Doctor Alexandre Manette A doctor from Beauvais, France, who was secretly imprisoned in the Bastille for 18 years and suffers some mental trauma from the experience. After being released, he is nursed back to health by his daughter, Lucie, in England. During the Revolution, he tries to save his son-in-law, Charles Darnay, from the guillotine.
Lucie Manette, later Darnay A beautiful young woman recognized for her kindness and compassion. After being reunited with her father, she cares for him and remains devoted to him, even after her marriage to Charles Darnay.
Charles Darnay A French aristocrat. Darnay renounces his family name of St. Evrémonde and moves to England, where he works as a tutor and eventually marries Lucie Manette. He is put on trial during the Revolution for the crimes of his family.
Sydney Carton A lawyer who looks like Charles Darnay and who lives in a fog of apathy and alcohol. His love for Lucie Manette motivates him to sacrifice his life to save the life of her husband.
Mr. Jarvis Lorry An English banker. A loyal friend to the Manette family, Mr. Lorry shepherds the family out of Paris after the Doctor's release from prison and during the Revolution.
Ernest Defarge The owner of a wine-shop in a Paris suburb. Defarge is a leader of the Jacquerie (a roving band of peasants) during the French Revolution.
Madame Thérèse Defarge A hard, vengeful woman who is married to Ernest Defarge. Madame Defarge knits a registry with the names of aristocrats she condemns and later leads the female revolutionaries in killing and exacting revenge on her enemies.
Miss Pross A forceful Englishwoman who was Lucie Manette's nursemaid. She remains Lucie's devoted servant and protector.
Jerry Cruncher A messenger for Tellson's Bank and Jarvis Lorry's bodyguard. He is also secretly a graverobber.
Mrs. Cruncher Jerry's wife. A pious woman, she is frequently beaten by her husband for praying.
