Original artwork, not a still
The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering silmite held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur. That is why I am your king!
— Monty Python and the Holy Grail • 1975
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Arthur's origin myth is an exercise in royal self-belief, and the film punctures it within seconds: Dennis's answer about strange women lying in ponds became one of the best-known political jokes in English. The speech is the setup fans quote when they want to be grand, and the peasant rebuttal is the part that travels, because it demolishes divine right in a sentence.
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In context
Spoilers for Monty Python and the Holy GrailShow the scene
The same scene as "I am your king": Arthur has to justify his crown to the peasant woman, who asks how he became king. A choir sings as he answers with a solemn speech about the Lady of the Lake, whose arm held Excalibur out of the water as a sign of divine providence. The singing stops and he declares that this is why he is king. Dennis cuts in with a rebuttal about strange women lying in ponds, and the argument ends with Arthur shaking him and Dennis shouting that he is being repressed.
Sources (2)
- Wikiquote: Monty Python and the Holy Graildialogue, scene with Dennis and the peasant womanReference checked
- Wikipedia: Monty Python and the Holy GrailPlot summaryReference checked
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