The Tiger's Bride

The Bloody Chamber - The Tiger's Bride 

Task 1 -

Andrea Mantegna:

• Mantegna was born in 1431 in Italy and died on 13th September 1506.
• He was an Italian painter and Roman archaeologist.
• In 1460 he was made court painter for the Marquis of Mantua where he completes many paintings and frescos such as 'Camera degli Sposi'.
• Engraving was also a skill that Mantegna held and performed.

• Other work includes; 'Madonna of the Caves', 'Lamentation over the Dead Christ' and 'Madonna della Vittoria'.

Giulio Romano:

• Born 1499 in Rome and died 1st November 1546.
• Romano was an Italian painter and architect that was influenced by Raphael and his interest in having Giulio as an assistant in his studio.
• He was most common for collaborating and helping work on the frescos in Vatican loggias with Raphael, which continued after the death of his mentor.
• Example of his work include; 'Fire in the Borgo' fresco, painting and fresco in Palazzo Te and paintings such as 'Donna alla toeletta' and 'Adoration of the Shepherds'.

Benvenuto Cellini:

• Born 3rd November 1500 and died 13th February 1571.
• Cellini was an Italian goldsmith, later becoming a sculptor and using these skills to do so through his mannerism art style.
• The Golden Gate designed for the Château de Fontainebleau was one of his most famous projects.
• 'Perseus with the Head of Medusa' is a bronze sculptor that Cellini is also famous for, situated in the Piazza in Florence.

Task 2 -

• Assuage - to make an unpleasant feeling less intense or severe                                           OR                                                                                                                                                      to clam and pacify.
• Awry - away from the usual or expected course.
• Axiom - a statement that is self-evidently true                                                                         OR                                                                                                                                                       a rule, principle or law. 
• Capisco - to understand or realise something.
• Ciliate - relating to cilia that is projected from the surface of a cell. 
• Civet - a slender mammal like cat that is nocturnal and has a spotted coat, native to Asia and Africa.
• Desnuda - naked.
• Excoriating - to damage, tear or remove the surface of skin.
• Expostulating - to express disapproval or disagreement.
• Eyrie - a nest of an eagle or bird of prey built on a cliff o high in a tree.
• Gavotte - a sort of French folk dance originating in the 18th century.
• Gracile - being of a gracefully slender build.
• Megalomaniac - someone who has an obsessive desire for power and wealth leading to a psycho pathological condition.
• Metaphysical - (metaphysics) relating to things that are thought to exist but cannot be seen.
• Minuet - a type of slow stately ballroom dance for a couple, originating in the 17th century.  
• Molto agitato - being very agitated.
• Nascent - coming into existence and beginning to develop.
• Obsequiousness - being obedient and attentive to a degree.
• Ostler - a man who is employed as a stableman to look after the horses that belong to individuals staying at the inn.
• Patina - a green/brown layer that forms on the surface of bronze due to corrosion.
• Preternatural - beyond what is normal or natural.
• Profligate - 
• Settecento - the eighteenth century.
• Shagreen - rough untanned skin with a granulated surface, now made from sharkskin rather than horses back. 
• Simian - an ape or monkey.
• Simulacra - an image or representation of something. 
• Soubrette - a female character in a theatre production usually playing a maid or young woman. 
• Spar - a stout pole used for the mast of a ship to support the rigging.
• Tantivy - a rapid ride or gallop.
• Tintinnabulation - a ringing or tinkling sound of bells.
• Viscera - the organs contained within the abdominal cavities such as the intestines.

Task 3 -

1) 'The Devil's picture books' are a deck of cards.
2) The language Carter is using when calling The Beast 'Milord' is sarcastic as it shows the narrators feelings towards him due to her showing no love or enchantment when addressing him, suggesting her repulsion and bitterness. By calling him 'Milord' it shows a  sort of power over the girl, as the term links to a patriarchal society and therefore by saying it sarcastically it may suggest she does not respect him or feel as if he has more power over  her.
3) In this collection white roses symbolise romance as the Beast gives the girl a single white rose when first meeting her and then a bunch of them later on in the story. This to the girl is a romantic cliché and therefore she is unappreciative of his gift due to the lack of feelings she has for him and the bitterness involved in her character. Purity may also be suggested by white roses however in this collection the girl 'gets his rose all smeared in blood' which could show how she is not pure as the colour changes from white to red, referring to danger and passion.       
4) The verb 'fleeced' is significant as it allows the reader to understand how awful the girls life was before meeting the Beast, due to her having nothing as her father gambled it all away which makes the reader feel sympathy because they are able to gain insight and background instead of making judgement. 
5) 'Gobble you up' comes from the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood and is referred to because it links to the Beast and the idea that all is wants is sex from the young girl, which repulses her as he is an animal figure. Yet as we learn later all the Beast wants is to look at the 'pretty lady unclothed nude', suggesting the reader may have judged him from this reference to the fairy tale.
6) The reader is told the inhabitants are not driven by luxuries or appearances as the Beast is seen as unhappy even though he has wealth because of him wanting more than just materialistic objects or looks. This is suggested in the introduction of the girl as it is her love he strives for throughout the story and therefore shows he is not driven by luxuries or appearances but romance. 
7) The significance of the fresco ‘where fruit and blossom grew on the bough together' is it shows unity and how the house brings people together, which is foreshadowed at the end of the story as the girl finally accepts the Beast allowing them to develop their relationship as she is able to feel close to him. 
8) The description of the soubrette suggests to the reader that she is there to show the girl depth into her life as she is described as a 'clockwork twin' due to her features being exactly the same as the girls, who allows her to see when she first arrived at the Beast's house and her and her fathers actions. This means the girl is able to change the way she acts so that the soubrette is no longer a resemblance of her.