A Tale of Two Cities · Character

Monseigneur

A powdered, pitiless French nobleman whose carriage kills a child in the street and whose shrug costs him nothing — for now.

supporting

Also known as Monsieur the Marquis, Monsieur heretofore the Marquis, Marquis

First appearance: VII: Monseigneur in Town

As a supporting figure in A Tale of Two Cities, Monseigneur is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Referenced as the king with a large jaw on the throne of France, representing the aristocracy.

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The Marquis St. Evrémonde glides through Paris in a gilded coach, tossing a coin to a grieving father as if grief were a toll. He is uncle to Charles Darnay, who has renounced the family name and its cruelties, and the…

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See Monseigneur in VII: Monseigneur in Town

Character Web

9 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Tragic Victims of Oppression
Protagonist
Revolutionary and Aristocratic Forces

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Narrative 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…

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In the story

Monseigneur appears across 7 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Period
Referenced as the king with a large jaw on the throne of France, representing the aristocracy.
VII: Monseigneur in Town
The Marquis Evrémonde, a haughty and cruel aristocrat, whose carriage kills a child. He shows no remorse, treating the common people as vermin and tossing coins as payment.
Monseigneur in the Country
Travels through the countryside, dismissive of the peasants' suffering and petitions.
IX: The Gorgon's Head
The Marquis Evrémonde, unrepentant aristocrat who defends the system of oppression and is murdered in his bed.
Fire Rises
Referenced as the aristocratic class that has squeezed the people dry, now fleeing the uprising. The château belonging to Monseigneur is burned.
Drawn to the Loadstone Rock
As a class, scattered and in exile in London, haunting Tellson's Bank; their fall and flight are described.
X: The Substance of the Shadow
The elder Evrémonde brother, referred to as the Marquis in Manette's narrative; his family is denounced.

Chapter companion notes

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