English History in Ridley Scott's Robin Hood

Few legends have captured the imagination of so many as the tale of Robin Hood. Although there are many myths and legends that speak of Robin of the Hood, there is currently no historical evidence to support the idea that Robin Hood was in fact a real person. Nevertheless, that did not stop director Ridley Scott from taking on the legendary hero and lending a great deal of historical authenticity to his film. While Robin Hood, or Robin Longstride (played by Russell Crowe), is a fictitious character in the movie, much of the history surrounding his character is quite real, and is worth discovering for those interested in digging below the surface.

The start of Scott's film shows King Richard the Lionheart (r. 1189-1199) and a small army trying to take Chalus Castle in northern France. The group of soldiers fight valiantly to take the castle, but are unable to penetrate the castle's strong defenses. Historical sources say that at the end of the day, a handful of French soldiers defended the castle, proving once again it is easier to defend than to attack. Nearing the end of the battle, Richard is shot in the neck by an arrow. While this is in fact how Richard died in real life, he did not die upon returning from the Crusades, as it was depicted in the film. King Richard had in fact already returned to England to raise money for his costly Crusades, and after which returned to reconquer French lands. No doubt, Scott plays with the historical timeline a bit to play up the tension between the English and French at this time. Despite the minor changes to the timeline, Scott's opening battle sequence is thrilling, and it looks amazing, with great detail given to the period costumes. This is medieval cinema at its finest.

After the English army's route at Chalus, the lowly archers led by Robin Longstride decide to escape France. Left leaderless, they do not intend to return to England as lowly soldiers. They manage to pick the armor off of several English knights that were slain in an ambush. On returning to England, Longstride passes himself off as Sir Robert Loxley, ironically enough, the knight was considered to be one of the inspirations for the legend of Robin Hood. Longstride arrives just in time for the corronation of King John I. King John of course has gone down in history as the infamously cruel king, who begrudingly signed the Magna Carta in 1215, after a protracted dispute with English barons.

In Scott's film, King John is depicted as a sniveling ruler that should not have come to power. Indeed, as the youngest of King Henry II's (r. 1154-1189) five sons, it was highly unlikely for him to rise to power. But, with Richard having spent the bulk of his kingship in the Middle East fighting in the Crusades, he did not have a proper heir. Simply put, the coronation of King John in Scott's film is meant to remind us that the king is unfit to rule, much in the same way that Shakespeare depicted the king in his play King John. Shakespeare's King John wanted "kings to come bow" to him, and the real John was no different. He wanted aboslute rule, and believed firmly in the divine right of kings.

But, King John remains in the background through much of Scott's movie. Instead, the drama surrounds the outlaw Robin Hood, who is not only wanted dead by King John, and his royal circle, but also the French, who were planning to retake parts of England. Longstride returns Nottingham to help the late Loxley's father and wife, Lady Marion, attend to their estate. While this is a truly fictional incident in the movie, the history is sound. Small estate owners experienced very tough economic conditions and beset by heavy taxes levied by King John to fight his wars. It was the people that were forced to bare the burden of these times. Robin Hood, as depicted in this movie, is a man that tries to stand up for the meek, the mild, and the righteous. He believes in the epitaph of his father, "Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions."

In the end, Robin Hood is more content to escape to Sherwood Forrest with those he cares about, than the fortunes of his native England. Certain wooded areas like Sherwood Forrest were common lands that could be used by people for living, and animals for grazing. Shortly before King John, these lands were reinstated for public use. Although the movie ends on a high note with King John signing the Magna Carta, there is a feeling that the country's troubles are not over. Indeed, King John was unhappy in signing away some of his power and authority in the Great Charter, and would be back in conflict with the country's barons in short order.