The Legend of Robin Hood

moral of the story, vocabulary, fluency, inference, key idea, character, plot, cause and effect, theme, narrative writing

This play retells the adventurous tale of Robin Hood, who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. On another level, it provokes readers to consider why Robin takes these actions and whether they are right.

The play has eight chronological scenes. Artwork with extended captions depicts life in medieval England.

Some of the language evokes the time period, such as “Until we meet again, good lady.” The play also contains some challenging words, such as mill, flaring, and coward.

No special knowledge is required, but some inferences will be required to understand the play.

• Post these statements in your virtual or physical classroom, and ask students to think about them: 

1. A villain to one person can be a hero to another. 
2. If you know someone is being treated unfairly, it’s your responsibility to do something about it. 
3. Being greedy goes along with being rich.

• Then ask students for a thumbs-up or thumbs-down to show whether they agree or disagree with each statement. (If you are teaching virtually, students can use an emoji.) Briefly discuss them and have a few students explain their opinions on each one. After reading, return to the statements and ask students what the play says about each and whether it made them think differently about any of them.
• Ask students if they are familiar with the story or the character of Robin Hood. Have them look at page 24 and read the caption in the lower right-hand corner. 
• Show or assign the Vocabulary Slideshow to preview challenging words in the play. Reinforce learning before or after reading with the Vocabulary Skill Builder (available in your Resources tab). Highlighted words: mill, pity, scowls, bandits, bugle, lure, archer, flaring, coward, justice
• Call on a volunteer to read aloud the Up Close box for the class. 

• Assign parts and read the play aloud as a class or in groups. Remote learning tip: Go to the Presentation Mode of the play and share your screen for students to read the parts. Students might also change their screen name to their character’s name. After reading, discuss the close-reading and critical-thinking questions (available in your Resources tab).
• NEW! You can now have students listen to an editor read-aloud of the play! In response to your requests, we have created an audio version of the play. 

Close-Reading Questions

1. In Scene 1, why do Robin Hood and the Merry Men think the prince is rotten? How does Much’s story support their view? (main idea and supporting details) They think the prince is rotten because he makes people pay fees to him, even though he is already rich and they are very poor. Much explains that his father’s mill was burned down because his father couldn’t pay the prince’s fees. As a result, Much has to dig in the dirt trying to find something to eat. This shows the prince’s greed and cruelty.
2. At the end of Scene 1, what does Robin Hood mean when he says, “Time for an adventure, boys!”? How does the Merry Men’s chant help you understand what they want to do? (inference) Robin Hood means that they are going to take the money that Sir Guy and the sheriff have forced people to give them. The chant helps you understand that they want to return it to the poor people who need it.
3. Reread Scene 2. How are Marian’s ideas about people who are poor different from those of Sir Guy? How do Marian’s actions show what she thinks? (compare and contrast) Sir Guy’s ideas are harsh and unforgiving; he thinks that people are poor because they don’t work hard enough. Marian points out that she and Sir Guy were born rich, and people who were not shouldn’t be blamed for being poor. Marian refuses to take the necklace that Sir Guy took from a woman who couldn’t pay her fees, and she frowns when Sir Guy says Marian shouldn’t pity the woman. 
4. Based on Scenes 3 and 4, why does the sheriff want to capture Robin Hood? (plot) Robin Hood stole the money that Sir Guy had collected from the people in Sherwood Forest. The sheriff says the money was for the prince.
5. In Scene 5, Robin Hood shows two different sides of his character. What are they? Explain your answer using details from the scene. (character) Robin Hood shows that he is generous and takes care of people. He hands out food to the hungry villagers. You can infer that he used the money he took from Sir Guy—which belonged to the villagers in the first place—to give people what they need. Robin Hood also shows that he is a daredevil and show-off. Although it is clear that the archery contest is a trap to catch Robin Hood, he can’t resist taking his chances and showing off his archery skills. 
6. What do you learn in Scene 7 about who Robin Hood is and why he chooses to break the law? (key idea) You learn that Robin Hood is a rich knight. He chooses to break the law because he considers it unfair. He believes the sheriff is stealing from the people of Sherwood Forest by collecting fees for the prince, leaving them with nothing. Robin Hood wants to stand up for the people who are suffering even if it means breaking the law.
7. Why does Marian join the Merry Men at the end of the play? (character’s motivation) Over the course of the play, Marian has seen how Sir Guy and the sheriff treat people cruelly, and how Robin Hood and the Merry Men help them. Although she, like Robin Hood, is rich, she has become convinced that she would rather be on the side of kindness and generosity.

Critical-Thinking Questions

1. Do you think Robin Hood is a hero? Explain your answer. (evaluating) Answers will vary. Students might say that he is a hero because he fights back against unfair laws that force people into hunger and poverty. He stands up to the powerful sheriff and prince. Although he steals, he does it to give to the poor. Others might say he is not a hero because stealing is wrong. 
2. In Scene 7, Robin Hood says, “I hate unfair laws.” What problems could result from people deciding for themselves which laws are fair and whether to obey them? Do you think there are times when this is OK? What can we do today to make sure our laws are fair? (critical thinking) What one person thinks is fair could seem unfair to another. If everyone chose which laws to follow, we could have complete disorder. Answers will vary for the second question. If students have learned about the civil rights movement, they might say it was OK to peacefully break laws that were unfair to Black people in order to change them. Today we can try to elect lawmakers who will make fair laws, and voice our opinions to them about what we think is fair. 

Point out that Robin Hood was a rich knight who could have lived in luxury, rather than living the life of a bandit in Sherwood Forest. Discuss with students ways that Robin Hood shows concern for others in the play. (For example, he gives Much bread and meat; he hands out food to the hungry villagers.) Then ask students: What are some ways we can show concern for others who are less fortunate than ourselves (without stealing!)? Students might suggest that we can make donations of money, clothes, or other necessary items to organizations that help people in need. We can raise money to give to people in need; for example, kids might have a bake sale (when it’s safe) or put on a virtual show. We can listen to people and acknowledge their needs, and respond with kind words. 

• Assign the Character’s Motivation Skill Builder (available in your Resources tab) and have students complete it in class or for homework. This new interactive Skill Builder Slide Deck will walk students through understanding what a character’s motivation is and identifying the reasons behind Robin Hood’s actions. They will then be prepared to respond to the writing prompt on page 28.

• Help students understand the setting of the play by showing or assigning the Text Features Slideshow. Then have students each make an entry on a shared document or a platform like Flipgrid, telling what they would like or dislike about living in medieval England.