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Folklore
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Table of Contents
Cover
Table of Contents
Introduction
Conclusion
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References
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Folklore
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Introduction
Joseph John Campbell (March 26, 1904 October 30, 1987) was an
American mythologist, writer and lecturer, best known for his work in
comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work is vast, covering
many aspects of the human experience. He wrote a famous book entitled
The Hero with a Thousand Faces. In his lifelong research Campbell revealed
many common patterns running through hero myths and stories from
around the world. Years of research lead Campbell to discover several basic
stages that almost every hero quest goes through (no matter what culture
the myth is a part of). He calls this common structure the monomyth.
Robin Hood (spelled Robyn Hode in older sources) is a heroic outlaw
in English folklore, and, according to legend, was also a highly skilled archer
and swordsman. Although such behavior was not part of his original
character, since the beginning of the 19th century (Holt, 1989: 184-185). he
has become known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", (Seal,
2011: 45) assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men"(
Merry-man" has referred to the follower of an outlaw since at least the late
14th century). Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing
Lincoln green clothes. According to some accounts, the legend has its roots in
the activities of actual medieval outlaws, or the ballads or tales that
circulated about them.
Robin Hood became a popular folk figure in the medieval period, and
continues to be widely represented in modern literature, films and television.
In the earliest sources Robin Hood is a yeoman, but later portrayals raise him
to the level of an aristocrat wrongfully dispossessed of his lands and made
into an outlaw by an unscrupulous sheriff (Knight, 2009: 142-143).
This paper will study about the application of Campbell the monomyth
structure in famous myth character from England Robin Hood.
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life to pan out, here are the most important stages that unfold in every hero's
story:
The call to adventure - the hero begins in the ordinary world where he
often denies or refuses to hear the call to adventure. He stays in his
comfort zone until he can stay there no longer.
Crossing the threshold - the hero takes the first brave step- He has
accepted the challenge.
The road of trials - the hero undergoes a series of ordeals that test him to
the limit anti meets a mixture of allies and enemies en the way until he
achieves his goal or reward.
Returning to the ordinary world with the elixir - finally the hero heads
home and personally transformed by the experience.
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Robins love for disguises also shines forth in the adventures involving
an archery competition and his impersonation of a butcher where he sits and
dines with his arch enemy, the Sheriff of Nottingham. He also finds the time
to prevent a forced marriage and get the bride married to her lover, the
sensitive Allan a Dale.
Not all adventures involve Robin however; Little John has many of his
own, including living a temporary life of luxury, under the assumed name of
Reynold Greenleaf, in the service of the sheriff. This is soon followed by his
first defeat at single combat at the hands of Arthur a Bland, owing to the lack
of physical exertion while at the sheriffs.
The book ends on a happy note with King Richard the Lion heart
making an appearance in Nottingham. Intrigued by stories about Robin Hood,
he expresses an interest to meet the outlaw. Much to the sheriffs chagrin, the
King sets off in disguise to do just that. As expected, he is intercepted by
Robin who proceeds to rob him of his money and then treats him to a feast
and a show. Robin expresses his loyalty to the monarch and the King, who
has been impressed by the outlaws behavior, reveals himself and grants
them royal pardon.
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other every day. In the end, they find each other and get married because
they could not stand being apart anymore.
The second part is analysis of situational archetypes. The situational
archetypes which will be explored in Robin Hood are the quest, the task, the
journey, and the trap.
The Quest Through the story, Robin Hood tries to destroy the regime
of Prince John to stop the oppression of the people through taxes.
The Task The task for Robin Hood is stealing from the rich
(preferably Prince John) and giving them to the poor. With taxes going up
though it is hard to keep with the stealing. This task is next to impossible
with all those guards and the mayor always hunting Robin Hood.
The Journey The journey is one for love and to save ones people. He
tries to get Maid Marian to his side and he tries to hold Prince John off until
King Richard arrives.
The Trap Prince John insists on capturing Robin Hood and to make
sure that happens he sets a trap. He makes an archery tournaments and th
prize is a kiss from Maid Marian. Prince John knows he is good in archery so
it is a perfect trap.
The final part is analysis of Symbolic archetypes. The symbolic
archetypes which will be drilled in Robin Hood are haven versus wilderness,
the castle, the tower, the fog, the night time and the day time.
Haven Versus Wilderness The haven for Robin Hood and Little John
is the camp that they make. And the dangerous wilderness is the castle of
King Richard because of all the hostile guards.
The Castle Instead of providing safety for the hero it provides a safe
house for the villain. The castle happens to have twos Robin Hood wants. The
first id Maid Marian and the other is the money that the citizens need to
survive.
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The Tower The prison tower is the tower in the story as it is trapping
everyone who cannot pay taxes (in other words everybody)
The Fog Robin Hood is escaping the castle and dives in the moat and
it looks like he is shot with arrows by the guards. We think this is a time of
uncertainty therefore it is the fog
The Night Time - When the people are in jail, Friar Tuck gets arrested
and it cannot get any worse it just so happens that it is night time to
symbolize misery, darkness, and evil.
The Day Time. When everything is nice, peaceful, when King Richard
returns, Prince John is arrested, Robin Hood is married and pardoned it all
takes place in the day time to symbolize light innocence and happiness.
Conclusion
Robin Hood is a heroic outlaw in English folklore, and, according to
legend, was also a highly skilled archer and swordsman. Robin Hood became
a popular folk figure in the medieval period, and continues to be widely
represented in modern literature, films and television.
Robin Hood was originally associated with several locations in
England. One was Barnsdale, in the northern district called Yorkshire. The
other was Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, where his principal
opponent was the vicious and oppressive Sheriff of Nottingham. Robin's
companions included Little John, Alan-a-Dale, Much, and Will Scarlett.
Since Robin Hood as a hero, the archetypal analysis will be conduct
with theory from Campbell about the heros journey. By analyzing the story,
it reveals several archetypes. They are character archetypes, situational
archetypes, and symbolic archetypes.
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REFERENCES
Bonnet, James. 2006. Stealing Fire From The Gods : The Complete Guide to
Story For Writers and Filmmakers. Studio City, CA: M. Wiese
Productions.
Burton, Kate. 2010. Live life, love work. Hoboken, NJ: Capstone/Wiley.
Campbell, Joseph. 1949. The Hero With a Thousand Faces. Princeton, N.J:
Princeton University Press.
Holt, J. C. 1989. Robin Hood. London: Thames and Hudson.
Knight, Stephen Thomas. 2009. Robin Hood : A Mythic Biography. New York:
Cornell University Press.
Seal, Graham. 2011. Outlaw Heroes in Myth and History. London: Anthem
Press.
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