Does Robert Bruce deserve to be remembered as a great Scottish king Essay

Does Robert Bruce deserve to be remembered as a great Scottish king - Essay Example The reality is that Scotland was in need of the cunningness and patience of Robert Bruce rather than the William Wallace’s impetuousness, particularly during the encounters with enemies like the English under the command of Edward I and then Edward II. Robert Bruce approached the matter strategically and bided his time, so he established himself as the King of Scotland first, so that he would be ready by the time of Bannockburn. Two years before Robert Bruce was born in 1274, Edward Plantagenet had been made England’s King Edward I. Edward Plantagenet was titled as â€Å"The Hammer of the Scots† because of his ruthlessness, which helped bring forth Robert Bruce’s greatness. Robert Bruce got an astonishing victory in the year 1314 at Bannockburn while fighting with Edward II who had much better-equipped and larger forces. This victory earned Scotland independence from the control of the English. As his power dawned upon the people, the parliament declared h im the King. A brief history The struggle to achieve control over Scotland commenced with the death of Alexander III in the year 1286. Alexander III left Margaret, his grandchild as the heir who was the King of Norway’s infant daughter. ... Norwegian princess passed away on her way to Scotland, thus exposing the succession to a number of claimants, the most prominent of whom were Robert Bruce and John Balliol. â€Å"King Edward, while reserving his own rights as one of the competitors, promised the rest that within two months of awarding the Crown he would restore kingdom and castles to the rightful king, and that in future on the death of a king he would demand nothing but homage and the rights incidental to it† (Barrow, 2005, p. 44). Robert Bruce never gave up What really makes Robert Bruce the greatest hero of Scotland is that fact that he never lost hope or gave up despite all the challenges and difficulties that came his way (Bartell and William, 2006, p. 103). It was on 27 March 1306, when Robert Bruce declared himself to be the Scots’ King. As could be predicted, Edward sent a huge army toward north for the Battle of Methven and happened to defeat Robert Bruce. Edward executed many supporters of Rob ert Bruce and made him a hunted outlaw from the Scottish king. The indefatigable king of Scotland had bided his time. For a whole year, he was demoralized while the terror of the English spread far and wide in Scotland. In this period, two brothers of Robert Bruce were assassinated. Robert Bruce finally resolved to show up. â€Å"When, looking up with wistful eye, The Bruce beheld a spider try His filmy thread to fling From beam to beam of that rude cot-- And well the insect's toilsome lot Taught Scotland's future king.† (Barton cited in Poetry-Archive.com, 2003). With the support of Sir James Douglas, Robert Bruce’s chief lieutenant, he gained his first victory in 1307 on Palm Sunday. The call was answered by the clans from all over Scotland and the forces of Robert Bruce accumulated to fight the