Introduction

 

The aim of this dissertation is to explore the ways in which the character of Robin Hood has been used as a screen image both in film and television. There is a slight hesitation in referring to Robin Hood as a mythology, though this is, indeed, one way of perceiving him. In a deeper way, however, he represents an archetypal quality whose importance to the human condition, particularly those people of the British Isles and their descendants, is evident by the mere fact that he, as a character we relate to, still captivates the imagination of the modern mind.

The first part of this examination will present a summary of the extant original material, from which the character comes down the centuries to appear in the modern twentieth century mediums. That the original concept of the character may be older than this material will also be looked at, as it will prove to be a valuable illumination upon some of the modern conceptualisations of the character. We will then widen the debate to include modern writers' and experts' comments on why the story is still popular and where modern retellings have taken the legend.

As a source of information concerning the above, both literary and internet mediums will be examined and cross referenced to provide the necessary information.

The main body of the dissertation will then compare the various televisual and filmic portrayals examining how they deal with the story, how they add new dimensions and emit old ones, and how they feed off each other procreating new mythology in the modern age. The series Robin of Sherwood will be examined in detail, as well as the film version Robin Hood; Prince of Thieves and Robin Hood. Other films and series will also be commented upon, but it is the HTV Robin of Sherwood series that will be taken as the central reference point within the discourse of this examination as it is the author's belief that this series remains the most authentic visual version of the story, a belief that will be substantiated through evidence and comparison with other versions in the body of this work.

There will then be a conclusion bringing the information and discussion together to present the identity of the modern Robin Hood, the archetypal meaning of the character and the esoteric or mystical aspects that still shape the modern day psyche of our society, making Robin Hood as popular today as he was in the centuries past. So come, journey into the Greenwood forests of our collective imagination on the trail of the hooded man.