In 1305, William Wallace died a failure and a traitor. But today he is acknowledged internationally as a popular hero, his renown cemented by the blockbuster film Braveheart. Wallace has successfully survived in the popular memory, when others with a more crucial role in history have not. To coincide with the 700th anniversary of his death in 2005, The Three Lives of William Wallace will investigate how a man we should never have heard of became an iconic figure, and why he has retained this status for so long.

Only part of the answer to this puzzle lies with Wallace himself and his extraordinary achievements. The Three Lives of William Wallace will reveal that considerable credit for Wallace’s longevity in the popular memory must also go to several remarkable figures who, after Wallace’s own life ended, were to reincarnate him in three further forms: in words, stone and film. It was through their appropriation of his name and deeds that Wallace has been able to continue to capture the public’s imagination over the past 700 years.

The Three Lives of William Wallace will begin by reassessing his life, and exploring why Wallace’s own actions were to prove inspirational to many after his death. Wallace exploded on to the political scene of the time, when, as only the younger son of an obscure knight, he overturned the conventions of medieval society, defying the hierarchical order of the time to become the leader of Scotland’s army, in his fight for Scottish independence. The programme will illustrate Wallace’s skills as a military innovator and strategist, skills that were key to his forces achieving a remarkable victory against a superior English army at Stirling Bridge in 1297.