Introduction to “The Lady of Shalott”
The poem “The Lady of Shalott” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson is a dramatic monologue that represents the themes of isolation, the ability of the artist, and the conflict of the realism and the romanticism.
The poem is based on King Arthur’s era and goes on to describe a woman who resides in a tower on the enchanted island of Shalott near the court of Camelot. She is doomed to weave a magic web without ever looking out of it. Rather, she sees life through a mirror which shows the scenes of Camelot. This poem is very descriptive, and therefore, figurative and symbolic, which means that it can be interpreted in several ways. There has been a lot of criticism on Tennyson’s work and different interpretations of the poem but certain themes stand out as fundamental to the poem.
Themes in “The Lady of Shalott”
Theme#1
Isolation and Loneliness
Isolation and loneliness is one of the important themes in the poem. The Lady of Shalott is physically and emotionally isolated from the world. She is confined to her tower, separated from the vibrant life of Camelot. This isolation is enforced by a mysterious curse, which prohibits her from engaging with the world outside her window:
“And moving through a mirror clear
That hangs before her all the year,
Shadows of the world appear.
There she sees the highway near
Winding down to Camelot:
There the river eddy whirls,
And there the surly village-churls,
And the red cloaks of market girls,
Pass onward from Shalott.”
In this extract, the Lady is able to view the world solely as the shadows which appear in the mirror. She knows the life going on around her but she is a passive observer and does not get to fully live it. This corresponds with the experience of these persons who are socially isolated by choice or compelled to seclusion.
When it comes to her loneliness it is not only that she is confined indoors, but more significantly she is psychologically and spiritually locked up. It describes her as a living dead in sense of the word, meaning that she is alive, but cannot really live life and participate in the events of life. Applying the latter to her character, the theme of isolation underlines the tragically solitary nature of her life before she finally decides to escape the tower.
Theme#2
The Conflict Between Reality and Idealism
Another related theme in “The Lady of Shalott” is the conflict between the reality and the idealism. The Lady’s life is the one in front of the mirror where the images of desire are placed and thus, she is enchanted by the world created for her but it is one she cannot succeed in. Her view of reality is mediated through this mirror, creating a distorted and incomplete understanding of life:
“She knows not what the curse may be,
And so she weaveth steadily,
And little other care hath she,
The Lady of Shalott.”
In these lines, the Lady has no desire to move out of her comfort zone in the world of reflections and is content to mere webs. She does not know the nature of the curse, the world outside the tower that she is in. Her idealized vision of the world is shattered when she sees Sir Lancelot:
“She left the web, she left the loom,
She made three paces through the room,
She saw the water-lily bloom,
She saw the helmet and the plume,
She looked down to Camelot.”
The reality hits her at that instance when she decides to ‘look’ directly at reality and feel the impact of her deeds. The curse is triggered and she falls to her death. Concerning this theme, viewers have to face the problem of existing in an idealized world and crashing with truth.
The fate of the Lady demonstrates how a person’s striving for the perfection and adherence to the ideal prematurely succumbs to the sorrowful aspects of life’s experience.
See also: Themes in the Chimney Sweeper
Theme#3
Artistic Creativity and the Role of the Artist
Another important theme of “The Lady of Shalott” is artistic creativity and the role of the artist, which has been presented by the title of the main character’s activity. She works alone, which creates a beautiful and detailed web that reflects the world she sees. However, this act of creation is bound by the limitations imposed by the curse:
“But in her web she still delights
To weave the mirror’s magic sights,
For often through the silent nights
A funeral, with plumes and lights
And music, went to Camelot:
Or when the moon was overhead,
Came two young lovers lately wed;
‘I am half sick of shadows,’ said
The Lady of Shalott.”
The unhappiness of the Lady with “shadows” evinces the frustration of the artists with the limits of their tools and methods. However, her web represents a kind of a copy of beauty of the world because it mimics the real world. The Lady is mid-way between the urge to create and the inability to be truly absorbed in the world which the artist is portraying.
When the Lady steps out of her tall tower and turns her gaze directly on Camelot, it stands as the artist’s desire to venture out the artwork and live Life. However, this decision proves fatal to her, and it can be surmised that the position of the artist implies detachment from the society, at least to a certain extent. Here the theme is interconnection and clash of the creativity as an art and the artist with everyday reality.
Theme#4
The Power of Fate and Destiny
The power of fate and destiny are prominent themes of the poem. The Lady is trapped by a curse that controls what she does and determines her fate. She was initially satisfied with her life in the tower, her fate is decided the moment she looks out at Camelot. The inevitability of her fate is underscored by the poem’s structure and pacing:
“Out flew the web and floated wide;
The mirror cracked from side to side;
‘The curse is come upon me,’ cried
The Lady of Shalott.”
These lines can be considered as the beginning of the plot development in the poem itself when the destiny of the Lady is determined. The ‘cracked’ mirror and the ‘floating’ web implies freedom from the previous self or life that has been metaphorically as well as literally dismantled.
The instant theme is based on the concept of fate, meaning that the Lady had to die and could not turn her life around, illustrating the helplessness of people before higher forces. While on the surface this is related to love and its consequences, this theme extends the theme of the whole play about free choice and the chain of events leading to a sad end.
Summary of “The Lady of Shalott”
The poem “The Lady of Shalott” tells the sad story of a woman trapped in a tower, who cursed to live an isolated life weaving a magic web. The setting is King Arthur times in the kingdom of Camelot. This mysterious lady is all alone on an island called Shalott, near the royal city.
The part of her curse is she can not look directly out at the real world surrounding her tower. The only way she looks anything is through a mirror that shows the reflections. So, she just stays inside and weaves all day, never actually experiencing life or talking to the people.
At first, the isolated Lady is satisfied with her routine of endless weaving while spying on the outside world in her mirror. But everything changes when she catches a glimpse of the handsome knight Sir Lancelot riding by. Seeing his reflection, she gets totally hypnotized and alarmingly turns to look out the window right at him.
The Lady knows she is breaking the curse by looking directly out instead of using the mirror. But she just can not resist taking a peak at the real Lancelot instead of just his reflection! Once she looks out the window, the curse immediately takes effect.
The Lady quits her crafting and heads out of the tower to start really living for once. She floats along the river in a boat she writes her name on. As the boat moves downstream towards Camelot and its people, the Lady sings one last song. But she dies before reaching shore.
When the boat with her lifeless body arrives, everyone wonders about the mysterious cursed Lady who came to Camelot only in death. The poem is sad and haunting with its themes of isolation and fate. The Lady just wanted to break free, but her desire for rebellion and freedom only led to downfall because of the non-breakable curse.
Read also: The Second Coming (Themes, Poetic Devices & Summary)
Poetic Devices Used in “The Lady of Shalott”
- Rhyme scheme – The poem follows an intricate ABABABCC rhyme scheme throughout its four-line stanzas. This creates a rhythmic and musical quality.
- Repetition – The phrases like “Out flew the web and floated wide” have been repeated, which emphasize the important imagery.
- Alliteration – The lines, such as “A cloudwhite crown of pearl she dight” reflects the use of alliteration (repeating consonant sounds) to attain a smooth melodic rhythm.
- Imagery – The evocative descriptions of the Lady weaving, the island, the river and more create strong imagery.
- Metaphor – Through the use of extended metaphor, the life of the lady has been compared to a “web”.
- Symbolism – Objects like the mirror represents the Lady’s isolation and the curse confining her.
- Foreshadowing – Ominous details like the Lady’s blurred vision and the appearance of Sir Lancelot foreshadow the poem’s tragic ending.
- Irony – It is ironic that leaving the cursed tower leads to the demise of the Lady after she longed to view the world outside.
- Rhyme royal – Written in the Rhyme Royal form of seven-line stanzas with an ABABBCC rhyme scheme.
- Iambic tetrameter – Lines of four iambic feet give the poem a distinct rhythmic meter.
See also: Themes of Antigone Play
1 Comment
It is not a dramatic monologue