The Lady Or The Tiger, By Frank R. Stockton

Have you ever been faced with an ultimatum so difficult, as if your life depended on it? This essay explores the story written by Frank R. Stockton, titled: “The Lady Or The Tiger”. It is a love story between a daughter of a barbaric king, and a lowly common man. The barbaric king, who was not pleased with the two lovers, imprisoned the lowly man. The barbaric king had a way of punishing his prisoners by throwing them into an arena where they either open a door to a tiger waiting to kill the man, or open a second door to a lady for him to marry. The prisoner would either walk away a free man with a beautiful wife, or be sentenced guilty, and die a horrible death by a tiger. This essay investigates whether the princess helps her lover to marry another woman, or whether she lets him be killed so no one can have him. …show more content…
The first thing I would ask is does she really love him? Stockton wrote about their love, “This royal maiden was well satisfied with her lover, for he was handsome and brave to a degree unsurpassed in all this kingdom, and she loved him with an ardor that had enough of barbarism in it to make it exceedingly warm and strong” (2). It seems pretty obvious the princess would point her lover toward the door with the bride behind it. If she really loved him it would be better he live with another women than be killed. Yes it would tear at her to see her lover day after day happily with another woman, but at least he will be safe and happy. The princess also knew who the bride was personally, which could be better than the prisoner marrying someone she knew nothing