Changes

Many of us know the story of <i>Braveheart</i>, where William Wallace leads a major rebellion against Edward I in the late 13th century. That movie did not only show the English as repressing the Scots but it also showed another prominent Scottish figure, Robert the Bruce, as being supplicant to the English and enabling their actions until finally he successfully revolts against the English during the reign of Edward II. Many historians had criticized this aspect, where Robert the Bruce was shown in a negative light.

====The Main Story====

====Historical Accuracy====

While <i>Braveheart</i> has been much criticized for its lack of historical accuracy, and not to mention how it diminishes the role Robert the Bruce played in the war against the English, <i>Outlaw King</i> does a generally better job in showing key events until the Battle of Loudoun Hill. There is still a lot of leeway in the way in which key events are shown and not much agreement as to how they happened. For instance, King Robert is initially shown as reluctant in the movie in accepting that he and the other Scottish nobles are vassals of the English king. There could be some truth to this, but it is also likely that this stage of his career was part of a larger plan that had been at work for some time. He and the other nobles were soundly defeated and were unable to mount a serious resistance. He had already, for instance, made a pact with William Lamberton to always support each other, possibly to lay the groundwork for future rebellion well in advance of the rebellion. William Wallace was killed in 1305, but it took Robert the Bruce an entire year before he launched his rebellion. In fact, Edward I had likely begun suspecting the rebellion, as he asked Robert the Bruce to keep his castle at Kildrummy (Figure 2).<ref>For more on Edward I's and Robert's relationships and conflicts, see: Whyte, J., & Whyte, J. (2016). <i>The Guardian: a tale of Andrew Murray</i>. First U.S. edition. New York: Forge.</ref>

====Summary====

The <i>Outlaw King</i> does a much better job than <i>Braveheart</i> in depicting events that led to the Scottish rebellions that ultimately led to Scottish independence. The significance of Robert the Bruce is that not only did he lead Scotland to independence but it was through his line that the Scottish monarchy eventually merged with the English kings and became the ancestors of the current British monarch. Robert the Bruce, both his ambition and bravery, were critical to the ultimate success against the English. The key events between the 1290s and 1307, the first major victory against the English, are sometimes glossed over or not displayed to full accuracy. However, the rise of Robert the Bruce in the film does show the difficult political landscape that Robert had to navigate and ultimately obtain the Scottish crown for himself and family.

====References====

<references/>