A Brief Biography of Maximilien Robespierre and His Influence on the Novel "A Tale of Two Cities"

Maximilien Francois Marie Isidore de Robespierre, the 'Incorruptible,' was a lawyer and political leader in France during the time of the Reign of Terror from 1793-1794 in the French Revolution. As a member of the Committee of Public Safety for the duration of the National Convention, his goal was to achieve a Republic of Virtue based on ideas of the Enlightenment, in which all French citizens would have high moral standards and be dedicated …

…and evil tyrant, taking over the minds and, in many cases, lives of the French people" (Searle). Additionally, Robespierre's murderous influence contributed to the storyline of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens through his characters and underlying themes. All in all, Robespierre was a very significant person during the French Revolution whose strange ideas influenced all of France, making him the "most argued about and least understood man in history" (R.R. Palmer 402).