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How Did The Princess Choose The Door In The Lady Or The Tiger

Decent Essays

In the short story, ”The lady, or the Tiger” written by Frank Stockton a semi-barbaric king had a special way of deciding an accused person's fate, his arena. The person that was being accused would choose between two doors. One of the two doors leads to a tiger that would kill what was in front of it when his door was opened. Behind the other door, there was a woman who was specially chosen for the accused person, if chosen they would get married at that instant. In the story, the king discovers his daughter had a lover appoints him for trial in the arena. The young man was sure the princess would find out who was behind each door and tell him what to choose. Stockton does not tell the readers whether the princess chooses the tiger or the lady. There is evidence to suggest the princess might have chosen either door, but the stronger evidence shows she chooses the door of the tiger. …show more content…

The princess has a soul as “fervent and imperious” (2) as the king. The princess has a soul as passionate and arrogant as her father’s. The princess’s passionate and arrogant attitude would not allow her to choose the door of the lady for her lover. The princess’s passionate and arrogant attitude leads her to choose the tiger. The princess chose the door that had the tiger behind it because her soul was just like her father’s. Simultaneously, the princess was jealous of the lady, so she would choose the tiger. The princess saw “this fair creature throwing glances of admiration upon the person of her lover and sometimes she thought these gazes were perceived and even returned” (3). The princess had seen the lady ogle and her lover and sometimes the princess believed that her lover also ogled the lady. The princess's lover possibly admiring the beautiful lady made the princess jealous. The princess’s jealousy influenced her to choose the

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