Sir Bedivere wants them gems

My discussion question is: why would Sir Bedivere finally decide to hurl Excalibur into the lake on his third visit? If he doesn't do it his first two times, then what made him decide to throw it on the third? He has to have known that King Arthur wasn't serious about his threat.

The Lady of Shalott knows nature is worth it.

The Lady of Shalott

I think that this poem is very routed in the appreciation of nature.  While broken into four parts, the poem features illustrious imagry of the beauty of nature. The Lady of the Shalott, follows the tale of a poor girl, who was cursed to suffer a fate worse than death.  She is forced to never look outside of her castle on Shalott Island.  Although, she has grown tired of her current life, it takes a visit from the mighty Lancelot to really free her.  When she finally gazes upon the outside world, it is by her own choice, and she accepts that it will be her demise.  This connects to a much larger theme that knights, along with regular people, aren't meant to be souped up.  I think this poem has a very important message. People are meant to venture into the wilderness, and love it.   

The Lady of Shalott

Tennyson tells a tragic tale of disappointment in The Lady of Shalott. This near-mythical woman is cursed to a very minimalist, monotonous life, but "she knows not what the curse may be" (42) should she leave. Tennyson shows through the poem that the Lady is waiting for true love, evidenced when he mentions that she "hath no loyal knight and true" (62), and again when she sees the newlywed lovers and proclaims "'I am half sick of shadows'" (71). So, did Lancelot inspire her to leave the island (and potentially ruin/lose her life), or was she just waiting for someone to give her that nudge? Lancelot says in Malory's text "God knows that I did not intentionally lead her to this....alas! she loved too much" (471), but I'm not sure if the same can be said for the Lady in Tennyson's poem.

Launcelot the Heartbreaker

"Well, my lord, she is not the first young noblewoman to break her heart over you."

The Lady and the River

The Lady of the Shalott has themes of tragedy, grief and loss. Tennyson creates a mood of mystery and confusion throughout the poem. The ending was the acknowledgement that the death was tragic and harsh when Lancelot says “’she has a lovely face; God in his mercy lend her grace.’” (Tennyson 169-170) Such a statement makes the Lady more of a tragic figure; Lancelot had no idea that he had caused such a lonely and painful death. The river serves as the main symbol in the poem. It seems as though Camelot pulls the Lady towards her death, and the river reflects this pull. The river is calm, but it is used to show the danger that looking toward Camelot means. The river reflects the lady’s thoughts and actions. When the Lady of Shalott starts to have pain from not being able to look herself the river responds by creating small whirlpools. (Tennyson 51) The river keeps coming back to the text to show a transition from peace to tragedy.  Upon realizing that she has cursed herself by looking at the real world with her own eyes, there is a “dim expanse.” (Tennyson 127) By looking towards Camelot and Lancelot, she cursed herself to death and the river personifies this; the river reflects the Lady. The river was put in the poem as an image to reflect the plot moving along. 

The Dullness of Shalott

Parts I and II of Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott" highlights the contrast between the island of Shalott and the surrounding lands. The reader learns that "Four gray walls, and four gray towers, / Overlook a space of flowers, / And the silent isle imbowers / The lady of Shalott" (15-18). Tennyson reveals little else about Shalott itself, though that the Lady of Shalott has "little other care" than her weaving (44) implies that there is little else to say about Shalott. It is a dull and featureless island that most people pass right by without noticing; only the nearby reapers ever remark on "the fairy / Lady of Shalott" (35-36).

The second and third stanzas of Part II list people who pass by Shalott while going to and from Camelot. For example, "Sometimes a troop of damsels glad, / An abbot on an ambling pad, / Sometimes a curly shepherd-lad, / Or long-hair'd page in crimson clad" each go by within a single line of verse (55-58). The quickness with which Tennyson presents these people conveys the fullness of activity not far from the island. The highway to Camelot is energetic, noisy, bustling, and exciting. However, all that our poor Lady gets to see of this is shadows in her mirror. Looking at the liveliness right outside her window is too big a risk. She must remain in the dullness of Shalott.

Did you know that there is a Lady of Shalott flower?

Four Walls, Four Towers, and Some Boats

Part one of “The Lady of Shallot” provides beautiful imagery and thought-provoking symbols. Nature plays a significant role in the poem because weather, plants, and the river connect The Lady of Shalott to the outside world. The lilies around the tower on the island are in contrast to the fields of barely leading to Camelot. The lilies are beautiful while the fields of barley are monochrome. The beauty of the Lilies represents the beauty of The Lady of Shalott. Also, on the island Lord Tennyson describes four grey walls and four grey towers which seems strange. The four grey walls could represent the strength of the person or creature that is holding The Lady of the Shalott captive in the tower. Also, the walls may represent the isolation and powerlessness of women during the time that the poem was written. During this time women had little control over their lives and were treated as property. The four towers could represent the four evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John who connect The Lady of Shalott to God. The Lady of Shalott might be too pure to live among sinners which is why she is isolated.  Furthermore, the boats on the river play a key role in the poem. The boats may represent the ultimate freedom that The Lady of Shalott will have in heaven and the life that has been passing her by.  Finally, the reapers are the only people who have heard The Lady of Shalott sing because of their connection to nature. The reapers plant the barely, tend to the plants, and harvest it which gives them an understanding of nature. Overall, part one of the poem is written in a way that makes it sound magical and light-hearted which is in contrast to the other three parts of the poem.

So... not the five stages of grief...

I feet that this is a great representation of how Launcelot treated Elaine when she said she would die without his love, as well as everyone else when she did die. The exact opposite of how everyone acted when Launcelot was wounded.

More Like Guinefear Because She's Scary as Hell

"'Sir Bors, have you heard how Sir Launcelot has betrayed me?' She demanded.
'Madam, I fear that he has betrayed his own life.'
'Sir, he surely deserves to die for his treachery.'
'Madam, I pray you do not abuse him.'
'And why not? Did he or did he not wear the maid's token at the tournament?' asked the queen furiously.
'Madam, I am sorry to say that he did wear the maid's sleeve, but I do not doubt his loyalty, for I believe that he did so only in order not to be recognized. All his life he has loved no other lady than you.'
'Shame on him , I say! And for all his pride he proved a lesser knight than you are.'"

Shoe's on the other foot, innit, m'lady. The hypocrisy of Guinevere in this passage is what stood out to me. I'm also a big fan of her cursing Launcelot for his 'pride' while also insulting Sir Bors in the same sentence. Hell hath no fury and what have you. This passage is equally interesting because of how closely it pertains to the rules of courtly love. Considering the time period and intended audience of these stories, the heavy allusions to the rules of courtly love makes sense. In fact, Queen Guinevere does a complete 180 at the end of the passage, quickly forgiving Launcelot because as we all know the rules of courtly love encourage jealousy, as it serves to make true love stronger.

Elaine or Rapunzel?

Aside from the fact that this is just a peppy song in general, I couldn't help but compare Rapunzel to the Lady of Shalott from the poem. Like Rapunzel, our Lady starts out pretty positive about her experience, but then you start to see how isolated, lonely, and bored she is. Plus, they're both shut up in towers singing their hearts out, which obviously makes them the same person.

Godly Galahad

"Sir Galahad, who is a virgin and without sin, overcame them all singlehanded, but without killing them, which his virtue forbids unless it is really necessary." (Malory 387)

Reading this, it becomes clear where the strong connection between the King Arthur mythos and Christianity comes from. Where religion had been mentioned in the past in other stories, Malory is the first example we've read where it's a main factor of the story. The nobleness and skill of Sir Galahad, the best knight on Arthur's court according to the magical sword, is tied to his virtue. The monk and the hermit both tell Gawain that he is wicked and therefore no equal to Galahad, who is blessed. The righteous get the glory and the rest get his leftovers. Malory seems to be making a distinction between Galahad and the other knights we have come to know in our previous readings, giving us a truly Christian protagonist. He doesn't kill or lie or sleep around. He has God on his side and that's what makes him powerful.

What's the Deal with the Sword?!

   Why is it that Sir Lancelot's prophecy, of the sword delivering a fatal blow to whomever touched it in the rock, was fulfilled when Sir Gawain was struck in the head? It most certainly was not fatal, as I would expect him to die from the sword. He was attended by a surgeon but was he just wrong about the fatal blow or is he unable to die?