Wife of Bath Allegory
The story is analogous to Geoffrey Chaucer's Wife of Bath's Tale that is one of the stories told in his epic The Canterbury Tales. In the Chaucer version, an errant knight is forced by Arthur to seek the answer to the truth of what women really desire, and in order to do this he roams the country asking everyone he meets to shed some light on the riddle, so that he can return to his King with the correct response.
Fine Horse Symbol
When Arthur encounters Dame Ragnelle, he does not know who she is, seeing an old hag riding a beautiful horse. The horse is a symbol of the fact that the woman before him is not actually an old hag, or a crone, at all, but a woman of beauty and means.
Loathly Appearance Symbol
Ragnelle's loathly appearance is a symbol of her having been put under a curse, or being spellbound. Once the spell is broken her appearance and her beauty will be restored; the fact that she is still loathly symbolizes the strength of the curse she has been placed under.
Gawain's Loyalty Symbol
Gawain is one of the most noted knights of the Round Table and also one of the most eligible and respected. His willingness to sacrifice his future happiness for his uncle by marrying the hag is a symbol of his honor and his devotion to his uncle both as a relative and as the King.
Gawain's Love Symbol
The way in which Gawain treats Dagnelle, as though she is the most beautiful woman in the world, is a symbol of his love for her, and for her heart, even though he is unable to see the physical beauty in her appearance. This also symbolizes the way in which he is a defender of women and also of their feelings and emotions.
