Chapter: 09. Robin Hood And Maid Marian
Comprehension Answers
A. Fill in the blanks correctly.
Robin Hood was the son of the Earl of Huntingdon. Between the Earl of Huntingdon’s castle and Lord Fitzwater’s castle, there was a forest called the Sherwood Forest. Robin Hood’s father was killed by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Robin Hood was amazed at Marian’s bravery/fighting skill. Maid Marian and Robin Hood were married in the greenwood. B. Answer these questions with reference to the context.
The boy and the girl soon became friends. a. Who are the boy and the girl referred to in the above line? The boy is Robin, son of the Earl of Huntingdon, and the girl is Marian, daughter of Lord Fitzwater. b. How did the two become friends? They often met in Sherwood Forest, which was between their two castles, and spent time together. c. What happened after the boy’s father was killed? The Sheriff of Nottingham took the Earl of Huntingdon’s castle, and young Robin was forced to leave it. Marian heard nothing about him for a few years. There is no better bowman in the country than him. a. Who is referred to as ‘him’ in the above line? ‘Him’ refers to Robin Hood. b. Who listened to these lines apart from the two men who were talking? Maid Marian listened to these lines. c. What did that listener do after listening to these lines? After listening, Marian thought it sounded like her Robin, put on a boy’s clothes with a blue hood, and left to find this Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest. C. Think and answer.
Write a brief character sketch of Robin Hood. Robin Hood is a brave, kindhearted, and principled young man. Initially the son of a respected Earl, he becomes an outlaw driven by injustice after his father is killed by the Sheriff of Nottingham. He is an exceptionally skilled bowman and fighter. His most defining trait is his commitment to justice: he robs the rich, but only to give to the poor, never harming women or those in need. He is a strong and respected leader to his merry men and deeply loyal to his childhood friend, Maid Marian. Find out two instances from the story that prove Robin Hood was against unnecessary violence and wanted to restore peace in the society. Instance 1: The story states that Robin Hood and his merry men “never take anything from women or from poor people or good yeomen.” This shows he targeted only the corrupt rich, not the vulnerable, indicating a desire for a peaceful society where people are not exploited. Instance 2: During his quarterstaff fight with Marian (whom he thought was a boy), it was clear “he didn’t want to hurt the ‘boy’. His staff often touched Marian, but never hit her really hard.” This shows his restraint and aversion to causing severe harm, even in a fight, suggesting he preferred peace over brutal violence. Robin Hood was an outlaw who robbed the rich and helped the poor. Do you think that this justifies his wrongdoings? Discuss in class. (This is a discussion question, but here’s a sample perspective for discussion): Arguments for justification: Some might argue that his actions were justified because he was rectifying a greater wrong. The rich he robbed were often corrupt, and the poor were suffering due to the unjust system enforced by the Sheriff. In a time when legal systems failed the common people, Robin Hood acted as a form of “vigilante justice” to restore balance and provide for the needy. His intentions were good, and he helped many. Arguments against justification: Others might argue that breaking the law, even for a good cause, is still wrong. Robbery is still robbery, regardless of who benefits. It creates a chaotic system where personal interpretations of justice lead to disorder. While his intentions were noble, operating outside the law could be seen as setting a dangerous precedent, even if the “laws” of the land were corrupt. 
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