The Lady of Shalott MCQs & Summary

By: Prof. Dr. Fazal Rehman Shamil | Last updated: March 1, 2025

Summary:

“The Lady of Shalott” is a narrative poem written by Alfred, Lord Tennyson in 1832 (revised in 1842). The poem is set in the Arthurian legend and tells the tragic story of a mysterious woman, the Lady of Shalott, who lives alone in a tower near Camelot. She is under a curse that forbids her from looking directly at the outside world. Instead, she watches the world through a mirror and weaves a tapestry of what she sees.

One day, she sees the handsome knight Sir Lancelot riding by, and she is overcome with longing. Defying the curse, she looks directly at Camelot. Immediately, her mirror shatters, and she realizes that her fate is sealed. She leaves her tower, finds a boat, and floats down the river towards Camelot, singing as she dies. By the time she reaches the city, she is dead, and the people, including Lancelot, only see her lifeless body.

The poem explores themes of isolation, fate, art vs. reality, and unfulfilled love. The Lady’s fate symbolizes the struggle between creativity and real-world experience, as well as the dangers of pursuing desires against destiny.

MCQs:

1. Who wrote The Lady of Shalott?
   A) William Wordsworth
   B) Alfred, Lord Tennyson
   C) Samuel Taylor Coleridge
   D) John Keats
   Answer: B) Alfred, Lord Tennyson
2. Where does the Lady of Shalott live?
   A) In Camelot
   B) In a tower near Camelot
   C) In a castle on a mountain
   D) In an enchanted forest
   Answer: B) In a tower near Camelot
3. How does the Lady of Shalott see the outside world?
   A) Through a telescope
   B) Through a magical mirror
   C) Through a window
   D) Through visions in her dreams
   Answer: B) Through a magical mirror

   

4. What is the Lady of Shalott’s curse?
   A) She must never stop weaving
   B) She cannot leave her tower
   C) She must never look directly at Camelot
   D) She must never speak
   Answer: C) She must never look directly at Camelot
5. Who causes the Lady of Shalott to break the curse?
   A) King Arthur
   B) Sir Gawain
   C) Sir Lancelot
   D) Merlin
   Answer: C) Sir Lancelot
6. What happens when she looks directly at Camelot?
   A) The tower collapses
   B) The mirror shatters
   C) She falls asleep
   D) The curse is lifted
   Answer: B) The mirror shatters
7. How does the Lady of Shalott reach Camelot?
   A) She rides a horse
   B) She sails in a boat
   C) She walks through the forest
   D) She is carried by a knight
   Answer: B) She sails in a boat
8. What happens to the Lady of Shalott in the boat?
   A) She is rescued by Lancelot
   B) She dies before reaching Camelot
   C) She sings a song of joy
   D) She arrives safely and breaks the curse
   Answer: B) She dies before reaching Camelot
9. What does Sir Lancelot say when he sees the Lady of Shalott’s dead body?
   A) “She was cursed!”
   B) “May God have mercy on her soul.”
   C) “She should not have looked at me.”
   D) “She was a great warrior.”
   Answer: B) “May God have mercy on her soul.”
10. What is the main theme of the poem?
    A) The power of love
    B) The conflict between isolation and reality
    C) The importance of wealth and power
    D) The dangers of war
    Answer: B) The conflict between isolation and reality