The Lady of Shalott

This is “The Lady of Shalott,” painted by John William Waterhouse in 1888. It was inspired by the Victorian ballad of the same name written by Alfred, Lord Tennyson in 1842. The poem is set in medieval times, during the reign of King Arthur. The Island of Shalott dwells in a river near Camelot. The Lady of Shalott, a beautiful young maiden, lives alone in a castle on the island. She is imprisoned in the castle by a curse, which forbids her to look at the outside world, at Camelot, directly. Instead she must view the world only in a mirror, and she weaves what she sees into a tapestry. She lives in despair, aching to be part of the world of Camelot and to lead a normal life. Her despair is made worse one day when she sees the reflection of Sir Lancelot and falls in love with him. Despite knowing this will bring the curse to fulfilment, she looks out the window at him directly. Wanting desperately to be with him and to be part of the world, she leaves the castle, races down the banks of the river, enters a boat and sets it adrift downstream toward Camelot. But the weather is terribly cold and stormy, and the beautiful Lady of Shalott succumbs to the cold and tragically dies before she reaches Camelot. You see her here in her boat just before she sets it afloat toward Camelot, knowing she will die.