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

There are many reasons why the princess will make her lover go to the door with the tiger and in this story I'm going to give you those reasons. I'm only going to state three reasons why she would send him to the door with the tiger.

In addition to her barbaric nature, the princess hated the lady behind the door. The lady dared to look at the man that faniced the princess. She is extremely jealous of the lady. In paragraph fourteen the princess says, "It was one of the fairest and loveliest of the damsels of the court who had been selected as the reward of the accused youth." The princess wanted the man all to herself. She stated that she seen no problem with him opening the door to the tiger and wait for her in

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 princess was also mad because she swore she saw him making googly eyes at the woman. I also think that the person she paid to tell her the doors might have lied to her, or maybe did not know the truth about doors and she chose the wrong one. The princess was also semi-barbaric like her father, so she thought if i can't have him she definitely cannot. In the story it states that she came from a long line of semi-barbaric ancestors.

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.”

…Without the slightest hesitation, he went to the door on the right, and opened it. Before the gate had even reached a foot off the ground the young lover, heartbroken, watched four frantic feet pacing back and forth and heard a deep, rhythmic panting. His mind frenziedly raced with dozens of thoughts: How could you do this to me? My dear lover, do you care but only for yourself? Someone must have forced her to tell me to choose the right door! What sort of fool am I to fall in love with the fairest lady in the kingdom?! What am I to do now? Run… The tiger steadily stepped out of his dark cage, allowing the afternoon sun to warm his striped fur. He gazed first at the masses seated breathlessly around the stadium

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.

In the story “The Lady or The Tiger” a princess is forced to watch her lover choose his destiny. The king is described as semi-barbaric because he shows compassion towards the accused. He allows them to choose their own fate by letting them pick a door, one with a hungry tiger and the other which contains a beautiful woman who he would marry on the spot. The man in the story finds himself in this situation after the king discovered he was having a love affair with his daughter. At the end of the story the princess is torn and she cannot decide if she should guide the man to life or watch him die.

In “The Lady or the Tiger,” by Frank Stockton, a princess chose a terrible death for her lover instead of having him marry another. Firstly we know from the story that the princess has a nightmarish daydream about opening the door of the lady. For example the narrator states “How in her horrid dream had she gnashed her teeth, and torn her hair, when she saw his rapture and delight as he came across women.” This quote proves she does not like the lady.

In Addition, to the claim that the princess chose the tiger’s door is supported by the fact that she hated the young damsel because she knew that she had admiration toward her lover. Stockton say to the readers, “The girl was lovely, but she had dared to raise her eyes to the loved one of the princess: and, with all the intensity of the savage blood transmitted to her through long lines of wholly barbaric ancestors, she hated the woman who blushed and trembled behind the silent door”(3). The princess knew the young damsel, she was young and beautiful as well as the young man. She hated the fact that the damsel dared to show her admiration towards her lover. The princess wanted the young man to be with her and nobody else. She hated the woman and would not give her the benefit of getting married with her lover.

The author of “The Lady or the Tiger?” mentions that, “No matter how the affair turned out, the youth would be disposed of,” which means that justice would not be served, and the youth would not be with his lover anymore. The youth and the princess had been lovers until the king learned of their love affair, and wished to punish the youth. The young man was put to a trial by tiger, a trial of the king’s own creation. The lover can not be with the princess either way the trial turns out. One way is that he is devoured by the tiger and does not live to be with her. The other way is that he gets married to the maiden behind the other door and can not be with the princess. Justice is not served because loving a person should not be a crime, and