The Lady, or the Tiger?
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Want to watch this again later? The setting in this story by Frank Stockton contributes significant aspects of time, place and location to this quirky little tale. In this lesson, we'll take a look at them all. There are only a few problems. Setting When we're talking about the setting of a story, we're looking at not only a physical location such as a house or church, but also things like time period, geographic region, and sometimes even the weather. Time We don't get any specifics here, except to learn that the story is set in ''very olden times. Physical Location The most important detail of the setting in this story is the public arena that is the location of the ''king's semi-barbaric method of administering justice.
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To learn more, visit our Earning Credit Page Transferring credit to the school of your choice Not sure what college you want to attend yet? Browse Articles By Category Browse an area of study or degree level. You are viewing lesson Lesson 1 in chapter 2 of the course:. The Short Stories of Guy de Studying The Lady or the Tiger. The Short Stories of Washington The Short Stories of The Short Stories of Katherine The Short Stories of Anton Studying The Bride Comes to Yellow The Short Stories of Arthur Conan I don't know what is the appropriate answer.
Either way what would be the benefit of princess? If she pointed to the door where there was a tiger, the man would die and she would lose him. If she pointed to the door where there was a lady, the man would marry the lady and again the Princess would lose him. What do you think, guys? View all 14 comments. It is a great story line with a food-for-thought ending. I remember reading the phrase "the lady or the tiger" when I was barely a teenager. I think it was in a Stephen King novel or story. And I remember thinking, "Well, that's a cool saying.
Now what the heck does it mean? As stiff and florid as the prose can sometimes be, and as eye-rollingly stereotypical as the "barbarian" kingdom setting is, it's a great read with a brilliant puzzle of an ending. Here's a sample of the writing and a basic outline of I remember reading the phrase "the lady or the tiger" when I was barely a teenager.
Here's a sample of the writing and a basic outline of the premise: 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 in the king's arena The accused subject stepped out into the amphitheater. Directly opposite him, on the other side of the inclosed [sic] space, were two doors, exactly alike and side by side. If he opened the one, there came out of it a hungry tiger, the fiercest and most cruel that could be procured, which immediately sprang upon him and tore him to pieces as a punishment for his guilt.
But, if the accused person opened the other door, there came forth from it a lady, the most suitable to his years and station that his majesty could select among his fair subjects, and to this lady he was immediately married, as a reward of his innocence. The storyteller is careful to point out that it doesn't matter if the accused is already married or in love. One thing the story doesn't mention is how on earth this "barbaric" kingdom deals with female criminals. This is a Kindle freebie: It's also available to read fer free on the Interwebz: Read it and decide for yourself what the answer to the title question must be!
Aug 29, Leah Craig rated it it was amazing. I read this to help my little brother with his homework, lol, but I love it so much. Petty petty petty people. I remember reading this short story in high school. It's both until the choice is made, and even then it's still both thanks to quantum physics.
I think what matters most in the story is what the reader believes happened.
I think that people chose the door which they would have chosen themselves in that situation. This puts a mirror right i I remember reading this short story in high school. This puts a mirror right in front of the reader, exposing him exactly as he or she is within their heart: If you think about it, it's really quite a genius little piece of writing, and for that, it gets 5 stars from me. Mar 06, Sadia Mansoor rated it it was amazing Shelves: We weren't told what happened in the end? Whether the handsome man choose the beautiful lady or the tiger behind one of the closed doors? Its for us to decide.
Now, this is frustrating! I like and also dislike this idea of we bringing our judgement for the story. I really like ready made answers. I seriously don't know how to decide the ending? I have two answers. Firstly, if we look at the princess' situation. She is losing from both sides, whether she hands the young man to the lovely damsel or allow him to become the food for the tiger. Its the clever King her father who is winning. She also assumes that the young man likes that lady too. Also, even if she let him choose the lady, the King had already decided that the young man would still be punished, so the princess let him die before this.
She has to be answerable to the King. I know that's the toughest decision to make but I am not that savage enough to decide the tiger for him. True love doesn't dissolve in jealousy that easily. Love means you want the other person happy, even if that person doesn't choose you. You want them to be happy! Now, I also have some questions for the characters: The King loves her daughter so much that he might consider this too. He knows that the King is cruel, so the princess might be exactly like her father too.
How come he really trusts her that she won't lead him to the door where there is no tiger behind? Should she save his life? Or is he just showing her that he truly trusts or love her just to save his life? Can we really test them? Can we forgive them all for their wrong decisions because nothing was in their control? Or are they trying to be innocent? Anyone can deceive at the last moment. We all can be barbaric if we get a chance. No one is completely honest here. Life itself is a test. We all act differently to save ourselves.
We never for a moment think about other's situation. We only want to win. We cannot really judge anyone's position, nor their decision. Lastly, I am still not sure whether my guesses are correct or not. I just want to know what the author had in his mind i mean the ending when he wrote this story. He knew the ending but he didn't reveal. Sadly, we will never know that: Here's the story for you all https: View all 6 comments. Dec 25, Marzieh Torabi rated it really liked it Shelves: Which door did the young man choose? If I were the princess, which door would I show to my lover?
The lady or the tiger? I still don't know! Jul 29, Hesamul Haque rated it it was amazing. A woman is an enigma. The intensity of her love and hatred for anyone has hardly been comprehended even by most learned philosopher of all time. It is dificult to understand what her next step of action would be.
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We mortals have experienced the love of a woman which emanates from our mothers and sisters but some unfortunate ones have also stumbled upon the negative emotions like jealousy and envy that have been known to colour the characteristics of a woman. Though I would be happy if the man is A woman is an enigma. Though I would be happy if the man is given a chance to live a fruitful life with his new bride, I also cannot overwrite the fact that jealousy is as strong an emotion as love. Having recently discovered the 19th C writer, Frank Stockton, i've been digging up what i can - and this is his most famous work, a riddle.
It is clever, but it isn't the riddle itself that i enjoyed most, but his writing. It seems a blend of Gertrude Stein, Mark Twain, and my father's wit. There is such wonderful understated humor, bits of flawlessly placed absurdity, and words altered just so, throughout what i have read of Mr.
Stockton's work so far - that one feels a little tipsy. The riddle Having recently discovered the 19th C writer, Frank Stockton, i've been digging up what i can - and this is his most famous work, a riddle. The riddle that follows this riddle, offering to explain the first, if you can solve the second, is also a delight.
The following is not the riddle, but just, perhaps an idea whose time has come?: This was a broad-shouldered man of cheery aspect, who carried, its hilt in his right hand, and its broad back resting on his broad arm, an enormous scimitar, the upturned edge of which was keen and bright as any razor.
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Holding this formidable weapon as tenderly as though it had been a sleeping infant, this man drew closer to the prince and bowed. The Lady, or the Tiger? This is a rare exception. The accused must choose a door…one houses the most vicious tiger The Lady, or the Tiger? The accused must choose a door…one houses the most vicious tiger in the land, the other, the fairest maiden his courtiers could find. The youth was immediately cast into prison, and a day was appointed for his trial in the king's arena. This, of course, was an especially important occasion, and his majesty, as well as all the people, was greatly interested in the workings and development of this trial.
Never before had such a case occurred; never before had a subject dared to love the daughter of the king. In after years such things became commonplace enough, but then they were in no slight degree novel and startling. The tiger-cages of the kingdom were searched for the most savage and relentless beasts, from which the fiercest monster might be selected for the arena; and the ranks of maiden youth and beauty throughout the land were carefully surveyed by competent judges in order that the young man might have a fitting bride in case fate did not determine for him a different destiny.
Of course, everybody knew that the deed with which the accused was charged had been done.
The Lady or the Tiger? by Frank R. Stockton
He had loved the princess, and neither he, she, nor any one else, thought of denying the fact; but the king would not think of allowing any fact of this kind to interfere with the workings of the tribunal, in which he took such great delight and satisfaction. No matter how the affair turned out, the youth would be disposed of, and the king would take an aesthetic pleasure in watching the course of events, which would determine whether or not the young man had done wrong in allowing himself to love the princess.
The appointed day arrived. From far and near the people gathered, and thronged the great galleries of the arena, and crowds, unable to gain admittance, massed themselves against its outside walls. The king and his court were in their places, opposite the twin doors, those fateful portals, so terrible in their similarity. The signal was given. A door beneath the royal party opened, and the lover of the princess walked into the arena. Tall, beautiful, fair, his appearance was greeted with a low hum of admiration and anxiety. Half the audience had not known so grand a youth had lived among them.
No wonder the princess loved him! What a terrible thing for him to be there! As the youth advanced into the arena he turned, as the custom was, to bow to the king, but he did not think at all of that royal personage. His eyes were fixed upon the princess, who sat to the right of her father. Had it not been for the moiety of barbarism in her nature it is probable that lady would not have been there, but her intense and fervid soul would not allow her to be absent on an occasion in which she was so terribly interested.
The Lady or the Tiger Setting
From the moment that the decree had gone forth that her lover should decide his fate in the king's arena, she had thought of nothing, night or day, but this great event and the various subjects connected with it. Possessed of more power, influence, and force of character than any one who had ever before been interested in such a case, she had done what no other person had done - she had possessed herself of the secret of the doors.
She knew in which of the two rooms, that lay behind those doors, stood the cage of the tiger, with its open front, and in which waited the lady. Through these thick doors, heavily curtained with skins on the inside, it was impossible that any noise or suggestion should come from within to the person who should approach to raise the latch of one of them. But gold, and the power of a woman's will, had brought the secret to the princess.
And not only did she know in which room stood the lady ready to emerge, all blushing and radiant, should her door be opened, but she knew who the lady was. 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, should he be proved innocent of the crime of aspiring to one so far above him; and the princess hated her. Often had she seen, or imagined that she had seen, this fair creature throwing glances of admiration upon the person of her lover, and sometimes she thought these glances were perceived, and even returned.
Now and then she had seen them talking together; it was but for a moment or two, but much can be said in a brief space; it may have been on most unimportant topics, but how could she know that? The girl was lovely, but she had dared to raise her eyes to the loved one of the princess; and, with all the intensity of the savage blood transmitted to her through long lines of wholly barbaric ancestors, she hated the woman who blushed and trembled behind that silent door.
When her lover turned and looked at her, and his eye met hers as she sat there, paler and whiter than any one in the vast ocean of anxious faces about her, he saw, by that power of quick perception which is given to those whose souls are one, that she knew behind which door crouched the tiger, and behind which stood the lady. He had expected her to know it. He understood her nature, and his soul was assured that she would never rest until she had made plain to herself this thing, hidden to all other lookers-on, even to the king. The only hope for the youth in which there was any element of certainty was based upon the success of the princess in discovering this mystery; and the moment he looked upon her, he saw she had succeeded, as in his soul he knew she would succeed.
Then it was that his quick and anxious glance asked the question: