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What Is The Use Of Dramatic Irony In The Lady Or The Tiger

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In “The Lady or the Tiger,” by Frank Stockton, the princess dooms her lover to a painful and cruel death by telling him to open the door with a savage tiger behind it. First of all, she decides to kill her lover because she hated the women waiting at the other exit. The text states that not only has she discovered which door led to what, “... she knew who the lady was. It was was one of the fairest and loveliest ladies of the court… Often had she seen, or imagined she had seen, this fair lady glance admiringly upon her lover, and sometimes she thought these glances were noticed, and even returned, by him.” The author clearly expresses that she is jealous of the lady, infuriated by how she fondly gazes upon her lover, which is further fueled by how he seems to return her stare. …show more content…

She most likely wouldn’t let them be married. In summary, her hate for the lady that waits behind the other door would drive her decision to make her lover choose the tiger. In addition to her jealousy, her semi-barbaric nature could further influence her decision. Like her father, she had “...a soul as passionate and as arrogant as his own.” Given time to assess her choices, would she hot-bloodedly succumb to her brutish blood and decide to have her lover die? In other words, is her resentment greater than her love for the man, or the other way around? While her envy of the lady is very prominent, it seems that she knew she could never again have her lover, so her negative feelings would most likely overtake her compassion. Therefore, her ruthless roots help persuade her to murder her beloved. Last but not least, the reader can infer that the she would regret having her lover wed off to another lady more than having him

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