Final answer:
Camelot is a legendary location central to Arthurian literature, featured in both 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' and 'The Lady of Shalott' by Alfred Lord Tennyson. It symbolizes the chivalric ideals and is not a real place in England.
Step-by-step explanation:
Camelot is a fictional castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. It is the location where much of the action takes place in 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,' a chivalric romance in Middle English. Camelot, though often mentioned in Arthurian literature, is not an actual historical location in England, but rather a literary construct that symbolizes the center of King Arthur's realm and the ideals of the Knights of the Round Table.
In Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem 'The Lady of Shalott,' Camelot also figures prominently as the destination of the knights and as the object of longing gaze from the Lady of Shalott, who is confined to her island and subject to a mysterious curse that ultimately leads to her tragic demise after she dares to look directly at Sir Lancelot.
The references to The Lady of Shalott and Camelot highlight the importance of Tennyson's poem within the broader context of the Arthurian legend, as it assumes a certain familiarity on the part of the reader with these legendary figures and settings. Nevertheless, the true essence of Camelot remains within the realm of myth and legend, a symbol of chivalric ideals rather than a physical place.