The Highwayman
"The Highwayman" is a romantic ballad and narrative poem written by Alfred Noyes. First published in the August 1906 issue of Blackwood's Magazine in Edinburgh, Scotland, "The Highwayman" became an instant success. Noyes had already received many awards for his other works, including a Pulitzer Prize. He would later include the poem in a collection of poems in 1907, and it soon became a hit.
Characteristics
The Highwayman's role is a classic one in folktales and mythology. The Highwayman is a character who embodies the chaotic and ambiguous nature of human nature. He is the ultimate road warrior and is often associated with a mysterious and dangerous nature. In addition to his role as a road warrior, the Highwayman also serves as a metaphor for the state of human society. Characteristics of the highwayman include:
History
The History of the Highwayman tells the story of how a common street boy becomes a criminal. The figure of the highwayman is a paradox, representing a bygone age when criminals were considered gentlemen. In reality, however, highwaymen were ruthless, using their superior technological skills and lack of infrastructure to take advantage of unsuspecting travellers. These men brutalized society and captured the public imagination during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries through their legends.
Heroic sacrifice
A Heroic Sacrifice is a noble choice made in an extreme circumstance. In many cases, this choice will kill the hero, if not all of them. Heroic Sacrifices are lethal, and most of the time the hero will die with honor. Then, when the hero dies, he becomes a Saved Soul, who can be revived under certain circumstances or due to outside interference.
Melancholy mood
The Melancholy mood of the highwayman was inspired by a story told by the poet. The highwayman escaped the town and shot himself, presumably out of love. He may have been seeing the figure of Bess on the roadside or heard the news. Either way, he was driven to act, killing himself to save his lover. As the poem ends, he and his lover remain haunted by their love, their fate unknown.
Violence
The Highwaymen is a film about extrajudicial police violence. The film alters the facts and glorifies violence. It also misleads us on three major points. First, the movie falsely charges Bonnie with being a cold-blooded murderer. Bonnie never killed anyone. He merely rolled a wounded policeman on his back. Second, the movie exaggerates the violence in the ending. Third, the movie misrepresents the historical facts regarding the Highwayman.
Bess's warning to the highwaymen in "The Highwayman" is a powerful moment in the poem. The highwayman, who loved Bess as deeply as Bess did, promises to return to her before sunrise, or by moonlight. In the middle of the night, the highwayman rushes back to Bess's home, unaware that the Redcoats are already waiting for him. The highwayman is struck down, but not before the highwayman can get close to Bess.
Tim
The story of Tim the highwayman has a lot of conflict. Initially, the reader feels sympathy for the highwayman, but then he turns out to be a criminal. Tim tells redcoats that he loves Bess, the daughter of his landlord. However, Tim soon realizes that he loves Bess too, and the two fall in love. But the plot thickens as the story progresses, and the reader begins to hate Tim.
In "The Highwayman", we see the development of a relationship between two outsiders, the highwayman and Bess. They meet in the night and both believe that their love is hidden from society. Tim, on the other hand, is well aware of their relationship and regards them with prejudice and disapproval. Even though Tim harbors lust for Bess, he is too cowardly to approach her. The highwayman's handsome and good-looking face contrasts greatly with Tim's pale and mad appearance.
