Study Guide
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What is the setting of the story?
Describe the king.
Why does a life-or-death trial appeal to the king?
”… doleful iron bells were clanged, great wails went up from the hired mourners posted on the outer rim
of the arena.” What do these details suggest about people’s view of death and mourning?
5. Why do the king’s subjects enjoy the life-of-death trial?
6. What was unique about the king’s arena?
7. What 2 things were behind the doors?
8. How is the king’s system of justice of justice different from most other forms? Why do you think he
uses this system?
9. What happens immediately after a person chooses the door with the tiger behind it? What does this
mean the verdict is for the person?
10. What are hired mourners?
11. What would happen immediately after if a person chose the door with the maiden behind it? What
verdict is applied to the person who chooses this door?
12. Why do you think this was a popular form of entertainment?
13. Why was the young man cast into prison and appointed for trial in the king’s arena?
14. Why are his actions considered criminal?
15. Why do you think the king does not approve of the young man’s love for the princess?
16. How does the crowd respond when the young man walks into the arena?
17. What does the princess do when the young man is in the arena?
18. The text tells us that the princess knows which door is the correct one What do you predict will happen?
Why do you feel this way?
19. What is unique about the maiden behind the door? How does this create an internal conflict for the
princess?
20. Why does the princess hate the maiden?
21. How does the young man know that the princess knows what is behind each door?
22. What motive does she have for sending him to his death, and what motive does she have for saving his
life?
23. In your opinion, what do you think happened? Why do you feel this way?
24. What is ambiguity? What is ambiguous in The Lady, or the Tiger?
25. At what point in this story does the climax occur?
26. At what point is the young man’s fate actually decided? Explain.