A Tale of Two Cities is a tale that revolves around two heroes Sidney Carton and Charles Darnay. They both look alike, both are men of integrity, both love the same woman but Carton dies for Darnay, and the latter survives and lives happily. A happy ending for Darnay does not entitle him to be the hero.

The reason "A Tale of Two Cities" is a Tale of Two Heroes:

At the beginning, Sydney Carton is a fallen Charles. As an orphan, he has had to struggle in life. He does not care for others, money does not play a vital place in his life. He is like a jackal who lives on the leftovers of Stryver, the lion. Thus at the beginning of the novel, he appears to be a wastrel, cynic person sans any heroic quality apart from his astute observance.

Charles, on the other hand, is a French aristocrat who disowns his property to expiate for the sins of his forefathers. His humanitarian and sacrificing spirit makes him an advocate of the oppressed. Thus, at the beginning of the novel, he appears to be the hero due to his spirit of sacrifice.

Though Charles appears to be the hero by virtue of being the heroine's husband, he is not heroic in the true sense of the term. His honest revelation of his true identity to Dr. Manette, his deep love for Lucie, his humanitarian act of rushing to France to help Gabelle, his stay in prison, his fortitude after being condemned all make him rise high in our esteem, but they do not raise him to heroic level.

On the other hand, Sydney is the hero by virtue of transforming from an ordinary person to a sublime, noble and tragic figure. Charles is a passive character who hardly acts we get to know more about him through dialogue than action. But Sydney is a man of action. Things don't happen to him but he makes things happen. He has a golden heart, the passion for doing good for others. At Old Bailey court, he discerns the resemblance between Charles and himself which results in Charles's release. Later, in France he blackmails Barsad, drugs Charles and dies in place of Charles.

His ultimate sacrifice raises him to a stature of Christ. He dies for Lucie and humanity while dreaming of a better world. His supreme act of love symbolises the triumph of love over hatred. His realisation at the end that, "It is far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known", makes him a hero.

To conclude, we may say that though Sydney and Charles look alike, their fates are linked, Sydney is the hero. Charles is a humanitarian, and ideal husband, father and son, but when contrasted with Sydney, he appears drab and inactive. Sydney is truly heroic as he scarifies his life for humanity. His death is that of a martyr and thus he lives on. A hero is supposed to live happily at the end and this is what he does he is resurrected as he dreams of a brilliant new world.

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