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the three main characters in Frank Stockton's "The Lady, or the Tiger?" --the King, the Princess, and the Lover -- each face a conflict when the Princess and her lover decide to marry. Identify and describe the conflict for each character and explain how you believe the each resolve the conflict.

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Answer:

In Frank Stockton's "The Lady, or the Tiger?", the three main characters, the King, the Princess, and the Lover, all face conflicts related to the central dilemma of the story: the choice between two doors, behind one of which is a lady and behind the other, a tiger. Here is how each character's conflict is described and how they resolve it:

The King: The King is in a position of power and authority over his subjects, and he sees the choice between the doors as a means of determining the guilt or innocence of the accused person. His conflict arises from his love for his daughter, the Princess, and his desire to see her happy, versus his duty as a ruler to uphold the law and maintain order in his kingdom. The resolution of the conflict is not explicitly stated, but it is implied that the King allows the Princess to make the final decision about which door her lover should choose.

The Princess: The Princess is in love with the young man who is on trial and faces the choice between the two doors. Her conflict arises from her love for her lover and her jealousy at the thought of him being with another woman, versus her sense of justice and fairness towards the accused person. She resolves her conflict by secretly discovering which door hides the tiger and which hides the lady, and then signaling her lover to choose the door with the lady behind it.

The Lover: The Lover is on trial for a crime that is not specified, and he faces the choice between the two doors. His conflict arises from his desire to live and be with the woman he loves, versus his fear of being mauled by the tiger if he chooses the wrong door. He resolves his conflict by accepting his fate and choosing a door, but the story does not reveal which door he chooses and what his ultimate fate is.

Overall, the story presents a complex and unresolved web of conflicts and moral dilemmas, highlighting the unpredictable and often arbitrary nature of justice and the ambiguous nature of human desire and motivation.

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