Free Braveheart Essay Sample

This is an epic film that was produced in 1995; it represents the conflict or the conditions of Scotland in the 13th century. It focuses on the Scottish fight for independence from English under the rule of King Edward, who was also then referred as Longhsharks. Braveheart gives its audience a taste of romance, conflict and politics. It also exhibits leadership i.e. William Wallace, the main character leading his fellow Scottish Countrymen into war with the Englishmen.

Incidences of Leadership in the Movie

One aspect of leadership represented in the movie is the motivational speech provided by William Wallace to encourage his countrymen to stand tall and fight against the Tyranny of King Edward i.e. in a fight seen against ten thousand Englishmen, William encourages his countrymen when they are almost giving up indicating that, “You have come to fight. And free men you are”.
Additionally, William takes the center stage in all the battles against the tyranny of Englishmen; in the scene where two thousand Scottish are preparing to fight ten thousand English, William takes the center stage in the frontline and informs his people the importance of participating in the war: He also leads the war until they defeat the Englishmen.

Power and Politics

In the movie, politics come into play indicated by the unfair policies that have been implemented by King Edward to govern the Scottish. One of these policies is the Prima Nocta policy. This policy gave Noblemen from England the power to take a bride of new couple on their first day of wedding and spend the night with her. This scene is also an expression of how politics give power, giving one the power to have sex with another man’s wife on the first day of their wedding.
Power or authority is also expressed in the movie in various scenes; one of these scenes is indicating when King Edward leaves his country for France leaving his son, Prince Edward to rule on his behalf. This is an incidence of power; it is expressed by the manner the king has the authority to decide who rules when he is out of the country. Additionally, power is also expressed by the manner English Noblemen have the authority to sleep with Scottish women on the first date of their wedding under the prima nocta policy.

Conflict and Negotiation

This is also another theme expressed in the movie; the movie is characterized by various scenes of conflict. The first scene indicating conflict is when William Wallace’s wife is butchered by an English Nobleman after having refused to sleep with one of his soldiers. William Wallace decides to lead his fellow Countrymen into a battle with the English nobleman and his soldiers, killing all his soldiers in the process.
In relation to negotiation, it is expressed at the beginning of the movie; the narrator indicates how the King of Scotland died without a son and a cruel pagan, the King of England as he says, took power and claimed the throne. He narrates how Scottish men fought each other and King Edward for power. The narrator indicates that King Edward invited them for negotiation talks that would lead to truce. However, these talks fail and Malcom Wallace a commoner together with a few Scottish mean are murdered in the process.

Work Cited

Braveheart. Perf. Mel Gibson. 1995. Film.