Feminism Oppression in 'Lady of the Shalott' Essay

As the Victorian age advanced, the role of women shifted substantially, reflecting the growing trend of outward questioning and progressivism. During this time, the husband was expected to represent the public sphere by generating wealth and providing for his family, while his wife managed the domestic sphere. Particularly, the traditional role of women found itself at the center of controversy because a majority of the world held the deep-rooted belief that they must remain dependent upon male figures. The crisis in female perseverance throughout the Victorian period persists in Alfred Tennyson’s “The Lady of Shalott.” Although the Lady of Shalott is a fictional character, Tennyson’s work draws heavily upon aspects of early life in Victorian Britain. Moreover, the Lady’s predicament is suggestive of the rank of women in England as it outwardly scrutinizes their lack of power and freedom. Certainly, the Victorian ideal of womanhood demonstrated that freedom from traditional gender and work roles results in a sacrifice of a woman’s own identity. The Lady of Shalott’s imprisonment is a compelling analogy for the social and sexual repression of women during this time.

Tennyson’s “The Lady of Shalott” examines the opposition between the human experience and the creation of art. The Lady is indicative of all artists: someone who is a member of society but lives in an unconnected fantasy. In more ways than one, a great deal of The Lady of Shalott’s appeal arises from her sense of elusiveness and enchantment. The Lady is a mystical person who is confined in a remote castle near King Arthur's Camelot. Her realm is secluded from Camelot and the division is distinguished by a river. Tennyson includes, “Four gray walls, and four gray towers, overlook a space of flowers, and the silent isle embowers The Lady of Shalott” (1181). Tennyson describes her predicament in a way that portrays her as divided from reality by both the water of the river and the expansiveness of the tower. The reader is inclined to infer that the Lady’s isolation is amicable and beneficial to her artistic expression. As such, the island is depicted alongside many fascinating descriptions of the land’s natural beauty, resembling a visually pleasing scene adorned with flowers. It is not just Lancelot that the Lady wants to be connected with, but also the flowers and the river. In her current state, she is a prisoner who is shielded from all elements of the natural world.

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As the poem commences, it becomes apparent that the Lady is trapped in a “woman’s work” curse and that only a man has the power to change this. The Lady of Shalott is engaged in lonesome weaving, a conventional type of women's labor. Hence, the depiction of Shalott shifts dramatically and the speaker begins to refer to the island as “remote Shalott” (Tennyson 1183). As a result of this change, the reader becomes familiar with the Lady’s inconsolable affliction and the feeling of loneliness she harbors. However, even the presence of Lancelot is unable to shield her from her ill-fated doom. Ellen Stockstill conveys, “The poem is a narrative of artistic struggle, as the weaver/artist/poet is separated from reality, producing a copy of the real world’s reflections or shadows…Thus, when the Lady turns away from the loom to Camelot, both artist and art diet” (13). The idea that there is a greater destiny out there for the Lady is what drives the plot of this poem. She yearns to interact with others, to love and be loved, and to be a part of something greater than the life she is confined to. Nevertheless, the fact that she is unable to truly overcome her despondency is what makes “The Lady of Shalott” a heart-rendering read.

Although the mirror provides the Lady with a depiction of the world, it is a distorted version of the real thing. She sees the world but is unable to interact with it, magnifying one of the many representations of her terrible isolation from the world. Tennyson unveils the Lady’s strife, “‘I am half sick of shadows,’ said The Lady of Shalott” (1183). The mirror is incapable of providing the vividness and intensity of real life, leaving the Lady with only a hazy simulation. Moreover, the Lady's ability to convert the scenes from the mirror into an illustration in her web is an analogy of the life of the artist. Jane Wright validates this, “Though the artist is unable to see it during the process of production, her artistic web, once out in a wider space than the tower and freed from the loom, is a true copy of outward things: the actions and events of Camelot” (289). Although she can imitate life, she will never be able to be a true component of it. When the isolation of life as an artist becomes too extreme, the Lady begins to feel alienated and empty. Comparatively, the island of Shalott transforms from a marvelous scene into a dismal, secluded island. As long as she stays in this prison-like state, the Lady will be separated from Lancelot and the quality of life she desires.

While the descriptions of Lancelot are very much exaggerated, the reader knows little about the Lady herself. The lack of description makes it difficult to form a subconscious portrait of her appearance. Thus, the speaker deliberately conceals the form of the Lady and the only information the reader can use to infer more about her persona is gathered from her name, mental state, and profession. In many ways, the Lady’s perspective about her sense of imprisonment shows that her alienation results from this mysterious curse. Similar to the other characters in the poem, the reader is not granted access to the interior of the Lady’s world, making her virtually invisible. The only people aware of her existence are the people with jobs that differ considerably from her profession. Tennyson addresses this, “Only reapers, reaping early in among the bearded barley, hear a song that echoes cheerly…And by the moon the reaper weary, piling sheaves in uplands airy, listening, whispers ‘Tis the fairy Lady of Shalott’” (1181). The farmers and harvesters who live a life of toil identify her song because they are also denied social mobility due to their working-class positions. Yet, the reapers are only able to recognize the Lady of Shalott by her voice and, therefore, do not know her true identity. Stockstill supports this idea, “Her namelessness throughout the poem restricts us as readers; we are made complicit in the patriarchal gaze’s overlooking of the Lady” (14). The Lady’s status is constructed by the structure enclosed around her—a patriarchal form of control. Although the speaker does not describe her physical features, the aspects of her personality parallel her demand for independence. Hence, the Lady of Shalott stands as a symbol of all women during the Victorian Era because she is held captive by her position.

Tennyson’s poem displays the battle amidst a female artist’s passion for personal engagement and her reservations about whether such pleasure is conceivable for someone devoted to the production of art. Accordingly, the Lady of Shalott involves herself with the study of the outside world and weaves a tapestry of the passing reflections she perceives, “There she weaves by night and day a magic web with colors gay” (Tennyson 1181). The Lady’s Web is one of the most interesting symbols in the poem because of the implication the word “web” has on the interpretation of her circumstance. Although the web is representative of the tapestry she weaves, the reader is inclined to conclude that the quality and fast-paced production of the web makes her similar to that of a spider fast at work. Linda Gill concludes, “Patriarchy’s denial of her as an artist-subject, however, results in the loss of her art and her death” (110). Yet, Tennyson’s word choice is very ironic because although the Lady appears to be in control of her design, it is apparent that she is trapped in a much bigger and more sinister web. While the Lady is intended to portray the life of a web-weaving artist, she undertakes a different identity that causes her to become the victim of some imperceptible, bizarre force.

During the poem, the only connection the Lady has with others is through the castle window and her awareness of her surroundings develops from the obscurations visible in the mirror. Tennyson includes, “She has heard a whisper say a curse is on her if she stays to look down to Camelot. She knows not what that curse may be, and so she weaveth steadily” (1182). Consequently, the song she harmonizes and the magic web she produces embody a pensive artist who is detached from the animation of everyday life. As Gill points out, “The lady may be ‘looking at’ images in the mirror, but she is interdicted from assuming the gaze, the ‘masculine’ position of the erotically desiring subject, by the threat of a ‘curse’” (114). As a result of the curse, the magic prohibits the Lady from staring directly at the environment around her. Yet, when she redirects her attention away from her creation, the spell deceives her and she is destined to meet her unfortunate death.

In essence, Camelot is presented as a place of splendor and happiness, harshly conflicting with the desolation and melancholy of the island of Shalott. The depiction of Camelot signifies visions of marvelous castles, powerful kings and brave knights, and people living in harmony and tranquility. The severity of the Lady’s woes drives her to intensely observe her surroundings, “For often thro’ the silent nights a funeral with plumes and lights and music, went to Camelot: Or when the moon overhead came two young lovers lately wed” (Tennyson 1183). Despite never admitting to being in love, the idea of unspoken love is a significant component of the plot. Tennyson uses the tenderness that she feels for Lancelot to explore the most pivotal concept present throughout the text: the Lady's decision to set herself free. Despite this, Camelot appears far off in a separate land, representative of a life that is virtually unattainable for her until the very end.

In contrast, the final part of the poem focuses on the knight who wins the Lady’s interest: Sir Lancelot. As many of the Arthurian legends state, Sir Lancelot had a reputation for being irresistible and the conviction of Sir Lancelot’s importance is largely represented in “The Lady of Shalott.” Sir Lancelot is also described in an array of euphoric imagery:

A bow-shot from her bower eaves, he rode between the barley sheaves, the sun came dazzling thro' the leaves, and flamed upon the brazen greaves of bold Sir Lancelot. A red-cross knight forever kneeled to a lady in his shield, that sparkled on the yellow field, beside remote Shalott. The gemmy bridle glitter free, like some branch of stars we see hung in the golden Galaxy…His broad clear brow in sunlight glowed; on burnished hooves his war-horse trode; From underneath his helmet flowed his coal-black curls as on he rode. (1183-1184)

Lancelot merely rides by and the Lady is quickly taken aback by his grandeur because he is unlike anything she has ever seen before. For instance, an entire section is devoted to celebrating the attraction of his armor as it shines in the sun, similar to a constellation of stars. When he first appears in the mirror, he's gleaming in the daylight, almost as if his armor is on fire. In trying to detail the intensity of Lancelot, the speaker relies on several dazzling comparisons to showcase his radiance.

Despite the vibrant descriptions Tennyson provides, it is the sound of Lancelot that makes the Lady rebel against her limitations to pursue the knight. Just the reflection of Lancelot in the mirror is a sufficient justification for her to completely alter her life. This situation plays heavily upon society’s standards of a woman requiring the presence of a man to survive. When he begins to sing “Tirra lirra,” she neglects her weaving duties and provokes her unsettling fate. The manifestation of the Lady’s distraction is distinguished by the moment she becomes infatuated with Sir Lancelot, “She left the web, she left the loom…She looks down to Camelot. Out flew the web and floated wide; The mirror cracked from side to side; ‘The curse comes upon me,’ cried The Lady of Shalott” (Tennyson 1184). In this instant, her reaction to Lancelot’s presence changes everything and she ultimately brings upon her death. Regardless of this, the Lady of Shalott makes a powerful choice to break free from her isolation. June Hagen asserts, “She suddenly realizes that at best art is a more extensive distortion than usual. This knowledge disrupts her world of illusion and her happiness in it, forcing her to confront the world directly” (8). In many cases, the appearance of Lancelot is interpreted as the driving force behind the Lady’s decision to leave the loom. Furthermore, this situation provides the Lady with her first glimpse at the possibility of portraying real human emotions for another person. Although this choice causes her to lose it all, her willingness to do so represents her protest of the shadowy, isolated situation she was forced to endure for so long.

When the Lady arrives at Camelot, the happy and lively atmosphere manifests a fatal outcome. The world of Shalott and Camelot finally collide and the Lady’s grief and ghostly appearance eliminate the “royal cheer” of Camelot (Tennyson 1185). Ultimately, she is unable to assume a part in the life of knights and ladies except as a pale and perished body in a coffin-like boat. In choosing to write her name on the side of the boat, the Lady embodies the tragic work of art. Gill notes, “The ‘denial of female interiority and subjectivity’ and the transformation of the woman’s body into an art object” may be employed as powerful symbols “of every artist’s loss of ‘autonomy’ and ‘intentionality’“ (112). Indeed, this proves to be a final act in her quest for self-definition now that she is entirely free from her captivity. Tennyson demonstrates that love is about taking risks and also accepting that it has the potential to destroy everything in its wake. Inevitably, the moment of her death completes her broken transformation that results from the curse.

Although she transitions from imprisonment to freedom, the very act of leaving her old life behind costs her everything. Tennyson contends, “And they crossed themselves for fear, all the knights at Camelot: But Lancelot mused a little space; he said, “She has a lovely face; God in his mercy lend her grace, The Lady of Shalott” (Tennyson 1185). In the end, the Lady is reduced to nothing more than a pretty face who died too soon. In all actuality, the Lady loses her life as a result of a man’s ignorance and although Lancelot is responsible, he remains unaware of the disastrous implication of his words. Gill passionately states, “There is no escaping that the Lady of Shalott is both literally and metaphorically dead as a subject and artist because she would not stay contained within patriarchy’s ideological tower and repeat the ready-made story it gave her” (117). She succumbs to a hapless defeat and becomes symbolic of a “damsel in distress” who cannot be saved. The inclusion of Lancelot’s dialogue shows that to be a woman is to be confined to a presumed gender role and reduced to nothing more than a lifeless figure of the female sex.

Alfred Tennyson’s “The Lady of Shalott” employs the Lady of Shalott’s unfortunate situation in a way that critiques the historical social and sexual subjugation of all women. The poem focuses on the ongoing process of the Lady’s maturation and her decision to trade her world of illusion for the harmful world of reality. In this case, the Lady’s journey exposes the idea that the quest for love may be dangerous but it is far better to take that risk than to hideaway. Nonetheless, her circumstance proves that one must turn away from living an illusion and embrace a world that is full of authentic human connection–even if it ends in ruin. If not to pursue the possibility of a life full of love, freedom, and happiness, what is a life worth living for?