The Lady or the Tiger Finale In the short story “The Lady or the Tiger,” author Frank Stockton tells a horrible story of a semi-barbaric princess whose lover was not royal, or in other words, he was a commoner. When the princess’s father, known as the barbaric King, learned of the relationship between his daughter and the commoner, he sent the lover into an arena for judgment. The lover must face judgment by going into the arena and choosing between two doors. Behind one door was a vicious tiger and behind the other door was a beautiful maiden. If he was lucky enough to chose the maiden, he must marry the lady no matter what. If he chose the tiger, well, he would be viciously eaten. The princess knew which door the tiger was behind and which …show more content…
When the princess learned of her father sending her lover to the arena, she thought of nothing else day or night about the pending outcome of the arena. The princess admitted that she knew the lady behind the door, and “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.” The princess was jealous and angry at the thought of her lover being with the lady behind the …show more content…
Since the story mostly mentions her hatred and barbarianism, and never of her affection for the lover or desire to be with her lover in the future, this leads me to believe she would prefer her lover dead. Also, the princess was like her father who was known father was known for putting people into the brutal arena for amusement, so it is possible the princess would enjoy on some barbaric level watching her lover get killed by the tiger. However, some might say that the princess loved her lover and would never send the lover to his death, as that would be cruel and crazy. However, all the princess’ emotions towards the lover and the lady behind the door seems to be about hatred and jealousy, and since she was barbaric, it leads one to conclude that the princess would send the lover to his