The Tale of Robin Hood

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THESIS STATEMENT

Although only slightly factual in historical setting, the legends of Robin Hood have captivated the imaginations of young and old alike through the charming stories concerning the characters of Sherwood Forest.

PURPOSE STATEMENT

Through critical analysis and research concerning the legends and characters surrounding Robin Hood, this paper will present the theme of social justice for the common man as purported by the Merry Men of Sherwood Forest.

INTRODUCTION

The tale of Robin Hood has evolved into one of the greatest legends of all time and has fascinated the minds of all who have heard about it. The stories surrounding Robin Hood and his adventures took place in the forests of Sherwood and Barnsdale dating back to the fifteenth century. The first question that comes to mind when dealing with this legend is who was the real Robin Hood? Amazingly, speculation regarding this question still exists today and the tale has survived more than seven hundred years. Now the real question has to be why is this “Robin Hood” such a fixating topic?

Since there is such controversy over the real Robin Hood, for the most part he is a fictional character. He has now been adapted to a man of the movies where every director has a different vision of who he might have been. Their vision was usually of a heroic figure even though he could have more easily been considered a villain for what he did for a living. “…the image of Robin as a clever, lighthearted prankster gained strength. The tales in which he appeared as a highway robber and murderer were forgotten or rewritten” (Wickersham 12). It has a gotten to a point where now every child has a heroic vision of Robin Hood whereas the early ballads and oral tr...

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There is an explanation to why historians have obsessed over Robin Hood and it is not just to find out if there was a man who lived up to such surreal standards. He is a legend and loved by all for a reason and that is he was not afraid to stand up and fight for what he believed in. His message to the law and what we learn from his legend is clear. “It is a warning that injustice cannot be tolerated just because it is part of the system, for the anger which such injustice in the end awakens is unrestrained.” (Keen 218). Robin Hood lived motivated to fight against those he believed to be undeserving and in doing so he ended up standing up for the common man. This was his legacy in what he perceived as a noble quest for social justice. Real or imaginary, Robin Hood will continue to captivate the minds of all readers and his legend will never die.

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