The deleted scenes reveal that early story drafts would have had three lords vying for her hand, but they decided old men trying to marry a young girl was creepy and so went with the three lord's sons instead. I almost wish they had kept it lords because a) that's disturbingly historically accurate, b) I think it would have made her refusal to marry more sympathetic.

link

So, now I want to know your input.

I always like more historically accurate movies (but it does not mean I mind if DP movies are usually inaccurate). it is more interesting. And I thin it would have helped to make Merida more sympathetic. She did not seem to make any effort to get the now the sons even tough she knew all her life this was expected and of her. If she had been only slightly negative about the idea of marriage before and after meeting them became convinced it was a horrible idea it would have seemed more reasonable. But her mother would have came across unsympathetic. And I think in the movie the point was they were both wrong which would not have worked with lords and modern audiences.

...... Marrying a complete stranger was just as creepy as marrying really old complete strangers.

I totally agree with what Onyxis said. Sure it's extremely creepy and it would made us like Merida more, but her mother would seem like a total bitch, I don't know about you, but I would thought that she's another Lady Tremaine.

Just the way it is it makes sense to refuse a stranger, but adding old men that are 30 years older than her make it even worse!

:3

Or the "yes" opinion.

Yuck.

Note: Your missing the point, people don't hate brave because she turned down getting married, marriage was part of her responsibility and didn't realize that MAYBE this was not about her.

It's the narrative equivalent of a girl who doesn't want to go to school because she'd rather play video games or something. she avoids going to school by turning her mom into the police, then feeling guilty and getting her out (by getting lucky) the mom got the point and takes her out of school. The Girl comes up with no consequences and learns nothing.

Merida had to get married because she HAD to not because her Parent's wanted to. It was part of her responsibility. Say after her mom turned back into a human and still wanted Merida to get married, what would she do. Would she still go to great lengths to avoid it.

Merida doesn't really change, she doesn't learn anything. Merida wants to play with her toys and avoid her responsibilities then does something stupid, in the end got lucky and she gets what she want's no consequences of her own. The End

She doesn't really learn anything or change, other than admitting it was her fault.

This has nothing to do with getting married, but bitching her way out of her priorities.

And she isn't really brave, its rather pathetic, she barley shoots her bow and arrow.

You wanna see a brave princess: watch Nausicca, it's basically brave if brave were alot smarter.