darnay after the trial, which makes Charles angry with him.  This behavior was very ill-mannered and could have been prevented to give Sydney Carton a better appearance and attitude.

Later in the novel, towards the end, Sydney seems to change his personality and attitude toward life, and actually shows some noble characteristics.  When Sydney talks to Lucie alone, he seems very sincere and noble with his comment about sacrificing himself for her.  This is very different from his selfish attitude he had before.  At the end of the novel, Sydney’s act of sacrificing himself showed honor, courage, and a heart of love for Lucie, as well as for Charles.  Sydney also shows very admirable characteristics when he helps the innocent woman at the guillotine.  His personality totally changed throughout the novel to become a very selfless, caring person.

A Tale Of Two Cities shows Sydney Carton to have very many characteristics, both noble and some unpleasant.  He is originally a confused, self-caring alcoholic, then changes to truly care for people, and to sacrifice his life for his love.


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Sydney Carton is a central character in Charles Dickens' novel A Tale of Two Cities. He is a shrewd young Englishman and sometime junior to his fellow barrister C.J. Stryver. Carton is portrayed as a drunkard, depressed, and self-loathing because of his wasted life. He has a strong, unrequited love for Lucie Manette.

Carton's character[edit]
Sydney Carton is introduced into the novel A Tale of Two Cities as a young, sloppy, but brilliant lawyer who bears an uncanny likeness to Charles Darnay (whose original name is Charles Evrémonde), the prisoner he is defending. He uses his great skill to save Darnay from death, passing his case to his colleague Stryver, who takes all the glory for saving Darnay. It is then revealed that Carton both likes and hates Darnay, as he sees him as everything he should be but is not. Carton is called a "jackal" because it appears that, while Mr. Stryver very deftly presents each case, it is Carton's legal acumen that helps win them, though Stryver gets all the credit (a reference to how the jackals help lions with kills, while the lions take all the glory). It is also seen that Carton is an alcoholic who faces a great lack of self-confidence. He develops an unrequited love for Lucie Manette, which he tells her about. He says that he would do anything for her or for anybody she loves.


Darnay returns to France and is arrested for being an aristocrat. Before his execution by guillotine, Carton steps in and tricks Darnay into trading places with him, both for the sake of their friendship and for Lucie. This is accomplished with the help of John Barsad, an English spy working at one of the French prisons, after a conversation described as a "hand at cards". His final words are among the most famous in English literature: