Lord Alfred Tennyson in his “The Lady of Shallot (1842)” photographed the collage of a courageous young woman who has suffered greatly from isolation and in the end dies. Her death seems unfair, though it feels real. This sense of unfairness and reader response gives birth to the notion of an alternate reality for The Lady of Shallot. This ongoing discussion will try to construct one unique alternate landscape of reality by creative exploration.
In the poem, in The Lady of Shalott’s life, the curse played a vital role. Though it is not exactly mentioned critics think a good explanation is that, she was doomed to see and experience life only through reflections of the mirror. Now it is obvious that we are not discussing a fairy tale that contains witchcraft, instead of by tracing the historical setting it can be said that this curse is actually the stereotypic and dehumanizing domination of women by the society as a result of gender discrimination. Women were subjected only to do household chores. Like what we know about the Victorian society, we can say that the Lady of Shalott’s curse is her forced isolation and alienation from outside world, as well as her never-experienced freedom and free entity of hers.
At the very end of the poem, The Lady of Shalott dies. She had been living a life having no freedom; instead in complete alienation from anything that is right-worthy for any human being, and when she takes courage and breaks the shackles she fails to survive. Here some critic might say she was unworthy and this kind of end is not of good intentions from Tennyson’s. But the thing is that this outcome of hers also makes us think about the reality back then, and, gives us a kind of inspirations to get prepared for the future and participate as agents of change and stop the same thing from happening again.
My creative exploration of the possible alternate reality for the Lady of Shalott is also paved by this sense of inspiration. And that’s why my motivation and intention will be making a setting where she’ll also have her opportunities. Without changing the scenario it would be difficult to explore an alternate reality, because unless in most possibilities she would end up dead.
The Lady of Shallot: An Alternate Story
One could not easily understand that The Lady of Shallot has something uncommon and unique. It is not her look. She is very beautiful and attractive and she dresses her up almost the same way others do. She is excellent at household chores, something that women are bound to do (there are options, but nothing outgoing). And, for lifting up her accomplished-woman status queue, she also has some pretty skills like singing and weaving and creating her own mesmerizing tapestries. So, what is that? What distinguishes herself from others? … The Lady of Shallot thinks of change, and she is not a sadist- who gives up so easily. Actually, she can’t stop thinking about a change. A change that will bring her a kind of respect that men use to have. A change that will make her feel proud and satisfied with herself. A change that will give her freedom to go outside and explore.
The Lady of Shallot never gives up hope. She loves to think. Because when she thinks she talks with someone who gives her inspiration- she talks to her mind. Like this instance, she is looking out through the window, passing the barley and rye covered field on both sides of the river to many-towered Camelot. This has become one of her daily pastimes. She wonders if the knight she mostly thinks about is also looking towards the castle she lives in with her family. Oh! The unknown knight. She didn’t see his face when some of them came for a banquet last season. She heard they live in Camelot- the faraway city of towers.
One day, she rushes to the window. She knows this triumphing sound. She heard it before when those Knights left their house. A troop of knights is marching forward. One of them is singing a beautiful song. She looks down; she raises her hand and waves like an attention-seeker child. Her long hair has covered up most of his face. She loses sight for a moment for the hair. Has anyone among the knights seen her waving her hand? Has anyone noticed her? They march past her castle. She stares at them till they become miniature and lost in the fate of uncertain probabilities. Will they ever come again from or to Camelot? The Lady of Shallot thinks and thinks.
Days and nights pass by. The Lady of Shallot weaves her tapestries in a devoting manner as if she is weaving her dreams. She is an artist. Weaving gives her comfort and release from the troubles that she faces all the time. She lives with her family but there is a passionate sense of solitude and isolation. When the soul is isolated nothing else matters. She remains the same to herself, hopeful. She weaves and weaves. She believes like her tapestries her dreams will also become real someday.
More days and nights pass by. The Lady of Shallot observes the changes in nature, in fields, in the river, in the lives of farmers and shepherds. But Camelot remains more or less the same. Though, she never gets tired looking at it. Even knowing the fact that, probably nobody will come from there to her. She does not have a loyal knight; she never had a lover either. The only thing she has is hope and a will to get what she wants. She wants freedom. She wants to break free from the curse of shadowing someone else’s life altogether. Though, she never feels sick of shadows. The intense the curse is, the more rectifying her stance becomes.
A loud shivering sound echoes from Camelot. And, it reaches to the heart of The Lady of Shallot. She stops weaving and looks through the window in excitement. A troop of knights with their dazzling outfits, weapons, and boldness hypnotizing the spectators. The scene is spectacular. At this moment she hears a song. And, she recognizes it. She leaves the curse, she leaves the room strangled with the webs. She reaches to the nearest canal that goes directly to the river. She rides an empty boat. She discovers one of her tapestries is with her. But she fails to measure the cooling temperature outside. It is winter. But she does not care. She is on a mission, and she wants to see how it ends.
Now, everywhere there is silence. The feeling of silence is colder than the winter. But she feels nothing. She passes the canal, enters into the river and approaches to Camelot. She rows and rows. She starts singing. It seems nature is her silent audience. The song stops after a while. So does her hand. Still, the boat floats towards Camelot.
A man coming from the opposite direction rescues her midway. He covers her with warm clothes and brings back her consciousness. The Lady of Shallot opens her eyes and discovers herself into the arms of a handsome young man with a knight’s costume. Her soul asks, “Are you that knight who sings ‘Let’s free thyself’ song?”
“Yes, it seems you have come for me, the courageous Lady of Shallot”- replies the knight.
“How could you know my name?”
“I saw you twice, my dear. I know a lot about you. I think you are amazing and everyone should know you.”
Freedom is in the air. The Lady of Shallot starts to cry. She never cried when she was cursed. Now, even the knight knows every eye-drop is destined to meet the ocean.
(The End)
Work cited:
Lord Tennyson, Alfred. “The Lady of Shallot (1842).” Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45360/the-lady-of-shalott-1842. Accessed on 20th March. 2018.
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