On Robin Hood Case

Robin Hood founded the Merrymen in order to better combat the tyrannical rule of the Sheriff of Nottingham. While Robin started his quest alone, he soon realized that accomplishing his goals on his own was a fool's errand. He therefore enlisted the help of all comers, generally men who resented the Sheriff and sought justice (and were apparently merry). Robin maintained a top-down approach in managing his newfound gang of outlaws, making all of the important decisions himself and delegating essential tasks (scouting, accounting, training) to his lieutenants, Will Scarlett, Little John, Scarlock, and Much the Miller's son. As Robin's band gained strength and power through sheer numbers, new problems began to arise. More men meant more demand for food, which proved increasingly scarce since they had been relying on hunting indigenous game up until that point. This forced Robin to outsource supplies from nearby villages, which in turn started to eat up their finances just as revenue was declining. Robin contemplated changing his confiscation policy to a fixed transit tax, much to the chagrin of his lieutenants, who took great pride in their motto and feared alienating the townspeople. Furthermore, morale among the Merrymen was dwindling since they now had a surplus of men and more time to "mill about." The Sheriff of Nottingham was not ignorant to the Merrymen's current plight. He had the good fortune of gaining money and power as Robin was starting to lose his and was constantly scheming up ways to squash the uprising. Even if Robin killed the Sheriff, the real problem, namely the regent Prince John, would remain and would likely retaliate. Robin had the option of siding with the barons, who promised him future amnesty if he helped them acquire the ransom needed to free King Richard the Lionheart. However, Prince John was well-connected and vindictive; if he found out, Robin risked a swift retribution against and potentially fatal blow to the Merrymen. In short, he had a lot to think about.

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