The king in the story is really power hungry. HE determines who gets put on trial:
Excerpt: “…for nothing pleased him so much as to make the crooked straight, and crush down uneven places.”
This is the King’s Plan for justice:
- There is a crime that gets his attention.
- A trial will take place in the amphitheater
- Chance / fate will decide the person’s verdict, a lady or a tiger.
Here's how the "trial" worked:
"When all the people had assembled in the galleries, and the king, surrounded by his court, sat high up on his throne of royal state on one side of the arena, he gave a signal, a door beneath him opened, and the accused subject stepped out into the amphitheater. Directly opposite him, on the other side of the enclosed space, were two doors, exactly alike and side by side. It was the duty and the privilege of the person on trial to walk directly to these doors and open one of them. He could open either door he pleased; he was subject to no guidance or influence but that of the aforementioned impartial and incorruptible chance. If he opened the one, there came out of it a hungry tiger, the fiercest and most cruel that could be procured, which immediately sprang upon him and tore him to pieces as a punishment for his guilt."
or this happened:
"But, if the accused person opened the other door, there came forth from it a lady, the most suitable to his years and station that his majesty could select among his fair subjects, and to this lady he was immediately married, as a reward of his innocence."
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Please answer (30 points):
Do you think this is fair? I think this is pretty strange, and very unfair. The king thinks 'fate' is the best way to determine what happens, because Fate can't be corrupted. What do you think? Write a well written paragraph explaning your thoughts. Continue reading / listening to the story as there is a twist at the end.
Please listen to the second half:
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