Question

What motivated the king (in the story "The Lady or the Tiger") to put people through a trial by ordeal?

Answer 1

The king had the motive to send a message to all the subjects of his kingdom that if anybody commite a crime he will also be put in the arena and will be eaten up by ferocious animals like tiger

In the story one yound man in love of the princes which is forbidden in that country as the man is not from the family of king

So the young man was put in the arena to face a tiger.