Comparing Robin Hood With Himself (and Himself)

A Shallow Comparison

When a friend learned that I've read three different takes on the Robin Hood legends, she mentioned she'd be interested to have them compared side by side. I thought it was a good idea.

I still think it's a good idea, but what I've come to realize is that, to do this project justice, I'd have to dedicate a lot of summer reading time to reviewing two of the versions I read previously. So, instead of doing all the hard work that I should be doing, I'm going to settle for a surface-level comparison of the works. I don't remember many details, especially from Pyle's version (read, perhaps, 5-6 years ago), but I'm going to do what I can for the time. Perhaps a full-blown effort will occur in the future.

The Contenders

There are three Robin Hood legend collections that I have read; a brief description of each follows.

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, by Howard Pyle (1883)

This is the oldest of the three collections I've encountered. It is also the version that I think has turned up most often when I've been online or encountered discussions of Robin Hood tales. It is notable (in some editions) for its illustrations, by N. C. Wyeth, and it is the version that Barnes & Noble has chosen to produce in a fine leather-bound hardback version. It is one of the two Robin Hood collections recommended by the Cardinal Newman Society's "Guide for the Catholic Reader."

Robin Hood, by Henry Gilbert (1912)

Written thirty years after Pyle's retelling, this version is the one that Cluny Media (a Catholic book company that works to get great Catholic works back in print). It is also the version that I own in a vintage edition.

The Adventures of Robin Hood, by Roger Lancelyn Green (1956)

This collection was apparently written by one of the fellows who was an Inkling at one point or another. In his introduction, Green names the original sources he drew his stories from, and pointed out some of the particulars of which of his retellings grew from which sources. It is the second of the Robin Hood collections recommended by the Cardinal Newman Society's "Guide for the Catholic Reader."

The Comparison

I think I'll just pick different points to compare, and consider how each work does in each instance. I'll admit to being biased in favor of Gilbert's version, but all three have their good points and their shortcomings.

How Robin Becomes an Outlaw

Pyle: Robin, a hothead, runs afoul of royal foresters when he shows off his shooting skills - and unknowingly kills the king's deer. One drunken forester takes a shot at him (and doesn't hit), and Robin responds by killing him. Self defense? Even though Pyle says that Robin would've been killed by the shot if the fellow was sober, I think it'd be hard to make the case for self defense. Pyle makes sure the reader knows that Robin was raging over his treatment by the foresters. However, Robin does indeed display great remorse at having killed this man.

Gilbert: This is the longest account of Robin's turning into a wanted man. He observes someone kill a deer, saves his beloved Marian from a forced, unwanted marriage; the would-be groom he killed, and the dead man's powerful relatives would seek revenge. Downtrodden, abused peasants come to Robin, stating they'll run off and not be mistreated any longer. Robin agrees to join and lead them, knowing he is outlawed. The peasants (not Robin) set fire to the oppressive Guy of Gisborne's house, but he escapes. I appreciated that Robin took time to talk to the peasants about the consequences of their actions. He's not the hothead that Pyle's Robin is at the start.

Green: Robin has secretly been defending peasants from oppressive masters, but his traitorous steward reveals his secret to his enemies. Robin must fight off foes and flee on the day of his intended marriage to Marian, but she promises she'll have no other but him. This version begins with Robin starting with a double identity, the nobleman and the defender of the poor - it was a neat take on the Robin Hood tale.

Maid Marian

Pyle: Per my Google research, Marian is mentioned a few times, but isn't really a character in Pyle's stories, so Robin is never married to her.

Gilbert: Robin saves Marian from being forced to marry an evil man. She marries him and is happy to live life with him. (Spoiler coming, so skip ahead if you don't want to know...)...Marian dies before Robin - I don't remember how, but I'm pretty sure it's very sad. I really dislike having main characters go.

Green: Marian has the most personality in Green's tales. She is a bold and brave woman, a good match in spirit and personality to Robin Hood. I love her fidelity to her man. She doesn't have the best relationship with her dad, but she loves him and tries to take care of him.

Ending

All three tellings go to the bitter end. There's a reason the movies stop where they do.

Language

In all three books, I believe there is some swearing that includes the names of holy people, so that is problematic for all books.

Pyle: Wow, the prose and dialogue are hard to read. I think he tried to make the language sound old-timey, but it's so archaic that it can bog down reading and really isn't that fun to slog through.

Gilbert: Gilbert also tries to make the language sound old-timey, but it didn't seem quite as egregious as Pyle's. It is difficult to wade through the dialogue at times, but the prose flows just a bit more like a novel's prose would, if I remember correctly (I may very well be wrong about that, though).

Green: The version definitely was the most readable as far as the language goes. Some parts of the prose were positively compelling - the action was very well written in parts. Green does go for more archaic-sounding language, but it strikes a good balance between setting a historical feel and not making the reader work harder than they need to.

Iconic Moments and Characters

I think all three works had some of the most iconic moments in the Robin Hood legendarium present in some form (shooting contest for a golden arrow, meeting Little John, recruiting Friar Tuck, forgiveness from King Richard). While I think Guy of Gisborne and the Sherriff of Nottingham are present in all versions, Pyle stood out insofar as he doesn't start with Richard on the throne - it is King Henry who rules, and King Richard plays his part later in the stories. I'd like to focus more on Sir Guy.

Pyle: Guy of Gisbourne is apparently not "Sir" Guy - he is an outlaw. And he dresses strangely. Horsehide is not a fashionable option. I think Guy is a character in one isolated adventure in Pyle's telling.

Gilbert: Sir Guy is a villainous character, present from the first chapter and mentioned in a following early chapter, but I don't remember how his story ends, or if he is a character who just fades from the tales. He does indeed make use of a horsehide, but he doesn't use it beyond the role he needed it to play.

Green: Sir Guy shows up throughout the tales, but he doesn't end up wearing horsehide until the end. And, when he does wear it, Green explains that there's a reason for it (to dampen the clink of chain mail). I appreciated that aspect of Green's storytelling.

Overall Story Arc

Pyle: It's been a long time, but this work felt like it was simply a collection of stories. The epilogue kind of wraps things up by going over what happens in a longer span of time versus the details of the earlier individual adventures.

Gilbert: According to my review of the book, there's not really a driving plot to the story, but the tales are connected and eventually focus on Robin taking out the lair of the evil knights and lords who have terrorized the countryside. While I enjoyed Green's device of making Robin Hood a mystery initially, in this version, I liked that Robin's embrace of living the outlaw life was something of a deliberate decision, and that there are actual "bad guys" out there that he opposes, not just local enemies who happen to not like him.

Green: This work felt like it, too, was a collection of different stories. I wouldn't say it was better or worse than Pyle's except for the fact that some of Green's stories didn't hang together well stylistically. A few chapters drew from Scott's Ivanhoe, and those chapters felt really different from the rest of the tales.

Robin's Nobility and Justification

Pyle: Well, Robin doesn't start off well (killing a man in anger), but he displays deep remorse and doesn't kill anyone else (Guy of Gisbourne?) until the end of the book, in more of a self-defense situation. I don't remember all details, but I have a remaining impression that Pyle's Robin is a rather tricksy fellow and used deception in not-so-noble ways. 

Gilbert: In my review of Gilbert's work, I mentioned that Robin's vigilante justice is questionable; however, I remember finding the actions of Gilbert's Robin justifiable in most situations throughout the book. He stands out to me as the most noble Robin overall.

Green: Green's Robin isn't too far behind Gilbert's in nobility and justification of actions with a few rather major exceptions. I noted in my review of the book that I found Robin killing fifteen fleeing foresters to avenge the death of his friend and assuage his sorrow was rather disturbing to me. Other than that moment, and a few very small ones here and there, I didn't think Robin was too bad of a guy.

A Recommendation

I know that there are many other comparisons I could complete for these works, but these are the big ones that stand out right now. A lot more research would be necessary to complete this study, but I hope this is a good start.

It's hard to say which book I would recommend; I think the choice depends on what one is looking for. 

Overall, I found Gilbert's most enjoyable to read, but Green had some great action sections. 

The best illustrations would probably belong to Pyle's version, if you can find an edition that has N. C. Wyeth as the artist. Just keep in mind that Pyle's work was, at least initially, a lot harder to read.

While I liked Gilbert's the most, it reads a little differently than typical Robin Hood tales because of the presence of a concentration of baddies in "Evil Hold" and the introduction of characters I haven't found mentioned or described in other Robin Hood works. Honestly, I'm surprised the Cardinal Newman Society didn't list this one in their reader guide, as I found this Robin to be the most upright of the three versions.

Since the Gilbert version has some pretty unique features, Green's work might be a better introduction to Robin Hood, even with the sections that don't quite click with the rest of the work.

All three books had elements in them that I could consider "problematic," so, if parents have concerns, it might be better to read these out loud.

Woe is Me

In doing my internet research, I discovered there are at least three more Robin Hood works in the public domain (and that's not even counting more recent works!). I'm probably going to have to admit defeat regarding being able to read all the Robin Hoods and give decent comparisons for them all, but here are the ones I found on Project Gutenberg:

Robin Hood and His Merry Foresters by Stephen Percy

Robin Hood by J. Walker McSpadden

Robin Hood by Paul Creswick

At least this article is out, so I can reference it in the future if I get around to other retellings. Happy reading!