John Barsad is a character in
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...
' 1859
novel, ''
A Tale of Two Cities
''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in ...
''.
Overview
Barsad is a turncoat, English con-man, and spy, and partner of
Roger Cly. In the pay of the
Marquis St. Evremonde, he initially frames the Marquis' nephew,
Charles Darnay
Charles Darnay, Charles D'Aulnais or Charles St. Evrémonde is a fictional character in the 1859 novel ''A Tale of Two Cities'' by Charles Dickens.
Overview
Darnay is a wealthy gentleman who spends time in both France and England during the time o ...
by planting evidence on him on a voyage across the English Channel to England.
Roger Cly, also revealed to be a spy, fakes his death and flees England, but
Jerry Cruncher discovers the fraud when he attempts to 'resurrect' Cly's body for the purpose of selling the body to doctors. Cruncher initially blames his wife's praying and thinks Roger Cly has been removed through spiritual means.
Carton discovers Barsad in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
much later and finds him to be Miss Pross' long-lost brother Solomon. He enlists Barsad's aid, by blackmailing him, to get into the prison to rescue Charles Darnay by changing places with him, Carton and Darnay being almost identical in appearance. Barsad then brings Darnay out of the prison and back to his family. Carton is eventually executed by
guillotine
A guillotine is an apparatus designed for efficiently carrying out executions by beheading. The device consists of a tall, upright frame with a weighted and angled blade suspended at the top. The condemned person is secured with stocks at t ...
in Darnay's place.
Barsad is genuinely dumbfounded by Carton’s sacrifice - though not enough to change his own ways. In the final prophetic chapter of the book, Barsad, along with many others, is revealed to die by the guillotine at some time in the future.
Analysis
Barsad is described in Book 2, Chapter 3 of ''
A Tale of Two Cities
''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in ...
'' as "one of the greatest scoundrels upon the earth since accursed Judas-which he certainly did look rather like." This is a direct reference to
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betraye ...
, the man who betrayed Jesus Christ in the Bible, and is explaining that Barsad is a very untrustworthy man.
Cinematic and Theatrical Portrayals
*
Walter Catlett
Walter Leland Catlett (February 4, 1889 – November 14, 1960) was an American actor and comedian. He made a career of playing excitable, meddlesome, temperamental, and officious blowhards.
Career
Catlett was born on February 4, 1889, in S ...
played John Barsad in the 1935 David O. Selznick production of
A Tale of Two Cities
''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in ...
starring Ronald Colman.
* Barsad was played by
David Suchet in the 1980 film
''A Tale of Two Cities''.
* In the 2008
Broadway musical
Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...
adaptation of ''
A Tale of Two Cities
''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in ...
'', John Barsad is played by
Nick Wyman
Nick Wyman (born May 18, 1950) is an American stage, television, and film actor, and is a former president of the Actors' Equity Association.
Early life and education
Wyman was born in Portland, Maine and raised in Summit, New Jersey and atten ...
.
* In the 2012 film ''
The Dark Knight Rises
''The Dark Knight Rises'' is a 2012 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan Nolan, and the story with David S. Goyer. The film is based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is th ...
'', actor
Josh Stewart
Joshua Regnall Stewart (born February 6, 1977) is an American actor who is best known for his role as Holt McLaren in the FX TV series ''Dirt'' and as Detective William LaMontagne, Jr., on the CBS series ''Criminal Minds''. He was also cast as ...
plays
Bane
Bane may refer to:
Fictional characters
* Bane (DC Comics), an adversary of Batman
* Bane (''Harry Potter''), a centaur in the ''Harry Potter'' series
* Bane (''The Matrix''), a character in the ''Matrix'' film trilogy
* Bane the Druid, a Gu ...
's right-hand man, Barsad, who is named after John Barsad.
External links
Character Profile of John Barsad
Literary characters introduced in 1859
A Tale of Two Cities characters
Fictional English people
Male characters in film
Male characters in literature
Fictional British secret agents
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