Wallace Paper Finished-Unsatisfied

[mbhandy]

I never meet a Final I liked.

I would be interested in reading your paper.

MRBill

[berserkbishop]

3 finals down 2 more to go! I am so ecstatic about being nearly done with this semester. Anyway, I am defiently one of the worlds worst procrastinators, I dont think I have ever really properly been prepared when writing a paper, yet I tend to keep my grades high anyway. Well, even though the paper is not up to my standards, I really dont have the time to worry about going through a full revision as I would like, so I am just going to post it. It might educate some and if others dont agree with something that I have said, let me know, I enjoy learning. Here goes, the version with most little errors fixed (the teacher got a very buggy version). Be gentle

The True Wallace
Reston Bishop

Ask a person today who “Braveheart” is and many will be able to tell you that he was a Scottish freedom fighter; some may even be able to tell you that his name was William Wallace. Before Mel Gibson’s 1995 production of Braveheart, if the same question was posed many less people would be able to identify the Scottish icon. The Emmy award winning film brought William Wallace to prominence all over the world as well as in his homeland of Scotland. However, this film that gained so much critical acclaim has ultimately fallen under much scrutiny by scholars as the years have gone by. In an attempt to make the story more palatable, “the director and screenwriter interjected fictional romances and a homophobic subplot” (Sanello, 24). While the film can be rightfully accused of being widely inaccurate, it can equally be praised for popularizing Scottish heritage and inspiring millions of people around the world with Scottish blood in their veins to seek out their heritage and to become more aware of the Scottish hero. Thought the awareness that the film inspired may well have been more beneficial than harmful to Scottish heritage, in many ways it has also served to mar the already cloudy picture of who William Wallace truly was and the motivations that gained him the nickname “hammer of English” (Magnusson 133). Historically, much more information is available on William Wallace’s exploits than is available about William Wallace the man. Wallace is a mysterious historical figure whose reality has been mixed with fiction to create a legend. This paper will attempt to peel back the layers of myth surrounding the warrior and find the historical figure underneath.

In order to truly uncover the truth behind what made William Wallace such a powerful figure, it is necessary to understand the status of the country he was born into. Scotland, when Wallace was young, was relatively peaceful nation ruled by Alexander III. Scotland’s wool industry and successful cattle trade, along with low taxation allowed trade to flourish. The country sported stone homes with cellars in the more prosperous areas of Perth, Aberdeen, and Berwick and the country had “a network of good roads, capable of taking wheeled carts and wagons . . . established” (Mackay 28). These features spoke of a country that was economically sound—“far removed from the beggarly nation which English propagandists were to satirize in succeeding generations” (Mackay 27). Unfortunately, the idea that Scotland was a poor, archaic society remains the popular view today and that view was done no disservice by Gibson’s Braveheart. In Braveheart, the town in which William Wallace grows up in and most others portrayed in Scotland, are comprised entirely of mud huts with straw roofs. No good roads are prominent and even the brilliant cathedrals, abbeys, monasteries, and castles of the period are largely ignored. The numerous Scottish architectural achievements of the time clearly show that the popular view of Wallace’s Scotland far misses the mark.

It is also important to consider the accuracy of the sources which are generally relied on to tell us who William Wallace the man really was. The foremost source of Wallace’s early history is an epic poem composed by the bard Blind Harry over 100 years after the hero’s death. Harry’s depiction of Wallace leaves one with the idea that Wallace was a larger than life savior of Scotland. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, not to mention on the opposite end of the war, English “government records and contemporary chroniclers . . . are . . . without exception, violently anti-Wallace” (Magnusson 128). Blind Harry claimed to have based his saga off of a “Latin manuscript compiled by Wallace’s chaplain, John Blair” (Mackay 11). No version of Blair’s account actually exists today so it is impossible to compare Harry’s work with Blair’s to check for accuracy. Some scholars tend to have faith in the fact that Harry would have no real reason lie about Wallace’s grand history; after all, Harry’s work is not the only one to tell of Wallace’s remarkable achievements. Certain obvious mistakes and contradictions, however, in Harry’s account, such as “the great Battle of Biggar which never took place,” cause much doubt in the document’s veracity despite the fact that a majority of the epic can be backed up (10). Unfortunately Harry’s patchwork of a saga is riddled with grandiose oral tradition and a general disregard for actual dates making it all the more difficult to determine fact from fiction and really learn who William Wallace was.

Wallace did much growing up during Alexander III’s prosperous reign, though Wallace’s birth date is debated. There is some speculation that his birth was in the 1260’s but “most scholars now accept a date around 1292” (Magnusson 132). It is also generally accepted that William Wallace was the son of Sir Malcom Wallace, a knight and landowner. In recent years, however, Wallace’s seal of 1297 has been analyzed, reading “son of Alan Wallace” (Fisher 2). Records exist of an Alan Wallace who was royalty in Ayrshire, but what connection, if any, existed between the two is still unclear. Another generally accepted fact is that Wallace was born in Ellerslie, Ayrshire. An unfounded tradition that finds its roots in the 19th century claims that Wallace was born in Ellerslie, Renfrewshire. Though this is an honest mistake, the town in Renfrewshire has clung fervently to the idea and erected monuments and placards of Wallace. The town also claims to contain the cottage which Wallace grew up in and an ancient oak that the hero used for shade. These false oral traditions and the more recent release of Mel Gibson’s “Braveheart,” which falsely presents William Wallace as a lowborn peasant, further obscure the true picture of the Scottish freedom fighter.

One can make certain assumptions concerning Wallace derived from historical facts of the time which help to truly separate the man from the legend. The period of peace, prosperity, and justice in which Wallace had grown up ended suddenly upon the unexpected death of Alexander III, who met his end on a stormy night in March, 1286. After a meeting with his councilors at Edinburgh castle, “Alexander insisted on setting out to spend the night with his young wife, who was staying in a royal castle at Kinghorn” (Magnusson 105). Despite the warnings of his peers, Alexander set out into the treacherous night. While the exact details are unknown, Alexander was found in the bottom of a ravine with a broken neck leaving only one direct heir to the Scottish throne, his three year old daughter Margaret, also known as The Maid of Norway. The nobility of Scotland met at Perth and swore fealty to the young queen. Meanwhile, arrangements were made for The Maid of Norway to marry Prince Edward II, the five year old son of King Edward I (Mackay). This was a clever move by the crafty English king to further his influence on Scotland. As fate would have it, the marriage would never take place as “Magaret’s health, never robust, broke under the strain” of the sea voyage and the young queen died en route to her new kingdom” (Magnusson 111). With all of Alexander’s heirs dead, the throne of Scotland was up for grabs and the opening caused feuding between many factions that had developed in Scotland. The peaceful Scotland which William Wallace had known was destroyed within a mere few years.

More to come. . .

[berserkbishop]

2nd post

Earning the nickname “Longshanks” from his above-average height, Edward I was an imposing figure of the time. Only years earlier he had completed his conquest of Wales and soon after turned his sights on Scotland--“anxious to use the country’s leaderless position to advance his own position as feudal overlord of the northern kingdom” (Mackay 49) . Over thirteen claims to the throne were made, many by royal bastard children, but the two strongest came from John Balliol and Robert Bruce. With the country ready to spring into civil war, Longshanks offered to mediate the claims for the crown but only if the man chosen to lead Scotland would pay tribute to him. The country, desperate for order, acquiesced to the English king’s demands and after an unnecessarily lengthy investigation, Longshank’s court bestowed sovereignty of Scotland on John Balliol, who “on 26 December 1292. . .did homage to his liege lord” (Mackay 59). While this settled the issue of Scotland’s empty throne for the time, it also marked the beginning of the end of a free Scotland and by no means brought peace to the land. It was this set of events eventually forced Wallace to spring onto the pages of history.

While the events of Wallace’s up brining are as cloudy as the rest of his personal life, scholars assume that Wallace must have been a great mind of the time. Wallace undoubtedly must have been a very imposing and intelligent man in order to rise to the rank of captain despite his descent from a mere minor landowner. Being the second son, therefore not holding any entitlement to his father’s land, it is likely that young William was educated by the monks at Paisley Abbey. During his time at the abbey he would have studied several languages—likely French, Latin, and some Gaelic in order to be able to communicate effectively with his countrymen (“The True Story Of Braveheart”). His education at the abbey is also likely responsible for inspiring the tenacious pursuit of freedom, liberty, and justice that would eventually cost him his life. It is the Latin phrase “Dico tibi verum, libertas optima rerum (I tell you truly, liberty is the best of things)” that is believed to have inspired Wallace so (Magnusson, 133). Also, this is possibly where he became close friends with John Blair. Another fact that is little disputed by scholars is that Wallace was a man of large stature. Though no pictures of him exist from his time, “according to Blind Harry . . . he was all of seven feet tall” (133). This was unheard of in a time where the average height of a soldier was just over five feet. Wallace allegedly wielded the five foot sword that was placed in “Dumbarton Castle in 1505, two hundred years after” his execution (Magnusson 127). In order to wield such a sword, Wallace surely was a man of outstanding strength. Furthermore, he must have been quite an impressive figure in order to draw such renown in Scotland, and to strike fear into the heart of the English.

Wallace made his first historical debut when he burst onto the scene by killing the sheriff of Lanark, William Heselrig, in May 1297 (“The True Story Of Braveheart)”. The exact reason for the brutal murder is unknown, but Blind Harry claims that Wallace was seeking revenge after his wife was “seized and cruelly put to death” by Heselrig (Magnusson 133). Again, no reliable historical evidence backs Harry’s theory but such an event would explain Wallace’s furious burst onto the pages of history. Another explanation may simply be the political situation in Scotland at the time. Edward the Longshanks began to draft Scottish nobility into his army to fight the French—a move which the Scots saw as a direct infringement on their freedom. In retaliation Balliol allied himself with the French, signing the 1295 Treaty of Paris which “guaranteed that Scotland would maintain hostile pressure on England in return for military aid from France” (Magnusson 119). In 1296 Scotland amassed its army to raid northern England. At age 54, Longshanks gathered his army and sacked Scotland’s largest merchant town, Barrick—brutally murdering men, women, and children (134). On April 27, 1296, the Scottish army, under Balliol, confronted the English for the last time (Fisher 3). The Scottish force was quickly defeated resulting in high casualties for Balliol’s men. “On July 2, 1296, Balliol met Bishop Bek of Durham at Kincardine Castle, where he issued his document of surrender,” resulting in his removal from his position as King of Scotland, and his imprisonment in the Tower of London(Magnusson, 121) . As a final insult, Edward also stole the Stone of Destiny, the stone upon which Scottish kings were traditionally crowned. This action symbolized the end of Scotland as a free nation. The truth as to whether William Wallace was driven by passion or patriotism can be debated but whatever his reason, it was at this point that Wallace truly became an began earning his reputation as a fierce loyalist to Scotland. The bold and inspiring hero described by Blind Harry finally is corroborated by solid historical fact.

Harry’s assertion that William Wallace was a brilliant strategist for his time is also backed by historical events. Rebellions sprung up all over Scotland: in the northeast, nobleman Andrew Murray led one armed force, and in the southwest an open rebellion of noblemen including the heir of an original claimant to the throne, Robert Bruce, opposed the English. Though the noblemen in the South wavered in their commitment to the cause and each other, it was their delaying tactics before eventually capitulating before battle that allowed Wallace to assemble his guerilla forces in the forest of Selkirk. Wallace was able to draw a large enough band of likeminded commoners to his side in order to pose a significant threat to English holdings—no small feat for the second son of a minor landholder. It can be safely assumed that he must have possessed all the “attributes of a born leader: charisma, bravery, nerve, decisiveness, imagination, the ability to inspire men to follow him, and formidable physical presence” (Magnusson 133). Not even the Scottish nobility could boast the same dedication to one cause at the time.


More assumptions can be made about Wallace’s prowess from the meteoric successes that he achieved. At Scone, Wallace attacked so quickly that he nearly captured King Edward’s justicar, William Ornsby. Without wasting any time, Wallace quickly moved his army north to Dundee and laid siege to Dundee castle. After leaving Dundee to the townspeople, Wallace joined forces with Andrew Murray and raced to beat English troops to the strategic stronghold of Stirling Castle, Scotland’s primary river crossing. Not anxious to fight, the English sent two friars to convince Wallace to surrender. With the characteristic patriotism that marked the hero, Wallace responded that the Scots were at Stirling “to do battle to defend ourselves and liberate our kingdom. Let them come on, and we shall prove this in their very beards” (Fisher, 2). This statement alone is enough to uncover the zeal of Wallace, an unyielding loyalist who was wholly devoted to freeing his country from the English.

On September 11, 1297, Wallace assembled the Scottish army in the hills above Stirling Bridge (“The True Story Of Braveheart”). The English, naively believing that the Scots would follow traditional chivalric rules and let them cross the before attacking, began to make their way down the long, narrow bridge two by two on horses. The processional was led by Edward’s treasurer in Scotland, Hugh Cressingham. Once a few thousand English soldiers filled the bridge the Scottish army charged down the hills to meet the trapped English. The remaining English army was forced to watch their countrymen die, and Cressingham fell. “At least one hundred knights perished,” including Cressingham(Fisher 2). English records chronicle the brutal treatment of Cressingham’s body. Allegedly Wallace had him flayed and his skin sent about Scotland as proof of their victory that day. Another tale tells that Wallace had a sword-belt made from Cressingham’s hide. While no historic evidence backs up either of these claims, the fact that the story has survived so long leads one to surmise that Wallace was a terribly intimidating foe, and perhaps even a ruthless savage. These stories, though uncorroborated, at least hint at the ferocity of the man behind the legend.

Wallace’s larger than life accomplishments only continued to grow as time went by. The battle at Stirling Bridge was one of the first in recorded history where foot soldiers with spears had defeated heavily armed cavalry Due to the enormity of this feat, the nobility of Scotland bestowed Guardianship of Scotland upon Wallace and Murray. This accomplishment sounds impressive at first but only gains enormity for Wallace as one delves deeper. Wallace, second son of a mere knight, had gained a title that had previously only been bestowed upon “two bishops, two earls, and two barons” (Fisher 3). Furthermore the title allowed him to take on many responsibilities of the king in John Balliol’s absence. For a near-commoner like Wallace to rise to near-kingship in a little more than a year was unheard of.

more to come

[berserkbishop]

Besides being a strong warrior and brilliant strategist, Wallace was also did his best to act as a diplomat. Wallace attempted to gain the support of Germany by sending a letter to Lubeck, Germany writing, “Andrew de Murray and William Wallace, leaders of the army of the kingdom of Scotland, request you that you. . . . make it known among your merchants that they can have safe access to all the ports of the kingdom of Scotland . . . that Scotland. . . has been recovered by the power of war from the power of the English” (“The True Story Of Braveheart”). Shortly after, in November of 1297, Murray died of wounds sustained during the Battle of Stirling Bridge making Wallace the sole guardian of Scotland (Fisher 3). That same winter, Wallace, with his characteristic boldness, launched many savage attacks into northern England to both gain supplies and to inflict some damage upon the English before King Edward could return from his campaign in France. English reports tell of Wallace exacting horrible punishments upon the towns he conquered, such as tying monk’s hands behind his back and kicking him into a river (“The True Story Of Braveheart”). It is unlikely that Wallace would have assaulted a member of the clergy with his own training in Paisley abbey. Furthermore, Wallace was often seen carrying a primer of the book of Psalms into battle which spoke of his understanding and respect for religion. The slanted English views did little more than vilify Wallace to the English people and make them more terrified of the Scottish warrior.

When Wallace returned from his successful raids on England, the “Commander of the Army of the Kingdom of Scotland was knighted” (“William Wallace” 1). This title of “Sir” William Wallace bumped him up from a commoner to nobility, yet the patriot never tried to claim the throne of Scotland for himself, continually fighting in name of the absent John Balliol. This loyalty to king and country gave Scotland a common point to rally around and when King Edward summoned the Scottish nobility to a parliament in York, they followed Wallace’s lead and refused to attend. The wise Wallace realized that because of this defiance, Edward’s army will likely attack in the spring. Sure enough, Longshanks returned to England in March of 1298 with the intentions of leading his army to crush the Scots, Wallace in particular (Fisher 3). Never before had anyone defied Edward and single-handedly undermined all of his efforts like Wal[CENTER][CENTER][CENTER]lace had. Wallace’s undying perseverance drove the Longshanks mad with rage.

In July, Edward led an army of over 20,000 north into Scotland (“The True Story of Braveheart”). This was the largest army that he had ever raised for a campaign into the defiant country. Wallace, realizing that his meager force of 10,000 foot soldiers would be no match for Edwards much larger and better equipped army, decided to employ a scorched earth strategy (“The True Story of Braveheart”). As Edward advanced, the Wallace’s army would disappear behind a wall of flame—destroying English supplies. Wallace was hoping to avoid battle, and was close to succeeding as the distance between Edwards starving armies caused communication to break down and dissention rose among the English ranks. Edward was nearly ready to take his army back to England when two of Wallace’s countrymen betrayed the patriot. Two Scottish earls told Edward that the Scottish army was near “less than twenty miles ahead, at Falkirk,” and the Longshanks wasted no time in marching his starving armies to meet Wallace (Fisher 3). Wallace arranged his men into four schiltroms wielding spears and surrounded by fences of stakes. The schiltroms were successful against the initial cavalry charges but Edward loosed his archers and they began to systematically thin the Scottish ranks. The Scottish cavalry, under John Comyn, ignored Wallace’s orders to attack the archers and fled the battle field. Wallace’s ranks kept their discipline but they were sorely outnumbered and in the end his men “fell like blossoms in an orchard when the fruit has ripened” (4). Despite Wallace’s obvious superiority in strategy and heart, he simply did not have enough support from his own country to defeat King Edward.

Wallace survived Falkirk, resigned the guardianship, and left Scotland in 1299 to argue his case for freedom around Europe (Fisher 4). It is likely that he ventured to Norway, Germany, and France, trying to gain support for his cause of Scottish independence. Wallace disappeared from the record for three years but eventually returned to Scotland in 1303 (Fisher 4). Scotland had given in to Edward’s demands in order to keep their land, but one Scot refused to give up his hope of freedom. William Wallace, with a small band of supporters, continued to fight single mindedly for a free Scotland. Wallace remained a thorn in Edward’s side until August 3, 1305, when he was betrayed by one of the members of his raiders. His trial in England was more of a carnival than a judicial affair. Never given an opportunity to be properly represented, Wallace was charged with a host of crimes including treason and murder. English scribes recorded that Wallace’s only defense was that he was “not guilty of treason because he never accepted Edward as his king” (History’s Mysteries). The patriot remained loyal to his country until the very end. Wallace was sentenced to death and suffered one of the cruelest executions possible; he was to be hanged, drawn, and quartered. Wallace was dragged behind a cart for miles before he was finally strangled, emasculated, butchered, and eventually died after his heart was torn out of his chest. Wallace’s head was place on a pike on London Bridge and his arms and legs were sent one to each of the leading towns of Scotland to send a message to all who would defy King Edward the Longshanks. Edward’s message fell on deaf ears, though, as a new king, Robert the Bruce, was inspired by Wallace’s zeal, and eventually lead Scotland to freedom after Edward the Longshanks’s death.

William Wallace remained devoted to the cause of John Balliol, Scotland’s legitimate king, and the freedom of Scotland until the very end. Though his origins are shrouded in speculation and mystery, his later exploits showed his true character: a bold, devoted patriot with a dedication unmatched throughout his country. He provided a light for the Scottish people when rose from obscurity to the height of guardian and knight, showing the citizens of Scotland that the cause of freedom was not unachievable. Superior strength, stature, and wit allowed him assemble and successfully lead his armies against Edwards much larger forces, and strike fear into the heart of the English king. Wallace not only conquered Edward’s armies, but he also conquered history. Despite the best efforts of time to consume his memory, the fire of freedom and memory of William Wallace still serve as a guiding force for Scotland today. Over 700 years after his death, the memory, the legend, the spirit of William Wallce—Braveheart, still lives on today.

Works Cited

Braveheart. Dir. Mel Gibson. Perf. Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, and Patrick
McGoohan. Paramount, 1995.

Fisher, Andrew. “The Hunt For William Wallace.” History Today Sep. 2005:31-36.
Academic Search Elite. 8 Dec. 2007 <http://ebscohost.com>.

Hughes-Warrington, Marnie. History Goes To The Movies-Studying History On
Film.New York: Routledge, 2007.

Mackay, James. William Wallace-Braveheart. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing
Co LTD, 1995.

Magnusson, Magnus. Scotland-The Story Of A Nation. London: HarperCollins:
2000.

Sanello, Frank. Reel V. Real-How Hollywood Turns Fact Into Fiction. Lanham:
Taylor Publishing, 2003.

“The True Story Of Braveheart.” History’s Mysteries. A&E.

“William Wallace.”BBC. 8 Dec. 2007
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/scottis.../independence/ features_indepenence_wallace.html>.


Ok so there you have it. Comments are welcome, I know some people may not like it. Its not perfect, please remember that it is a college-last-minute-desperation-inspired-paper. It is a little lengthy but if you do take the time to sift through it thank you.

Bishop