The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood Part Eighth Summary & Analysis

Summary

A long time passes, and Robin Hood becomes less bold in leaving Sherwood Forest. King Henry dies, succeeded by King Richard. One morning, Robin and Little John again decide to go in search of adventures. Robin comes across an armed outlaw named Guy of Gisbourne, who has been sent by the Sheriff of Nottingham to catch him. Robin reveals his identity after proving his archery skills. The two men fight until Guy of Gisbourne is dead. Robin dresses in Guy’s clothes and sets off to find the Sheriff.

Meanwhile, Little John comes upon an old woman crying. She tells Little John that her sons were arrested that morning for killing the king’s deer and are now set to be hanged at an inn where the Sheriff is waiting for Robin Hood to be delivered to him. Little John disguises himself as an old man and goes to the inn. He asks the Sheriff for money, which the Sheriff agrees to pay if Little John strings up the men. Pretending to hear their confession, Little John secretly unties the men. He then strings his bow, saying he will shoot them once they are hanged to ensure they are dead. However, once his bow is ready, he yells for the men to run. Little John tries to escape, pointing his bow and arrow at the Sheriff’s men, but they capture him. As the men prepare to hang Little John, Robin arrives dressed as Guy of Gisbourne. He shows the Sheriff his horn as evidence that Robin Hood is dead, and the Sheriff rejoices. Robin then offers to kill Little John, but he frees him instead and blows his horn. Robin’s men arrive and chase the Sheriff’s men off, and they all return to Sherwood.

A few months later, Nottingham prepares for King Richard’s visit. After hearing stories of Robin Hood, the king decides to do what the Sheriff has not: clear the forest of Robin Hood’s band. The next day, the king and his lords disguise themselves as friars and ride into Sherwood Forest. As the king mentions his thirst, Robin appears and offers them wine. He leads them to his camp, where he and King Richard compete in archery. Robin misses and allows the king to hit him. Little John returns with Sir Richard of Lea, who recognizes King Richard. Sir Richard tells the king that he owes his life to Robin Hood and vows to protect him. King Richard grants pardons to Robin and his men but says they can no longer live in Sherwood Forest. He suggests that Robin Hood, along with Little John, Will Scarlet, and Allan a Dale, come to London to work as royal rangers and caretakers of Sherwood Forest. The next morning, Robin and the three others say goodbye to the men and head to Nottingham.

Analysis

In this final part of the novel, Robin Hood’s journey comes full circle as he is finally pardoned for his crimes. In meeting Guy of Gisbourne, Robin sees the path he could have taken as an outlaw, working on behalf of the Sheriff for profit. Instead, he chose a life of friendship and generosity to the less fortunate. For the first time since his crime at the age of eighteen, Robin kills a man, his only choice in defending himself against Guy of Gisbourne and saving himself from being hanged by the Sheriff. In this case, good triumphs over evil. However, it also shows that life as an outlaw sometimes leads Robin to do things he would rather not have to do to survive. He believes himself to be and is presented as, the morally superior outlaw of the two. However, though Robin always tries to do what is right, many of his morally ambiguous actions are of his own making. In this case, he would not have come across Guy of Gisbourne if he had not gone off looking for adventure. This incident and others show how Robin Hood’s love of fun and antics can be detrimental.

The placement of morality over legality is shown once more in Little John’s escapade. Like many of the people aided by Robin Hood and his men, the old woman’s sons technically broke the law by killing deer that belong to the king. However, Little John deems that this minor crime is not worth being hanged over, and he takes it upon himself to save the men from the Sheriff. Again, Robin Hood and his men act as the moral and judicial authority in a system they believe to be corrupt, even though they are occasionally corrupt and violent themselves.

The introduction of King Richard in this last part of the novel serves as a sharp contrast to the other authority figures in the novel thus far, the Sheriff of Nottingham and King Henry. King Richard shows his strong leadership in being willing to find Robin Hood himself, something neither the former king nor the Sheriff was ever able to do. He also shows his good humor and similarity to Robin Hood by dressing his lords up as friars, as Robin and his band have so often done. Despite the king’s intentions to capture Robin, his entrance bodes well for Robin Hood, and the king’s visit ends in Robin’s redemption. The difference between King Henry and King Richard, as well as Robin’s differing fate in their hands, shows how subjective the legal system is when in the control of people who come to their positions with different temperaments and biases. Readers might conclude that Robin Hood’s evasion of the law all these years is justified because whether he is pardoned or hanged depends entirely on the person in charge, rather than on the law itself.

The importance of friendship is once more underscored as both Little John and Robin Hood are saved by the loyalty their friends feel to them. Little John narrowly escapes being hanged by the Sheriff because of Robin Hood’s timely arrival. Later, Robin is saved from arrest when the revered Sir Richard explains to the king how he owes his life to Robin. These instances show that friendship not only offers entertainment and comfort, but it can also ultimately save a person’s life.

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