Skip to main content

In "The Lady or the Tiger?" what had the princess done which no other person had ever done?

The princess found out what was behind each door. 


In this kingdom long ago, a semi-barbaric king has an unusual system of justice.  He has built a huge arena, and outfitted it with two doors.  When a person is accused of a crime, he is thrown into the arena and forced to choose a door.  Behind one door is a lady, whom he will marry, and behind the other is a tiger, which will...

The princess found out what was behind each door. 


In this kingdom long ago, a semi-barbaric king has an unusual system of justice.  He has built a huge arena, and outfitted it with two doors.  When a person is accused of a crime, he is thrown into the arena and forced to choose a door.  Behind one door is a lady, whom he will marry, and behind the other is a tiger, which will eat him. 


In the king’s mind, fate is really determining the innocence or guilt of the subject.  Fate is the jury.  If the subject is innocent, he will immediately be rewarded with a wedding to a suitable lady (whether he is attached or not).  If he is guilty, he will immediately be punished with a horrible death when the tiger mauls him. 


There is a problem.  The problem is that his daughter, the princess, takes a lover he does not approve of.  The easy way to get rid of the lover is to toss him into the arena.  Either way, this solves the problem.  Either he will die immediately or he will be married to someone else. 


However, the king’s daughter has other ideas.  She has a semi-barbaric streak too, and she is also wily. 



Possessed of more power, influence, and force of character than anyone 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. 



Through bribes and the strength of her personality, the princess is able to determine which door has the tiger and which has the lady.  However, this does not tell the reader everything.  Which door will she lead her lover to?  He knows that she has found this information out.  What the reader does not know is whether she wants him to live, or if she would rather see him dead than with another woman. 



Her decision had been indicated in an instant, but it had been made after days and nights of anguished deliberation. She had known she would be asked, she had decided what she would answer, and, without the slightest hesitation, she had moved her hand to the right. 



The story ends ambiguously.  We have no idea which door she chose. The author does this on purpose, because he wants us to ponder human nature.  Just how selfish is the princess?  I have always suspected that she chose the tiger.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What are some external and internal conflicts that Montag has in Fahrenheit 451?

 Montag, the protagonist of Fahrenheit 451, faces both external and internal conflicts throughout the novel. Some examples of these conflicts are: External Conflicts: Conflict with the society: Montag lives in a society that prohibits books and critical thinking. He faces opposition from the government and the people who enforce this law. Montag struggles to come to terms with the fact that his society is based on censorship and control. Conflict with his wife: Montag's wife, Mildred, is completely absorbed in the shallow and meaningless entertainment provided by the government. Montag's growing dissatisfaction with his marriage adds to his external conflict. Conflict with the fire captain: Montag's superior, Captain Beatty, is the personification of the oppressive regime that Montag is fighting against. Montag's struggle against Beatty represents his external conflict with the government. Internal Conflicts: Conflict with his own beliefs: Montag, at the beginning of th...
Post a Comment
Read more

In A People's History of the United States, why does Howard Zinn feel that Wilson made a flimsy argument for entering World War I?

"War is the health of the state," the radical writer Randolph Bourne said, in the midst of the First World War. Indeed, as the nations of Europe went to war in 1914, the governments flourished, patriotism bloomed, class struggle was stilled, and young men died in frightful numbers on the battlefields-often for a hundred yards of land, a line of trenches. -- Chapter 14, Page 350, A People's History of the United States Howard Zinn outlines his arguments for why World War I was fought in the opening paragraph of Chapter 14 (referenced above). The nationalism that was created by the Great War benefited the elite political and financial leadership of the various countries involved. Socialism, which was gaining momentum in Europe, as was class struggle, took a backseat to mobilizing for war. Zinn believes that World War I was fought for the gain of the industrial capitalists of Europe in a competition for capital and resources. He states that humanity itself was punished by t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Where did Atticus take the light and extension cord in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Atticus brings the light to the courthouse jail so that he can protect Tom Robinson.  Atticus learns that Tom Robinson, his client, is in danger.  A group of white men want to prevent the trial and lynch Robinson. He is warned by a small group of men that appear at his house.  He refuses to back down.  Atticus knows that the Cunninghams will target his client, so he plans to sit up all night with... Atticus brings the light to the courthouse jail so that he can protect Tom Robinson.  Atticus learns that Tom Robinson, his client, is in danger.  A group of white men want to prevent the trial and lynch Robinson. He is warned by a small group of men that appear at his house.  He refuses to back down.  Atticus knows that the Cunninghams will target his client, so he plans to sit up all night with Jim if that’s what it takes to protect him.  Atticus tells the men that he will make sure his client gets his fair shake at the law.  “Link, that boy might go to the chair, but he’s not going till ...
Post a Comment
Read more