Determined to make her own path in life, Princess Merida defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted one wish, Merida must rely on her bravery and her archery skills to undo a beastly curse.

Princess Merida: There are those who say fate is something beyond our command. That destiny is not our own, but I know better. Our fate lives within us, you only have to be brave enough to see it.
[from trailer]
King Fergus: Pretend I'm Merida, speak to me.
King Fergus: [shrill voice] I don't want to get married, I want to stay single and let my hair flow in the wind as I ride through the glen firing arrows into the sunset.
Princess Merida: [voice over] Some say our destiny is tied to the land, as much a part of us as we are of it. Others say fate is woven together like a cloth, so that one's destiny intertwines with many others. It's the one thing we search for, or fight to change. Some never find it. But there are some who are led.
The Witch: Fate be changed, look inside. Mend the bond torn by pride.
Queen Elinor: [after Merida's actions at the clan gathering, Elinor drags and throws Merida into the tapestry room] I don't believe you! I've just about had enough of you, lass!
Princess Merida: YOU'RE the one that wants me to...!
Queen Elinor: You embarrassed them! You embarrassed me!
Princess Merida: *I* followed the rules!
Queen Elinor: You don't know what you've done!
Princess Merida: I just don't care how...
Queen Elinor: There'll be fire and sword if it's not set right.
Princess Merida: Just listen!
Queen Elinor: I AM THE *QUEEN*! YOU listen to ME!
Princess Merida: OH! This is so unfair!
Queen Elinor: Huh! Unfair?
Princess Merida: [grabs a sword and swings it around angrily] You were never there for me! This whole marriage is what YOU want! Do you ever bother to ask what *I* want? No! You walk around telling me what to do, what not to do! Trying to make me be like you! Well, I'm not going to be like you!
Queen Elinor: Ach! You're acting like a child!
Princess Merida: And YOU'RE a beast!
[points her sword at the family tapestry that Elinor had been working on]
Princess Merida: That's what you are!
Queen Elinor: [gasps] Merida!
Princess Merida: [sticks the tip of her sword into the tapestry] I'll never be like you!
Queen Elinor: No! Stop that!
Princess Merida: I'd rather DIE than be like you!
[Suddenly, Merida slashes the tapestry, a line between the images of Elinor and herself. Elinor gasps in shock; Merida just stares at her angrily. Furious at what Merida said and did, Elinor marches up to her]
Queen Elinor: Merida, you are a princess!
[She takes the sword from Merida and tosses it aside. She then grabs Merida's bow]
Queen Elinor: I expect you to act like one!
[She throws Merida's bow into the fire. Shocked at her mother, Merida runs out of the room in tears]
Queen Elinor: Merida! Merida!
[immediately regrets her actions and pulls the bow out of the fire; however it's already ruined]
Queen Elinor: Oh, no! What have I done?
[weeps]
Princess Merida: Well, that's attractive.
[after Young Macintosh smashes bow on the ground]
[from trailer]
Princess Merida: I am Merida, and I'll be shooting for my own hand.
Princess Merida: There comes a day when I don't have to be a princess. No rules, no expectations. A day where anything can happen. A day where I can change my fate.
Princess Merida: Mom, you'll never guess what I did today!
Queen Elinor: What's that, dear?
Princess Merida: I climbed up the Crown's Tooth and drank from the fire falls.
[Hamish, Hubert and Harris look at her in awe]
King Fergus: Did you, now? They say only the ancient kings were brave enough to drink the fire.
[from trailer]
King Fergus: [in flashback] I saw something that day, something I'll not forget. It stands 12 feet tall, with razor sharp claws. Its hide littered with the weapons of fallen warriors. Its face scared with one dead eye. I drew my sword and...
[cut to the present]
Princess Merida: CHOMP! Dad's leg was clean off!
King Fergus: Awwwwww... That's my favorite part!
[Merida giggles]
[from trailer]
Princess Merida: If you had a chance to change your fate, would you?
Young MacGuffin: [in a thick Doric accent] It's jist nae fair makin us ficht for the hand o the quine that disnae want any bit o it. Ken?
[everyone else looks confused]
Princess Merida: I became a sister to three new brothers. The princes. Hamish, Hubert, and Harris. Wee devils, more like. They get away with murder. I can never get away with anything.
Queen Elinor: [as Elinor and young Merida play, Fergus places his bow on the table] Ach! Fergus, no weapons on the table!
Young Merida: Can I shoot an arrow?
[she picks up the large bow from the table]
Young Merida: Can I? Can I? Can I? Can I? Please, can I?
[she falls and laughs as the bow is too big for her]
King Fergus: Not with that. Why not use your very own?
[he presents her with a small bow]
King Fergus: Happy birthday, my wee darlin'!
Princess Merida: [Merida looks at the black berries] Find these berries down by the creek, did you?
[Queen Elinor nods her head and keeps eating the berries]
Princess Merida: They're Nightshade berries.
[Elinor eats another one]
Princess Merida: They're poisonous.
[Elinor spits out the berries and drinks water]
Princess Merida: Where did you get this water? It's got worms!
[Elinor spits out the water]
Queen Elinor: Merida, a princess does not set her weapons on the table.
Princess Merida: Mom, it's just my bow!
Queen Elinor: A princess should not have weapons, in my opinion.
King Fergus: Princess or not, learning to fight is essential!
Princess Merida: That scaffy witch gave me a gammy spell!
The Witch: A grim fate. But what of you? Will you challenge fate?
[holds cake out to Young Dingwall]
Wee Dingwall: [gasps; frightened] I... I just wanted a drink of water!
[screams when offered the cake again; runs into door and frantically tries to open it by pushing]
Wee Dingwall: Let me out! No, please!
The Witch: Sweetie, you've got to pull, not push.
Wee Dingwall: [calmly opens door] Oh. Thank you.
[runs screaming from cottage]
The Witch: [laughs] Nice chatting with you.
The Crow: [caws] Back to woodcarving.
The Witch: [Exits her house with Merida and her crow, snaps her fingers and opens the door to reveal her cauldron and casting materials within] Never craft where you conjure.
Princess Merida: A cake?
[witch picks up the cake from the boiling cauldron]
The Witch: Do you not want it?
Princess Merida: No! I want it, but... Are you sure if I give this to my mom, it will change my fate?
The Witch: Trust me, deary. It will do the trick.
Queen Elinor: Merida, all this work, all the time spent preparing you, schooling you, giving you everything we never had. I ask you, what do you expect us to do?
Princess Merida: Call off the gathering. Would that kill them? You're the queen. You can just tell the lords the princess is not ready for this. In fact, she might not ever be ready for this, so that's that. Good day to you. We'll expect your declarations of war in the morning.
Queen Elinor: I understand this must all seem unfair. Even I had reservations when I faced betrothal.
[Fergus looks up]
Queen Elinor: But we can't just run away from who we are.
Princess Merida: I don't want my life to be over. I want my freedom!
Queen Elinor: But are you willing to pay the price your freedom will cost?
Princess Merida: I'm not doing any of this to hurt you.
Queen Elinor: If you could just try to see what I do, I do out of love.
Princess Merida: But it's my life, it's... I'm just not ready.
Queen Elinor: I think you'd see, if you could just...
Princess Merida: I think I could make you understand if you would just...
Queen Elinor: Listen.
Princess Merida: Listen.
Princess Merida: [Elinor gestures to Merida's bow on the table] Sorry, I don't speak Bear.
[Merida smiles]
Young Merida: I missed...
Queen Elinor: Well, go and fetch it, then.
[turns to Fergus]
Queen Elinor: A bow, Fergus? She's a lady!
Princess Merida: [after Young Macintosh throws his bow] Good arm!
King Fergus: [Fergus brushes back his hair] And such lovely, flowing locks.
The Crow: [arriving at the front gate with carvings, last lines] Delivery! Sign here, sign here... Come on, Birdbrain. I haven't got all day.
Young Merida: I saw a will-o'-the-wisp!
[runs up to Elinor]
Young Merida: [Elinor picks her up and holds her]
Queen Elinor: A will-o'-the-wisp? You know, some say that will-o'-the-wisps can lead you to your fate.
King Fergus: Well, that's just grand, isn't it? Guess who's coming to dinner!
[turns to Merida]
King Fergus: Oh, and by the way, I hope you don't mind being called Lady Ding-
[sees dog in her seat]
Lord Macintosh: At least we have hair!
Lord MacGuffin: And all of our teeth!
Young MacGuffin: If he was a wee bit closer, I could lob a caber at him, ye ken.
Lord Macintosh: And we don't hide under bridges, you grumpy old troll!
Lord Dingwall: You want a laugh, eh?
Lord Dingwall: [turns to son]
Lord Dingwall: Wee Dingwall!
Young Dingwall: [Attacks Lord Macintosh]
Lord Dingwall: Feast your eyes!
[Dingwall lifts the back of his kilt to Lord Macintosh]
Lord Macintosh: [Macintosh begins to gag]
Princess Merida: I didn't ask her to change you into a bear! I just asked her to change... you.
Queen Elinor: [Elinor growls at Merida loudly]
[scene reverts to Fergus and the lords downstairs]
King Fergus: [Fergus sniffs the air] Something's not right.
[scene goes back to Merida and Elinor]
Princess Merida: There's no use having a go at me. The witch is to blame!
[Elinor paces the floor and growls]
King Fergus: [from trailer] The ancients spoke of it. It is the heart of this fierce land. it is carried in the wind. Born of our legends and when we are put to the test, it is the one thing that we must always be.
Princess Merida: I bet he wishes he was throwing cabers.
[after Young MacGuffin shoots]
King Fergus: Or holding up bridges...
Queen Elinor: Fergus!
[first lines]
Queen Elinor: Where are you? Come out! Come out! Come on out! I'm coming to get you!
Queen Elinor: [young Merida laughs as she hides under the table] Where are you, you little rascal? I'm coming to get you!
Queen Elinor: [Elinor looks under the table but Merida quickly moves to hide somewhere else] Hmm. Where is my little birthday girl, hm? I'm going to gobble her up when I find her!
Queen Elinor: [Merida comes up behind Elinor and goes to run away but Elinor catches her] Eat you!
King Fergus: [to Mor'du] I'll fight you with my bare hands!