Question

read the excerpt from the merry adventures of robin hood where a link - er approaches robin hood with a warrant for his arrest. there stands a link - er, quoth robin, that would fain take me to nottingham, there to hang upon the gallows tree. then shall he himself hang for - thwith, cried little john, and he and the others made at the link - er, to seize him. nay, touch him not, said robin, for a right stout man is he. a mortal man he is by trade, and a malted man by nature; moreover, he doth sing a lovely ballad. say, good fellow, wilt thou join my merry men? three score of lincoln green shall thou have a year; besides forty marks in fee; thou shalt share all with us and lead a right merry life in the greenwood, for cares have we not, and misfortune cometh not upon us within the sweet shades of sherwood, where we shoot the dun deer and feed. which quality in the context of the passage makes robin hood a hero? robin shows compassion to the link - er. robin follows his own moral code rather than the law. robin steals from the rich to give to the poor. robin seeks revenge towards the sheriff of nottingham.

Explanation:

In the Robin - Hood legend, a key characteristic is his stealing from the rich to give to the poor. This act is seen as a form of social justice in the context of the story where the poor are oppressed. While compassion is also a good quality, stealing from the rich to give to the poor is more emblematic of his hero - status. Following his own moral code is related but not as defining as the act of redistributing wealth. Seeking revenge is not the most prominent quality that makes him a hero.

Answer:

Robin steals from the rich to give to the poor.