How does Tennyson powerfully convey the character of Lancelot in Part 3 of "The Lady of Shalott"?

To answer this question, you need look no further than the
way Lancelot is introduced at the beginning of Part III of this excellent poem. Consider
the way in which the first stanza immediately presents Lancelot as a vibrant character,
full of light, movement and colour:

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A bowshot from her bower
eaves,

He rode between the barley
sheaves,

The sun came dazzling through the
leaves,

And flamed upon the brazen
greaves

Of bold sir
Lancelot.

Notice the
tremendous movement as he is compared to a "bowshot" and the descriptive details such as
"dazzling" and "flamed" and "brazen." Given the grey shadows that the Lady of Shalott
spends most of her life looking at through her mirror, such a combination of intense and
vivid colour with movement makes both us and her sit up and take notice. Also, consider
the alliteration in the next stanza. The repetition of "b" and "g" sounds in phrases
such as "golden Galaxy" and "bridle bells" certainly help to make the verse ring as
merrily as bridel bells themselves ring.

Up until this
stage, the poem has been written in a kind of dreamy, nebulous way, with mystical
enchantment surrounding the scene. At this point in the poem, the symbol of reality, Sir
Lancelot himself, enters the shadow world of the Lady of Shalott, and Tennyson makes
sure that we are all aware of the change.