The Lady Or The Tiger: Character Complexity In Unexpected Places

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.

. . burned in agony” (150) as her love runs to his reward of innocence, she chooses the door in which the tiger will appear, only because this jealous princess would not want her lover to be happy with another woman and have him kept to herself, dead or alive.

“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.

…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?, a short story written by Frank Stockton in 1884, contains a controversial topic, mostly due to its lack of ending. The author left the story undetermined in the case of the lover’s fate, but analyzing the princess’s personality and motives could determine what fate she gave her lover. One of the most identifiable ideas within The Lady or the Tiger? is the internal conflict of the main character, the princess. The internal conflict plays a large role in how she attempts to determine the ending of her own story while fighting with the voices in her conscience. With this internal conflict, the writer had hinted that she chased around two choices in her head; let him die by the paws of the tiger or let him wed the stunning

Have you ever had do make a hard decision in life ? Knowing that if you made the wrong one it would significantly affect you ? If you said yes, Then You could imagine how the convicts Frank Stockton's “The Lady or The Tiger” in the arena felt when they had to choose one of the two doors. The horror in the pit of their stomachs not knowing whether the were going to be greeted by a lovely new wife and be wedded right away , or a vicious tiger wait to tear open his flesh . In this story Frank uses and displays many unique literary devices that add spice to the story. The main devices are mood , symbolisim and also point of view , by using these he keeps the on their toes and leaves them wanting more. Stockton usage

In the story, The Lady, or the Tiger, you either got married or died. This interesting story was wrote by Frank .Stockton did a really good job of making you think .In the story there was a semi barbaric king whose ideas where polished and sharpened by the progressiveness of distant Latin neighbors .If you done something bad in this kingdom you didn’t get a fair trial you had to choose between two doors .The lady or the tiger! If you picked the lady you was safe, if you pick the tiger you was fresh meat!

For example, “But how much oftener had she seen him at the other door! How in her grievous reveries had she gnashed her teeth, and torn her hair, when she saw his start of rapturous delight as he opened the door of the lady! How her soul had burned in agony when she had seen him rush to meet that woman, with her flushing cheek and sparkling eye of triumph; when she had seen him lead her forth…” (Stockton 3). This clearly suggests that the tiger is her firm decision because of jealousy and hatred. The princess hated the maiden to the utmost extent, as is clear by the statement above. So, it does not make sense if the princess would let the lady whom she hated so much to be married and blessed with the charms of her lover right before her very

“The Lady or the Tiger” is a short story written by Frank Stockton. This story revolves around a kingdom which implements a unique justice system. The king forces an accused subject into an arena with two doors: one which holds back a hungry tiger and the other holds a woman that the subject will marry. If the accused choose the door with the hungry tiger he is guilty and will be eaten by the beast as punishment. However, if the accused chooses the door with the beautiful maiden, he is innocent and will be married as reward.

In “The Lady Or The Tiger” by Frank Stockton, the royal daughter of the king made the choice of killing the love of her life. This is true because, in the text it says “the girl was lovely, but she had dared to raise her eyes to the loved one of the princess.” This quote shows she is jealous of her, and that she wouldn't live with herself if the boy was married to someone besides herself. Also, she had dreamed about him with her and she was mad. In the text it shows “ How in her nightmarish daydreams had she gnashed her teeth, and torn her hair, when she saw his rapture and delight as he opened the door with the lady!” This also displays how she couldn't bare to see the man with someone besides herself. Lastly the princess believes jealousy

“The Lady or the Tiger” Library Prompt #2 “The Lady or the Tiger” by Edgar Allan Poe displays the love affair of a young man and a princess. The man is punished by the king for falling in love with his daughter. He has to choose between one doors,one with a tiger that would eat him alive, and the other one with a random woman that the man would have to marry no matter what. According to the text, “It mattered not that he might already possess a wife and a family, or that his affections might be engaged upon an object of his own selection. The king allowed no such subordinate arrangements to interfere with his great scheme or retribution and reward.”

The short story, “The Lady, or the Tiger” written by Frank R. Stockton, is the tale of a King that makes prisoners choose their fate. Others could say that the princess chooses the lady on the other side of the door cause she doesn’t want her lover to die and live but we think different. We think that she choose the tiger as the door for her lover. She chooses the door that had the lady. She chooses that door because then she could still see and talk to the Man of her dreams. She loved the man so much, that she wanted him to live so they could still be together. “Would it not be better for him to die quickly and go to wait for her in that blessed place of the future? And yet, that tiger, those cries, that blood.”(paragraph 30, Stockton) This

The choice he makes of the two doors solely depending on a Semi-Barbaric princess. Whose train of thought might be different from that of a person who is sound of mind. Being of her background, she would easily have led the youth to the door of the beast. Her choice would reflect these three reasons her jealousy, upbringing and her pride.

When reading 'The Lady or The Tiger?' the literary elements could be followed rather quickly. It started out describing the system of justice the king had set out for his kingdom; the criminal's fate was decided with a 50/50 chance: marrying a beautiful woman and clearing his crimes, or a tiger, and be mauled to death for his crimes. The princess had a lover that the king did not see fit, for when he found out about the relationship, he through the lover into prison. The day after, he awaited his trial, and he had to make a life-or-death choice. This portrayed the theme for the rest of the story: justice, barbarism, and jealousy.

The story “ The Lady, or the Tiger” is by Frank R. Stockton. It mostly talks about how a princess has to make a choice as do people today. Even though, the princess loved her lover she might have sent him to the tiger’s cage.