William Wallace Quotes in Braveheart (1995)

William Wallace: Every man dies, not every man really lives.

William Wallace: And if this is your army, why does it go?

Veteran: We didn't come here to fight for them!

Young Soldier: Home! The English are too many!

William Wallace: Sons of Scotland! I am William Wallace.

Young Soldier: William Wallace is seven feet tall!

William Wallace: Yes, I've heard. Kills men by the hundreds. And if HE were here, he'd consume the English with fireballs from his eyes, and bolts of lightning from his arse.

[Scottish army laughs]

William Wallace: I am William Wallace! And I see a whole army of my countrymen, here in defiance of tyranny. You've come to fight as free men... and free men you are. What will you do with that freedom? Will you fight?

Veteran: Fight? Against that? No! We will run. And we will live.

William Wallace: Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you'll live... at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take... OUR FREEDOM!

[last lines]

William Wallace: [voiceover] In the Year of our Lord 1314, patriots of Scotland - starving and outnumbered - charged the fields of Bannockburn. They fought like warrior poets; they fought like Scotsmen, and won their freedom.

William Wallace: There's a difference between us. You think the people of this country exist to provide you with position. I think your position exists to provide those people with freedom. And I go to make sure that they have it.

Murron: You're going to teach me to read, then?

William Wallace: Aye, if you'd like.

Murron: Aye!

William Wallace: In what language?

Murron: Ah, you're showing off now.

William Wallace: That's right. Are you impressed yet?

Murron: No. Why? Should I be?

William Wallace: Oui. Parce que chaque jour j'ai pensé à toi.

[Yes. Because every single day I've thought about you]

Murron: [hesitates, impressed despite herself, then smiles] Do that standing on your head and I'll be impressed.

William Wallace: Well, my kilt will fly up, but I'll try.

Princess Isabelle: The king desires peace.

William Wallace: Longshanks desires peace?

Princess Isabelle: He declares it to me, I swear it. He proposes that you withdraw your attack. In return he grants you title, estates, and this chest of gold which I am to pay to you personally.

William Wallace: A lordship and titles. Gold. That I should become Judas?

Princess Isabelle: Peace is made in such ways.

William Wallace: Slaves are made in such ways. The last time Longshanks spoke of peace I was a boy. And many Scottish nobles, who would not be slaves, were lured by him under a flag of truce to a barn, where he had them hanged. I was very young, but I remember Longshanks' notion of peace.

William Wallace: It's all for nothing if you don't have freedom.

William Wallace: We all end up dead, it's just a question of how and why.

Royal Magistrate: The prisoner wishes to say a word.

William Wallace: [shouts loud and long] Freedom!

Guard: Volunteers comin' in!

Faudron: [kneels] William Wallace, we've come to fight and to die for you.

William Wallace: Stand up, man, I'm not the Pope.

Faudron: [smiles and stands] My name is Faudron. My sword is yours. I brought you this.

[reaches for something, Hamish tries to stop him]

Guard: We checked 'em for arms.

Faudron: I brought you this.

[pulls out a sash]

Faudron: My wife made it for you.

William Wallace: Thank you.

Stephen: [starts laughing] Him? That can't be William Wallace. I'm *prettier* than this man!

[to the sky]

Stephen: Alright, Father, I'll ask him.

[to William]

Stephen: If I risk my neck for you, will I get a chance to kill Englishmen?

Hamish: Is your father a ghost, or do you converse with the Almighty?

Stephen: In order to find his equal, an Irishman is forced to talk to God.

[to the sky]

Stephen: Yes, Father!

[to Hamish]

Stephen: The Almight says, "Don't change the subject, just answer the fuckin' question."

Hamish: Mind your tongue.

Campbell: Insane Irish.

Stephen: [draws a dagger on Campbell; everyone draws weapons] Smart enough to get a dagger past your guards, old man.

William Wallace: That's my friend, Irishman. And the answer to your question is "yes". You fight for me, you get to kill the English.

Stephen: [grins] Excellent!

[removes his dagger]

Stephen: Stephen is my name. I the most wanted man on my island, except I'm not on my island, of course. More's the pity.

Hamish: "Your island"? You mean Ireland?

Stephen: Yeah. It's mine.

Hamish: You're a madman.

Stephen: [nods and starts laughing, then Hamish does as well] I've come to the right place, then.

Stephen: Fine speech. Now what do we do?

William Wallace: Just be yourselves.

Hamish: Where are you going?

William Wallace: I'm going to pick a fight.

Hamish: Well, we didn't get dressed up for nothing.

Princess Isabelle: I understand you have suffered. I know... about your woman.

William Wallace: [pauses] She was my wife. We married in secret because I would not share her with an English lord. They killed her to get to me. I've never spoken of it, I don't know why I tell you now, except... I see her strength in you. One day, you'll be a queen. And you must open your eyes. You tell your king that William Wallace will *not* be ruled... and nor will any Scot while I live.

Hamish: Personal escort of the princess.

William Wallace: Aye.

Hamish: Musta made an impression.

William Wallace: Aye.

Hamish: I didn't think you were in the tent that long.

William Wallace: [seeing the spirit of his wife] I'm dreaming.

Murron: Yes, you are. And you must wake.

William Wallace: [pause] I don't want to wake. I want to stay here with you.

Robert the Bruce: I'm not a coward. I want what you want, but we need the nobles.

William Wallace: We need them?

Robert the Bruce: Aye.

William Wallace: Nobles.

[laughs a little]

William Wallace: Now tell me, what does that mean to be noble? Your title gives you claim to the throne 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

William Wallace: I love you. Always have. I wanna marry you.

[William has asked Murron to go riding with him in the rain]

Mother MacClannough: In this? You're out of your mind!

William Wallace: Oh, it's good Scottish weather, madam. The rain is falling straight down. Well, slightly to the side like.

William Wallace: [praying before his execution] Give me the strength to die well.

William Wallace: [to a swaying Hamish] You all right? You look a wee bit shaky.

Hamish: Shoulda remembered the rocks.

William Wallace: Aye, you shoulda.

[Hamish collapses; helps Hamish up]

William Wallace: Get up ya big heap. It's good to see you again.

Hamish: Aye, welcome home.

[laughs and hugs William]

Hamish: Oh, me head.

William Wallace: Oh, you shoulda moved.

William Wallace: I came back home to raise crops, and God willing, a family. If I can live in peace, I will.

William Wallace: Lower your flags and march straight back to England, stopping at every home you pass by to beg forgiveness for a hundred years of theft, rape, and murder. Do that and your men shall live. Do it not, and every one of you will die today.

William Wallace: Why do you help me?

Princess Isabelle: Because of the way you are looking at me now.

William Wallace: Go back to England and tell them there that Scotland's daughters and her sons are yours no more. Tell them Scotland is free.

King's Advisor: [to Princess] Sanguinarius homo indomitus est, et se me dite cum mendacia.

[He is a bloody murdering savage. And he's telling lies]

William Wallace: Ego nunquam pronunciari mendacium! Sed ego sum homo indomitus.

[I never lie. But I am a savage]

William Wallace: [to Princess] Ou en français, si vous préférez?

[Or in French if you prefer?]

William Wallace: [after being outthrown] That's a good throw.

Hamish: Aye. Aye, it was.

William Wallace: I was wondering if you could do that when it matters.

[Hamish stares at him]

William Wallace: As it - as it matters in battle.

[Hamish continues staring]

William Wallace: Could you crush a man with that throw?

Hamish: I could crush you, like a worm.

Crowd: Oooohhh!

William Wallace: You could?

Hamish: Aye.

William Wallace: Well, then do it.

[to the crowd]

William Wallace: Would you like to see him crush me like a worm?

[the crowd cheers]

Murron: Aye!

William Wallace: [picks up a small stone] Come do it.

Hamish: You'll move.

William Wallace: I will not.

Hamish: Right.

Campbell: He'll move.

Morrison: Come on, Hamish!

Campbell: Come on there, boy!

[Hamish throws the stone but misses the unflinching Wallace]

Campbell: [pointing at Wallace] Well done!

[Wallace throws his stone hitting Hamish's head]

Hamish: Ah!

Crowd: Oooh!

Campbell: Fine display, young Wallace!

Princess Isabelle: I understand you have recently been given the rank of knight.

William Wallace: I have been given nothing. God makes men what they are.

William Wallace: Before we let you leave, your commander must cross that field, present himself before this army, put his head between his legs, and kiss his own arse.

Robert the Bruce: I respect what you said, but remember that these men have lands and castles. It's much to risk.

William Wallace: And the common man, who bleeds on the battlefield, does he risk less?

Hamish: What the hell are the Irish doing fighting with the English?

Stephen: I wouldn't worry about them. Didn't I tell ya before? It's my island.

William Wallace: Hamish, ride ahead to Edinburgh and assemble the council. Order it.

Hamish: Right.

William Wallace: Your island?

Stephen: My island! Yup.

William Wallace: Are you ready for a war?

Hamish: There's somebody coming.

Campbell: MacGregors from the next clan.

MacGregor: We heard about what was happenin' and don't want you "Amadans" thinkin' you can have your fun without us.

William Wallace: Go home. Some of us are in this; can't help that, now. But you can help yourselves. Go home.

MacGregor: We'll have no homes left when the English garrison from the castle comes through and burns us out. And they will!

[Wallace motions for the MacGregors to join them]

Robert the Bruce: Now, you've achieved more than anyone ever dreamed. But, fighting these odds, it looks like rage, not courage.

William Wallace: It's well beyond rage. Help me. In the name of Christ, help yourselves. Now is our chance. Now. If we join, we can win. If we win, well then we'll have what none of us has ever had before: a country of our own.

Hamish: Your dream isn't about freedom. It's about Murron! You're doing this to be a hero, 'cause ya think she sees ye!

William Wallace: I don't think she sees me. I *know* she does. And your father sees you, too.

[Hamish punches him, knocks him down, and stalks off]

Stephen: [to the sky as he goes to help William up] Jesus.

[Wallace is brought before the Royal Magistrate accused of treason against "his" King, Longshanks]

William Wallace: Never, in my whole life, have I ever sworn allegiance to him.

Royal Magistrate: It matters not. He is your King.

William Wallace: [after Hamish drops a boulder at Wallace's feet] You dropped your rock.

Hamish: Test of manhood.

William Wallace: You win.

Hamish: Call it a test of soldiery then. The English won't let us train with weapons, so we train with stones.

William Wallace: [the secret wedding] I will love you and no other, for the rest of my life.

Murron: And I you, you and no other, for ever.