King Edward In Freedom's Cause Analysis

What is a leader? The definition of a leader is one who leads or commands a group, organization, or country. A good leader is one who creates a new path in the wilderness and shines a light upon the weak. Leaders can come in all shapes and sizes, they can be old or young, educated or street smart. G. A. Henty’s historical fiction novel, In Freedom’s Cause offers many leaders who rise during the Scottish rebellion against English rule, but one of the most savvy, wise, and proud of all was King Edward I of England. King Edward, the antagonist in the story, qualifies as a leader for multiple reasons: he was smart, determined, and brave.

First, King Edward showed his intelligence as the leader of the opposing force in In Freedom’s Cause, throughout the book. During the time of the book, King Edward of England had both Scotland and Ireland in his hand, and he did not just use force to obtain them. For example, when the Scots’ throne had no direct heir, King Edward was smart enough to see a chance and take it. He offered to command Scotland while there was no king on the throne so that he might …show more content…
He shows this throughout the book as he goes to Scotland and fights instead of sitting in England. The author shows, before the battle of Falkirk that the English army was out of food just as they found out that Wallace and his band was very close (144). King Edward had to make a choice of possibly capturing his enemy, and letting his army almost die of starvation, or to turn back and go to England in defeat. He used his wit, and bravery in making the choice and ended up winning the battle. The author also shows his bravery during the battle of Falkirk as the English cavalry was failing against the Scott’s defense King Edward lead the infantry as a reinforcement and won the battle (145). He rode into battle risking his own life, instead of moving his army like pieces in a game of chess. This shows King Edwards bravery on behalf of his