A dilemma is the major focus of the short story. It is a choice between two unfavorable outcomes. In this story, as in most literature, dilemmas form potent conflicts for characters to encounter.
There are three main dilemmas in the story:
The first is for the accused person in the arena. Their dilemma is simply which door to choose. This is a dilemma because each door could have an unpleasant outcome; the person is either devoured by a tiger or married to a beautiful lady. This might not seem like a dilemma, but if the subject is already married, or has a family, this could be a huge problem.
The second dilemma is the princess’s choice. She possesses the knowledge of the doors, and she can give it to her lover. However, the woman that is waiting behind one of them she believed was exchanging glances with her lover. Not only that, but this woman rivals the princess in her beauty. Therefore, the princess can choose to let her love be with another woman or die by the tiger; a choice between jealousy and sorrow.
The last dilemma is for the reader. The author leaves the story without a definitive ending. Is it a story of lovers doomed to be apart, or a gruesome bloodbath?
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Use This Assignment With My Students", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that analyzes a dilemma that a character is facing in "The Lady or the Tiger".
Grade Level 6-12
Difficulty Level 2 (Reinforcing / Developing)
Type of Assignment Individual
Type of Activity: Dilemmas
Common Core Standards
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Exemplary 25 Points | Proficient 21 Points | Commendable 17 Points | Try Again 13 Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Choice of Scenes | Accurately depicts the scenes that show the character's main dilemma. | Mostly depicts the scenes that show the character's main dilemma. | Vaguely depicts the scenes that show the character's main dilemma. | Barley or does not depict the scenes that show the character's main dilemma. |
| Captions | Captions are accurately related to the dilemma and story. The connections are very easy to understand. | Captions are mostly related to the dilemma and story. The connections are easy to understand. | Captions are vaguely related to the dilemma and story. The connections are not easy to understand. | Captions do not relate well to the scenes, or are not related to the dilemma and story. The connections are very hard to understand. |
| Characters | The main characters are accurately and clearly identified. Their actions are well matched to their actions in the story. | The main characters are mostly clear and identified. Their actions are mostly matched to their actions in the story. | The main characters are vaguely defined or identified. Their actions are somewhat matched to their actions in the story | The main characters are lacking clarity or are not identified. Their actions are poorly matched to the story. |
| Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar | There are no spelling, punctuation, or grammar errors. | There are some spelling, punctuation, or grammar errors. | There are many spelling, punctuation, or grammar errors. | There are too many spelling, punctuation, or grammar errors. |
