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Will Scarlet is a legendary character in Robin Hood stories, often portrayed as a nobleman’s son who joins Robin’s band of outlaws. His origins are unclear, but he is known for being an excellent swordsman and a close friend of Robin and Little John. His character has been portrayed in various ways in literature and film, from a flamboyant dandy to a battle-weary soldier. There is no conclusive evidence linking him to a real person.
Will Scarlet is a legendary character believed to be one of the outlaws under the rule of Robin Hood. Will appears in the earliest surviving ballads of Robin Hood, and is often portrayed as a nobleman’s son who flees to Sherwood. There is some confusion regarding the character of Will Scarlet, as some ballads list a character named Will with an alternate surname beginning with the letter S. Most modern literary traditions accept all of these other men as personifications of Will Scarlet .
Will Scarlet’s origin is believed to have first been told in the story Robin Hood Newly Revived, written at an undetermined time. In this story, Will Gamwell is a nobleman who has escaped after killing his father’s butler. He also claims that Robin Hood is his uncle. Robin chooses to take him in, renaming him Scarlet.
While the common folk rarely received sword training, noble Will Scarlet would be trained. He is often depicted as an excellent swordsman, sometimes fighting with two swords simultaneously. In a variation, the 2006 British Broadcasting Company series Robin Hood Will is depicted as a carpenter fighting with two axes.
In traditional stories and modern interpretations, Will is usually portrayed as much younger than the rest of the Merry Men. This may stem from the original account which marks him as Robin’s nephew. The earliest stories that exist of Robin Hood often show Will as particularly interested in justice and caution. In the earliest extant story, A Gest of Robyn Hode, Will convinces Robin to provide a poor and honest rider they have captured with a horse and clothing befitting his position. In another story, Robin Hood’s Death Will wants Robin to bring along a bodyguard on his next adventure, which Robin refuses to do.
Will is often considered one of Robin’s best allies and friends. The early ballads mention Robin, Little John and Will as the principal companions, going on many adventures with just the three of them. In William Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part II, a ballad by Robin, John and Will is mentioned. However, aside from his natural wisdom, very few character traits of the original Will are known.
Perhaps because of the name “Scarlet,” which is given to him for wearing bright red stockings, Will is often portrayed in literature and film as a clothes horse or dandy. In the 1938 film starring Errol Flynn as Robin, Will dresses in red, refuses to sleep outdoors, plays the lute and sings.
This version may be the result of a combination of the character of Will with the later bard of the Robin Hood ballads, a lovestruck singer named Alan-a-dale. In one ballad, Alan appears asking for Robin’s help in saving the girl he wishes to marry. There is a similar back story, of which the lover is not Alan-a-dale but Will Scarlet.
Because so little is really known about the character, writers and directors have taken a variety of approaches to his personality. Occasionally, as in the 1980s TV show Robin of Sherwood, Will is portrayed as a battle-sick, crusading-weary soldier. In comic adaptations, the character is often flamboyantly dressed and a little ridiculous. A famous episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation places the Klingon Warf as Will Scarlet, horrified at his side. In the farcical Robin Hood: Men In Tights Will is a swordsman from Georgia whose full name is Will Scarlett O’Hara.
There is no conclusive evidence linking Will Scarlet’s character to a real person. There are some records of a William Schakelock in the Nottingham area who was a contemporary of Robin Hood. Experts tentatively conclude that this could be the source of the historical will. Traditionally the outlaw is believed to be buried in St Mary’s Church, in a town that was once part of Sherwood Forest.
