Molly HolcombeProfessor Leslie HainesENGL 224030 April 2014The role of the Victorian woman exhibited in “The Lady of Shalott”The Victorian era in England is usually associated with a high sense of morality and very specific ideas about the legitimate places of genders in society. This is seen quite evidently in the clothing, art and literature of the period. “The Lady of Shalott” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson is no different. In this poem, a cloistered woman is condemned to work night and day, absent from the outside world, for fear of being cursed. In this way, Lord Tennyson embodies the sequestered lifestyle of the typical Victorian woman with his illustration of the Lady of Shalott. The poem begins with beautiful, descriptive language about Camelot and the surrounding area, however, when the abode of the Lady of Shalott is described. it is clear that the two settings are drastically different. Camelot is full of life and movement and is easily accessible. On the other hand, the island of Shalott is unattainable, squalid and dark with “Four gray walls and four gray towers” ​​where the Lady is surrounded. The Isle of Shalott is, essentially, a prison. The Lady is never seen by the outside world, but only heard early in the morning by the harvesters in the fields who, coincidentally, are also tied to the earth. The Lady of Shallot has a well-defined place in society, which she cannot escape or alter. He has to work day and night on his tapestry and may not see the real world with his eyes; he can only see it through the mirror. She believes that if she does she will be cursed, but she doesn't know how. His life is marked by passivity. When presented, he takes no action, only receives it. His worldview is also... middle of paper... and saved from an external source. However, liveliness and vigor are seen in Camelot. This is where the men stand with their faithful steeds and plumed helmets. All the action that the Lady so desperately wants to be a part of takes place in the male Camelot. This male land has power in this poem. When the Lady dies, it switches to “Knight and burgher, lord and lady…” (1165). Even though the Lady must have some position because of her title; this rank is still usurped by the men of Camelot as men at that time would have had authority over virtually any woman, noble or otherwise. Furthermore, the focus on gender association is very clear as everyone who is mentioned has some sort of gender identifier such as "contented damsels", "shepherd", "bold knights", etc. Even in her isolation from society she is not safe from the suffocating emphasis on gender.