Robin Hood Research Paper

916 Words4 Pages

Robin Hood is a very old and famous ballad of the life of a man named Robin Hood. The ballads contain what Robin Hood did, his enemies, accomplishments, and also includes how Robin Hood dies. This story has been told for many years. The story itself has been changed and revised several times since Robin Hood was first mentioned in 1377. By 1600, there were already two hundred references to Robin Hood. Six-hundred and forty years ago a man by the name of William Langland mentioned Robin Hood, and since then the legend has been told throughout the world. Since the first time Robin hood was mentioned, he has been rumored to be many different types of people. Robin Hood has been rumored to be: a yeomen, knight, earl, courteous robber, brigand …show more content…

The men told Robin Hood that he was too young to shoot a bow. Determined to prove them wrong, young Robin had bet twenty marks on his skill. Robin Hood shot a hart from five hundred and fifty yards. Though Robin won the bet, the group of men refused to hold up their side of the wager and assaulted young Robin instead of paying him. Robin Hood then went on to shoot and kill fifteen of the men, making Robin an outlaw. As an outlaw Robin Hood lived in hiding. Robin built his hideout and lifelong home in Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire country. After that day at the fair, Robin devoted his life to helping the poor. Robin Hood is most famous for “Stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.” Robin treated the women and people of humble status with the utmost courtesy. In the earliest ballads, Robin did not always steal from the rich and give to the poor. Instead, Robin Hood targeted corrupt and evil people no matter their social class in the earliest ballads. Fighting and stealing from so many people would be impossible to do for just one man. Robin Hood had a band of Merry Men which consists of one hundred and forty men, …show more content…

For instance, when Robin Hood would steal from the rich and give the stolen money or goods to the poor. Robin had good intentions, but robbing from the rich is a crime. However, Robin Hood did not always steal. Robin also built almshouses to help the poor. Robin Hood did have motivation for these acts of kindness. The motivation for Robin was his devotion to the Virgin Mary, not a revolutionary zeal that many think it was. The underdogs also caught Robin’s attention when it came to oppression. Robin always fought for the weaker