een portrayed as a good man who defended the poor against evil authority figures such as The Sheriff of Nottingham and King John. He is seen by some as being linked to even older myths and legends like The Green Man and The Wild Man of the Woods. Ultimately, however, he has always been seen in a positive note when really he was more likely to be a criminal. First of all the laws that existed then were more or less the same which include the laws that say you shouldn't steal from other people. The Robin Hood Legend tries to justify the fact that he stole rich peoples money by stating that he gave it to the poor. Don't get me wrong I do not mind giving money to charity but if somebody from Oxfam threatened me with a bow and arrow and took my money I wouldn't be impressed! Even if he looks like this...
This link is from a website that looks at the 'real Robin Hood' and also has references to William Wallace and Jesse James. It argues that all eras and cultures have their own folk hero outlaws. I think that the reality is always more ambivalent. However noble the idea is it right to use violence to achieve the outcome? This link talks about people who have defied oppression and bad authority by peaceful and successful means.
In films Robin Hood is always portrayed as a handsome and decent man or the case of the Walt Disney a 'hot fox.' The so called villains such as Alan Rickman in Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, are always 100% bad with nothing decent about them. The reality is that these authority figures represented and upheld law and order in a difficult time and people like Robin Hood were actually thieves who broke the law. Why is it that Hollywood and popular culture always try to glamorise the villain at the expense of those who just want to maintain law and order.
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