The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell

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THE WEDDING OF SIR GAWAIN AND DAME RAGNELL!!!!!!

In the romantic story The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell, by an anonymous writer, the readers see how sovereignty plays an important role in male and female relationships in romances of the medieval period. Throughout the story, we see Sir Gawain as a charismatic, willing and noble knight who will do anything for his king. We also see Dame Ragnell as the "loathly lady" who asks from King Arthur for Sir Gawain to marry her. Dame Ragnell sees that Sir Gawain is the best and most handsome knight in King Arthur's court and would like to marry only him.

The story begins with King Arthur hunting in the forest of Ingleswood. He strays away from all of his knights and is in the middle section of the forest by himself. There he sees a deer and begins to run after it. After a few attempts, King Arthur finally kills the deer: "He took his arrows and bow and stooped low like a woodsman to stalk the deer. But every time he came near the animal, it leapt away into the forest. So King Arthur went a while after the deer, and no knight went with him, until at last he let fly an arrow and killed the deer." (Hearne, 2)

At this point King Arthur hears the voice of Sir Gromer who seeks battle with him:

Welle y-met King Arthur!

Thou hast me done wrong many a yere

And wofully I shalle quit thee here.

I hold thy life days highe done;

Thou hast gevin my lands in certain

With great wrong unto Sir Gawen. (327, lines 54-59).

This threat makes King Arthur very frightened. He turns around to see the strange knight who is fully armed and ready for battle, standing only a few yards away from him. Then King Arthur asks him his name and finds that he is Gromer Somer Joure. Sir Gromer wants to fight King Arthur at this moment, but King Arthur pleads for his life since he is only in his hunting clothes and not wearing his war gear. During this encounter, King Arthur is given one year to find out what it is that women most desire and is to return with the correct answer for Sir Gromer. If he does not find the correct solution to this riddle, then Sir Gromer is obligated to take the king's life:

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