Profesor Jos Francisco Fernndez Snchez LARIO CASTELLN, Ana Mar a Li!era!"ra In#$esa III Frida% &&!

h March '(&& The Lady of Shalott )% Lord Tenn%son The Lady of Shalott is a narra!i*e +oe, )% Lord Tenn%son in -hich he !e$$s "s !he Ar!h"rian $e#end of !he Lad% of Sha$o!!. This +oe, is f"$$ of i,a#es. Fro, ,% +oin! of *ie-, !he ,irror and !he dress she is -ea*in# are !he ,os! i,+or!an! ones, )eca"se !he ,irror is her /!ic0e!1 !o $oo0 o"!side !he -indo- and !he -e) re+resen!s -ha! !he ,irror ref$ec!s fro, !he -or$d. F"r!her,ore, !he% are a$so !-o rec"rren! s%,)o$s in "ni*ersa$ $i!era!"re. The ,irror, and no! 2"s! !he ,irror, )"! a$so !he ref$ec!ion i!se$f, re,inds ,e !he ,%!h of Narciss"s or Sno- 3hi!e4 and !a$0in# a)o"! !he -e) !he i,a#e of Pene$o+e -ea*in# -hi$e she -ai!s for Od%sse"s co,es in!o ,% ,ind. There are, of co"rse, differences, )"!, in ,% *ie-, Lad% of Sha$o!! is a ne- Pene$o+e, e*en ,ore "n$"c0% !han !he firs! one, )eca"se !he Lad% of Sha$o!! $ac0s freedo,, ,ean-hi$e !he 5ree0 -as ,ore or $ess free. She -as 2"s! a +risoner of -ai!in#. 6o-e*er, !he Lad% of Sha$o!! is no! free in an% -a%. She is no! 2"s! $oc0ed in a !o-er, she can no! $oo0 o"!side. I can no! decide -hich ac!ion is ,ore cr"e$. 3e can a$so #o in!o !he a,azin# $and of in!er+re!a!ion and see !his $ac0 of $i)er!% no! 2"s! +h%sica$$%, )"! +s%cho$o#ica$$%. And !o #o f"r!her, $e! see -o,en of !he +as! ref$ec!ed in Lad% of Sha$$o!7s $ac0 of freedo,. For a#es -o,en had no ri#h!s, no +ro+er!ies, no ,one%, !he% had !o fo$$o- *er% s!ric! r"$es of )eha*io"r, !he% -ere $i0e o)2ec!s in a -or$d r"$ed )% ,en. Ta$0in# in a ,e!a+horic -a%, !he% -ere, af!er a$$, +risoners in !heir e*er%da% $i*es, $i0e Lad% of Sha$o!!. The% sa- !he -or$d !hro"#h /!he ,irror1 of !heir fa!her firs! and !heir h"s)and $a!er. The% did no! see !he -or$d direc!$%, $i0e Lad% of Sha$o!!. 3ha! -i$$ ha++en if !he%, -o,en in #enera$, and Lad% of Sha$o!! in +ar!ic"$ar, see !he o"!side -or$d -i!ho"! !he he$+ of !he ,irror8 The ,irror -i$$ )rea0. This )rea0 of !he ,irror can a$so s%,)o$izes !he )rea0 of r"$es )% -o,en. 9"! are !he conse:"ences +osi!i*e or ne#a!i*e8 Lad% of Sha$o!! dies )eca"se des+i!e !he c"rse, she $oo0s direc!$% o"!side, in !he sa,e -a% -o,en -ho )ro0e !he r"$es -ere +"nished. 5oin# )ac0 !o Lad% of Sha$o!! herse$f, )rea0in# !he c"rse ,eans dea!h !o !his -o,an. 3h% does she )rea0 !he c"rse af!er $o! of %ears +risoner of herse$f in !his !o-er8 9eca"se of a ,an, Sir Lance$o!. 3hen she $oo0s )% !he -indo- /she $ef! !he -e), she $ef! !he $oo,1, she $ef! e*er%!hin# d"e !o a ,an. The a++ari!ion of Sir Lance$o! ,eans !he end of !he s!or%, !he end of $ife. 9"!, -as she )e!!er -ea*in# and -ea*in# fore*er $oo0in# !hro"#h a ,irror -ha! is ha++enin# o"!side8 This is no! a $ife, !his is $i*in# )eca"se of $i*in#. There are no dis!rac!ions, no f"n, no ha++iness for her. I !hin0 Sir Lance$o! is !he /0e%1 !o her freedo,. ;nfor!"na!e$%, in !his case freedo, ,eans dea!h, )"! d%in# is 2"s! ano!her -a% of #e!!in# freedo,, !he on$% -a% a*ai$a)$e !o her. Jose+h 9ris!o- dedica!es a -ho$e cha+!er !o !his +oe, in The Cambridge Companion to Victorian Poetry a)o"! The Lady of Shalott. This cha+!er is -ri!!en )% <a!h% A$e=is Pso,iades, and I ha*e e=!rac!ed fro, i! !his e=cer+! in -hich -e can see !he cri!ica$ o+inion of !he +oe, )% 5erhard Jose+h> ?@A 5erhard Jose+h c$ai,s !ha! / The Lady of Shalott is !he Bic!orian +oe, !ha! has ,os! readi$% $en! i!se$f !o !he insin"a!ion of /!heor%1C es+ecia$$% of !he Derridean and Lacanian *arie!%. 6e sho-s ho- !he +oe, can )e read as a /+ara)$e concernin# !he +ro)$e,a!ics of ,i,esis1, as a fa)$e a)o"! /!he radica$$% a!!en"a!ed 7e,er#ence7 of !he se$f, dri*en )% a naE*e )e$ief in "n,edia!ed +resence, in!o !he -or$d1, as /an a$$e#or% char!in# !he si#nifier7s drif! !ho"#h !he a)%ss, iso$a!ed fro, i!s si#nified, i!s a"dience, and !he in!en!ion of i!s sender1, and e*en as /a +ara)$e of recen! $i!erar% his!or% char!in# !he drif! fro, a Ne- cri!ica$ ana$%sis of a"!hored 7-or0s7 !o a +os!C s!r"c!"ra$is! readin# of a"!horia$$%C "n)o"nded 7!e=!s71.