Introduction: The film Braveheart, directed by and starring Mel Gibson, has been highly regarded in Hollywood since its release in 1995. It was nominated for and won numerous Academy Awards and Oscars , including the coveted Academy Award for Best Picture in 1996. Due to the amount of positive attention Braveheart received following its release, it may come as a surprise to many that Braveheart is considered by historians and analyzed as one of the most historically imprecise. films of the modern era. It centers on the famous Scottish rebel and knight William Wallace, who led numerous revolts against the English monarchy in the early 14th century. While the story's setting may show traces of accuracy, the depiction of many events is exaggerated and contrived to keep the audience engaged and provide a smoother, more understandable plot. Braveheart seems to only use the content and context of historical events as inspiration for its scenes, valuing the entertainment aspect of the film over creating an accurate retelling of history. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Context: From the few documents of William Wallace's early life that historians have access to, it is known that Wallace was born in 1270 in Paisley, Renfrew, Scotland. New revelations from historians have revealed that he was the privileged son of a minor noble in the Scottish lands. For this reason, William Wallace was most likely trained as a "man-at-arms" during his childhood, meaning he learned to fight as a medieval knight would. The William Wallace portrayed in the film, however, directly contradicts these historical documents. In the film he is portrayed as a farmer's son who spent much of his life behind a plow. It is now known that this is an extremely inaccurate depiction of his early life. It can be inferred that the film's producers wanted to make young Wallace more susceptible to audience favoritism, portraying him as a kid with a God-given talent for fighting injustice, rather than just another rich, privileged kid with extensive training military. from his father. Topic Sentence: The event that sparked the rebellion in the heart and mind of William Wallace in the film Braveheart was the execution of his wife, Murron MacClannough. Evidence and Citations: At the beginning of the film, Murron fights English soldiers attempting to exercise their right to Prima Nocte, which was a supposed legal right in medieval Europe that allowed lords to "deflower" subordinate women. Due to her refusal, Murron is captured and publicly executed. Comment: As punishment for this murder, Wallace leads his clan to massacre the English troops stationed in his hometown. This would supposedly be the start of a state-wide rebellion by the Scottish people against English rule. Multiple historical inaccuracies can be extracted from this representation. First, there is no documented evidence that William Wallace was ever married. Another historical inaccuracy is the concept of Prima Nocta implemented throughout Scotland after the ascension of Edward I. According to many historians, Prima Nocta was a myth in medieval Europe, or they believe it was a false claim used to make seem the rulers of foreign lands more barbaric. Even if Wallace's wife existed, the idea that her murder was the basis for William Wallace's motivation to fight would also be exaggerated. It is more likely that Wallace was ambitious to break English authority or that he resented the current occupationof his country. Furthermore, it is inaccurate of the filmmakers to assume that Wallace's initial fight against the British men who executed Murron triggered a larger rebellion against the English throughout Scotland. Indeed, many Scots had already mobilized against British ruleWallace's involvement in any kind of revolt. Theme Sentence: The two main battles around which the film revolves are The Battle of Falkirk and The Battle of Stirling Bridge, both of which are real events in history. The Battle of Stirling Bridge took place first, occurring on 11 September 1297 in real life, but in the film it is said to have occurred seventeen years earlier. The battle was led by William Wallace and Andrew de Moray, who was never mentioned in the film. An English army confronted Wallace and his men at the bridge over the River Forth near Stirling. Wallace's forces were vastly outnumbered, but the British were forced to cross a narrow bridge before they could reach them. Peter Armstrong describes the bridge in his text Stirling Bridge and Falkirk – William Wallace's Rebellion as follows: “The medieval bridge at Stirling was a substantial wooden structure, supported by eight stone pillars, though barely wide enough to allow a horse to pass and a wagon. ..”. The Scots used clever tactics, cramming men onto the bridge which mitigated their numerical disadvantage. They waited until about a third of the English forces were packed onto the bridge before launching their attack, taking them by surprise and leading to an unlikely victory. At Braveheart, however, this battle occurred on a wide, flat plain. Commentary: The film's writers took a lot of liberties during this battle scene, as walking around a bridge would have been very difficult at the time, but they kept the idea that the Scots were severely outnumbered, but still emerged victorious. Topic Sentence: The Battle of Falkirk also has many qualities that portray past events inaccurately. Evidence and citations: It occurred on July 22, 1298, according to documents to which historians have access. In the film, Wallace loses this battle due to the betrayal of some of his most trusted men. In real life, however, it was lost due to a technological disadvantage. The English had just developed longbows for their foot soldiers, which could best even the most skilled Scottish archers. Due to this and many other factors, approximately 10,000 Scottish soldiers were massacred in battle. This major failure was damaging to Wallace's reputation, as it forced him to resign his position as Guardian of Scotland and began the decline of his involvement in the growing rebellion. Thematic Sentence: It can be argued that the most historically inaccurate section of the film occurs between the Battle of Falkirk and the execution of William Wallace. Evidence and Quotations: The film depicts an elderly Edward I tormented by the attacks Wallace directs against the British Empire. In most cases the attacks were shown in the film as successful engagements, but it is likely that these attempts were insignificant in the grand scheme of the war. They had no significant impact on the English presence in Scotland. Edward I most likely did not consider Wallace a major threat, as Wallace was struggling to raise an army following his failure at Falkirk. He traveled to countries such as France and Rome in an attempt to find support for the failed Scottish rebellion, but his military reputation had been tarnished and he returned to Scotland without foreign support. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers. Get a..