 In the film Braveheart, Robert the Bruce betrays William Wallace at the Battle of Falkirk. During a dramatic scene that reveals the betrayal, an anonymous English knight is stripped of his helmet after an exchange with Wallace and is shockingly revealed to be Bruce. What a traitor he is, damn you, Bruce. We know, however, that Braveheart is no historical gospel. It may be good entertainment, perhaps really good entertainment after a few dramas or bottles of Bucky for those less civilised in the crowd, but it's not historically accurate and there's no evidence that supports the betrayal scene in the film. Yet, when it comes to Bruce, I must not be the only person who has a lingering thought in the back of their mind that there was more to Bruce than the simplistic national hero argument. Who was this man and is there any truth to the notion that he was a traitor to Wallace and Scotland? One thing that is clear about Bruce and his family is that they had clear political aspirations and were more willing to make concessions and change allegiances than others would be. In fact, early in the First Scottish War of Independence, Bruce and his father sided with England, no doubt as part of a political calculation, although Bruce did quickly shift allegiance to the Scottish side. Then, in 1304, Bruce once again pledged fealty to Edward I of England, also known as Longchanks, although he may have been forced to do so, as Wallace had been crushed by this point and the spirit of rebellion was weak in Scotland at that moment, with most of the other nobles swearing loyalty to the English throne. These political calculations speak to the broader fact that Bruce was a noble politician and member of a powerful family that had long held political aspirations for power. The desire for power did not start with Robert the Bruce, for instance, Bruce's grandfather. Robert the Bruce, the fifth lord of Anondale and a feudal lord in Scotland, was a claimant to the Scottish throne during the Great Cause. The Great Cause was sparked after the death of the seven-year-old Queen Margaret in 1290, who was destined for the Scottish throne, resulting in 13 different claimants vying for power, including Bruce's grandfather, following an arbitration process that lasted a few years and was led by none other than Edward Longchanks of England, who was hardly an impartial arbitrator. John Belial became King of Scots in 1292 and reigned until 1296. Bruce's grandfather had missed his opportunity to be the King of Scotland. Did Bruce betray Wallace? First things first, the scene described earlier in Braveheart at the Battle of Falkirk is not supported by any historical evidence. One episode that has drawn some criticism from the purist, however, relates to Bruce's treatment of Wallace's capturer. In 1305, Wallace was captured by John Menteath, a Scottish nobleman and keeper of the Barton Castle. Wallace was then handed over to the English and went on to be hung, drawn and quartered. In 1307, Bruce captured the Barton Castle, and some argue that Menteath should have been executed for his betrayal of Wallace. Instead, Bruce demanded that Menteath swear loyalty to him. Menteath refused, saying that he could only serve one master, and he had already sworn loyalty to Edward I of England. Bruce imprisoned Menteath for months until Longshanks died, leading Menteath to immediately swear loyalty to Bruce. It is also worth noting how Bruce takes over from Wallace in a sense, as Wallace's greatest defeat gives rise to Bruce's career. After defeat at the Battle of Falkirk, Wallace resigned as Guardian of Scotland, and was replaced by none other than Robert the Bruce and John Common, who ruled as Joint Guardians. Even back then, however, the rivalry between Bruce and Common was evident and did not lead to a smooth guardianship, with Bruce eventually resigning from his position as Joint Guardian in 1300. Bruce famously went on to stab Common at the Chapel of Greyfriars Monastery in Dumfries. The reason for this is debated, but some argue that Bruce felt betrayed by Common. According to certain sources, Bruce and Common, despite the rivalry for power, had hatched a plan to overthrow the power of England in Scotland. Behind Bruce's back, however, Common had been sending letters written by Bruce the detailed parts of this plan to the English King, with Bruce narrowly escaping with his life because of this betrayal on a trip to the English court. In response, Bruce arranged a meeting with Common, and the rest is history as they say. Others argue that the two men came to blows, strictly over the rivalry for the Scottish throne, and Common's unwillingness to support Bruce's claim. Regardless, Bruce went on to become King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329, at the age of 54, due to an illness. Although his father had died of leprosy, there is no evidence that Robert died of the disease, and any rumour that he did was probably propaganda by his enemies as leprosy was so feared during his day. Given all this, was Robert the Bruce a traitor to Wallace and Scottish independence? The simple answer is no, and Bruce of course went on to win pivotal battles for Scottish autonomy, and let's face it, himself and his power, none more famous than the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Bruce, however, had a political mind. He made concessions and shifted his allegiance where others wouldn't, but that may be part of the reason why he managed to have such success. What's your thoughts on Robert the Bruce? Please let me know in the comments below. Was he a traitor, a national hero or somewhere in between? 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