This is my explaination of the highwayman ballad

1. The Highwayman Ballad
by Alfred Noyles
11/02/2012 Niall Goldsby 3MS

2. We meet a new character called Bess (Elizabeth)
who is the landlords daughter. Bess has dark eyes
and long black hair. We can assume by the loving
descriptive words that both characters like each
other.
Tim the ostler is listening in to the highwayman’s conversation with the landlords
daughter. During this part of the ballad the author describes the highwayman as a
robber.
We know Tim loves the landlords daughter as it states this in the ballad.
11/02/2012 Niall Goldsby 3MS

3. What we know so far is a highwayman is riding to an inn but it uses a lot of scary
descriptive words which is setting an atmosphere for the whole story. It seems like it’s
set back in time where horses were the main transportation. It is also set during the
evening, as the author describes the moon and the moonlight.
The author describes the highwayman and uses
words that make us believe he is rich and proud of
his appearance. He carries a pistol around with him
either to protect himself or to threaten other
people.
In the third paragraph we learn more about the highway man and what he might be
riding. We could assume that the highwayman is riding a horse as it says in the ballad
“over the cobbles he clattered and clashed” also it mentions a whip maybe to whip
the horse but we don’t know.
11/02/2012 Niall Goldsby 3MS

4. During the conversation between the highwayman and the landlords
daughter, he asks for a kiss before he leaves. The highwayman loves
the landlords daughter and stated that he’d be back before tomorrows
evening which in the ballad is described as “tomorrows moonlight”
The highwayman is just about to leave and the landlords daughter gives him a
kiss. There is more evidence that he is riding a horse, because it mentions in the
text “tugged at his reins” and “galloped away”. It is night time as it says moonlight
several times in the paragraph.
11/02/2012 Niall Goldsby 3MS

5. The highwayman didn’t come back at dawn, noon, sunset or before “the rise of the
moon”. Some soldiers described as red coats or the Kings men, came marching up to the
Inn door. We don’t know why they arrived at the inn. It could have possibly to collect
rent or a random visit but more then likely it was because Tim the Ostler had informed
them of the highwayman. This paragraph was basically to move the ballard on to the
next part giving little information about King George’s men, it was like a hook because
they want you to carry on listening or reading most likely they will give you more
information about them in the next bit.
King George’s men entered the inn, they found the landlord but did not say
anything to him. The king’s men have also found some ale and they are
drinking it. The men located Bess and put her on the foot of her bed, they
stood at the window with their muskets (guns) at their side. Bess looks
through her window and sees the road, she is thinking of the highwayman
at this point.
11/02/2012 Niall Goldsby 3MS

6. They have now tied Bess up to her bed and are
laughing at her. They then tied a musket and
barrel to her then kissed her and said “Now keep
good watch”. She watched them leave out of the
window.
King George’s men have left the inn and the landlords daughter is still tied up.
She tries to free herself but the knots held good it got till midnight when she
finally got a hold of something. Bess had found the trigger and was holding it.
This bit was basically just about Bess and how she was tied up.
11/02/2012 Niall Goldsby 3MS

7. In this part of the ballad we now know that the highwayman returns. The horses hoofs were
making a sound and Bess was surprised that king George’s men hadn’t heard it yet, she
stood up still and straight. As the highwayman and his horse came nearer, Bess’s face lit up
like a light. Her eyes widened then she took one last deep breath, her fingers moved and
the musket fired. This was a warning for the highwayman not to come near as king George’s
men would kill him, Bess warned him with her death.
The highwayman turned back and spurred away ,he didn’t know who had died.
Bess and the musket were covered fully in blood ,Bess’s blood. At dawn the
highwayman had heard that it was Bess who was killed last night.
The highwayman went like lightning swearing to the sky
as he went along the highway. His spurs were blood red
and so was his coat the highwayman had been shot down
,down like a dog on the highway. This was the end of the
ballad and it has come to the conclusion that both the
highwayman and Bess are both dead.
11/02/2012 Niall Goldsby 3MS