The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood

Robin Hood’s personality is already established in the Prologue: a spirited, pugnacious young man of 18, and an avid and skilled sportsman. Physically, he is described later in the book as tall “with yellow beard and hair and a pair of merry blue eyes” (305-306). Despite his fighting spirit, Robin Hood is informed by a keen moral conscience. Immediately after killing the forester with his arrow, he is filled with remorse and vows never again to kill anyone.

Robin is an ambiguous and complex character: on the wrong side of the law, yet also a man of pure ideals and virtues. Robin’s actions blur the distinction between good and evil, legality and criminality. He robs from people on the highway, yet he does so with gallant and gentlemanly manners, often bringing those he robs back to camp for a feast (for which the theft is the “payment”). Robin’s robberies are informed by a sort of higher morality, and he makes provisions for the safety and protection of those he robs. For example, after taking away much of the bishop’s wealth to give it to Sir Richard of the Lea, he sees to it that the bishop gets back home safely and provides entertainment during his stay.