The focal point of Hunt’s painting to Tennyson’s poem “The Lady of Shalott” is the Lady herself, whose body is tied by the threads that continue to whirl up to not let her go. The viewer’s eye notices the Lady’s inner conflict, which is tracked through the pose she has taken. Although the woman’s body bends as she tries to break free, her head seems to have already accepted the fate and, thus, bows remorsefully.
The directional force makes a viewer switch attention from the Lady’s figure to a large loom, a place where she has spent most of her time weaving. It is seen that the loom also traps her inside of its circle. As one continues viewing the composition, the invisible path, paved by the painter, leads an eye to the mirror in the background. The mirror itself is a symbol of the Lady’s downfall. One may trace a premonition of catastrophe in its reflection: unwitting Lancelot heads towards the distant Camelot. In this illustration, Hunt refers to typological symbolism to explain the message of the picture. By adding such an element, the artist attempted to provide a deeper definition of the key concept of the illustration and, thus, unveil all of the sides of the Lady’s conflict.
In addition to the earlier mentioned details, there is one more relevant symbol to find in this picture – the figure of Christ on the cross, located next to the mirror. Eventually, Hunt added it intentionally to demonstrate God’s plans and his will regarding the matter. Again, this deep moral message is what the artist attempted to carry to the public – the fact that there is always a conflict between the good and the evil, the right and the wrong within a person.