Writing Warmup:
Yesterday, we continued to discuss some of the ways Alfred Lord Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott" reminded us of the fairytale, "Snow White." For today, you want to draw connections between the two stories we have read—well, technically, one "story" and one "poem"—by describing any interesting similarities and differences you see between the two texts (don't forget to use textual evidence!). You may choose whichever story you like from the "Snow White" section of our Norton Anthologies. Dr. B will play Loreena McKennitt's "The Lady of Shalott" to get you all feeling as magical as possible.
BONUS! Some amazing resources on the history of the Lady of Shalott myth.
Check them out!
http://d.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/theme/elaine-of-astalot
Oh, and did you know the Victorians photographed women posing as the Lady of Shalott? It's kind of amazing: http://d.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/theme/elaine-of-astalot#YA
I have noticed several major similarities and differences between the two literary works the Lady of Shalott and the fairy tale Snow White. One big similarity is the emphasis on the color white and its association with dead females. This is shown by the lady of Shalott's white robe and snow whites pale skin. Another big similarity is how both women had to "die" to get their happy ending. While Snow White is revived by her prince, it is to late for anyone to save The Lady of Shalott so her happy ending is getting off of the island of Shalott and having her prince bless her. One big difference between the two stories is that Snow White had no idea that she was going to be killed by the poison apple while the Lady of Shalott knew she was cursed but did not care because she only wanted to be free from her island.
ReplyDeleteThe similarities and differences I noticed the most between the fairytale "Snow White" and Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem "The Lady of Shalott" were mainly around their respective mirrors. In "Snow White" the mirror is the evil queen's consultant more or less. Her mirror, instead of showing her the outside, merely tells her who is the most fair in all the land, as seen when she asks "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, Who's the fairest of them all?" (pg 83). In "The Lady of Shalott" the mirror acts as a viewable portal to the outside world, as evident in stanza six, "And moving thro' the mirror clear/ That hands before her all the year,/ Shadows of the world appear/" (lines 54-56). This mirror does not necessarily speak, but allows her to hear the sounds of the world around her.
ReplyDeleteWhen comparing the fairytale "Snow White" and the poem "The Lady of Shalott" they are very similar. Many people have seen the Disney version of "Snow White" where there is a magic mirror that starts the beginning of the Evil Queens plan to curse Snow White. This relates to the "Lady of Shalott" because similarly to "Snow White" there is a magic mirror that is cursing the Lady of Shalott. The two texts both have magic mirrors causing the main characters who are innocent some sort of pain.
ReplyDeleteThe Lady of Shalott and Brothers Grimms' Snow White are similar trough a magic mirror. The Lady of Shalott can see Camelot though her magic mirror, "and moving thro' a mirror clear ... there she sees the highway near / winding down to Camelot." Similar to Snow White, "[the queen] had a magic mirror," (83) and she would look into the mirror and the mirror would tell the queen about what is happening in the world. Unlike, Shalott, whereas the Lady can actually see the world and what is happening. Another similarity I notice between the two stories is that Snow White stays inside the Dwarf's house and is instructed not to leave for her own safety; but when she does leave to receive the comb, and also apple from the queen, she is almost killed. This relates to The Lady of Shalott because the Lady is cursed and cannot leave the tower, but when she does, the Lady dies.
ReplyDeleteIn the poem The Lady of Shalott she is trapped in a castle, because of a curse, and can only see through a mirror. This is similar to many of the Snow White stories, because her stepmother uses one to ask who is the fairest. Both Snow White and the Lady of Shalott escape from their castles, but for different reasons. Lady Shallot escapes and finds a boat "beneath a willow left afloat, and round the prow she wrote The Lady of Shalott." She rides down the river "till her blood was frozen slowly," and she dies on the river, and is found by the Prince of Camelot. Snow White escapes in the Brothers Grimm Version, because the queen wants her dead to be the most beautiful in the land. The huntsman takes pity on her and tells her, "Just run away you poor child" (84). Snow White runs into the forest and finds the home of the seven dwarfs, where she lives after. She is poisoned by the queen many times, but comes back to life when the prince drops her coffin. There are little similarities, such as the mirror, and escaping to their freedom. A major difference between the two is that the prince saves Snow White, and brings her back to life, but the Prince of Camelot can't and doesn't try to save the Lady of Shalott.
ReplyDeleteBoth Snow White and the Lady of Shalott share many attributes. Both are forced to live in the shadows, and both are forced out of the shadows by a knight. The Lady of Shalott ends up dying because of her desire, as does Snow White, though Snow comes back to life in some fairy tale miracle moment. Both are talented in their own ways, as the Brothers Grimm' version, Snow White is known to be great at communing with the dwarves, and caring for them, while the Lady spends her life weaving a web with her loom.
ReplyDeleteOne similarity I noticed between The Brothers Grimm version of "Snow White" and "The Lady of Shallot" is that in both versions the women stay inside for most of the story. Snow White is completely content staying inside the cottage all day and "keeping the house" for the dwarfs. The Lady of Shallot stays inside all day as well, but she is basically forced to. The Lady "does not know what the curse may be, and so she weaveth steadily." The biggest difference I could see with this is that its Snow White's choice to stay inside whereas the Lady is forced to.
ReplyDeleteIn the poem, "The Lady of Shallot" by Alfred Lord Tennyson, the Lady of Shallot has a mysterious curse upon her. We know not how she got it but we figure out what it is when she falls for the Lancelot. She has been forced into isolation and was only able to view the outside world of Camelot through a magic mirror. She yearns for company and when she laid her eye on Lancelot she left the tower and slowly lead to her demise in a boat. Lancelot found her and worshipped her beauty. In "Snow White" by Brothers Grimm, there is a magic mirror that only speaks the truth. When Snow White's evil stepmother finds out she is not the "fairest of them all," Snow White was forced into segregation. The huntsman sent by the witch to kill Snow White was empathetic enough to set her free. She ran into the forest until she found the home of the Seven Dwarves and stayed with them. The evil queen found her and was even more driven to kill her. The curse found Snow White for she was the victim of the evil queen. She was killed by the poison apple and just like the Lady of Shallot, Snow White had her own admirer, as well as the Seven Dwarves. She was kissed by the prince and was awoken by a stumble.
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