The forest encounter
The forest encounter between King Arthur and Sir Gromer paints a picture of gloom, despair, and desperation. Sir Gromer commands King Arthur to go and inquire about what women want and bring him a precise answer; otherwise, he will kill him. Arthur leaves the forest sad with a melancholy face. When Arthur goes back to the forest again, he sees an ugly woman who wants to know why he looks sad. All these encounters of King Arthur depict the sense of sight to readers.
The imagery of women’s desire
The biggest riddle in the entire text is ‘What do women want?’ Sir Gromer tasks King Arthur to go and seek the exact answer. Sir Gromer threatens to kill King Arthur if he fails to get the right answer. The author uses inquisitive imagery to aid readers understands what women want. Arthur and his nephew go from one village to the other, interrogating women to find the right answer. However, the woman who provides the most appropriate answer is Dame Ragnelle. According to Dame, women want autonomy and liberty to make their own decisions. Consequently, the complex question about women's desires is answered through inquisitive imagery.
The imagery of beauty
At first, Dame Ragnelle is introduced as an ugly woman who is not appealing to any man. When King Arthur meets her for the first time, he is shocked by her scary looks. However, during the wedding night, Gawain discovers that Dame is a very beautiful woman but looks ugly before people because of the spell cast on her. However, when Gawain assures her of sovereignty and independence, Dame completely changes to be the most beautiful woman.
