The Lady or the Tiger?

by

Frank Stockton

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Lady or the Tiger? makes teaching easy.

The audience Character Analysis

The people of the kingdom who gather at the public arena to be entertained and pleased by the trials held there. The king’s system of poetic justice is especially popular with audience members because they are excitedly uncertain as to whether they will witness a grizzly death or a joyous (or hilarious) wedding. When someone dies in the arena, the audience mourns with downcast hearts; when someone is married in the arena, they celebrate spectacularly. The audience is fickle in its sympathies, more interested in entertainment than in justice.

The audience Quotes in The Lady or the Tiger?

The The Lady or the Tiger? quotes below are all either spoken by The audience or refer to The audience. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Barbarism and Civilization Theme Icon
).
The Lady or the Tiger? Quotes

The institution was a very popular one. When the people gathered together on one of the great trial days, they never knew whether they were to witness a bloody slaughter or a hilarious wedding. This element of uncertainty lent an interest to the occasion which it could not otherwise have attained. Thus, the masses were entertained and pleased…

Related Characters: The audience
Related Symbols: The Public Arena
Page Number: 4
Explanation and Analysis:

A door beneath the royal party opened, and the lover of the princess walked into the arena. Tall, beautiful, fair, his appearance was greeted with a low hum of admiration and anxiety. Half the audience had not known so grand a youth had lived among them. No wonder the princess loved him! What a terrible thing for him to be there!

Related Characters: The princess, The young man, The audience
Related Symbols: The Public Arena
Page Number: 6
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Lady or the Tiger? PDF

The audience Quotes in The Lady or the Tiger?

The The Lady or the Tiger? quotes below are all either spoken by The audience or refer to The audience. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Barbarism and Civilization Theme Icon
).
The Lady or the Tiger? Quotes

The institution was a very popular one. When the people gathered together on one of the great trial days, they never knew whether they were to witness a bloody slaughter or a hilarious wedding. This element of uncertainty lent an interest to the occasion which it could not otherwise have attained. Thus, the masses were entertained and pleased…

Related Characters: The audience
Related Symbols: The Public Arena
Page Number: 4
Explanation and Analysis:

A door beneath the royal party opened, and the lover of the princess walked into the arena. Tall, beautiful, fair, his appearance was greeted with a low hum of admiration and anxiety. Half the audience had not known so grand a youth had lived among them. No wonder the princess loved him! What a terrible thing for him to be there!

Related Characters: The princess, The young man, The audience
Related Symbols: The Public Arena
Page Number: 6
Explanation and Analysis: