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Analysis of Frank R. Stockton’s The Lady, or the Tiger?
By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on May 27, 2021
Frank R. Stockton (1834–1902) originally entitled this story “The King’s Arena,” and after its appearance in 1882, it became the most famous story ever published in Century Magazine. Related by a caustic first-person narrator who clearly disagrees with the feudal nature of kings and courtiers who set themselves above commoners, the story takes place in an unnamed barbaric country. The king discovers that a handsome young man, a commoner, whose low social rank prohibits his marrying royalty, has fallen in love with the king’s daughter—a crime that, the author remarks wryly, became common enough in later years. The trial of the young man takes place in the king’s arena. He must choose to open one of two doors. Behind one waits a ferocious beast who will tear him to pieces; behind the other, is a beautiful maiden who will marry him immediately. If he chooses the beast, he is automatically guilty; if he chooses the maiden, he proves his innocence.
Frank R. Stockton/Wikimedia
Of all those in the arena—including the king— only the clever princess has discovered the secret of what lies behind each door. She has made her decision to send a signal to the young man, and she does so, indicating the door on the right. In reaching her decision, the princess has agonized between the dreadful images of the savage and bloody death, and of the young man married to the beautiful maiden of whom the princess is intensely jealous. The young man moves immediately to the door the princess has indicated, and the story ends with the narrator’s question to the reader: “Which came out of the door,—the lady, or the tiger?” (10). Although similar to a surprise ending, the final sentence differs in that it leaves the reader without a denouement. Five years later, Stockton followed with “The Discourager of Hesitancy” (1887), which promises to solve the puzzle, but in fact this story, too, leaves the question unanswered.
BIBLIOGRAPHY Stockton, Frank R. “The Lady, or the Tiger?” In The Lady, or the Tiger? And Other Stories. New York: Scribner, 1914.
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“The Lady, or the Tiger?” by Frank Stockton Essay
Introduction, works cited.
The dilemma of a difficult and dramatic moral choice has long been known to captivate the human mind, and writers know this well. The short story The Lady or the Tiger? By Frank R. Stockton is a perfect example of an almost quintessential dilemma on the most thrilling of choices: the one which involves love and death. The story is set in an unspecified land ruled by a semi-barbaric king and describes a peculiar legal procedure invented by him based on his own understanding of justice: an arena where the convicts are tried. Instead of the trial by battle, the accused are offered to choose one of two doors: behind one, a fierce tiger awaits to kill the unfortunate human, and behind the other – salvation in the form of a lady who would become his wife.
However, once the lover of the king’s daughter is given the dreadful choice, the princess secretly interferes with the chance and gives the man a hint to open the door on the right. And while it is tempting and comforting to consider the possibility of her sparing his life instead of directing him to his death, upon closer inspection there is little doubt that she has guided him to the tiger.
It is tempting to imagine that she wanted to save him. But this version is mostly driven by the reader’s humanity. The text, on the other hand, offers little backing to the happy ending. We know that the princess loves the man dearly. We also witness her hesitation at the end of the story. She hesitates to imagine the “cruel fangs of the tiger” (4).
However, these are not her thoughts. Instead, they are speculations by the author. And this short part is the only proof of her compassion. She is passionate, there is no doubt about it. But her passion is burning, not heart-warming. She is determined, but mostly for her own sake, not for him.
On the other hand, her barbaric nature is prominent throughout the story. She is resolute about making things go her way. For instance, she obtains the secret of the doors with “gold, and the power of a woman’s will” (3). A whole paragraph is devoted to her anguish and jealousy triggered by other girl’s mere glances at her man. She thinks he even returns them. However, she acknowledges that all this may exist only in her imagination.
Besides, she did not come to the trial to support the man – she was “terribly interested” (3). There is even a phrase “She had lost him, but who should have him?” (4). It clearly shows that for her there is no happy ending. She does not show any respect for his life. In her eyes, the choice is between redemption and a tantalizing “justice”. The latter will become the salvation to him and the torture to her.
The princess is truly the daughter of a barbaric king. She displays all the features that suggest power, determination, calculation, and passion. It is humanity and compassion that she is lacking, at least on the pages of the story. But power and courage are not enough to overcome the desire for vengeance if the heart lacks warmth. If by any chance it was the lady whom the man found behind the right door, it could be only by chance or a momentary burst of passion. If on the other hand, the princess acted upon a long-thought-out decision (and we are told by the author that she did), there is little doubt which decision it was: the tiger.
Stockton, Frank. The Lady or the Tiger? , 1882. Web.
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The Lady or the Tiger?
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The Lady, or the Tiger?
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Analyze how typical fairy tale tropes are used and/or subverted in “The Lady, or the Tiger?”
Pay attention to the description of the king and his actions. How does the narrator feel about the king? Is the reader supposed to feel the same way? Use evidence from the text to support your argument.
“The decisions of this tribunal were not only fair, they were positively determinate: the accused person was instantly punished if he found himself guilty, and, if innocent, he was rewarded on the spot, whether he liked it or not” (Paragraph 7). How is fairness defined in this story?
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The Lady or the Tiger?
by Frank Richard Stockton
The lady or the tiger essay questions.
What do you think was behind the door on the right? The lady or the tiger? Why?
It is likely that the door on the right was hiding the tiger. The narrator of "The Lady, or the Tiger?" places so much emphasis on the fact that the princess had barbaric tendencies. In fact, he spends so much time describing her barbarism that he never gets around to explaining what makes her civilized. For this reason, it seems likely that she will make the barbaric choice of killing her lover.
One of the themes the story explores is the corruptibility of absolute power, especially when invested in an unfit leader. Write about the development of this theme in Stockton's story, making sure to use evidence from the text to support your answer.
Every man who is sentenced to this bizarre ritual punishment faces the exact same consequences should the open door reveal the lady rather than the tiger: they will marry immediately whether or not the man is already married at the time or not. In the case of the young man in the story, this supposed "fairness" is corrupted by an outside agency. The king may have absolutely no idea that the lady chosen to stand behind one of the doors just so happens to be a potential romantic rival for the affections of the man his daughter loves, but that is beside the point. Whether attributable to the sinister motivation of the king or purely random chance in choosing the ideal beauty to stand as the alternative to the beast, the system is now corrupted in a way that makes this particular utilization of the punishment irrefutably unfair. Because of the pre-existing relationship between the lady behind the door, the princess, and the courtier, jealousy now enters the picture. The princess, having decided to find out what is behind each door, will now inevitably corrupt the abritrary nature of the system, guiding her lover to the tiger or the lady depending upon whether she is feeling jealousy more than love or love more than jealousy. Justice is either a system which is fair to all or fair to none, and though one can argue that this system of justice is lacking in all other aspects, it has been, up until this point, equally fair to all. That will no longer be the case now.
Devise a plan to save the relationship of the princess and her lover no matter which door he chooses. Write it in the same style as Stockton's prose and try to keep characters consistent as to how they appear in the story.
We find ourselves in the king's semi-barbaric kingdom, right at the instant that the princess gestures to the door at the right. What she alone knows, however, is that there is a secret plot in place to keep her lover alive and hers alone. She has had her favorite and most trusted attendant search far and wide for a lady who shares the princess's features. In the end, the attendant found a lady that looks so much like the princess that they could be twins. The plot is already in motion long before the courtier stepped into the arena. The princess will switch herself out for the lady and then reveal the truth after they are already wed. The king will have no choice but to accept the princess's marriage.
The Lady or the Tiger? Questions and Answers
The Question and Answer section for The Lady or the Tiger? is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.
"She could never see 'her' man married to another, what is the writer trying to tell us about the character of the princess by using inverted command for the word "her" in this sentence?
In context, she is possessive.
The King built a public arena where men accused of a crime must choose one of two doors. Behind one of the doors is a lady; behind the other is a tiger. If the prisoner chooses the door with the tiger, he is assumed to be guilty, and he will be...
Study Guide for The Lady or the Tiger?
The Lady or the Tiger? study guide contains a biography of F Stockton, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.
- About The Lady or the Tiger?
- The Lady or the Tiger? Summary
- Character List
Essays for The Lady or the Tiger?
The Lady or the Tiger? essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Lady or the Tiger? by F Stockton.
- The Lady Or The Tiger?: An Analysis of Relationships Between Characters
Lesson Plan for The Lady or the Tiger?
- About the Author
- Study Objectives
- Common Core Standards
- Introduction to The Lady or the Tiger?
- Relationship to Other Books
- Bringing in Technology
- Notes to the Teacher
- Related Links
- The Lady or the Tiger? Bibliography
Home — Essay Samples — Literature — The Lady and The Tiger — Exploration of Literary Devices in “The Lady and The Tiger
Exploration of Literary Devices in "The Lady and The Tiger
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Words: 490 |
Published: Sep 6, 2023
Words: 490 | Page: 1 | 3 min read
Table of contents
The art of suspense, the power of symbolism, the enigma of ambiguity.
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Jealously, selfishness, and being semi-barbaric can make a women do crazy things. In Frank Stockton's "The Lady or The Tiger" the princess leads her lover to the door with the tiger because of her jealousy, semi-barbaric roots, and selfishness. The princess could be very jealous when it comes to her lover.
In 'The Lady, or the Tiger?', we are presented with an ancient system of justice whereby a suspected criminal has to choose one of two doors. Behind one is a lady, whom he will marry; behind the other is a tiger, which will devour him. Plot summary. Some time in the past, a 'semi-barbaric' king has an arena built, in which justice is ...
Essays and criticism on Francis Richard Stockton's The Lady, or the Tiger? - Essays and Criticism. Select an area of the website to search. Search this site Go Start an essay Ask a question ...
The king discovers that a handsome young man, a commoner, whose low social rank prohibits his marrying royalty, has fallen in love with the king's daughter—a crime that, the author remarks wryly, became common enough in later years. The trial of the young man takes place in the king's arena. He must choose to open one of two doors.
By Frank R. Stockton is a perfect example of an almost quintessential dilemma on the most thrilling of choices: the one which involves love and death. The story is set in an unspecified land ruled by a semi-barbaric king and describes a peculiar legal procedure invented by him based on his own understanding of justice: an arena where the ...
In the realm of literature and moral dilemmas, the lady and the tiger has become an iconic phrase representing a complex decision that carries profound consequences. This phrase originates from a timeless short story by Frank R. Stockton, where a young man faces a life-or-death choice in an arena. This essay delves into the significance of this ...
The tale of "Tiger and the Lady" is a timeless story that has captivated audiences for centuries. This classic fable explores themes of bravery, love, and the struggle between good and evil. In this essay, I will delve into the significance of the characters, the moral lessons conveyed, and the cultural impact of this beloved story.
Shortly after Stockton published "The Lady, or the Tiger?,'' he and his wife left on an extended European vacation. Thus, he missed much of the initial debate that swirled around his story. Martin ...
The Story of The Lady, Or The Tiger. The story The Lady, or the Tiger? reveals foreshadowing in the beginning when the king's arena is introduced stating that, "When a subject was accused of a crime of sufficient importance to interest the king, public notice was given that on an appointed day the fate of the accused person would be decided ...
ending of your choice. Your essay should be three paragraphs with a clear beginning, middle, and end. It should also contain at least three pieces of textual evidence (quotes or paraphrases) 'Mth page numbers to support your claims. Due Provides exemplary argument for the chosen Provides argument for ending. Includes textual the chosen ending.
Overview. "The Lady, or the Tiger?" is a short story by Frank Stockton first published in the magazine The Century in 1882. The humorous tale is short and depicts an ancient kingdom with a bizarre form of justice. Stockton's story was immediately popular and has since been translated into many languages. It is a story that presents an ...
A huge audience gathered to watch. The young man was released into the public arena, to the admiration and anxiety of the audience—they thought him a grand youth, and thought it terrible for him to be in the arena. The young man, as was customary, bowed to the king, but was looking all the while at the princess.
Essay Topics. 1. Analyze how typical fairy tale tropes are used and/or subverted in "The Lady, or the Tiger?" ... Use evidence from the text to support your argument. 3. "The decisions of this tribunal were not only fair, they were positively determinate: the accused person was instantly punished if he found himself guilty, and, if ...
The Lady or the Tiger? Essay Questions. 1. What do you think was behind the door on the right? The lady or the tiger? Why? It is likely that the door on the right was hiding the tiger. The narrator of "The Lady, or the Tiger?" places so much emphasis on the fact that the princess had barbaric tendencies.
Topic sentence with a strong transitional word. 2. Explain main idea briefly if necessary. 3. Direct quote from the text to support the main idea. 4. Explain the meaning of the quote. 5. Elaborate on the main idea--draw conclusions and explain your claim.
Cite This Essay. Download. Frank Stockton's "The Lady, or the Tiger" is a 19th-century short story that leaves the reader with a sense of speculation. The story introduces the audience to a kingdom that bears a resemblance to the Roman Empire. There rules a king that is said to be "semi-barbaric.". Alongside the king, is his daughter ...
1 page / 490 words. Frank R. Stockton's short story, "The Lady or The Tiger," is a literary masterpiece that skillfully employs various literary devices to captivate the reader's imagination. This essay embarks on an in-depth analysis of the narrative, focusing on the author's use of suspense, symbolism, and ambiguity... The Lady and ...
The short story "The Lady or The Tiger" is about a semi-barbaric king whose idea of justice is either death by a tiger, if you find yourself guilty or marriage whether you like it or not if you find yourself guilty. The king discovers an affair between his daughter, the princess, and one of his men. Don't use plagiarized sources.
Whenever a man was accused of committing a crime, he was sent into the amphitheater to choose one of the two doors. If he chose the door with the tiger behind it, he died a gruesome death at its claws and teeth, and was therefore deemed guilty of the crime. If he chose the door with the lady, he was deemed innocent and was married to the lady ...
Frank R. Stockton's short story, "The Lady or The Tiger," is a literary masterpiece that skillfully employs various literary devices to captivate the reader's imagination. This essay embarks on an in-depth analysis of the narrative, focusing on the author's use of suspense, symbolism, and ambiguity to craft a compelling and thought-provoking tale.
"The Lady, or the Tiger?" begins with a fanciful tone. It opens with "In the very olden time," which whispers of the familiar beginning of fairy tales, "Once upon a time."
When you have found your own beliefs about the princess and organized your paper, then you can find your hook. Perhaps it will have to do with being brave and loyal to someone you love. Perhaps ...