She is shown under the close guidance of her mother practicing careful pronunciation, learning the geography of her kingdom, and playing the lyre. Some years later, Merida grudgingly participates in the tasks expected of a princess, showing that her life's purpose has been dictated by her sex and status and with little regard for her interests or skills. The importance of legends in Brave is reminiscent of the heroic epics and Arthurian myths of medieval literature, and within this context Merida can be seen as the protagonist in a role that has often been masculine-dominated. King Fergus fights off the bear but loses a leg in the process, a story that becomes legend. This scene from Merida’s childhood also features the evil bear Mer’du, who attempts to attack the young Princess and her mother.

The Queen (Emma Thompson), who has spent her life adhering to the expectations placed on royal women, chides her husband for this unladylike gift. Archery is Merida’s greatest joy and talent, although it is a sport associated with male medieval characters like Robin Hood rather than princesses. The film begins with a scene from Merida’s childhood-as a birthday gift, her father, King Fergus (Billy Connolly), presents her with a bow. The opening scene of Brave introduces several of the film's central themes-Merida as an active and therefore nontraditional princess, her family dynamic as a representation of, and challenge to, the gendered expectations of medieval Scotland, and the truths behind legends. Brave directly acknowledges strictly defined gender roles while also challenging them.

Some critics have argued that Merida exhibits more agency than previous Disney princesses-her story, for example, does not involve being rescued by a prince (Nowlan and Finch, 127). One of the main differences between those films and Brave is the lack of a romantic interest for protagonist Princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald). This article was corrected on 30 August 2012 because the original standfirst said pedalled, when it should have said peddled.Brave (2012), a Disney / Pixar animated film directed by Brenda Chapman and Mark Andrews, takes a semi-radical approach towards the depiction of gender roles, especially when compared to previous Disney animated princess tales.

Richard Oram is a Professor of Medieval and Environmental History at the University of Stirling. It's said that she and her ladies appeared on the battlements, dusting the places where the enemies' stones had fallen – though that particular story may be as apocryphal as the events in this film. There's Euphemia, a countess of Ross in her own right in the 14th century, and Agnes Randolph, Countess of Dunbar, who defended Dunbar Castle during the 1330s. The fact that the film has a strong woman at its centre may actually be quite accurate: we know very little about women in medieval Scotland, but those we do know about seem to have been pretty feisty. It's also highly unlikely there were bears in medieval times: we think they became extinct in Scotland in the prehistoric period. That ties in with the view peddled abroad since Queen Victoria: that of a bare, rugged land, inhabited by wild men in kilts. The general feel – the mix of water and hills, forest and mountains – is very good: the forests are a realistic blend of Scots pine and birch.

Tales of the brave movie