The Lady Or The Tiger? By Frank Stockton

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.

The princess began to weep, for her lover was to die or to marry a woman she despised. She flew up and out of her seat, and she ran as fast as her feet could take her; she could not bear to see her lover’s fate. She knew the fair maiden was behind the door he was to open, and she wanted so badly to be standing in her place. She must find a way to meet him as he opened the door.

n the short story “Lady or the Tiger?” by Frank R. Stockton , the author suggests that a temperamental princess was overpowered by her jealousy of another woman which consequently provoked her to lead her lover to his doom. To begin, the author describes the princess as “hot-blooded” and “semi-barbaric” in the line “Think of it, fair reader, not as if the decision of the question depended upon yourself, but upon that hot-blooded, semi-barbaric princess, her soul at a white heat beneath the combined fires of despair and jealousy”(241). This passage illustrates that the princess lets her emotions control her, including “despair” and “jealousy”. As a result, she loses sight of true love and sends her lover to the door behind which hides a man-eating

In “The Lady Or The Tiger,” by Frank Stockton, the princess didn’t ignore her jealousy when she tells her lover to choose the tiger. Firstly, we know from the story that she loathes the woman who is behind one of the doors with all her might, and how she would be a ¨great wife for the man¨. On the third page, the author states, “would it not be better for him to wait for her in the afterlife?” This shows that if the man dies, she would soon see him and they would be together in heaven. Lastly, the author states that the woman has “a soul as passionate and arrogant as his own.”

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

Would one rather experience the pain of your lover being with another person or have the emotional suffering of their death? In the short story The Lady, or the Tiger by Frank R. Stockton the author leaves the reader wondering what is inside the door that the young man opens by influence of the princess. Inside one door is a vicious tiger ready to eat the young man while inside the other door a fair maiden waits to wed the young handsome man. The man opens the door of the tiger cage because of the princesse’s jealousy of the possible new relationship and the hatred of the fair lady.

His fervent and imperious ways were in instilled in her since birth. Knowing the princess’s nature, the king did not just “happen” to find out about their affair it was planned. The fact was obvious, her choice in men was not one of which her father would approve. The discovery was a perfect way to ride her of the youth. She had no future.

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.

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

In the story ‘The Lady or the Tiger’, there is a dilemma between love and jealousy. It is assumed that jealousy had gotten the best of the Princess in this story leading her to choose the door with the ferocious tiger behind it. Several times throughout the story, it is made obvious that the Princess hated the maiden that was chosen to be the lady, “ as her soul burned in agony when she had seen him rush to meet the woman with her flushing cheek and sparkling eye or triumph. This quote really emphasises the amount of jealousy that the Princess has for the Lady. This quote proves that the Princess ultimately could not handle the fact that her courtier could possibly become the husband of a woman whom she hated. In the story, Stockton seemed

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

In the story “The Lady and the Tiger”, a princess is forced to make a decision that will have an awful outcome either way for her and her loved one. She is forced to judge if her lover will die at the hands of a tiger or marry another woman and never see her again, “She had lost him, but who should have him? How often, in her waking hours and in her dreams, had she started in wild terror, and covered her face with her hands?” (Stockton). If the princess just avoided conflict then she would have never had to make a decision such as this.

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.

…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

“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.