In the very olden time there lived a semi-barbaric king,

whose ideas, though somewhat polished and sharpened

by the progressiveness of distant Latin neighbors, were

still large, florid, and untrammeled, as became the half of

him which was barbaric.

- "The Lady, or the Tiger?," Frank R. Stockton

Why does Stockton use an "olden time" setting instead

of a modern one?

It allows him to use big words and fancy language.

It is more likely that a king would be cruel in an old

setting

There can't be characters who are kings and

princesses today

A king from the past is more likely to make goods

decisions than a king today.

Question

English

Cristopher Liu

5 August, 00:27

In the very olden time there lived a semi-barbaric king,

whose ideas, though somewhat polished and sharpened

by the progressiveness of distant Latin neighbors, were

still large, florid, and untrammeled, as became the half of

him which was barbaric.

- "The Lady, or the Tiger?," Frank R. Stockton

Why does Stockton use an "olden time" setting instead

of a modern one?

It allows him to use big words and fancy language.

It is more likely that a king would be cruel in an old

setting

There can't be characters who are kings and

princesses today

A king from the past is more likely to make goods

decisions than a king today.

+3

Answers (1)

Know the Answer?

Double Double · Answer 1

It is more likely that a king would be cruel in an old setting

Explanation:

In the passage from "The Lady, or the Tiger?" the author Frank R. Stockton sets the story in "the olden time" because it is not to be expected to conceive such a barbaric king in modern times. Thus, the king's cruel and savagely brutal method of deciding at random whether the prince will be killed by a tiger or live to marry another woman rather than his daughter, is not likely to be found in contemporary times. As a result, the further in time, the atrocity of the king is more distant in regard.