The legend of Robin Hood has become a home hold story both in Britain and many other countries as well. The Saxon nobleman, who was oppressed by the Normans, hid in the forest of Sherwood in the north midlands of England with his band of “merry men” went out to rob from the rich to give to the poor has featured in many television series and films (1); however, in Robin Hood: The Unknown Templar, a new book by John Paul Davis and some other recent reports, it is claimed that Robin Hood may not actually be so great a hero as it is usually depicted. After reading Robin Hood and the Men of the Greenwood written in 1912 by Henry Gilbert, a popular children’s author but was noted not only for his story telling style, but also his accuracy of history, I gradually came to find proofs to go against John Paul Davis’s notion. First and Foremost, John Paul Davis pointed out that Robin Hood was probably “an early kind of loan shark” (4) and his action of stealing from the rich and giving to the poor was actually a substantial pretence. Did Robin Hood really planned to earn a profit in the transaction of leading money to the poor? In my point of view, the answer is negative. It could be clearly seen from Henry Gilbert’s depiction that Robin was not rich. What he ate in the Greenwood with some of his fellow “merry men” were simply venison and wine, what they hunted in the woods. If he was rich, he would have eaten much better. Another apparent example was Robin’s death. When Robin was aged and one day he felt giddy and ill, he went to Kirklees, a nunnery where his cousin stayed as an abbess for medication. His aunt, bribed by some of the foes of Robin, gave Robin some pills to make him unconscious and then cut Robin’s vein to let his life out ... ... middle of paper ... ...bin Hood, which was passed on from generation to generation and spread from door to door, was free of doubts. Some recent reports of Robin Hood, including John Paul Davis’s supposition and many others’s doubts might be wrong. Robin Hood was not only a gallant and bold Green Wood fighter against many vicious villains who suppressed people but also a kind and folksy savour to England people at that time. Works Cited 1. 朱永涛，王立礼。《英语国家社会与文化入门》。北京：高等教育出版社，2005 2. 常俊跃。《英国历史文化》。北京：北京大学出版社，2009 3. Gilbert, Henry. Robin Hood and the Men of the Greenwood (also published as Robin Hood). Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Edition Limited, 1994. 4. Nikkhah, Roya. New book claims Robin Hood stole from the rich and lent to the poor. Retrieved from www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/7385198/New-book-claims -Robin-Hood-stole-from-the-rich-and-lent-to-the-poor.html. 6 March, 2010.
Anonymous. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The Norton Anthology of English Literature Sixth Edition. Volume 1. Ed. M.H.Abrams. New York: W.W.Norton and Company, Inc., 1993.
Norton. "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." The Norton Anthology English Literature. New York : W.M. Norton and Company, 2006. 162-213.
...nd Money In The Miller's Tale And The Reeve's Tale." Medieval Perspectives 3.1 (1988): 76-88. Web. 16 May 2013. [ILL]
Anonymous, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” in The Norton Anthology of English Literature, eds. Abrams, et al. (New York: Norton, 1993), 200.
History is often constructed from stories that were passed down by word of mouth and those that were put to record. When stories are shared by word of mouth the human mind has the ability to exaggerate the truth and the lines between fact and fiction can become blurred. Most of this exaggeration comes from the human nature to try and manipulate the truth to benefit oneself. The Strange Story of Thomas of Elderfield is a perfect example of what verbal passing of a story can do. I will first give a short synopsis of the story, then I will explain why this story was of great enough significance to document and finally I will explain what a person of the time would most likely take from this tale.
A building is ablaze and a crowd of people stare helplessly from the streets, listening to screams coming from within. A single person runs in to rescues whomever he or she can find. Whether or not that person emerges with a child in their arms, empty handed, or not at all, does nothing to alter our society’s perception of their heroism. Today’s society would classify such an action as heroic, regardless of outcome, for one reason: intentions. During Anglo-Saxton times the interpretation of such an act, based on the tale Beowulf, would not be so understanding of what was intended, but rather of the outcome. If one perished and failed in an attempt of such a heroic act words like weakness might arise. It is here that the clash of what a hero is occurs between the Anglo-Saxton tale Beowulf and John Gardner’s Grendel. Beowulf in Beowulf is a hero for he defeats evil and restores order to and for the common people. Unferth in Grendel however is unsuccessful in his campaign against evil, but like the man who emerges empty handed he is by no means any less of a hero. For heroism, as demonstrated in the Anglo-Saxton tale Beowulf, is altered in Gardner’s Grendel to convey the idea that intentions define a hero as opposed to actions.
Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales: Riverside Chaucer Third Edition. Ed. Larry D. Benson. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company,1987. 3-328 Secondary
This essay will be covering chapters five through eight of the Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. It will include a general half page summary of each chapter. There will also be a conclusion at the end. In order to summarize the chapters, there must be a main character introduction. Robin Hood is the main character. He and the Sheriff have had a few feuds through the book (considering he is an outlaw). Little John is Robin Hood’s right hand man or “lieutenant,” as stated by Allen W. Wright. The Sheriff of Nottingham is a greedy sheriff who is very focused on capturing Robin Hood.
Defending the weak and helpless has always been a large part of Robin’s morals, which is greatly shown throughout the story. For example, when speaking with Maid Marian at the feast in the woods, he shows her the part of his woods that is dedicated specifically to sheltering and feeding the homeless and poor. This is considered chivalrous because neither the Sheriff or Prince shows enough concern to provide a fair amount of care for everyone in the land, so
The Canterbury Tales, written by Chaucer, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, written by an anonymous author, are both sophisticated fourteenth-century examples of medieval romance. Medieval romances captured the heart of their audiences as narratives and stories that featured a protagonist, often a knight, and dealt with religious allegories, chivalry, courtly love, and heroic epics. The concept of the knight emerged from the remnants of the Anglo-saxon literature and ideals and influence of the Christian religion and church. There is a distinct difference between the famous pagan heroic like Beowulf and the romantic medieval tales like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight of the Canterbury Tale. The Anglo-Saxon hero Beowulf exemplified qualities expected of warriors who could attain kingship by their heroism and battle deeds. They possessed the qualities of valor, military prowess, generosity, and honor. The hero fights for the survival of their tribe and nation, and it is in battle that the mettle of the epic hero is ultimately tested. The romantic conventions , influenced by Christianity and French ideals, created a new chivalric knight who sets out on a trial or adventure. They possessed similar qualities to their epic hero counterparts – valor, loyalty, honor, and skill in battle – but differed in knowing temperance, courtesy towards women, and courtly skills. The hero is no longer fighting for his people but for his ideals. By the 14th century, The Tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Canterbury Tales have began to criticize the notion of chivalry which had become old and obsolete in their society; the idealization of chivalry practiced by knights could longer withstand the complexities and indeterminateness of situa...
Additionally, Gulliver’s experiences are described very frankly and objectively. Swift depicts Gulliver as such to allow the reader to relate to Gulliver and accept his partialities with less apprehension. It’d be unreasonable for Swift to portray Gulliver as a nobleman because, statistically, there have always been more commoners than nobleman. Additionally, literacy rates were sufficiently high during the early 18th century to assume the text would be read by citizens of varying classes.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Trans. Brian Stone. The Middle Ages, Volume 1A. Eds. Christopher Baswell and Anne Howland Schotter. The Longman Anthology of British Literature. Fourth ed. Gen.eds David Damrosch, and Kevin J. H. Dettmar. New York: Pearson-Longman, 2010. 222-77. Print.
The legend of Robin Hood is undoubtedly one of the most well-known tales of all time. Some historians claim that he is a purely mythical figure, while others point to indications that such a person may have existed. Real or not, the English story of Robin Hood and his Merry Men sets forth a captivating tale of a daring outlaw unrivalled in his archery capabilities. The nineteenth century witnessed a boom in the popularity of Robin Hood tales. The English action hero has even found a home at Hollywood and has become something of a movie star in several films, including one released very recently in 2010. Clearly, Robin Hood is one of popular culture’s most enduring folk heroes.
"The Merry Men -- A Beginner's Guide to Robin Hood." The Merry Men -- A Beginner's Guide to Robin Hood. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2014. .
Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales: Riverside Chaucer Third Edition. Ed. Larry D. Benson. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company,1987. 3-328 Secondary