| dc.description.abstract | The Robin Hood literary tradition is the central text of this discussion, though other texts, like Piers Plowman, serve as supplementary examples that situate the Robin Hood legend within its contemporary context. The Robin Hood texts were a part of a larger social, political, and religious movement in England in the later medieval period. The heterodox Lollard movement, originated by the teachings and writings of John Wyclif, also played a role in the social friction that arose in late medieval English society. Comparison of the Robin Hood literary tradition with Lollard polemic and the literary tradition of Piers Plowman reveals the possibility that the various authors of the Robin Hood tales sought to comment on the prevalent social concerns of the period. Though the Lollards, William Langland, and the various authors of the Robin Hood tales that were soon to appear in print at times exhibited various opinions on social concerns like poverty, social hierarchy, authority, and clerical failure, the prevalence of these issues themselves in the texts suggests that they were perhaps at the forefront of the national conscience. This thesis first examines the Robin Hood literary tradition as it had developed until 1534, when the Act of Supremacy established King Henry VIII as the head of the Church of England. Next, this discussion introduces Piers Plowman, a popular text of the Middle Ages, as well as a selection of Lollard texts and themes. A cross-examination of the concerns of Lollard polemic with the Robin Hood literary tradition and other popular texts of the period concludes this thesis. This literary comparison essentially suggests that popular audiences were increasingly voicing their comments on socio-political matters of the time and thus establishing their presence and agency in public matters. | |
