Lucie Manette
| Lucie Manette | |
|---|---|
| A Tale of Two Cities character | |
|
Lucie Manette and Miss Pross, by Fred Barnard | |
| Created by | Charles Dickens |
| Information | |
| Gender | Female |
| Nationality | French |
Lucie Manette is a character in Charles Dickens' novel, A Tale of Two Cities.
Overview
She is the daughter of Dr. Alexandre Manette. She is wise beyond her years; unfailingly kind and loving. Her love and protection of her father is what attracts Charles Darnay to her. She meets Darnay, the young Frenchman, on the voyage home with her father. When Darnay is arrested as a spy due to evidence planted on him by John Barsad on the orders of his uncle, the Marquis St. Evremonde, they attend Darnay’s trial out of concern. It is there that she meets Sydney Carton, the drunken lawyer who falls in love with her. She reaches out to Carton in a concern for his well being, but is being actively courted by Darnay and accepts his proposal. When Darnay's and Lucie’s daughter is about six years old, Darnay returns to France. Lucie, Dr. Manette, Miss Pross and their daughter, Little Lucie go after him after notice of him being in prison in La Force. She relies on her father to rescue Darnay, which he does but then Darnay is again accused. During his imprisonment, she remains loyal and faithful to him.
Cinematic and Theatrical Portrayals
on film and television, Lucie has been portrayed by:
- Elizabeth Allan/Fay Chaldecott (film, 1935)
- Wendy Hutchinson (TV, 1957)
- Dorothy Tutin (film, 1958)
- Kika Markham (TV, 1965)
- Sally Osborne (TV, 1980)
- Alice Krige (TV, 1980)
- Serena Gordon (TV, 1989)
In the 2008 Broadway musical adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities, Lucie Manette is played by Brandi Burkhardt.
Radio portrayals
- Charlotte Attenborough, BBC Radio 4, 1989
- Lydia Wilson, BBC Radio 4, 2011[1]