The Lady Or The Tiger

Throughout history, love and jealousy have been regarded as the two most powerful emotions that have played a huge role in a person’s fate or destiny. This is very true in Frank Stockton’s short story “The Lady or the Tiger?’’ Stockton’s princess character had vital information which led to her lover’s fate, however his reader was left hanging leaving one important question unanswered- what was his fate? Jealousy conquered love and was the strongest emotion which won out between the two. This led to the tiger coming out from behind the door, based on the princess’ semi barbaric nature.

Women will do almost anything for love, to be loved, or to keep love. That is their mission. When women become jealous, however, the love they want to hold onto disappears, becomes selfishness, and one does not know if it is love anymore. In the short story “The Lady, or the Tiger?” written by Frank R. Stockton, a semi barbaric princess motions which door her lover, the accused man, must open to either receive punishment or a reward. The punishment is to be devoured by a fierce tiger and the reward is to be married to a lovely damsel of the court. This semi barbaric princess loves the man and chooses which door the man deserves to open. Like many women in love, this

‘The Lady or the Tiger?’ The choice had to be made because one so innocent was guilty of falling in love with a princess, causing the princess to fall for him too. This union of a worthless commoner and a semi- barbaric princess was unacceptable for the princess’s even more barbaric father, the king, as ‘never before had a subject dared to love the daughter of a king’. (pg. 34) The decision was made and the date was set, the youthful soul was sent into the arena and fate decided the rest. If he had died or if he had lived, he was lost to the princess forever. The princess chose to kill her lover and save herself the misery of having to see him share a life with another. That day in the arena, the guilty opened the tiger’s door.

At the end of the story, “The Lady or the Tiger,” the man had a choice to pick which door. The main question is which door did he pick? The one with the tiger that would lead to certain death or the door that had the lady behind it in which he would have gotten married to. I believe the princess lead him to opened the one with the tiger. Even though she would have had to watch her lover die a painful death I don’t think she could have bared to watch him be with another. One other reason it leads me to believe she picked that one is because she was semi-barbaric, like her father. It even said in the story that she enjoyed watching them as much as he did. The princess knew the game and knew that if she picked the one with the lady behind it they would be happily married.

The criminal, the princess’ ex-lover, saw a guard come close to his cell, and unlock it, the key clicked in place. Rough hands grabbed him, it was time for the final judgement, the arena; would he live, or die? As he stumbled out onto the sandy stadium, the crowd cheered, but he only looked up, to the princess. Ultimately, the real loss was of the princess, who had either a dead soul mate, or one with another woman. In “The Lady, Or the Tiger?”, Stockton’s choice of point of view brings to mind the telling of an ancient tale rather than a formal narrative, encourages the reader to keep thinking even after the original narration has ended, as does his choice in framing the exposition and the plot structure.

“The Lady, or The Tiger” by Mr. Frank R. Stockton has compelled readers for as long as time. This story ends with all wondering, so which is it, the delicate and fair young lady or the savage, fierce, wild-eyed tiger standing behind the door. This makes us ponder whether human heart chooses love or jealously. Within this essay, there will be proof that it is the stunning young woman behind the door. Although there is evidence proving that it is the tiger, in a sense there is more evidence stating that the elegant and barbaric princess allowed her real lover to continue living. To begin let us start with the small dwindling points that the tiger, lye behind the door.

(HOOK) The characters that are present in short stories can leave an imprint on one’s vision of literature for an eternity. (CI) These memorable characters have made an impact on the way I view literature, primarily because of the way that I have been able to relate to them. (GS1) One character is a powerful, but envious princess. (GS2) Another is an abandoned orphan who seeks for love and companionship through his honesty and openness. (GS3) A final character shows her aptitude for her passions, but often finds herself quarreling with those that are closest to her. (GS4) When I read the stories involving these characters, I see myself in their places. (GS5) I relate to a multitude of their traits and characteristics, whether they are positive or negative. (THESIS STATEMENT) I can best relate to the short story fictional characters of (I) the princess in Frank. R Stockton’s “The Lady, or the Tiger?”, (II) Jerry in Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’s “A Mother in Mannville”, and (III) Waverly Jong in Amy Tan’s “Rules of the Game.”

I believe the princess pointed her man in the direction of the tiger because she was jealous and would rather have him killed then see him love another women. “But how much oftener had she seen him at the other door I don't think she could see him with another women when he's the love of her life, I think when you love someone you couldn't see yours self with someone else you wanna be with that person that you love the most.

One of the main characters in “The Lady or The Tiger” by Frank Stockhorn, was the semi-barbaric princess. From beginning, the unnamed princess had ambiguity written all over her, and it was generously displayed near the end of the story. The end started with the young man asking the princess in a secretive manner about who was behind each door, either the lady who he would get married too, or the tiger, by which who would eat him, including which door he should choose. The princess points to the right and the prince believes his lover without hesitation. He opens the right and the story is cut off there , leaving the reader with the question, who was behind the door? At that moment, we learn about the princess’s dilemma ; “She had lost him,

The tiger emerges from the door at the end of “The Lady, or the Tiger” by Frank R. Stockton. One reason that the tiger emerges from the door is because the princess hated the lady behind the other door didn't want her lover to be with that other woman. For example, when the princess thought of how she’ll lose her lover in both ways, she thought “ would it not be better for him to die at once, and go to wait for her in the blessed regions of semibarbaric futurity”(304)? This quote showed that the princess didn't want to lose her lover to another lady that she hated so much, so the princess would rather have her lover die from the tiger and wait for her in heaven then have him fall into the hands of another lady. Another reason it is the tiger

Frank Stockton’s short story “ The Lady or the Tiger” is about how a “semi-barbaric king” punishes those who commit a crime by putting them in an arena.The accused must choose one out of two doors. He will either open one of the doors awaited by the beautiful bride who was searched all over the land to find the perfect fit for him. Or open the door that holds a vicious beast that is about to attack him and devour him in a split second. A handsome young man in this kingdom ends up on trial because he dared to love and win the king’s daughter’s heart. The princess having a “ soul as imperious and fervent as the king” ,knows which door holds the vicious beast and which holds the beautiful bride. There is supporting evidence that the

This suggests that the princess would send her lover to the door concealing the tiger because she would rather he die than see him with the woman behind the door. She also thinks that by sending her lover to the tiger’s door, at least they would have a chance to be together in the afterlife in “semi-barbaric futurity” instead of never being together (241). Although my opposers may argue that out of true love the princess would have sent her lover to the door concealing the woman, I believe that she hated the woman more. I know this to be true because on page 239 the author states “she [the princess] hated the woman who blushed and trembled behind that silent door.” Her immense hatred for the woman is due to her jealousy that the woman has a chance to be happily wed to her lover, while she, the princess, watches helplessly from her seat in the in the stadium.

Behind one there is a vicious tiger, the most vicious in all the land, and behind the other is a beautiful maiden, which he would be forced to instantly marry. The princess soon hears word of the verdict and bribes her way to discover which door contained which creature. After many days of deliberation, the lover is sent into the arena. As he locks eyes with the princess, she gestures to the right door with her right hand. The lover, following the decision yielded by the beloved princess, confidently runs to open the door that beholds his predetermined fate.

In the short story “The Lady, or the Tiger?” by Frank Stockton, a semi-barbaric king in archaic times, sentences his daughter’s lover to trial after finding out about their affair. The king’s twisted form of trial is advertised in the arena where the condemned chooses between two doors and what awaits is either marriage to a maiden or death to a tiger. The princess must decide whether she’d lead her lover to death by tiger or to marriage with a woman whom she despises. While the story ends with Stockton asking the reader which came out the door the Lady or the Tiger, there are subtle clues that leads to the notion that the Tiger came out. Stockton subtly leads readers to the conclusion that the Tiger came out the door because the princess is

would have had an alternate ending. While the young man was reaching his hand to open the right door, he changed his mind. As his heart was tightened with the strong love of the princess, he thought that dying by the tiger would rather be better than betray his lover. So, he went right to the left door and opened it. A few minutes after, a beautiful, lovely lady came out. Then the young man knew that he was betrayed by his lover, the