COVE

Group 2: Alexandra Monstur, Emma Fraschetti, Andrea Aguiar, Mark Dasilva, Alicia Beggs-Holder

The framed, inset illustrated woodcut of The Lady of Shalott by William Holman Hunt showcases the Lady herself weaving in the tower that she is trapped in. The image appears as though the Lady is not only trapped in the tower, but being trapped by her weaving materials, which is a form of artistic liberty speaking to how she is trapped since this is not explicitly mentioned in the poem. The mirrors that she looks through are pictured behind her – one featuring what who we believe is Sir Lancelot, which works in reference to the part of herself that she cannot access. This part is specifically the one that cannot access her desire for Sir Lancelot, and her sexual desire that Victorian women could not access. The other mirror features an image of the crucifixion of Jesus, resembling the dominant Christian religion of the time and stands as a symbol of her purity, reminding her that she cannot act upon her desire. These two images are significant because of the fact that the Lady of Shalott dies in the poem once she acts upon her desire and goes against these reminders.