Although not a particularly complex character, it is hard to ever shake the image of the vengeful female revolutionary Madame Defarge of "A Tale of Two Cities." Having mastered the rustic art of knitting, Madame Defarge uses her skill to encode within her work the names of the aristocrats whom she and her confederates believe must die in order for the new republic to live. But Madame Defarge's motivation is more than just ideological. Not only does she wish the death of a class, but she also obsessively seeks revenge for the deaths of her sister, brother, and father.
