The Lady of Shalott p 1204 Arthurian Background

“The Lady of Shalott” p. 1204

Arthurian Background • Based on medieval legend of Elaine, the Lily Maid of Astolat. • Elaine died of love for King Arthur's greatest knight, Sir Lancelot. • Illicit affair of Lancelot and Queen Guinivere led to civil war and destruction of Camelot. • Elaine's death foreshadowed destruction of Camelot.

Interpretation • Arthur's ideal kingdom Camelot is analogous to Victorian society threatened by loss of traditional beliefs. • Tennyson's Lady could represent the artist's role in society. – tension between "private and public voices" in art – desire to create art as a private expression of beauty/emotion vs. desire to express a social message in art

Form/Structure • Ballad—medieval poetic form, intended to be sung • Uses repetition of words and sounds (alliteration and assonance) for dramatic effect • Repetition enhances sense of monotony, imprisonment, stagnation • Parts 1 & 2—Isolation/Imprisonment • Parts 3 &4—Active Participation

Setting • Island of Shalott—stillness, remoteness • Lady’s castle/tower—isolation, imprisonment • River—activity, passage of life/time • Road to Camelot—involvement in human life

Symbols • Weaving—“a magic web” – Symbol of art – Imaginative reflection of “real world” – Creative and destructive (can entrap the artist) • Mirror—reflects “shadows of the world” – Distancing effect of artist’s perception of reality – Provides shadows instead of substance

Symbols • The Curse—do not “look down to Camelot” – Contaminating effect on art of involvement in mundane life – Concerns for audience and social relevance can ruin an artist’s personal imaginative expression

Symbols • Sir Lancelot—the blind, shallow audience – Images of dazzling light – Images of superficial materialism • The Lady—the withdrawn, misunderstood artist – Images of creativity and imagination – Images of imprisonment and stagnation

“The Lady of Shalott”: Musical Adaptation • You are listening to Celtic singer Loreena Mc. Kennitt's musical version of Tennyson's poem • How do changes in rhythm, tone, and vocals from one section of the song to another embody the poem's thematic duality--the conflict between a desire to withdraw from the world into artistic isolation and a desire to participate in life and community?