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Analysis of the Film Braveheart
Many countries had to earn their freedom from the English in previous centuries, Scotland being one of them. King Edward, known as Longshanks took over Scotland in the 13th century and ruled it with cruelty and shear disregard for humanity. The film Braveheart portrays what the Scottish had to go through to attain their freedom from the English. The film is set in the late 13th century when William Wallace returned to Scotland after living abroad for many years with his uncle after his whole family was killed by Longshanks when he was a boy. In the rule of Longshanks, the Scottish suffers just like slaves. The film portrays the inequality in life throughout history where the strong oppress the weak.
As the film starts, evilness of the English is portrayed by the family of Wallace that is killed and their bodies left hanging. The bodies were hanged after they were killed, further portraying the evilness of the English considering even children were killed too. The next scene shows Wallace fetching water when his father and brother are brought home dead. On the other hand, the same scene portrays the willingness of the Scots to negotiate peace since they are killed when they go to negotiate. Imagery is used to describe the evilness of Longshanks where Wallace is describing him as a treacherous man without consideration for humanity. He also describes the way his family was killed when he was a boy. This brings back the images of the hanging bodies illustrating the evilness of Longshanks.
Further, the evilness of the English is portrayed when the nobles are given the right of ‘Prima Nocta’ the right to have a girl on her first wedding night. This was not welcome by the people of Scotland and soon created a rebellion when Wallace’s wife was killed. This provoked the Scots, who through the leadership of Wallace stood against the English for their freedom. The death of his wife symbolized the suffering the Scots went through under the English man. Killing an innocent woman just because she resisted rape from an English lord was a pure depiction of evil without mercy.
The Scottish lived like slaves in their own land and denied many rights. They were not allowed to train with swords by the English so they would not have a chance to fight against them. The Scots are depicted as good people when Wallace returns and says all he wants to do is plant crops and have a family. All the Scottish men want is their freedom to be self-sufficient and live their life. On the other hand, the English are driven by greed and power to rule other nations without having a regard for their welfare. The English only had self-interests and did everything they could to attain what they wanted. There was no great reason pick on other countries. Yet, after taking over, all the English did was to kill innocent people who demanded their rights without justifiable reasons.
The king of England is the most evil according to the movie. Other countries even French are not as evil. When Longshanks sends the daughter of his rival, the king of French who was married to hi son, he only does so to keep Wallace a little longer in York in order to send troops to Scotland. The French princess shows mercy and offers the money she was supposed to bribe Wallace. This betrayal symbolized his evilness and lack of consideration to negotiate peace even when his enemies were willing. More so, Longshanks does not have any feelings even for his own people at the battle when he asks the archer men to shoot. His soldiers were shot too in this incidence and he showed no mercy or regards for them.
Conclusion
In the film, there is nothing good shown about the English man. Most of the time, they are engaging in war not only in Scotland but also in other countries. Longshanks has never shown any mercy, not even in his dying bed. On the other hand, the Scots are fighting to have their freedom, which the English man has taken from them. Many people die under the rule of the English man, and suffering has been part of their life.
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