Gail Marie G.

Bermejo BSMLS 2B November 18, 2019

Robin Hood and His Merry Men (Reaction Paper)

Like what we all know about Robin Hood and his Merry Men was that, they are known as the Heroes of
the Lower Class of Nottingham that answers the cry of the poor and the mistreated.

From a paragraph taken from Nat Geo’s Historic Origins of Robin Hood,” Robin Hood takes on a
role as an administrator of justice for the underclass in the Gest. When Little John consults his leader for
guidance on whom to beat, rob, and kill, Robin Hood provides him with a code divided along the lines of
rich and poor. No peasants, yeomen, and virtuous squires were to be harmed. On the other hand, the
Merry Men were allowed to “beat and bind” bishops, archbishops, and, above all, the loathed Sheriff of
Nottingham. In the Gest the type of villains has widened to include more figures at odds with the lower
classes.” From this, it explains that the Kings men and their Government that time are not allowed to
oppress the people of different classes or even hurt them in anyway but Robin and his Men are allowed
to do it so to the officials, bishops and the upper class men.

In a Kingdom were we thought everyone has equal rights but in fact, only the rich ones benefit
from it, desperate time calls for desperate measures that’s why I really can’t blame Robin and His Merry
Men why they did it in the first place. Robin’s long running tale was today called as the Robin Hood Effect
in which “the action is bad but the outcome is good”. Robin and His Men robs the rich people’s houses-
that is the bad action, but he uses this to help the poor and was considered as a hero- this was the good
outcome. However, in terms of definition, I won’t say that Robin was a Hero. A hero doesn’t need to steal
in order to be called one but instead find other ways to help those in need. For me, the characters in the
tale are all selfish and egocentric people, they only care for their own stake and own future. The Upper
class only cares for their price possession and wealth not caring about the condition of the lower class.
The Lower class or most of the citizens only cares for their survival which also relies to Robin’s scavenger
of the rich people’s jewelry and other wealth.