Tennyson's Art of Portrayal: Examining His Handling of Women Characters

Abstract

This paper explores Alfred Lord Tennyson’s nuanced approach to portraying women characters in his poetry, with a particular focus on The Lady of Shalott, Mariana, and Idylls of the King. Tennyson's representations reflect the ideological tensions of the Victorian era, oscillating between idealization and constraint. His female figures are often cast as passive, tragic, or morally emblematic, yet they possess a symbolic depth that complicates straightforward readings. By examining themes of isolation, emotional stagnation, moral judgment, and constrained agency, this study argues that Tennyson’s women serve not merely as reflections of patriarchal ideals but as vehicles for interrogating the limitations placed upon women in Victorian society. The paper concludes that while Tennyson's portrayals may echo traditional gender norms, they also subtly critique them, revealing the emotional and psychological cost of such societal expectations.