Article
Illustrations by Gary Hanna
Drama,

The Legend of Robin Hood

Adventure awaits you.

By Spencer Kayden
From the December 2020 / January 2021 Issue

Learning Objective: to write an additional scene staying true to the characters, events, and themes of the play

Complexity Factors
  • Purpose
    The play is a dramatic adaptation of a Robin Hood legend.
  • Structure
    The play is not chronological except for a prologue in which characters speak directly to the audience to establish background information. Extended captions and a sidebar provide additional information about the time period.
  • Language Conventionality and Clarity
    Vocabulary: The play includes higher-level academic vocabulary such as idle, bounty, and valiantly, as well as some words related to the setting of the play, such as dungeon, gallows, saddlebag, and shire. Conventionality: The language is mostly conventional; in two instances the Merry Men chant in rhyming verse.
  • Knowledge Demands
    The setting of England in the late 1100s, with references to different social classes as well to customs of the time period, adds a level of complexity; however, text features are included to support comprehension.
Lexiles: 800L (captions only)
Featured Skill: Key Ideas and Details,
Other Key Skills: text structure, character, theme, text features, interpreting text, key ideas and details
Common Core Standards
  • Anchor
    R.1, R.2, R.3, R.5, R.9, R.10, W.2, W.9, SL.1, SL.2, L.4, L.6
  • Grade 6
    RL.6.1, RL.6.2, RL.6.3, RL.6.4, RL.6.5, RL.6.6, W.6.3, W.6.4, SL.6.1, SL.6.2, L.6.4, L.6.5, L.6.6
  • Grade 7
    RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.3, RL.7.4, RL.7.5, RL.7.6, RL.7.9, W.7.3, W. 7.4, SL.7.1, SL.7.2, L.7.4, L.7.5, L.7.6
  • Grade 8
    RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.3, RL.8.4, W.8.3, W.8.4, SL.8.1, SL.8.2, L.8.4, L.8.5, L.8.6
TEKS Standards
  • 1c, 1d, 2a, 2b, 3, 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f, 5g, 5h, 5i, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, 6g, 6h, 6i, 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 8a, 8c, 8d, 9a, 9b, 9f, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, 11a

Presentation View
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AS YOU READ

As you read the play and study the images, think about what motivates each of the main characters.

Characters

Choose the character you will play.

*Starred characters have large speaking parts.

*Narrators 1, 2, 3 (N1, N2, N3)

*Robin Hood, an outlaw

Little John, one of the Merry Men 

Friar Tuck, one of the Merry Men

Will Scarlet, one of the Merry Men

Merry Men, to be read by a group

Much, the miller’s son

*Sir Guy of Gisbourne, a deputy and knight

*Lady Marian, a noblewoman

*Sheriff of Nottingham

Bishop of Hereford

Villagers 1, 2, 3

Herald, an announcer

Crowd, to be read by a large group

↠ Prologue ↞

N1: The lights come up on a dark forest. Robin Hood, Little John, Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet, and a group of other Merry Men speak to the audience.

Robin Hood: In the year 1192, King Richard I is off fighting a war. In his place, the corrupt Prince John rules England. He demands that everyone pay heavy taxes, even the very poor.

Little John: Where we live, the Sheriff of Nottingham collects these taxes—using threats and violence.

Friar Tuck: He sends some money to the prince, but he keeps most of it for himself.

Will Scarlet: Since the laws have become unjust—

Robin: —I, Robin Hood—

Merry Men: —and we, his Merry Men—

Robin: —live as outlaws in Sherwood Forest.

Merry Men: We steal from the rich to give to the poor!

 ↠ Scene 1 ↞

N2: With bows and arrows slung over their shoulders, Robin and the Merry Men walk in Sherwood Forest.

N3: They begin to chant.

Merry Men: The forest comes alive in the sweet green of spring. Apple buds blossom and cuckoo birds sing. 

N1: They come across a young man whose face and clothes are covered in dirt. 

Robin: What has happened to you, lad?

Much (sniffling): My father could not pay the new taxes, so the Sheriff of Nottingham burned down our mill. Now we have nothing!

Will: The Sheriff’s cruelty is limitless.

Little John: I’ll pummel that villian!

Robin: Nay, we can injure him using our brains rather than our brawn. As for you, young friend—

N2: Robin takes a loaf of bread and a hunk of mutton from his satchel. 

Robin (giving it to Much): Tell your father Robin Hood will not let your family starve.

Much: We are forever in your service!

 ↠ Scene 2 ↞

N3: The Merry Men practice archery.

Merry Men: England is rotting from the top on down! We pledge our revenge on Nottingham Town!

N1: Friar Tuck comes rushing up to them.

Friar Tuck (out of breath): I have just been to the village. Sir Guy is collecting taxes for the Sheriff today. 

Robin: Indeed?

Friar Tuck: He must pass through our woods to get back to the castle. 

Little John: His purse will be heavy with coins.

N2: Robin grabs his arrows. 

Robin: Time for an adventure, boys! 

 ↠ Scene 3 ↞

N3: Sir Guy and Lady Marian ride through Sherwood Forest with their guards.

Sir Guy: I thank you, milady, for accompanying me today. Take this necklace as a token of my appreciation.

Lady Marian: That necklace belonged to one of the villagers, did it not?

Guy: She could not pay her taxes, so I took this instead. I would like you to have it.

Marian: I cannot accept it,

Sir Guy. This villager was not born into nobility as we were. Why should she be punished for her poverty?

Guy: I have no pity for commoners and peasants. If they worked harder, they would have plenty.

N1: Lady Marian frowns. Sir Guy looks down the dark path ahead.

Guy: I dislike passing through these woods. They are full of dreadful bandits.

Marian: Is this Robin Hood as ruthless as they say?

Guy: He stole from the Bishop of Hereford, taking his money and his clothes!

Marian: Can’t the Sheriff do something?

Guy: There is a bounty of 200 gold coins on his head, but the people will not turn him in. To them, he is a saint.

Marian: Saint Robin Hood?

N2: Just then, Robin drops from a tree.

Robin: You called?

N3: Sir Guy and his guards draw their swords.

N1: Robin blows his bugle.

N2: Scores of Merry Men appear, arrows drawn.

Guy: Seize them!

Merry Men: Ha! Ha! Ha!

Marian: With respect, Sir Guy, we are outnumbered.

N3: Robin takes off his hat and bows to Lady Marian.

Robin: The lady is perceptive.

N1: A smile twitches at the corners of Marian’s mouth.

Guy: Scoundrel! Let us pass.

Robin: Why the hurry, Sir Guy? You must be hungry after a long day of robbing the poor. Join us for a feast.

Guy: I would rather not.

Robin: Oh, but I rather insist.

N2: Robin’s men blindfold Sir Guy and Lady Marian and lead them to their camp hidden deep in the forest.

Dangerous Forests

In medieval England, forests were to be avoided. It was widely believed that forests were infested with evil spirits. And indeed the woods were dangerous—though not because they were haunted. Wild animals could make a meal of you. Outlaws could kidnap you for ransom. Or you could get hopelessly lost. Most people never left their villages.

Travel was slow, expensive, and uncomfortable in medieval England. Most roads were little more than muddy, overgrown trails. It could take an entire day to go a few miles. Wealthy travelers like Sir Guy and Lady Marian traveled on horseback and always with guards for protection.

 ↠ Scene 4 ↞

N3: Sir Guy and Lady Marian sit uncomfortably on tree stumps. A fire crackles as a deer roasts on a spit. 

N1: Little John raises his goblet. 

Little John: To the Sheriff: Though his heart may be empty, his pockets are always full!

Merry Men: Ha! Ha! Ha!

N2: After the feast, Will steps forward. 

Will: Before you go, Sir Guy, we ask a small donation for the meal we have given you. 

Guy: Why should I pay for a meal you forced me to eat?

Will: Think of it as a tax for coming through our forest. 

Guy: Very well, but I have only three gold coins. 

Friar Tuck: Is that so? 

N3: Friar Tuck searches Sir Guy’s saddlebag. He finds a pouch and pours out hundreds of coins. 

Robin: Pity, Sir Guy. If you truly had but three, we would have taken nothing. But you lied, so we will take it all. 

Guy: Thief! 

Robin: Please allow my men to escort you to the road. 

N1: Robin bows deeply.

Robin: Until we meet again, good lady. 

N2: Lady Marian smiles. Sir Guy rolls his eyes.

N3: Lady Marian glances back at Robin as she rides off.

 ↠ Scene 5 ↞

N1: The Sheriff of Nottingham storms around the great hall of his large home. The heels of his boots echo off the high stone walls.

Sheriff: You cowardly fool!

Guy: I was helpless. 

Sheriff: That money was for the Crown. 

Bishop of Hereford (muttering): Among others . . .

Sheriff: Now they will think I cannot control my own shire!

N2: The Sheriff lifts a sword off the wall and runs his fingers along the blade. 

Sheriff: Hood, when I catch you, your head will roll. 

Bishop: You cannot beat him in the forest. You must lure him out into the open. 

Sheriff: How?

Bishop: He fancies himself the finest archer in the kingdom. How about a shooting match with a valuable prize for the winner? 

Sheriff: He will know it is a trap. 

Bishop: Perhaps, but he is a show-off. He will not be able to resist the opportunity for glory.

Medieval Society

Great for the rich. Brutal for the poor. 

 

Istockphoto/Getty Images

For much of history, the people of England were divided into groups called classes. People generally lived and married within the class they were born into. Royals, like King Richard I, ruled. Nobles, like Lady Marian, owned property, oversaw the lower classes, and supported “the Crown”—that is, the current king or queen. Commoners, like merchants and millers, often lived in small villages and sold their goods in markets. Peasants had the toughest time of all. They lived and worked on big farms called manors. They could not leave without permission from the lord of the manor and often lived on the brink of starvation.

 ↠ Scene 6 ↞

N3: Robin strolls through the village handing out wheels of cheese, deer meat, and chickens.

N1: Hungry villagers clutch at his sleeves.

Villager 1: Bless you, Robin Hood!

Villager 2: This will keep my family alive for a month.

Villager 3: Robin Hood, hero of the people!

N2: A herald rides in and sounds his trumpet.

Herald: Three days hence, an archery contest will be held in Nottingham Town. An arrow of pure silver will be awarded to the winner!

Robin: Gentlemen, let’s head to Nottingham for this merry shooting match.

Little John: Master Robin, do you not see this is a trick to capture you?

Robin: All the more reason to attend.

Little John: Robin, it is certain death. Please do not go.

Robin: And let some lesser archer walk off with my prize? Never!

 ↠ Scene 7 ↞

N3: In Nottingham Town, cheers swell as archers stream onto the field. Among them is a limping beggar with an eye patch. He wears a tattered scarlet cloak that hides his face.

N1: The Sheriff, Sir Guy, and Lady Marian sit on a platform decorated with flowers.

Sheriff (scowling): Where is Hood?

Guy: He will be here.

Herald (shouting): Each archer will shoot one arrow. The 10 best will face off.

N2: Arrows fly. The final 10 are chosen. Among them is the one-eyed beggar.

Sheriff: Who is that varlet in scarlet?

Guy: If he wins, we’ll find out.

N3: Each archer aims his arrow and lets fly.

Crowd: Hooray!

Sheriff: My head archer, Gilbert, has hit the center. He cannot be beaten. Ha!

Herald: Final contestant, approach!

N1: The beggar steps forward and shoots his arrow. It splits Gilbert’s arrow in half and lodges in the center of the bull’s-eye.

Crowd (louder): Hooray!

N2: Lady Marian brings forward the silver arrow.

Marian: Sir Champion, you beat the unbeatable.

N3: The beggar’s eye twinkles as he declines the arrow.

Robin: Please keep it, milady. You might need it the next time someone drops out of a tree and blocks your path.

N1: Lady Marian’s eyes grow wide. The Sheriff approaches, his purple robe flaring.

Sheriff: Your name?

Robin: Jack o’ the Glen.

Sheriff: You are a better archer than the coward Robin Hood, who dared not even show his face today.

N2: The beggar throws back his hood.

Robin: Coward, you say?

Guy: Guards! Capture him!

N3: Robin draws his sword from under his cloak.

Will (from the crowd): Run, Master Robin! Run!

Robin: And miss all the fun? I think not!

N1: He sends one guard tumbling over backward. Another guard steps in. Their swords clash.

N2: Robin fights valiantly, but he is overpowered.

Sheriff: To the dungeon! We will hang him tomorrow. It will be a lesson for all who think they are above the law.

N3: Lady Marian clutches the silver arrow as she watches Robin being dragged away.

Shutterstock.com

Favorite Sport

Archery contests were all the rage in medieval England, but they served a purpose beyond providing entertainment. England’s archers helped win battles. A skilled archer could release as many as 12 arrows per minute. By 1252, every able-bodied man was required to have a bow. Archery was extremely difficult and required constant practice.

 ↠ Scene 8 ↞

N1: Lady Marian sneaks into the dungeon. She speaks to Robin through the bars.

Marian: Is it true you are a noble and could be living in luxury in Locksley?

Robin: Yes, milady.

Marian: Why have you chosen a criminal life?

Robin: I loathe unjust laws and the Sheriff’s cruelties.

Marian: But laws must be followed, or there will be no justice.

Robin: Justice? Tell that to the widow whose son was executed for stealing flour for his starving family.

Marian: So you support stealing?

Robin: The peasants would not have to steal if the Sheriff did not steal from them. Do you not see what is happening all around us, Marian? People are suffering.

Marian: And you are willing to die for them?

Robin: Better to die fighting for what is right than to live an idle life of privilege and greed.

 ↠ Scene 9 ↞

N2: Robin is dragged to the gallows, his hands bound.

N3: A large, somber crowd has gathered.

Robin: Give me a sword; let me fight to my death.

Sheriff: No, you are a thief and shall die like one.

N1: A noose is placed around Robin’s neck.

N2: Friar Tuck pushes his way forward and calls out.

Friar Tuck: Would you kill this man without a blessing?

Bishop (grumbling): He deserves no blessing.

N3: Friar Tuck climbs the platform and blesses Robin while secretly cutting the rope binding Robin’s hands.

Friar Tuck (whispering): Fear not, Robin.

Sheriff (smiling): Goodbye, Robin Hood.

N1: The hangman pulls the rope.

N2: Suddenly, Lady Marian appears on horseback. She raises her bow and draws an arrow—a sparkling, silver arrow—to her cheek.

N3: Snap! The arrow whizzes through the air and pierces the rope above Robin’s head. He drops.

Merry Men (throwing off their cloaks): Hooray!

Sheriff: Catch him! Catch them all!

N1: Lady Marian gallops to the edge of the gallows.

Marian: Robin, jump!

N2: Robin leaps onto the back of the horse.

Guy: You shall regret this, Marian!

Marian: I only regret that I did not join them sooner!

N3: They charge out of the gates of Nottingham with the Merry Men close behind.

Marian: To Sherwood Forest, good Robin?

Robin: To Sherwood Forest!

Merry Men: To Sherwood Forest!

This article was originally published in the December 2020 / January 2021 issue.


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Activities (10)
Core Skills Workout
  • The Core Skills Workout is a series of skill-based activities that will help your students "bulk up" in the comprehension skills they need most to become strong, analytical readers. The Core Skills Workout comes with every issue and will support your reading program no matter what your scope and sequence.
Reference
Skills Activities
Writing Support
Quizzes (1)
Answer Key (1)
Audio ()
Activities (10)
Core Skills Workout
  • The Core Skills Workout is a series of skill-based activities that will help your students "bulk up" in the comprehension skills they need most to become strong, analytical readers. The Core Skills Workout comes with every issue and will support your reading program no matter what your scope and sequence.
Reference
Skills Activities
Writing Support
Quizzes (1)
Answer Key (1)
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

Close Reading, Critical Thinking, Skill Building

Download the Lesson Plan

Essential questions: What is justice? What is a hero? What do legends tell us about history? 

1. PREPARING TO READ (10 minutes)

Do-Now: Theme Anticipation Guide (5 minutes)

Project the Theme Anticipation Guide (available in your Resources tab). As students enter the classroom or join your virtual meeting, have them write down whether they agree or disagree with each statement. Take a quick poll, then ask volunteers to briefly explain their responses. Alternatively, share the interactive version of the activity, allowing students to respond digitally and view their classmates’ responses to each statement in real time.

 

Preview Vocabulary (5 minutes)

Share Vocabulary: Definitions and Practice (available in your Resources tab) and review the words as a class. Optionally, assign the practice activity for homework. Highlighted words: bounty, brawn, idle, loathe, perceptive, shire, valiantly, varlet 

2. READING AND DISCUSSING (45 minutes)

  • Choose students to read aloud the captions throughout the play, as well as the sidebar “Medieval Society.” (You might want to explain that “medieval” refers to the period in European history between approximately the 5th century and the 14th century. The medieval period is also referred to as the Middle Ages.)
  • Have a volunteer read the As You Read box on page 19 of the magazine or at the top of the digital story page.
  • Assign parts and read the play as a class. 
  • Break students into groups to discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions. Tip: If you’re remote, you can have each group respond in a shared doc or discuss the questions in their own chat rooms; you can also make the questions an asynchronous assignment.

Close-Reading Questions (10 minutes)

  • What is the purpose of the prologue? How is it different from the rest of the play? (text structure) The purpose of the prologue is to establish important background information about the characters and the setting: the year; that a corrupt prince is demanding heavy taxes; that in Nottingham, the sheriff collects taxes using violence and keeps most of the money for himself; and that Robin Hood and the Merry Men live as outlaws, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. The prologue differs from the rest of the play in that the characters speak directly to the audience and there is no plot—it’s just exposition. In the rest of the play, the characters are not aware of the audience, and the plot is developed. 
  • In Scene 1, Robin Hood gives food to Much and then says, “Tell your father Robin Hood will not let your family starve.” Why might Robin say this? (text structure, character) Answers will vary, but students may suggest that Robin wants to build support among the people, so it’s important that they know of his work on their behalf. 
  • At the end of the play, when Lady Marian saves Robin Hood and joins the Merry Men, she says, “I only regret that I did not join them sooner!” What clues are there earlier in the play that Lady Marian might take Robin’s side? (text structure) In Scene 3, Lady Marian refuses the necklace that Sir Guy took from a villager who was unable to pay her taxes. Marian says, “This villager was not born into nobility as we were. Why should she be punished for her poverty?” This exchange suggests that Lady Marian shares Robin’s sympathy for the poor and his disgust with those who would abuse them. There are also hints that Lady Marian likes or approves of Robin in a personal way. For example, in Scene 3, she smiles at Robin’s witty comment. And in Scene 4, she smiles at Robin and looks back at him as she leaves. In Scene 8, Marian’s concern for Robin is obvious as she sneaks into the dungeon where Robin is being held so that she can talk to him. 
  • Consider what the sidebar “Medieval Society” says about the class system in England. How is this information reflected in the play? What other ideas about the class system are developed in the play? Explain. (theme, text features) The presence of a class system is reflected in the play: Lady Marian, Sir Guy, and Robin Hood are nobles (though Robin Hood chooses not to live as a noble); Much is a villager; Sir Guy refers to “commoners and peasants” in Scene 3; and Robin gives out food to hungry villagers in Scene 6. The sidebar’s statement that life was very difficult for those in the lower classes is also reflected in the play: Much is portrayed as poor, the commoners and peasants that Sir Guy refers to are poor, and the villagers in Scene 6 do not have enough to eat. The play also develops the ideas that the upper classes were unsympathetic or even cruel to those in the lower classes and that there was corruption among members of the upper classes. These ideas are developed starting in the prologue, when Robin and his men explain that the “corrupt” Prince John is in power and that the Sheriff of Nottingham uses violence to collect taxes and keeps most of the money for himself. These ideas are further developed when Sir Guy reveals that he has taken the necklace from a villager who is unable to pay her taxes and says, “I have no pity for commoners and peasants. If they worked harder, they would have plenty,” and when, in Scene 8, Robin refers to a boy who was executed for stealing flour for his starving family. 
  • In Scene 8, Lady Marian says, “But laws must be followed, or there will be no justice.” Robin Hood responds, “Justice? Tell that to the widow whose son was executed for stealing flour for his starving family.” Explain what Robin means. (interpreting text) Robin is defining justice as what is just—that is, what is fair and correct—by ethical or moral standards, not according to the law. He is saying that the laws are not just, so there is no justice in following them or carrying them out. .

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

  • Robin breaks the law because he thinks that the laws are unfair and that the people making and enforcing those laws are corrupt. What is your opinion of Robin’s actions? Are there any problems with people deciding whether or not to obey the laws based on whether they believe the laws are just? Answers will vary. 
  • Stories about Robin Hood have been popular for hundreds of years. Why do you think these stories have endured? Answers will vary. Students may suggest that in some ways, the world has not changed that much since these stories were first told. Even if we no longer have a formal class system, society is still divided into those with great power and wealth and those without; Robin Hood stories appeal to our sense of fairness, presenting a hero who fights for what is fair and morally correct, who takes the side of the oppressed—of the little guy—against the rich and powerful oppressors. Plus, the stories are full of adventure and romance, both of which have timeless appeal.

Revisit and reflect on the statements from the Theme Anticipation Guide. Discuss: Did reading the play develop, confirm, or change your position on any of the statements? 

3. SKILL BUILDING AND WRITING (30 minutes)

  • Have students complete Preparing to Write: Plan Your Scene (available in your Resources tab). This activity will help them organize their ideas in preparation for the writing prompt on page 23 in the printed magazine and at the bottom of the digital story page.
  • Alternatively, have students choose a culminating task from the Choice Board, a menu of differentiated activities.

Recommended pairings from the Scope archives:

Multi-Genre Collection: What Makes a Hero?

Text-to-Speech