Original artwork, not a still
I am your king!
— Monty Python and the Holy Grail • 1975
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is the film's best joke about power: a monarch who sincerely thinks being king needs no explanation meets citizens who have never heard of him and expect a ballot. Arthur's flat insistence became the stock reply of anyone pulling rank, and it opens the scene that gave fans "Help, help, I'm being repressed!" The Pythons play medieval politics in the language of a 1970s trade-union meeting.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Monty Python and the Holy GrailShow the scene
Early in Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Arthur and his servant Patsy ride up to two peasants working in the muck. Arthur introduces himself as king of the Britons; the peasant woman has never heard of him and says the village is an autonomous collective, while her neighbour Dennis lectures on class. When Arthur snaps at them to be quiet, the woman asks who he thinks he is, and Arthur answers: "I am your king." She replies that she did not vote for him, and Arthur has to explain how a man becomes a king.
Sources (2)
- Wikiquote: Monty Python and the Holy Graildialogue, scene with Dennis and the peasant womanReference checked
- Wikipedia: Monty Python and the Holy GrailPlot and CastReference checked
Context reviewed
