L Longshanks
What news of the north?
E Edward
Nothing new, Your Majesty. We've sent riders to speed any word.
L Longshanks
I heard the word in France, where I was fighting to expand your future kingdom. The word, my son, is that our entire northern army is annihilated, and you have done nothing.
E Edward
I-I have ordered conscriptions. They're assembled and ready to depart.
M Messenger
[A messenger enters with a guard]
Excuse me, sire, but there's a very urgent message from York.
L Longshanks
[the guard hands Edward the message and places a large basket on the table]
Leave us.
G Guard
Thank you, sire. [leaves]
E Edward
[reads the message]
Wallace has sacked York.
E Edward
Wallace has sacked York!
P Philip
[Longshanks snatches the message from Edward, who lifts the cover off the basket and recoils in shock. Longshanks reaches into the basket and pulls out the Governor of York's severed head from inside]
Sire... thy own nephew. What beast could do such a thing?
L Longshanks
If he can sack York... he can invade lower England.
P Philip
We would stop him!
L Longshanks
Who is this person who speaks to me as though I needed his advice?
E Edward
I have declared Philip my high counselor.
L Longshanks
Is he qualified?
P Philip
I am skilled in the arts of war, and military tactics, sire.
L Longshanks
Are you? Then tell me, what advice would you have to offer of the present... situation?!
L Longshanks
[he grabs Philip and throws him out the window to his death. Edward draws a dagger and lunges at Longshanks, who sidesteps and strikes him across the face, knocking him to the floor. He kicks Edward in the chest and picks up the dagger, as Edward lies on the floor whimpering in pain.] [pondering on what to do about Wallace]
I shall offer a truce... and buy him off. But who will go to him? Not I. If I fell under the sword of that murderer, it might be my head in a basket. And not my gentle son. The mere sight of him would only encourage an enemy to take over the whole country. So whom do I send? Whom do I send?
Who is this who speaks to me as though I needed his advice?
PE Prince Edward
I have named Phillip my high councilor.
P Phillip
I am well skilled in the arts of war and military tactics, sire.
Really? [leads Phillip toward a window] What advice would you give on the present...situation?
[Longshanks pushes Phillip out the window on the word "situation", he falls to his death]
M Malcolm
Where do you think you're going?
M Malcolm
Oh, you're going with, hey? And what are you going to do?
M Malcolm
Hey, and a good help you'd be, too. But I need you to stay here and look after the place for me while I'm away.
M Malcolm
I know you can fight, but it's our wits that make us men. I'll see you tomorrow.
L'Ecosse est à feu et à sang. Votre mari se pr?pare en cachette à envoyer une arm?e dans le Nord. (Scotland is in chaos. Your husband is secretly sending an army north)
Comment tu le sais? (How do you know this?)
La nuit dernière j'ai couch? avec quelqu'un du conseil de guerre. (Last night I slept with a member of the War Council)
Mais il n'?tait pas sens? te faire de confidences sur l'oreiller. (He shouldn't be telling secrets in bed)
Et oui. Les anglais ne savent pas à quoi sert une langue. (Ah, yes. Englishmen don't know what a tongue is for)
I Isabella
Ah. Cet Ecossais r?volt?, ce Wallace. Il se bat pour venger une femme? (Ah. This Scottish rebel, Wallace. He fights to avenge a woman?)
Ah j'oubliais. Un magistrat qui voulais le capturer d?couvrit qu'il avait un amour secret. Il ?gorgea la fille afin de pousser Wallace à la r?volte. Wallace se r?volta. Ses ennemies reconnurent sa passion pour son amour perdu. Ils organiserent de saisir Wallace en profanant les s?pultures et de son père et de son frère, et ensuite en s'embusquant à la tombe de sa femme. Mais il s'en ai sorti en guerroyant l'arme au poing. Et cacha le cadavre de sa bien-aim? dans un endroit secret. Ça c'est l'amour non? (I nearly forgot. A magistrate wished to capture him, and found he had a secret lover. So he cut the girl's throat to tempt Wallace to fight, and fight he did. Knowing his passion for his lost love, they next plotted to take him by desecrating the graves of his father and brother, and setting an ambush at the grave of his love. He fought his way through the trap and carried her body to a secret place. Now that's love, no?)
I Isabella
De l'amour? J'en sais rien. (Love? I wouldn't know)
When the king returns, he will bury them in those new clothes. Scotland is in chaos. Your husband is secretly sending an army north.
Last night, I slept with a member of the War Council.
He shouldn't be telling secrets in bed!
Englishmen don't know what a tongue is for.
[scoffs]
This Scottish rebel, Wallace. He fights to avenge a woman?
I nearly forgot. A magistrate wished to capture him and found he had a secret lover. So, he cut the girl's throat to tempt Wallace to fight, and fight he did. Knowing his passion for his lost love, they next plotted to take him by desecrating the graves of his father and brother and setting an ambush at the grave of his love. He fought his way through the trap and carried her body to a secret place. Now that's love, no?
PE Prince Edward
You brought back the money, of course.
No, I gave it to ease the suffering of the children of this war.
Ha! That's what happens when you send a woman.
Forgive me, sire. I thought that generosity might demonstrate your greatness to those you mean to rule.
My greatness will be better demonstrated when Wallace returns to Scotland and finds his country in ashes.
I'm the one who's rotting, but I think your face looks graver than mine. Son, we must have alliance with England to prevail here. You achieved that. You saved your family, increased your land. In time, you will have all the power in Scotland.
Lands, titles, men, power... nothing.
I have nothing. Men fight for me because if they do not, I throw them off my land and I starve their wives and children. Those men who bled the ground red at Falkirk fought for William Wallace. He fights for something that I never had. And I took it from him, when I betrayed him. I saw it in his face on the battlefield and it's tearing me apart.
All men betray. All lose heart.
I DON'T WANT TO LOSE HEART!!!. I want to believe as he does. I will never be on the wrong side again.
[after William is betrayed]
Father! You. Rotting. Bastard. Why? Why?
Longshanks required Wallace. So did our nobles. That was the price of your crown.
Soon enough I'll be dead. And you'll be king.
I don't want anything from you. You're not a man, and you're not my father.
You are my son, and you have always known my mind.
You let yourself be deceived. In your heart, you always knew what had to happen here. At last, you know what it means to hate. Now you're ready to be a king.
My hate will die ... with you.
A commoner named William Wallace.
We will embrace this rebellion. You will support it from our lands in the north. I will gain English favor by condemning it, and ordering it opposed from our lands in the south. Sit down. Stay a while.
This Wallace, he doesn't even have a knighthood, but he fights with passion and he inspires.
And you wish to charge off and fight as he did. So would I.
It is time to survive. You're the 17th Robert Bruce. The 16 before you passed you land and title because they didn't charge in. Call a meeting of the nobles.
But they do nothing but talk.
Rightly so. They're as rich in English titles and lands as they are in Scottish, just as we are. Admire this man, this William Wallace. Uncompromising men are easy to admire. He has courage, so does a dog. But it is exactly the ability to compromise that makes a man noble. And understand this: Edward Longshanks is the most ruthless king ever to sit in the thrown of England. And none of us, and nothing of Scotland will remain, unless we are as ruthless. Give in to our nobles. Knowing their minds is the key to the throne.
Wait! I respect what you said, but remember that these men have lands and castles. It's much to risk.
And the common man who bleeds on the battlefield, does he risk less?
No, but from top to bottom this country has no sense of itself. Its nobles share allegiance with England. Its clans war with each other. If you make enemies on both sides of the border, you'll end up dead.
We all end up dead; it's just a question of how and why.
I'm not a coward. I want what you want, but we need the nobles.
Now tell me, what does that mean to be noble? Your title gives you claim to the thrown of our country, but men don't follow titles, they follow courage. Now our people know you. Noble, and common, they respect you. And if you would just lead them to freedom, they'd follow you. And so would I.
RM Royal Magistrate
William Wallace, you stand in taint of High Treason.
RM Royal Magistrate
Against your king. Have you anything to say?
Never in my whole life did I swear allegiance to him.
RM Royal Magistrate
It matters not. He is your king. Confess, and you may receive a quick death. Deny, and you must be purified by pain. Do you confess? [William remains silent] Do you confess? Then on the morrow you shall receive your purification.
