Case essay writing

C2 CASE 1 :: ROBIN HOOD

lose, were now giving the forest a wide berth. This was

costly and inconvenient to them, but it was preferable to

having all their goods confiscated.

Robin believed that the time had come for the Merrymen

to change their policy of outright confiscation of goods to

one of a fixed transit tax. His lieutenants strongly resisted

this idea. They were proud of the Merrymen’s famous

motto: “Rob the rich and give to the poor.” “The farmers

and the townspeople,” they argued, “are our most important

allies. How can we tax them, and still hope for their help in

our fight against the Sheriff?”

Robin wondered how long the Merrymen could keep

to the ways and methods of their early days. The Sheriff

was growing stronger and better organized. He now had

the money and the men, and was beginning to harass the

band, probing for its weaknesses.

The tide of events was beginning to turn against the

Merrymen. Robin felt that the campaign must be deci-

sively concluded before the Sheriff had a chance to deliver

a mortal blow. “But how,” he wondered, “could this be

done?”

Robin had often entertained the possibility of killing

the Sheriff, but the chances for this seemed increasingly

remote. Besides, while killing the Sheriff might satisfy his

personal thirst for revenge, it would not improve the situ-

ation. Robin had hoped that the perpetual state of unrest,

and the Sheriff’s failure to collect taxes, would lead to his

removal from office. Instead, the Sheriff used his politi-

cal connections to obtain reinforcement. He had power-

ful friends at court, and was well regarded by the regent,

Prince John.

Prince John was vicious and volatile. He was consumed

by his unpopularity among the people, who wanted the

imprisoned King Richard back. He also lived in constant

fear of the barons, who had first given him the regency,

but were now beginning to dispute his claim to the throne.

Several of these barons had set out to collect the ransom

that would release King Richard the Lionheart from his

jail in Austria. Robin was invited to join the conspiracy in

return for future amnesty. It was a dangerous proposition.

Provincial banditry was one thing, court intrigue another.

Prince John’s spies were everywhere. If the plan failed, the

pursuit would be relentless and retribution swift.

The sound of the supper horn startled Robin from his

thoughts. There was the smell of roasting venison in the

air. Nothing was resolved or settled. Robin headed for

camp promising himself that he would give these problems

his utmost attention after tomorrow’s raid.

It was in the spring of the second year of his insurrec-

tion against the High Sheriff of Nottingham that Robin

Hood took a walk in Sherwood Forest. As he walked he

pondered the progress of the campaign, the disposition of

his forces, the Sheriff’s recent moves, and the options that

confronted him.

The revolt against the Sheriff had begun as a personal

crusade, erupting out of Robin’s conflict with the Sheriff

and his administration. Alone, however, Robin Hood could

do little. He therefore sought allies, men with grievances

and a deep sense of justice. Later he welcomed all who

came, asking few questions, and only demanding a will-

ingness to serve. Strength, he believed, lay in numbers.

He spent the first year forging the group into a disci-

plined band, united in enmity against the Sheriff, and will-

ing to live outside the law. The band’s organization was

simple. Robin ruled supreme, making all important deci-

sions. He delegated specific tasks to his lieutenants. Will

Scarlett was in charge of intelligence and scouting. His

main job was to shadow the Sheriff and his men, always

alert to their next move. He also collected information

on the travel plans of rich merchants and tax collectors.

Little John kept discipline among the men, and saw to it

that their archery was at the high peak that their profession

demanded. Scarlock took care of the finances, convert-

ing loot into cash, paying shares of the take, and finding

suitable hiding places for the surplus. Finally, Much the

Miller’s son had the difficult task of provisioning the ever-

increasing band of Merrymen.

The increasing size of the band was a source of satis-

faction for Robin, but also a source of concern. The fame

of his Merrymen was spreading, and new recruits poured

in from every corner of England. As the band grew larger,

their small bivouac became a major encampment. Between

raids the men milled about, talking and playing games.

Vigilance was in decline, and discipline was becoming

harder to enforce. “Why,” Robin reflected, “I don’t know

half the men I run into these days.”

The growing band was also beginning to exceed the

food capacity of the forest. Game was becoming scarce,

and supplies had to be obtained from outlying villages.

The cost of buying food was beginning to drain the band’s

financial reserves at the very moment when revenues were

in decline. Travelers, especially those with the most to

CASE 1 ROBIN HOOD *

CASES

* Prepared by Joseph Lampel, City University, London. Copyright Joseph

Lampel © 1985, revised 1991. Reprinted with permission.

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