Marxism Analysis in The Lady or the Tiger

The proper distribution of power and wealth within a society is often debated. Too much power given to a specific person can lead to a dictatorship while an even amount of power distributed equally among the people causes chaos and disorder. In the situation of “The Lady and The Tiger,” we see a clear uneven distribution of power with which the king holds full control over his people. Nobody is equal to the king and nobody will ever hold as much power as the king. The king is so powerful that he was able to put in place a system of judgment so unorthodox it leaves justice at the hands of fate and get away with it. Prisoners would have no chance at a fair trial, they never will because the King gets the final say on what does and does not change. The King’s daughter, the Princess is the second most powerful figure in the kingdom. Not as powerful as the King but still mighty in her status. She could have any man she wants regardless of their relationship status, yet she chooses to advance on a peasant who lacks any power or status. A clear connection can be made between the unequal amount of power and the taboo nature of the Princess’ relationship. She does not necessarily crave the man himself but the difference between their status. In a world where women are considered submissive, the Princess could be dominant and powerful. To another royal figure, the Princess would have had to give up her power and domesticate herself, something which any sane person would see as crazy. Instead, the Princess did the complete opposite and aligned herself with someone who poses no threat to her power. She can control the poor man, he is her puppet. When placed in the arena the Princess gives in and plays around with her complete control. Now, in front of the entire kingdom, the Princess can showcase her dominance. Focusing on the fact that one person was given the ability to change the fate of another person is dystopian. The dilemma for the Princess at this moment, however, was that she was not the one controlling the fate of the man. Regardless of what the Princess decides the King gets to bask in the power, the status. The King has now forced his daughter in a state of submission. If she chooses the lady she has lost the power of her man because he belongs to a woman now and he will be given dominance over him. If she chooses the tiger the princess gives up the ability to control the destiny of the man, much like a puppet with the strings cut off. Overall, the main conflict in the “Lady and The Tiger” is the unequal distribution of power and what happens when someone challenges that power.