"Braveheart"

Paper Summary:

The story in the movie "Braveheart" is drawn from history, but the film is not history, but rather a fictionalized and romanticized account that some critics see as generally faithful to history, while others see it as veering too far from the real story. The paper shows that while "Braveheart's" version of the life of Scottish rebel and hero, William Wallace is in part fictional, this is not surprising given that so little is actually known of the real Wallace. Still, critics have found much to criticize regarding the historical inaccuracies in the film. The paper argues that despite several inaccuracies, the film gives a fair account of the military career of Wallace and so conveys his importance in Sottish history, something most people did not know before they saw the film.

From the Paper:

"For that matter, there were other rebellions across the country at that time, and the unrest was due to the imposition of strict rule on the Scots after John Balliol, who had held the throne of Scotland for a brief time, gave up his kingship. Edward I had control of Scotland because Scotland had no king, and he wanted to make certain that the Scots did not break free from his control. Under such oppression, it was not surprising that the Scots did react, and that many of them, being poor, formed weapons from farm implements and set out to protect their land ("The History Behind Braveheart").
Most of the information about William Wallace comes from an old poem which states that "he unified the clans of Scotland and won famous battles against the English before being captured, tortured and executed as a traitor" (Ebert). The history that is known does not agree entirely with the film. Wallace and Murray stated the rebellion and then were aghast when the nobles who had allied with them surrendered to the English on July 9, 1297 at Irvine."

More papers on "Braveheart":

• Comparison Essay # 7842 : "Gladiator" and "Braveheart"
• Film Review # 59454 : "Braveheart": Historically Inaccurate"
• Film Review # 46318 : "Historical Inaccuracies in "Braveheart"

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