2011 年度河南省高等学校精品课程《高级英语》 (A New English Course, Book 6) Unit Five The Lady or the Tiger Copyright: Henan University of Technology 2012 Lecturer: Jin Yaming

Teaching Outline I. Teaching Objectives II. Background Information III. Warming-up: Listening and Speaking IV. Text Structure V. Discourse Analysis VI. Theme-related Reading and Translating VII. Theme-related Writing

I. Teaching Objectives 1 Choices, beauty, jealousy and love [ Thematic Concern ] 2 [ Linguistic Competence ] Summarizing and synthesizing 3 [ Stylistic Appreciation ] Short story 4 [ Encyclopedic Knowledge ] Psychoanalysis of human nature

II. Background Information 1. About the author: Frank R. Stockton ( ) One of the most famous American writers of the 1880s and 1890s; An American humorist who has been compared to Mark Twain; This story was his most famous story, first published in the popular magazine Century in 1882.

II. Background Information 2. Amphitheaters: An amphitheatre (or amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances. Gladiator --- armed fighters performing for the public in ancient Rome

II. Background Information 2. Amphitheaters: Contemporary amphitheatres （ Hollywood bowl and sign ）.. Roman amphitheatres Colosseum 古罗马圆 形剧场. Natural amphitheatres （ Bryce Canyon Amphitheater Hoodoos Panorama 布莱斯峡谷圆形石 林全貌

10/8/2015 III. Warming-up: Listening and Speaking Listening and speaking: VOA special English “ the lady or the tiger” Listen to this story carefully and try to catch the main idea and retell the story later.

10/8/2015 III. Warming-up: Listening and Speaking Synopsis of the story "The Lady, or the Tiger?" is about a man sentenced to an unusual punishment for having a romance with a king's beloved daughter. Taken to the public arena, he is faced with two doors, behind one of which is a hungry tiger that will devour him. Behind the other is a beautiful lady-in-waiting, whom he will have to marry, if he finds her. While the crowd waits anxiously for his decision, he sees the princess among the spectators, who points him to the door on the right.

10/8/2015 III. Warming-up: Listening and Speaking Synopsis of the story The lover starts to open the door and... the story ends abruptly there.

10/8/2015 IV. Text Structure: text organization Part 3: (Paras.11-18) An elaborated description of the princess’ psychological activities and a question left with the readers to answer Part 2: (Paras.3-10) The process of the trial; Part 1: (Paras.1-2) Introduction about the Princess, the young man and their love affair; the king’s attitude; preparation for the trial

He was semibarbaric. Ruthless and bloodthirsty, the King was also partly compassionate. This set him up for great internal conflict between good and evil. V. Discourse analysis ： characters and themes 1.Character analysis: the king

Much like her father, she was semi-barbaric. Violating her father’s social code, she fell in love with one of the his subjects. She also suffered internal conflict. 1.Character analysis: the princess V. Discourse analysis ： characters and themes

He was of a lower socioeconomic class than the princess. This commoner was charged with the crime of falling in love with the princess, an offense of which he was guilty. He was to be tried by the King’s judicial system. 1.Character analysis: the princess’s lover V. Discourse analysis ： characters and themes

In the judicial system created by the king, the accused was given a choice between two doors. Whatever was behind the door was one’s fate. Because it was based on luck, this system wasn’t fair. It provided entertainment for the king and his people. 2.The Judicial System V. Discourse analysis ： characters and themes

Behind one of the doors was concealed a tiger. This vicious beast was chosen for being the fiercest and hungriest in the kingdom. If one chose this door, he would be killed; and hired mourners would grieve over the death of the criminal. 2.The Judicial System: # door 1 V. Discourse analysis ： characters and themes

If one choose the other door, a woman would be made your wife instantaneously. She was chosen for being the most beautiful maiden of the defendant’s social class and age group. 2.The Judicial System: # door 2 V. Discourse analysis ： characters and themes

For the king: The “semi-barbaric” king has set up the arena in such a way that the prisoner’s choice will determine his fate, regardless of his guilt or innocence. For the audiences: Not knowing whether they will witness a bloody spectacle or a wedding puts audiences in a state of suspense 2. Theme 1: choices and consequences V. Discourse analysis ： characters and themes

For the princess: The princess has made a major choice as well: whether to direct her now-unattainable young man to the tiger who will destroy him or to the lady she hates For the young man : Because of the choice to fall in love with the princess, he must now face the consequence, which is to make another choice — one that means either life or death 2. Theme 1: choices and consequences V. Discourse analysis ： characters and themes

For the readers: Stockton leaves it to the reader to ponder which choice she makes for the young man, who trusts the princess completely. Life is full of choices!!! 2. Theme 1: choices and consequences V. Discourse analysis ： characters and themes

Until the king discovers their affair, the young man and the princess love each other and are very happy — or so it seems. In reality, the princess is deeply jealous of a young female courtier she perceives as being attracted to the young man. This perception arouses her passionate hatred for the young woman. In contrast, the young man places his fate in the princess ’ s hands by unquestionably trusting her indication to choose the right-hand door. His love for her is unflinching, even though she may be sending him to his death. 2. Theme 2: love, hatred, jealousy and betrayal V. Discourse analysis ： characters and themes

The princess may betray the man in the arena because she is jealous of the young woman behind the door. Not only does she suspect that her lover may be interested in this attractive female courtier, but she is also deeply troubled by the certainty that their marriage will be compulsory if he chooses the “ Right ” door. Whether she will be loyal to her lover or betray him and send him to his death is the main conflict of the story, and one that is not resolved. 2. Theme 2: love, hatred, jealousy and betrayal V. Discourse analysis ： characters and themes

VI. Theme-related Reading and Translating Exercises If people mean anything at all by the expression "untimely death", they must believe that some deaths run on a better schedule than others. Death in old age is rarely called untimely---a long life is thought to be a full one. But with the passing of a young person, one assumes that the best years lay ahead and the measure of that life was still to be taken. History denies this, of course. Among prominent summer deaths, one recalls those of Marilyn Monroe and James Deans, whose lives seemed equally brief and complete. Writers cannot bear the fact that poet John Keats died at 26, and only half playfully judge their own lives as failures when they pass that year. The idea that the life cut short is unfilled is illogical because lives are measured by the impressions they leave on the world and by their intensity and virtue.

VII. Theme-related Writing Exercises Write an article to psychoanalyze the final choice the princess made! The lady or the tiger?

Editors’ Commentary Note: These are the editors’ personal opinions that should not be held as proven fact or graded as a paragraph. Stephen Kuehl Because she was jealous of the maiden behind the door, the princess signaled for her lover to choose the door behind which the tiger lurked ready to consume its prey. The man was instantly devoured because the princess felt that if she could not have him for her husband, no one else could have him either. He never should have trusted that vengeful woman. Joseph Murphy Without a doubt, the princess spared her lover’s life by signaling for him to chose the door with the lady. True love knows no bounds. She could have never lived with herself knowing that she killed the man whom she once loved. Because they truly loved each other, the accused lover could open the door that his lover chose for him with no hesitation.

Thank you!