BCa++Character+1+Sherriff+of+Nottingham

**Character** The Sheriff of Nottingham **Stimulus** The Graphic Novel // Outlaw // : // The Legend of Robin Hood // **Performance focus** Create a solo performance based on the character of The Sheriff of Nottingham. The Sheriff, frustrated with his demotion and King Richard’s perception of him as a weak-willed listener to idiots, threatens his PR manager with unspeakable agony unless something is done to improve his image. He • re-creates an example of how Prince John and/or Guy of Gisburn cruelly misinterpreted his instructions
 * PRESCRIBED STRUCTURE 1**


 * Guy of Gisborn has John of Lye killed without the Sheriff's knowledge

*Guy of Gisborn killed Diccon (the informer) without the Sheriff's knowledge *the Sheriff ordered a reward for Robin's capture but Prince John ordered the burning of villages until Robin's capture

*The Sheriff imprisoned Marion but Prince John attempts to have her hanged *the sheriff orders Guy of Gisburn to "grab some men and interrupt" Robin hood's conversation with Lady Marion - Guy of Gisburn interprets that as kill robin hood and so attempts to do that.

*Was it the Sheriff that order 1/10 to be killed or Guy of Gisborn?

• creates a montage of dramatic images that show him as a popular, responsible statesman: universally admired by the barons and the peasantry

• shows how a powerful man in the 21st century will suffer the same lack of understanding and sympathy, despite his deep concern for the ordinary citizen. So who are the powerful men like the Sheriff of Nottingham in the 21st century? Like the Sheriff, they need to be selfish, rely on underlings to do their dirty work, be focussed on the power of the position, believe they are more worthy than anyone else, want money, be able to use strategies of trickery, deceit, bullying, blackmail and any other method of corruption - but all under the guise of appearing to be a great and caring leader. All leaders have people who like or don't like them, so suffering lack of understadning and sympathy depends on the person and their country!

Consider: Osama Bin Laden - deep concern for the citizens of Afghanistan and muslims against the materialistic corruption of Western nations like USA, Australia, Great Britain. He and Al Quaeda think the west have a lack of understanding and sympathy for their cause.

Colonel Gaddafi - Gaddaffi still has military fighing for his right to rule Libya with an iron fist for the benefit of the people - the rebel fighters se it differently, having captured his compound, his wealth and are now hunting him down as he seeks refuge with anyone who will hide him for safety

The Dalai Lama - exiled and threatened from his home country of China - seen as a threat to Chinese Communist Rule and the many restrictions and discipline it places on the people of China, 'for the greater good'. Lacks understanding and sympathy in China because of the propaganda against him, but hold much understanding and sympathy with many other people around the world.

Tom Cruise - significant leader in the Church of Scientology and has great passion and concern for the ordinary citizen to understand the ways of the Church....but not many people care.....

George W Bush - deep concern to protect American citizens from terrorists and declared the war on terror, unleashing a military invasion on Iraq and Afghanistan in the name of democracy and peace. Some people find these actions somewhat hypocritical, while others are exremely supportive

John Howard - for the above reasons as well as many other Australian controversial decisions.

**Performance style** Non-naturalistic **Theatrical convention** Satire **Dramatic element** Conflict **Reference material** Outlaw: The Legend of Robin Hood written by Tony Lee, illustrated by Sam Hart and Artur Fujita, published by Walker Books, 2009 [] [|http://www.boldoutlaw.com/robbeg/robbeg4.html#sheriff] []

THE Sheriff of Nottingham? =William de Wendenal= From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

William also served as High [|Sheriff] of [|Nottinghamshire] and [|Derbyshire][//[|citation needed]//] (and possibly intermittently as Sheriff of [|Yorkshire]) during King Richard's absence from England, from 1191 until 1194. William has been linked to the legends of [|Robin Hood] and some have said him to be the villainous "[|Sheriff of Nottingham]" of legend.[//[|citation needed]//]
 * William de Wendenal** (also **William de Wendeval**) was a [|Norman] [|baron] probably born during the mid-12th century. He was one of the highest officials left in charge of the [|Kingdom of England] when [|King Richard the Lionheart] was away at the [|Third Crusade] to reclaim the [|Holy Land] from the control of [|Saladin] of the [|Ayyubid dynasty].
 * William de Wendenal** (also **William de Wendeval**) was a [|Norman] [|baron] probably born during the mid-12th century. He was one of the highest officials left in charge of the [|Kingdom of England] when [|King Richard the Lionheart] was away at the [|Third Crusade] to reclaim the [|Holy Land] from the control of [|Saladin] of the [|Ayyubid dynasty].

[[|edit]] Biography
Little is known of William, for record keeping was sketchy at best during the 1190s, a fiery decade of great political upheaval in the [|History of England]. It is a curious and unusual fact that de Wendenel did not appear to be the lord of any particular area of England; it is possible that he was related to a noble family or had come into esteem with one, perhaps starting out as a [|squire]. He may have owned land somewhere, though. Many lower nobles, and even some [|yeomen] (the equivalent of today's [|middle classes]) who owned more land than most, were given prominent official positions during King Richard's absence from the kingdom, due to the fact many nobles had gone away with Richard to the Crusade, leaving the administration of England short on staff. It is possible, though, that Wendenal held a joint title with another baron, perhaps [|William de Ferrers, 4th Earl of Derby]. Although we can not be sure of this, holding joint titles was a frequent occurrence during those times. From his name we can deduce that he was of [|Norman] (descendants of Scandinavian settlers in Normandy) ancestry, perhaps the great-grandchild of one of the nobles that came across to England with [|William the Conqueror] during the [|Norman conquest of England] in 1066. This would also explain why he was in favour with Richard the Lionheart (for he must have been to be left in a position of such trust, responsibility and prestige). As such he may have been at loggerheads with many of the [|Anglo-Saxon] nobles and Anglo-Saxon peasant populations, due to the fact bitterness was still prevalent and division still a reality between the two communities after the Norman Conquest. There is one contemporary account, a [|Middle Ages] legal document, which states William served as the High Sheriff (or law-enforcer and bailiff) of the counties of both Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire during the years of King Richard's absence from the country, and perhaps other areas of England also, such as Yorkshire (sheriffs were known to go outside their areas of jurisdiction frequently in order to capture fugitive criminals and bandits). This would have made him one of the most important and influential officials during these years. However when King Richard landed back in England in the late March of 1194, it is stated that [|William de Ferrers, 4th Earl of Derby], took over all William de Wendenal's duties and took up his position. After this, William de Wendenal simply disappears from the records altogether.

[[|edit]] Sheriff of Nottingham in the Robin Hood legend?
Typically, the legends of Robin Hood are set during the reign of King Richard the Lionheart, especially when the king was away at the Crusade. If so that would make William de Wendenel the corrupt and cruel lawman of legend and typical arch nemesis of the folk hero of [|Sherwood Forest]. It is said that Robin Hood robbed from the rich not only to relieve the commoners of the unnecessarily harsh taxes imposed on them by the greedy establishment, but also to help raise the ransom for [|Queen Mother] [|Eleanor of Aquitaine] to free her son Richard the Lionheart from captivity in the custody of first [|Leopold V of Austria] and then [|Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor]. Many historical sheriffs from this period in history were indeed corrupt, and it is possible that de Wendenel was as well. Some, like Sir Robert Ingram, were actually in league with [|outlaws]. This sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire was an ally of the Coterel gang, notorious 14th century outlaws. If de Wendenel was indeed in the same league as these corrupt officials, abusing the absence of a king to terrorise the populace, then he may have been killed in an uprising or by a revengeful outlawed peasant. Indeed there are records of riots going on at the time in [|Nottingham], where de Wendenel probably resided for a time (If this was the case then it would adequately explain why de Wendenel disappears from history. Some who believe in a historical Robin Hood have stated that de Wendenel was killed, and that his avenger was a famed outlaw of the time and disposed member of the lower [|gentry], now known as Robin Hood.