“The Lady or the Tiger”
Discussion
Our Focus
Difficult choices and “lose-lose” situations
 Conflicts in the story
 How to use characterization to predict the
outcome.
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Question to consider
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Have you ever felt as
if you were “caught
between a rock and a
hard place”- where
you needed to make
a decision between
two courses of action
and neither option
seemed quite right?
Historical Background
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In the middle ages, guilt or
innocence was decided by an
“ordeal”
A person was physically tested,
and the outcome determined
guilt or innocence- accusers
believed that God controlled
what happened
Example: Ordeal by water: the
accused was tied up and
thrown into deep water- a
person who floated was
thought to be guilty, and a
person who sank was thought
to be innocent
The Romans
During the early years
of Christianity, the
Romans had a
practice of putting
Christians in the
arena with lions,
where they were
mauled to death for
their beliefs
 This was also done
for entertainment
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SATIRE
A
LITERARY WORK THAT
RIDICULES ITS SUBJECT
THROUGH TECHNIQUES IN
ORDER TO MAKE A
COMMENT OR CRITICISM
ABOUT IT
FOUR TECHNIQUES OF SATIRE
Exaggeration: enlarge, increase, or represent
something beyond normal bounds
 Incongruity: present things that are out of place
or absurd in relation to its surroundings
 Reversal: present the opposite of the normal
order
 Parody: imitate the techniques and style of
some person, place, or thing

SHREK AND SATIRE
List common elements found in fairy tales:
1) Usually begins with “once upon a time”
2) May include fantasy, make believe/magic
3) Good and evil are clearly defined and
include a problem that needs solving
4) Royalty are often present (kings, queens,
princesses etc.)
5) Usually has a happy ending

After viewing the movie clips, list details
that depart from the typical fairy tale:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Parody: Fiona (not a damsel in distress)
Exaggeration: Robin Hood (mockery with
dancing)
Reversal: Shrek & Donkey (scared and
don’t help
Exaggeration/parody of Disney:
Exploding Bird (mockery of animated
musical genre)
Setting
What types of stories
does the setting
remind you of?
 Why do you think the
author chose this type
of setting?
 Do you think it has
anything to do with
the author’s tone?

The King
• How is the king
characterized?
Famous quotes…
 “He was greatly given to self-communing, and, when
he and himself agreed upon anything, the thing was
done.”
 “…whenever there was a little hitch, and some of his
orbs got out of their orbits, he was blander and more
genial still, for nothing pleased him so much as to
make the crooked straight and crush down uneven
places.”
 “It mattered not that he might already possess a wife
and family, or that his affections might be engaged
upon an object of his own selection; the king allowed
no such subordinate arrangements to interfere with
his great scheme of retribution and reward.”
 “This was the king's semi-barbaric method of
administering justice. Its perfect fairness is obvious.”
The Trial System
Summarize the trial
system
 How does this
system suit the
king’s personality?

Human Nature

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What truths about human nature does the author point
out when he says that the institution was popular?
Provide other examples where this truth is apparent.
The Princess
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Semibarbaric, fervent
(passionate) and imperious
(commanding),
“blossoming as [the king’s]
most florid (elaborate)
fancies.”
How would you
characterize the princess?
How is she similar to a
fairytale princess?
Different?
Young man- the accused
Has a fineness of
blood and lowness of
station
 Why is the king so
upset about this
romance?
 How is the young
man characterized?

The relationship
 Characterize
the
relationship
between the
princess and the
young man
Paragraph Assignment
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Topic: Does the princess choose the lady or the tiger?
Graphic Organizer Due: __________We will talk about your paper in
class, and you will do a self-check based on our discussion.
Then, you will write your paragraph based on your MelCON graphic
organizer. Be sure you carefully review the rubric for this
assignment. Don’t be lazy; revise your paper until you have it
perfect!!
Then, submit your paper to Turnitin.com and print a receipt
 On _________you will turn in a hard copy of your paper, your
printed receipt, and your MelCON. Your final paper should be no
less that 8 sentences, and no more than 11 sentences, unless
you need to write more than one sentence in your concluding
statement (CON). Points possible: 50
Sample Topic: Is Tessie Hutchinson’s
final fate fair? Why or why not?
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Do not start with "I think" or "I feel" or "I believe"
Do not start with YES or NO
Your first sentence is the key idea you are trying to prove
Sample Main Idea (Topic Sentence): In Shirley Jackson’s ”The
Lottery,” Tessie Hutchinson’s final fate was fair because she was
aware of the rules of the lottery and she had the same chance that
everyone else had in winning the lottery.
Your paragraph: In Frank Stockton’s “The
Lady or the Tiger?” the princess chooses
__________ because __________.
Now for each example you give, you must link it back to
the fact that Tessie Hutchinson’s final fate was fair.
(explain)
Sample Evidence 1: To begin with, Tessie
Hutchinson knew that according to the rules of
the lottery, one person from the village of 300
would be chosen to be stoned to death; yet she
never debated the fairness of the lottery until
her family was chosen.
 Your Evidence: 1st reason to support why the
princess chose the lady or the tiger - you may
use a quote from the story, but this is not
required.

Link your example back to your
key idea
Sample Link: Although late, Tessie
willingly showed up for the lottery, joked
with her neighbors, and never vocally
opposed this annual event until losing her
life became a reality. Then and only then,
did she cry out, “It isn’t fair. It isn’t right.”
 Your paragraph: Explain how your
evidence clearly shows why the princess
chooses the lady or the tiger
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Moving from your 1st link to your
2nd example

Find two other examples of evidence and link
them back to your first sentence.
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Make sure you use transitions between
each example

Transition and evidence # 2: Another way
to look at the fairness of Tessie Hutchinson’s
final fate is due to the fact. . .
Con(conclusion): End your paragraph
with a concluding statement to wrap
up your ideas
 Thus, Tessie Hutchinson’s final fate was
fair. She knew the rules of the lottery and
willingly participated. Only after her
husband chose the paper with the black
dot did she cry out that “it wasn’t fair.” If
the Hutchinson family had not been this
year’s lottery winner, we can safely
assume we would not have heard a peep
out of Tessie.