A Tale of Two Cities · Character
Madame Defarge
A wine-shop keeper's wife who knits a secret register of the doomed, her cold patience concealing a private and implacable vengeance.
major
Also known as Defarge, madame, Madame, Therese Defarge, Therese
First appearance: v the wine shop
As a major figure in A Tale of Two Cities, Madame Defarge is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Observed knitting in the wine shop, silently recording the names of the aristocracy in her knitting, foreshadowing her role in the revolution.
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Madame Defarge sits in the Saint Antoine wine-shop, knitting names into a pattern only she can read, and when the Revolution comes she becomes one of its most pitiless agents. She tells Lucie that 'the daughter of your…
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The fuller portrait of Madame Defarge sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.
See Madame Defarge in v the wine shopCharacter Web
18 connectionsA slice of how Madame Defarge sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Rivalry
- Social
- Other
Character groups
- Revolutionary and Aristocratic Forces
- Protagonist
+13 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
In this chapter, the emotional and psychological peak occurs as Lucie, the story’s emotional anchor, hears the…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingRelationships
- Lucie Manette
rivalry · negative
Madame Defarge sees Lucie as an enemy due to her marriage to Darnay, a member of the… How this plays out →
- Jacques
social · negative
- Doctor Manette
rivalry · negative
- Jacques
social · negative
- Doctor Manette
rivalry · negative
- Lucie Manette
rivalry · negative
Madame Defarge sees Lucie as an enemy due to her marriage to Darnay, a member of the… How this plays out →
- Lucie Manette
rivalry · negative
Madame Defarge sees Lucie as an enemy due to her marriage to Darnay, a member of the… How this plays out →
- Doctor Manette
rivalry · negative
- Jacques
social · negative
Relationship notes
How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.
See Madame Defarge in v the wine shopIn the story
Madame Defarge appears across 16 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
- Book the First: Recalled to Life
- VII: Monseigneur in Town
- Knitting
- Still Knitting
- Echoing Footsteps
- The Sea Still Rises
- Book the Third: The Track of a Storm
- III: The Shadow
- +8 more
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for Madame Defarge unlock in the free preview.
See Madame Defarge in v the wine shop