Robbing the Source Text of Its Authority: The Robin Hood Story as Dialogic Intertext

Abstract

An easily recognized story in contemporary global culture, the famous English folk legend of Robin Hood has been frequently reproduced through cinematic and literary adaptations from the thirteenth century up to the present. It is ironic that an attempt to specify the origin of the Robin Hood story results in the revelation that there is not any single authoritative source text for the story. In this thesis, the Robin Hood story is approached as a mosaic of intertexts that includes material from various historical periods and genres, including medieval folk ballads, early modern dramatic performances, nineteenth century children’s books and twentieth century cinematic adaptations that are intertextuality connected. In the introduction chapter, a brief overview on contemporary adaptation studies, its overall approach, and on intertextuality are given.