Maid Marian

Like Tuck, Marian isn't in the early ballads and probably joined as a character in the May Games. In those traditional celebrations, she was sometimes portrayed a very "free" woman, often played by a man in drag. She probably comes from the medieval French pastoral romance of the shepherd and shepherdess Robin and Marion. When Robin Hood plays started being performed at the celebrations she was a part of, it was only natural for her to join Robin Hood's legend as his true love. I don't know if there's any truth behind the early French stories of a Marion.

But in his Elizabethan "Huntingdon" plays, Anthony Munday makes Marian an alias employed by Matilda Fitzwalter (or Fitzwater). A popular romance at the time was the legend of King John pursuing Matilda (or Maud), daughter of Robert Fitzwalter. Fitzwalter was accused of plotting to assassinate King John and was outlawed in 1212. When he fled to France, it seems that Fitzwalter justified his actions by saying the king was after his daughter and plotted to kill his son-in-law. King John was lecherous, but some historians don't believe Fitzwalter's version of events. Fitzwalter led the Baronial rebellion against John in 1215.

Munday also wrote a 1615 pageant for the Lord Mayor's Day in London. Here, Fitzwater became Fitz-Ailwin and made Marian the daughter of London's first Lord Mayor (who lived in Richard I's day).

The name Matilda is interesting. That's the name of the wife of Robert Hood who lived in Wakefield in the 1310's (possibly the same man as the Robyn Hood of the next decade). Also, the name of the real Earl David of Huntingdon's wife was Maud or Matilda.

2. Choose adjectives and words that can describe the following characters of the film:

Robin of Locksley

Azeem

Duncan

Marian

Guy of Gisborne

Will Scarlett

John Little

Friar Tuck

Wolf

Write out of the film words and phrases with the help of which other personages of the film characterize them throughout the whole film.

3. Watch Episode 1 (the first 11 minutes of the film), answer the questions and do the tasks:

1) Find some information about King Richard’s Crusades and the situation in his country when he was in the Holy Land.

2) Translate the following words and word combinations into Russian and learn them.

infidel

vow

potentate

May God speed you!

3) Describe the coast Robin and Azeem landed in. Why is Great Britain often called “the fog Albion”?

4) Complete the sentences with the words and reproduce the conversation.

- Why did you cut me free, Christian?

- Whatever blood is in your … (1) … no man deserves to die in there. Farewell, friend. God speed your way.

- Our way lies together with the speed of Allah.

- What?

- You have saved my life, Christian. I will stay with you until I have saved yours, that is my … (2).

- Thanks, but I go to England. I relieve you of your … (3).

- Only Allah can do that.

- What if I say “no”?

- You have no … (4). I am Azeem Edin Bashir Al Bakir. You may call me Azeem.

- Robin of Locksley.

4. Watch Episode 2 (the next 5 minutes of the film), answer the questions and do the tasks:

1) Translate the following words and word combinations into Russian and learn them.

mistletoe

resolve

to attack downwind

2) What traditions in England do you know associated with the mistletoe? Tell about them.

3) Complete the sentences with the words and reproduce the conversation.

- Why must you walk in back of me?

- In your country, am I not the … (1)?

- Ha-ha-ha.

- It seems safer to appear as your … (2) rather than your equal.

- For an infidel, you have uncommon clarity of thinking, but you tell me nothing of yourself. For instance, your name is Azeem – what does it mean?

- It means “great one”.

- Great one, really? Did you give yourself this name? … It’s a joke. Azeem, the great one, I am home. Whoo! Look. … (3) . Many a maid’s lost her … (4) to me thanks to this plant.

- In my country, we talk to our women. We do not … (5) them with plants.

- What do you know of women?

- Where I come from, Christian, there are women of such beauty, that they can … (6) a man’s mind so, that he would be willing to die for them.

- Wait. Is that why you were to be … (7)? Because of a woman? That’s it, isn’t it? That’s it!

- It is close to … (8).

- You painted old dog. Who was she? The mullah’s daughter? Huh? Another man’s wife? What’s her name?

- Is there no sun in this … (9) country? Which way is the east?

- Her name.

- East.

- Her name.

- Jasmina.

- That way.

- You are sure?

- I would know … (10) . I’m five miles from home. Was she worth it?

- Worth dying for.

5. Watch Episode 3 (the next 5 minutes of the film), answer the questions and do the tasks:

1) Translate the following words and word combinations into Russian and learn them.

to attack downwind

a game bird

to redeem the vow

to unleash the hounds

to run through

to poach a deer

a scum

to outnumber

to whine like a mule

2) Why did the soldiers pursue the boy?

3) Why didn’t Azeem help Robin?

6. Watch Episode 4 (the next 6 minutes of the film), answer the questions and do the tasks:

1) Translate the following words and word combinations into Russian and learn them.

a prodigal son

a whelp

to best smb

potency

to haunt

to forfeit

quest

to flee

to be avenged

2) What happened to Robin’s father?

3) What did Robin decide to do?

7. Watch Episode 4 (the next 12 minutes of the film), answer the questions and do the tasks:

1) Translate the following words and word combinations into Russian and learn them.

a bully

to convey condolences

rambling

to accuse smb of smth

lame

to be haunted

to squeal

a wind chime

2) Who are Moors? Who are Saracens?

8. Watch the film up to the end, answer the questions and do the tasks:

1) Translate the following words and word combinations into Russian and learn them.

mead

outlaw

sword

to give alms to the poor

to brag

nobility

leper

2) Comment on the following phrases from the film. Try to guess who uttered them:

• “Good will overcome.”

• “The hospitality in this country is as warm as the weather.”

• “The one free man defending his home is more powerful than 10 hired soldiers.”

• “The one true weapon is courage.”

• “If you truly believe in your hearts that you're free then we can win.”

• “Milady, a woman of your beauty has no need of such decorations.”

• “The Lord reveals himself in mysterious ways.”

• “Nobility is not a birthright. It's defined by one's actions.”

• “Men speak conveniently of love, when it serves their purpose.”

• “There are no perfect men in this world. There are only perfect intentions.”

3) What was firstly the price on Robin Hood’s head? Why wouldn’t be any use of raising the price?

4) Why had there been misunderstanding between Robin and his father?

5) Why did the sheriff have to be married?

6) Find some information about Kevin Costner. What can you say about his acting the main role in the film?

7) Be ready to discuss the contents of the film and share your opinion.