The Lady of Shalott

Definition

The Lady of Shalott is a character from Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem, who is cursed to live in isolation and weave a tapestry without looking directly at the outside world. This story explores themes of artistic creation, love, and the constraints of society, reflecting a romanticized view of the medieval era during the 19th century. The character embodies the struggle between reality and fantasy, representing the idealized vision of women in Victorian literature while also hinting at their oppression.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Lady of Shalott is described as living in a tower near Camelot, separated from the outside world by a curse that prevents her from directly engaging with reality.
2. Her weaving represents artistic creation, as she creates images of the world around her without experiencing it firsthand, highlighting the tension between art and reality.
3. When she sees Sir Lancelot in a reflection, she chooses to abandon her loom and look directly at him, which ultimately leads to her tragic fate.
4. The poem reflects Victorian ideals about women's roles, illustrating both romantic notions of femininity and the limitations placed on women during that time.
5. Tennyson's portrayal of the Lady serves as a critique of societal expectations and the consequences of isolation, resonating with broader themes in Romantic literature.

Review Questions

• How does Tennyson's portrayal of the Lady of Shalott reflect the ideals of medievalism in Victorian literature?
  • Tennyson's portrayal of the Lady of Shalott incorporates elements of medievalism by drawing on Arthurian legend and creating a romanticized vision of a medieval woman. Her isolation in a tower symbolizes both her artistic creativity and her imprisonment by societal norms. This reflects the broader trend in Victorian literature to idealize the past while also critiquing contemporary social constraints placed on women.
• Analyze how the themes present in 'The Lady of Shalott' relate to the concept of Romanticism.
  • 'The Lady of Shalott' embodies key themes of Romanticism by emphasizing individual emotion, nature, and artistic expression. The Lady’s longing for freedom and connection with reality highlights the Romantic fascination with unattainable ideals. Her tragic choice to embrace love instead of remaining an observer illustrates the conflict between personal desire and societal constraints, a central theme in Romantic literature.
• Evaluate how 'The Lady of Shalott' serves as a critique of societal expectations regarding women in Victorian society.
  • 'The Lady of Shalott' critiques societal expectations by showcasing the consequences of a woman's desire for autonomy in a restrictive environment. The Lady's curse to weave without looking at the world represents how women were often confined to domestic roles and prevented from engaging fully with life. Her ultimate decision to break free from this constraint leads to tragedy, suggesting that pursuing personal desires within a repressive society can be fraught with danger but also underscores the importance of self-expression.

Related terms

Medievalism: A movement that seeks to revive or emulate the ideas, aesthetics, and values of the medieval period, often seen in Romantic and Victorian literature.

Romanticism:

An artistic and intellectual movement that emphasized emotion, nature, and individualism as a reaction against the rationalism of the Enlightenment.

Isle of Avalon: A mythical island from Arthurian legend, representing a place of beauty and magic where heroes and significant figures retreat, often connected to themes of longing and unattainable ideals.