HOW THE STORY HAS ADAPTED THROUGH THE AGES

The main change which occurred in the story is the change from Robin the common born fighting the monied classes in defence of the poor to Robin the dispossessed noble born fighting for reinstatement among the monied classes. These two versions are the basic storylines linking the Michael Praed and Jason Connery versions in Richard Carpenter's Robin of Sherwood H.T.V. Series. Praed the peasant and Connery the noble. Earlier generations have altered the tale to suit the political temperament of the day.


Richard Grafton in Chronicle at Large of 1569 questioned the peasant born version1. Soon he had the title Earl of Huntingdon. In the Tudor period with the political/religious situation between Protestants and Catholics Robin Hood was used, the legend altered to project certain views. Traditionally he had been written about from a Catholic perspective, "Even in the reign of James I, the Catholics behind the 1605 Gunpowder Plot were called "Robin Hoods"2. However, he was also used to represent the Protestants, stealing from the Catholic clergy. Then Mary, Queen of Scots banned Robin Hood plays in 1562, as did the Puritan movement, later in the 17th century. Then in the play Robin Hood and his crew of Souldiers(sic) Robin stops his lawlessness to support the new King, this at the time of the restoration of Charles II. He remained popular in cheap pamphlets throughout the 17th and 18th century, and on into romantic poetry of the 19th century. With the invention of film Robin Hood became a character who would return again and again in cinema and television.

This brief scan through the centuries is important in a discussion about Robin Hood in film and Television. Why has he remained so popular? Why was he, at times, banned? The answer to the latter question is simple. He questioned the politics, the rulers of the time. He was dangerous. Or more to the point he was used by writers to attack what they considered as injustices. The actual details changed, the arguments were on different subjects, but such was the strength of this character he could be used over and over again to fight tyranny.

Professor Stephen Knight of the University of Wales; Cardiff: A leading expert on both Robin Hood and Arthurian literature has a theory that Robin Hood is popular in times of conservative leadership and King Arthur during periods of socialism3. This is interesting, the emphasis being that a conservative leadership is seen as hierarchal and a man of the people is needed to fight this centralisation of power. Perhaps, the other side of the coin is a social government endeavouring to create a golden age where everyone is treated fairly, but always under the threat of corruption and greed, the eventual cause of the downfall of Camelot. If we then consider that the H.T.V. series Robin of Sherwood ran between 1982-1984; concurrent with the establishment of Thatcherism as an over all majority Parliament, the theory gets interesting.

Professor Knight is more concerned with the way Robin Hood has altered through the ages than proving he was a real person, which is a valuable contribution to the debate. He notes that Robin changed from a peasant to an Earl, not fighting for the poor, but fighting to regain his Earldom

This is very interesting, because while remaining a bandit, an outlaw, he's become a conservative outlaw, standing up for true hierarchy rather than the social bandit who's resisting any hierarchy.4

He continues to talk about the Robin Hood of Scott and Keats as a nationalistic English Robin Hood, and how these versions become muddled. Errol Flynn as "Sir Robin of Locksley". The "Sir" being the gentrified version the "Robin of Locksley", the common born Robin. It is interesting how the American public has taken to this legend set in "Olde Englande". Most of the fan based websites, both for British made versions and U.S. productions are based in, and patronised by America. The following for Robin of Sherwood is huge, the largest Spirit of Sherwood(5) offering conventions, which the stars of the series still attend, on line discussions, and a host of other services. To quote Professor Knight:

But I also think the American Robin Hood has in some way
absorbed the frontier
myth. The Lone cowboy, the private eye
figure,....somehow belongs to Robin Hood.
I think he was Americanised by Fairbanks (in Douglas Fairbanks Sr's 1922 film)-
more active, more independent. So, I don't think it is a
myth that is at odds with
the American myth. I think America has been very
important in sustaining and
developing the material in this century6.

Professor Knight also makes a comparison with the eponymous character played by James Stewart in Mr Smith goes to Washington. It would seem that as long as we perceive that we live in a society which is not free from corruption, a Robin Hood character will be yearned for, both in fiction and reality.

The quotation above is an interesting one and as we venture into the section of this dissertation that will explore and analyse the film and television material more deeply, we will end this section by mentioning the American made film Robin Hood; Prince of Thieves. This has far fetched action sequencies, American accents, all the stock episodes found in Robin Hood films; the quarterstaff fight on the bridge, for example, which goes back to the ballads, but says nothing. Just a tame action adventure with a bit of love interest. The modern Hollywood formula. Perhaps, this has something to say about the cultural state of the modern day U.S.A. The frontier spirit of adventure lost and replaced by a constant stream of bland entertainment. That a far better version of the legend was filmed in the very same year; Robin Hood starring Patrick Bergin and Uma Thurman went relatively unnoticed in the face of the hype generated round Prince of Thieves and is now not even available on video rental, while Prince of Thieves is a staple of Christmas or Easter holiday viewing says something, not just about the U.S.A., but also of the island which first produced this hero. There is no better way to sanitise a dangerous concept than to ridicule it. We then had Robin Hood; Men in Tights which could be seen as the final nail in the coffin or, conversely, a comment on the fact that other productions had already trivialised the inherent importance of the legend.

1-Wolfshead through the ages: Changes to the Legend. Page 2 http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/4198/rh/robages4.html

2-Wolfshead through the ages: Changes to the Legend. Page 3 http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/4198/rh/robages4.html

3-Interviews in Sherwood : Professor Stephen Knight by Allen W. Wright. Page10 http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/4198/rh/knight1.html

4-Interviews in Sherwood : Professor Stephen Knight by Allen W. Wright. Page2 http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/4198/rh/knight1.html

5-Spirit of Sherwood. International Robin of Sherwood Fan Club. http://members.aol.com/chrisrhood/index.html

6-Interviews in Sherwood: Richard Carpenter by Allen W. Wright Page9 http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/4198/rh/richcarp.html

 

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