The Hungry Man: Jacques 3 in "A Tale of Two Cities"

In A Tale of Two Cities, a minor character keeps his real name a secret to protect himself from being singled out from the mob. He is part of the Jacquerie, the driving force behind the overthrow of the French government and the Reign of Terror. Known only as Jacques Three, he symbolizes the devouring spirit of the revolution. Jacques Three is not described in detail until II/15, when he is present as the wood-sawyer tells the story of Gaspard's execution. He is pictured with hands at his mouth, as if he physically hungers for vengeance on the aristocracy. To emphasize this, he is described as "the man with the restless hands and the craving air" (II/15) and "the hungry man." (II/15) He is the embodiment of the "dogs of war" (Julius Caesar, Act III) straining at their chains. Jacques Three is an esteemed member of the Jacquerie, but is really more of a weapon than a leader. When the Reign of Terror is at its height, Jacques Three is in his element. By III/2, citizens of Paris can be seen sharpening their weapons and drinking wine at a grindstone in a public square. There is so much blood in this scene that its crimson stains on the people's clothes cannot be distinguished from those of spilt wine. However, despite daily executions, Jacque Three's bloodlust is never satisfied. In III/14, he schemes along with Mme Defarge and the Vengeance to send Lucie Manette and her daughter to the guillotine. Here we find Jacques Three at his most ghoulish, wanting "six score" (III/14) for the guillotine. When he says Lucie Manette "has a fine head" (III/14) for the guillotine because of her "blue eyes and golden hair" (III/14), he speaks in the manner of an epicure. An "ogre" (III/14) such as Jacque Three can thrive and refine his tastes in an environment like the French Revolution. M Defarge is troubled by the zeal of people who cannot seem to get enough blood, but he is in the weak minority of the French people. No matter how destructive, every fire will eventually burn itself out, and Jacque Three's cannot survive into a more peaceful world. Dickens may have been inspired by Maximilien Robespierre, the architect of the real Reign of Terror, to create the character of Jacques Three. Robespierre's Revolutionary Tribunal executed about 2,400 people in Paris between July 1793 and July 1794, and around 30,000 people were killed throughout France. Sydney Carton is correct when he predicts that bloodthirsty people like Robespierre and Jacques Three die by "perishing by this retributive instrument, before it shall cease out of its present use." (III/15) The revolutionary leaders were eventually "swallowed up" (III/15) by their own fanaticism, and were the last to die by the guillotine. In Matthew 26:52 Jesus says "all those who take up the sword perish by the sword." This certainly applicable to the fate of the orchestrators of the Reign of Terror. At first glance, Jacques Three seems to be merely one of Mme Defarge's creepy henchmen. However, he is a truly important character since he represents the worst of the French Revolution, an urge for blood and vengeance far beyond what was necessary to reform the country.