Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Characters / MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail

Go To

1%%
2%%
3%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
4%%
5%%
6Character page for ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail''. Tropes unique to ''Theatre/{{Spamalot}}'' are also brought up.
7----
8[[foldercontrol]]
9
10!Knights of the Round Table & Retinue
11
12[[folder:In General]]
13* AdaptationalWimp: ''None'' of them are the courageous knights they were in the myths, lacking any superpowers and running away from most threats (except [[BloodKnight Lancelot]]).
14* DysfunctionJunction: These guys have some pretty weird hang-ups, from Robin's laughable cowardice to Lancelot's uncontrollable berserker rage.
15* RealMenLoveJesus: They are very much God-fearing men who are honored to be given a MissionFromGod.
16-->'''Lancelot:''' A blessing! A blessing from the Lord!\
17'''Galahad:''' God be praised!
18[[/folder]]
19
20[[folder:King Arthur]]
21!![[Myth/KingArthur Arthur Pendragon, King of the Britons]]
22[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/King-Arthur-and-Patsy-monty-python-380178_800_441_4926.jpg]]
23[[caption-width-right:250:''"It is I, Arthur, son of Uther Pendragon, from the castle of Camelot. King of the Britons, defeater of the Saxons, Sovereign of all England!"'']]
24->'''Played by:''' Creator/GrahamChapman
25
26The main character. He is the king of the Britons[[note]]It should be noted that strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony[[/note]]. God sent him and his knights on a quest to find the Holy Grail. Acts very stoic considering the amount of strangeness happening around him.
27
28----
29* AuthorityInNameOnly: Few in Britain really see Arthur as King (or even know about him), and throughout the film, he doesn't seem to command much respect from the people. The Dennis the Peasant scene even suggests that there are entire systems of government within his kingdom that don't recognize him.
30* CharacterCatchphrase:
31** "[[OhCrap JESUS CHRIST!!!]]"
32** "RUN AWAY!"
33* CoconutSuperpowers: His status as king is limited by the film's budget, explaining why he only travels with Patsy and a handful of knights recruited on the spot (with his army showing up only at the end) and we only once see Camelot. The film gets around this by writing him as an AuthorityInNameOnly.
34* TheComicallySerious: His main contribution to the film's humour is remaining completely straight-laced through all the absurd situations thrown at him and even occasionally attempting to get things back on a serious track (mostly to no avail).
35* CoolCrown and CoolHelmet: Wears a helmet that looks like a crown.
36* CoolSword: Excalibur, of course, which he uses throughout the film.
37* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: People don't respect him much, he takes things way too seriously, one of his catchphrases is "Run Away"... and he also utterly humiliates the Black Knight and outsmarts the Bridgekeeper.
38* DeadpanSnarker: Mostly he plays the StraightMan to the rest of the movie, but he occasionally gets in a couple of digs at them.
39* HandicappedBadass: Very mild example: he appears to suffer from discalculia, explaining his trouble with counting to three.
40* IAmXSonOfY:
41-->"I am Arthur, son of Uther Pendragon of the Castle of Camelot. King of the Britons, defeater of the Saxons, sovereign of all England."
42* NotSoStoic: Compared to other characters, who have very eccentric personalities, Arthur always acts like people would expect from a king... until someone starts pointing out the absurdity of proclaiming royal status on the basis that one was given a sword by "a watery tart".
43* OnlySaneMan: In a movie where all the characters are weird, eccentric or absurd to some degree, Arthur is pretty much the only one who ''isn't.'' Unless you count his refusal to acknowledge that this isn't a serious movie.
44* RageBreakingPoint: He tries being polite towards Dennis. It's only after Dennis refuses to just ''shut up'' that he finally snaps and starts subjecting him to the violence inherent in the system.
45* TheSmartGuy: Much wiser than Sir Bedivere.
46* VerbalTic: He says "five" instead of "three", then is corrected by his knights.
47* WrongGenreSavvy: Arthur is ''convinced'' that he is in a straightforward Arthurian legend, and no amount of silliness shall convince him otherwise.
48
49!!Tropes associated with the ''Theatre/{{Spamalot}}'' version of this character:
50----
51* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: Hinted to have some anti-Semitic tendencies, as Patsy declined to mention he was Jewish on the grounds "it's not kind of thing you tell a heavily armed Christian."
52* UngratefulBastard: Comes across this way in "I'm All Alone", ignoring that Patsy is by his side. [[spoiler:He actually does appreciate Patsy, but takes him somewhat for granted because he's "family".]]
53
54----
55[[/folder]]
56
57[[folder:Patsy]]
58!!Patsy
59->'''Played by:''' Creator/TerryGilliam
60[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/monty_python_patsy.jpg]]
61[[caption-width-right:250:''"It's only a model."'']]
62
63Arthur's faithful servant who carries his stuff and uses coconut shells to simulate the hoofbeats of Arthur's nonexistent horse.
64----
65* BreakingTheFourthWall: When the party comes to Camelot, he says, "It's only a model."
66* HumanPackMule: Parodied. Besides toting a huge amount of gear for Arthur, he also mimics the sounds of hoofbeats with two halves of a hollowed out coconut when they travel.
67* TheQuietOne: He only gets one line in the movie.
68* {{Sidekick}}: To Arthur. Mostly acts as his assistant and is his only companion at the start of the movie.
69* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Disappears after the encounter with Tim. [[note]]There is a bit of dialogue that they would dismount and carry on, on foot. And since he had the coconuts for Arthur… [[/note]]
70
71!!Tropes associated with the ''Theatre/{{Spamalot}}'' version of this character:
72----
73* AmbiguouslyChristian / AmbiguouslyJewish: His religious beliefs are vague. It's outright stated that [[spoiler: he's half-Jewish on his mother's side]], but that's more ethnic than religious. He's the top servant and closest friend of a devout Christian king and joins with Christian knights on a quest to find the Holy Grail and it's likely his father was a Christian. However, he's also given the AntiNihilist song "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life", implying he may be an atheist (or at least not believe in an afterlife); and his line "It's not the kind of thing you tell a heavily armed Christian" implies he may not consider himself a Christian.
74* AscendedExtra: He only had two lines in the original. Here, he takes Bedevere's place as Arthur's closest confidant, gets to lead "Always Look On the Bright Side of Life", and is [[spoiler:the key to getting the grail]].
75* AntiNihilist: He cheers Arthur up with [[Film/LifeOfBrian "Always Look On the Bright Side of Life"]], a song about how life is pointless and even painful, but it's more fun to be optimistic anyway.
76* ButtMonkey: Constantly ignored and taken for granted by Arthur.
77* CompositeCharacter: Bedevere is still in this version, but Patsy takes his trait of being Arthur's right-hand-man and confidant.
78* HypercompetentSidekick: To Arthur.
79* RaceLift: Being a servant to King Arthur, it can be assumed in the original version he was probably an Anglo-Saxon or Celtic Christian. [[spoiler:In Spamalot, he's half-Jewish. He didn't tell Arthur at first because, "It's not the kind of thing you tell a heavily-armed Christian.]]
80* TheReveal: [[spoiler:He's Jewish]].
81[[/folder]]
82
83[[folder:Bedevere]]
84!!Sir Bedevere the Wise
85[[quoteright:222:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/witch_bedevere_2880.jpg]]
86->'''Played by:''' Creator/TerryJones
87
88The wisest of the knights. Unfortunately, that still doesn't leave enough wisdom to be detected without the aid of powerful instruments.
89----
90* CharacterTics: He always holds his visor up, despite being able to look perfectly through it.
91* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Despite being treated as TheSmartGuy, he is more accurately this trope, most of his learnings based on InsaneTrollLogic.
92* CoolHelmet: The visor seems to get in the way, but still it looks neat and knightly.
93* DidntThinkThisThrough: The one time he comes up with a plan (the [[TrojanHorse Trojan Rabbit]]), it's actually somewhat decent...but not only did he not consider the French would catapult it out of the castle before the intended nighttime attack to take them by surprise and unarmed, he forgot that Lancelot, Galahad, and ''himself'' were supposed to be inside the thing for the plan to work at all. (Good thing they weren't.)
94* TheFool: Despite his inherent idiocy, he still manages to survive through the end.
95* InformedAttribute: Played for laughs. He is supposed to be wise, but makes very big mistakes and acts like a fool.
96-->'''Bedevere:''' And that, my liege, is how we know the Earth to be banana-shaped.\
97'''Arthur''': This new learning amazes me, Sir Bedevere. Explain again how sheep's bladders can be used to prevent earthquakes.
98* InsaneTrollLogic: Employs this to help villagers expose a witch. It went like this: Witches burn. Wood also burns. Wood floats. Ducks also float. So if someone weighs the same as a duck, she is made of wood and is therefore a witch. Amusingly, this logic actually works as the woman in question does indeed weigh the same as a duck and turns out to be a witch after all.
99-->'''Witch:''' It's a fair cop.
100* TheLancer: Accompanies Arthur throughout the film and seems to be his right-hand man.
101* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: [[InsaneTrollLogic Questionable as his logic may be]], he still holds a trial for the woman accused of witchcraft, treats the accusations thrown her way with skepticism, and sets out to prove she's a witch before executing her when the peasants just want to burn her even after he pokes holes their arguments. [[TheCuckoolanderWasRight His logic also turns out to be sound]], somehow, as he devises a method that does in fact prove she's a witch. [[GracefulLoser She even remarks it was a fair cop]] when the truth is revealed.
102* RightForTheWrongReasons: Despite the above InsaneTrollLogic, even he recognizes that "building a bridge out of her" is a poor test to see if someone is a witch. Why? Because the test is to see if the person is made out of wood, but you could also build a bridge out of stone.
103* TheSmartGuy: Explicitly stated to be the wisest of the bunch. Which probably says more about the other knights than it does him.
104
105!!Tropes associated with the ''Theatre/{{Spamalot}}'' version of this character:
106----
107* DemotedToExtra: His role of Arthur's confidant is given to Patsy, but he's still in the play.
108* GassHole: In this version, his honorific is not "the Wise", but "the Strangely Flatulent". However, [[InformedAttribute we don't really see it come up that he farts/burps a lot in the plot.]]
109[[/folder]]
110
111[[folder:Lancelot]]
112!!Sir Lancelot the Brave
113[[quoteright:306:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/monty_python_holy_grail_sir_lancelot_3508.png]]
114->Played by: Creator/JohnCleese
115
116An AxCrazy knight. He always tries to solve his problems through violence. Is also very dramatic in his way of acting.
117----
118* AdaptationalNationality: Was French in source materials (owing to having been created by a French writer), but here he doesn't even have an out-''rrrrajeous'' ak-sent!
119* AffablyEvil: He's quite charming when he's not in the middle of a killing spree.
120* AlwaysSaveTheGirl: Rushes off to rescue someone once he receives a call for help. Once he finds the person in distress is a man and not a woman as he expected, he's flabbergasted. Not angry or ready to raise hell about it, just utterly stumped and unsure what to do next.
121* AmbiguouslyGay: Lancelot's sexuality is open to interpretation due to RuleOfFunny. He's very immune to the charms of the Castle Anthrax "temptresses," and unconvincingly denies Galahad's accusations that he's gay, but when the distressed damsel he was expecting to rescue turns out to be a prince named Herbert, he's quite disturbed. It's hard to tell if he's a repressed homosexual or just a heterosexual who's really into the whole "chivalry and purity" thing.
122* ApologeticAttacker: He does regret and sincerely apologize for killing a whole bunch of innocent wedding guests and hapless guards (and then also killing several more of the survivors when they come after him). Poor guy just can't help himself.
123* AxCrazy: When something provokes him to fight, there is nothing stopping him from slaughtering everyone on sight. Even wedding guests had to die.
124* BadassCape: He is OneManArmy when he gets riled up.
125* TheBerserker: It doesn't take a whole lot to set him off, and once he gets going he'll kill people indiscriminately, no matter if they're putting up a fight or not. Which is actually quite accurate to his character from Arthurian myth.
126* TheBigGuy: The fighter of the round table.
127* BigOlEyebrows: He IS John Cleese, you know.
128* BoisterousBruiser: He's mostly jolly and good-natured. Just don't get too close when he's dead-set on a murderous rampage; being an innocent bystander will not save you.
129* ChasteHero: Unlike Sir Galahad, Lancelot appears to be completely unaffected by feminine wiles. While dragging off Galahad from Castle Anthrax, he's accused of being gay.
130* EasilyForgiven: Subverted. He bursts into Swamp Castle, killing multiple guards and unarmed wedding guests. But when the King of Swamp Castle realizes the potential of arranging a marriage with a knight of Camelot, he instantly forgives Lancelot. The wedding guests, however, aren't so forgiving. Only when the allegedly dead prince Herbert proves to be alive do the wedding guests forget about Lancelot.
131* EvilLaugh: Cackles wildly while hacking his way through defenceless wedding guests.
132* FakeShemp: Lancelot wears a black and white Great Helm in the scenes with Tim the Enchanter, and only takes it off after Tim leaves. Since Tim the Enchanter was ''also'' played by John Cleese, a body double had to be used.
133* HeroicComedicSociopath: To put it bluntly, he ''storms a wedding and murders most of the guests'' just because he thinks a princess is in danger, and tries to leave awkwardly when he realizes that it was a man who sent the cry for help.
134* KnightInShiningArmour: {{Subverted|trope}} -- he's certainly a brave knight, and he's even affable enough as long as he isn't riled up... but, as is quickly revealed, he is very much a violent, homicidal maniac who kills people without a second thought.
135* LanternJawOfJustice: As befitting a chivalrous knight, which he believes himself to be.
136* LargeHam: Tends to burst into dramatic speeches during his 'heroic rescue mission' at Swamp Castle.
137* LeeroyJenkins: He has exactly one strategy: Charge right ahead without thinking. It works, too -- he's one of the few characters who actually survives to the end. It probably helped that his only "opponents" were defenceless wedding guests and [[TheGuardsMustBeCrazy useless guards]] who [[TooDumbToLive don't even try to fight him]].
138* MotorMouth: Delivers his introduction speech to the damsel in distress in the fastest way possible, only stopping to realize that it's not a damsel, but a prince.
139-->''O fair one! [=BeholdIamyourhumbleSirLancelotofCamelotIhavecometotake=]--Oh, I'm terribly sorry!''
140* MyGirlIsNotASlut: As a traditionally chivalrous knight, his attitude towards women is mixed. He despises the "temptresses" of Castle Anthrax, but is eager to heroically rescue (and presumably fall in love with) what he assumes to be a virtuous young lady. When he realizes the "lady" in question is a man, he's rather put off.
141* OneManArmy: Slaughters half of an ''entire castle'' full of guards to save, erm, the prince. Although admittedly [[TheGuardsMustBeCrazy they didn't even try to fight back.]]
142* TokenEvilTeammate: To the Knights. He murders a lot of innocent people attempting to rescue (what he thinks is) a DamselInDistress.
143* UnstoppableRage: He even {{Lampshade|hanging}}s it to the King of Swamp Castle:
144-->"You see, when I'm in this idiom, I sometimes get sort of, er, carried away..."
145* WrongGenreSavvy: Much like King Arthur, he's convinced that he's the protagonist of a chivalric romance, which, of course, involves slaughtering one's way through castles to rescue imprisoned maidens. Unfortunately for him, the "maiden" in this case is a young man.
146
147!!Tropes associated with the ''Theatre/{{Spamalot}}'' version of this character:
148----
149* AdaptationalNiceGuy: He's just as much an AxCrazy BloodKnight as, if not more than, in the OG movie. But when Herbert's father essentially tries to murder him, rather than regarding it with indifference, he's [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech indignant and calls him out]].
150* AdaptationalSexuality: In the Python movie, he was AmbiguouslyGay at the most. Here, he has a whole song [[ComingOutStory dedicated to him coming out]].
151* AdaptationalVillainy: He's combined with the peasant who kills the old man, giving him an act of premeditated malice in addition to his usual BerserkerRage. [[WhatTheHellHero The chorus even calls him out on it.]]
152* ComingOutStory: The "Tale of Sir Lancelot" is turned into this.
153* CompositeCharacter: With the man who killed the old man during the "Bring Out Your Dead" sequence.
154* GymBunny: "You can all find him/Pumping at the gym/At the Camelot YMCA!"
155* ManlyGay: He loves swordfighting, battle, working out, and [[CampGay Herbert]].
156* PlatonicLifePartners: He doesn't appear to have any romantic attraction to Robin, but is quite fond of the guy and immediately wants to be his friend.
157* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: The Manly Man to both [[PlatonicLifePartners Robin's]] and [[ClosetKey Herbert's]] Sensitive Guy.
158* StraightGay: He's a crass, muscular, chivalrous knight. Although after he comes out, he does exhibit [[GymBunny some]] [[ManlyGay "macho" gay]] stereotypes.
159* TransparentCloset: He himself is the only one actually surprised when he finally comes out.
160-->'''King Arthur:''' I thought you were a fairy?\
161'''Lady of the Lake:''' Oh no, that's Lancelot.
162[[/folder]]
163
164[[folder:Galahad]]
165!!Sir Galahad the Pure/Chaste
166[[quoteright:233:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tumblr_kymw2qKhun1qz4xjyo1_400_64.gif]]
167->'''Played by:''' Creator/MichaelPalin
168
169This knight does not do much in the film. Like his title says, he is a chaste knight.
170----
171* ChasteHero: He tries to be this, but after being in [[AllWomenAreLustful Castle Anthrax]] for around 10 minutes, he gives up.
172* DeadpanSnarker: He's either this or a CaptainObvious. It's not always that easy to tell.
173-->"What a ''strange'' person."
174* EatingTheEyeCandy: What he ends up doing at the Castle Anthrax, and soon starts giving into temptation.
175* EpicFail: [[spoiler:When the man from Scene 24 asks him what his favorite colour is, he ''still'' manages to get it wrong.]]
176* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Parodied. He tries to resist the allure of one hundred and sixty nymphomaniac blondes and brunettes between the ages of 16 to 19, but eventually starts to succumb to their temptations and actually decides to give in, just as Lancelot comes in and drags him away. He then begs to be allowed to go back and face the "peril."
177%%* MessyHair
178* TooDumbToLive: His inability to decide whether blue or yellow is his favourite colour leads to rather fatal results.
179* UnrelatedInTheAdaptation: Most Arthurian stories depicted Galahad as Lancelot's son, one way or another. In this film, they're not blood-related. Galahad is even in the same generation as Lancelot.
180* UnwantedRescue: PlayedForLaughs. He's quite reluctant to be rescued by Lancelot from the Castle Anthrax.
181* UpperClassTwit: Michael Palin has admitted to playing him as one, speaking in a "posh" accent and having a tendency towards ComicallyMissingThePoint.
182
183!!Tropes associated with the ''Theatre/{{Spamalot}}'' version of this character:
184----
185* CompositeCharacter: He's combined with Dennis the Peasant.
186* SparedByTheAdaptation: He makes it to the end of the play instead of being thrown into the pit.
187[[/folder]]
188
189[[folder:Robin]]
190!!Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-As-Sir-Lancelot
191[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SirRobinMOT_6384.jpg]]
192[[caption-width-right:250:''"You tit! I soiled my armor, I was so scared!"'']]
193->'''Played by:''' Creator/EricIdle
194
195Sir Robin claims to be very brave. He also has a band of minstrels singing about his bravery... but is an enormous coward. He is fully designated as ''"Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-As-Sir-Lancelot who had nearly fought the Dragon of Angnor, who had nearly stood up to the vicious Chicken of Bristol and who had personally wet himself at the Battle of Badon Hill"''.
196----
197* AccidentalHero: Saves Arthur and Bedevere from the Knights Who Say Ni by uttering their AchillesHeel (the very common word 'it') without realizing it.
198* AnimalMotifs: The sigil on his shield and surcoat is a [[DirtyCoward chicken]].
199* BringMyBrownPants: He is known for personally wetting himself at the Battle of Badon Hill. He then soils himself when the Killer Rabbit appears, and again when it kills Bors.
200* CanonForeigner: There is no "Sir Robin" in the Arthurian mythos.
201* CowardlyLion: He may run in the face of danger, but he also manages to survive the battle against the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog.
202* DeadpanSnarker: For someone so cowardly, he sure can be sarcastic when the mood takes him.
203* DeathByIrony: [[spoiler:Dies at the bridge of death when caught with a question he doesn't know the answer to, after he decides it's too easy to get scared by, something he's been the whole film.]]
204* FakeShemp: Since Brother Maynard is also played by Eric Idle, in the scene in the cave when the two are in the same frame, Robin is played by a body double who is either hiding behind his shield or facing away from the camera, freeing up Eric Idle to play Brother Maynard.
205* InformedAttribute: An in universe example. He is claimed to be the brave sir Robin, but runs away from every sign of danger. But this does not stop his minstrels from singing how bravely ''he ran away''.
206* LovableCoward: "When danger reared its ugly head, he bravely turned his tail and fled..."
207* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: It's nearly as big as his body. All the better to cower behind.
208* ManlyFacialHair: Subverted for laughs - His {{Pornstache}} is MUCH more manly than him.
209* MilesGloriosus: He has a group of minstrels follow him around to constantly boast about his skills, and he always ''tries'' to look like a brave and heroic knight. Too bad he isn't.
210
211!!Tropes associated with the ''Theatre/{{Spamalot}}'' version of this character:
212----
213* AdaptationalBadass: A mild example as he's still cowardly but in this version, he actually slew the "vicious Chicken of Bristol", rather than almost standing up to it.
214* AdaptationalIntelligence: He has encyclopedic knowledge about Broadway and in general a more intellectual air about him than in the movie; courtesy of the role being originated by ''Creator/DavidHydePierce''.
215* BringMyBrownPants: Mentions one of the drawbacks of being a knight is soiling his pants out of fear.
216* TheDandy: He's very neat and loves singing and dancing.
217* CampStraight: To contrast [[StraightGay Lancelot]], Robin loves musical theatre, he's very neat and proper, and his original Broadway actor was gay. However, he fawns over the "naughty girls in nasty tights" during his number.
218* HeterosexualLifePartners: He and Lance promise to "remain good chums" and look out for one another. Lancelot is gay but appears to have no non-platonic feelings for Robin specifically.
219* MoralityChain: After Lancelot sings about how much he loves killing, he vows to be this:
220-->'''Lancelot:''' "To kill/For will/It gives me such a thrill!"\
221Robin: "To sing/And dance/And keep an eye on Lance!"
222* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: "Not Yet Dead" establishes him and Lancelot as this pairing, respectively.
223* SparedByTheAdaptation: Survives to the end of the play, and finds his "Grail" (happy ending) by becoming a musical theatre performer.
224* WrongLineOfWork: He wants to be a knight, but his talents are much more suited for musical theatre.
225[[/folder]]
226
227[[folder:Sir Not-Appearing-In-This-Film]]
228!!Sir Not-Appearing-In-This-Film
229[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sir-not-appearing-in-this-film_6317.jpg]]
230
231This is not a real character, but more of a gag when the narrator introduces the Knights of the round table. When his picture is shown, he appears as a baby wearing a chainmail coif that's too large -- this is actually Michael Palin's son, William Palin. He is the {{Trope Namer|s}} to SirNotAppearingInThisTrailer and LadyNotAppearingInThisGame.
232----
233* AdaptedOut: A parody of the concept, with a name that wouldn't make sense in the hypothetical work that introduced him.
234* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: He's aptly named [[DontExplainTheJoke because he's not appearing in this film.]]
235* TheLawOfConservationOfDetail: Parodied. Normally if the character does not appear in a film, there's no need to mention him at all. Not so for Monty Python.
236* WeHardlyKnewYe: Gone as soon as he's mentioned. Hey, they ''said'' he wouldn't appear.
237
238!!Tropes associated with the ''Theatre/{{Spamalot}}'' version of this character:
239----
240* AdaptationalNameChange: Because this is a Broadway musical and not a movie, his name is now "Sir Not-Appearing-In-This-Show".
241[[/folder]]
242
243[[folder:Robin's minstrels]]
244!!Sir Robin's minstrels
245->'''Played by:''' Neil Innes (lead minstrel)
246
247A quartet of minstrels who accompany Sir Robin wherever he goes and sing about him. Later, Arthur and the knights are forced to eat them. AndThereWasMuchRejoicing. ([[FlatJoy Yaaaaay.]])
248----
249
250* AndThereWasMuchRejoicing: [[invoked]]TropeNamer after the knights are forced to eat them.
251* TheBard: A whole group of them, one of whom sings "[[http://www.metrolyrics.com/brave-sir-robin-ran-away-lyrics-monty-python.html Brave Sir Robin Ran Away]]".
252* GoYeHeroesGoAndDie: Their first song is about all the increasingly horrific forms of death Sir Robin faces on his quest, until he firmly asks them to stop.
253* NoPartyLikeADonnerParty: When a particularly hard winter strikes, Arthur and his knights are forced to eat them.
254* ServileSnarker: The lead minstrel turns his lyrics into more something derogatory after Robin cowardly runs away from the three-headed knight. It's unclear if he's snarking or is earnestly inspired by how bravely Robin ran away.
255* TheSmurfettePrinciple: One of the minstrels is the only woman in the grail-seeking party.
256* TagalongChronicler: Parodied. They follow Robin around and make up impromptu songs about him. However, since he's a chronic coward, their task often proves quite difficult.
257* TheVoiceless: Three of the minstrels get no lines at all. Justified, since they all play wind instruments whenever they are seen.
258* WanderingMinstrel: They follow Sir Robin on his travels as he searches for the Holy Grail.
259[[/folder]]
260
261[[folder:Gawain, Ector & Bors]]
262!!Sir Gawain, Sir Ector, & Sir Bors
263->'''Played by:''' Creator/TerryGilliam (Sir Bors)
264
265Three knights who appear after the year-long TimeSkip. They serve little purpose beyond cannon fodder for the KillerRabbit.
266----
267* DeathByAdaptation: Bors dies in the movie, whereas he survives in the original Arthurian legend.
268* RedShirt: They appear suddenly and without any introduction before The Rabbit of Caerbannog and they are promptly dispatched.
269* RememberTheNewGuy: Nobody acknowledges that three previously unseen knights are part of the group. Although to be fair, they showed up post TimeSkip.
270* TemptingFate: "''One rabbit stew comin' right up!''" They are promptly killed by the rabbit
271[[/folder]]
272
273[[folder:Brother Maynard]]
274!!Brother Maynard
275[[quoteright:202:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brother_maynard_972.jpg]]
276->'''Played by:''' Creator/EricIdle
277
278A monk and scholar. He gives the Holy Hand Grenade to the Knights when they need a way to defeat the Killer Rabbit. He also translates the runes inside the Cave of Caerbannog but is eaten by the Black Beast of Aaarrrrggghhh.
279----
280* CunningLinguist: As the only one who can read Aramaic, he translates the runes for the knights.
281* MrExposition: His main role in the plot is to tell the knights they can find the grail in the castle of Aaarrrrggghhh.
282* RememberTheNewGuy: Like Gawain, Ector and Bors, no one notices how he's never been seen in the party before, though again this was after the TimeSkip.
283* TheSmartGuy: The scholar of the group.
284* WeHardlyKnewYe: Gets eaten right after guiding the knights to the cavern showing the Grail's location and reading the ancient text on the wall.
285[[/folder]]
286
287[[folder:The Lady of the Lake]]
288!!The Lady of the Lake
289
290The magical being who presented Arthur with his sword and kingly title. Some, however, believe that strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.
291----
292* TheChooserOfTheOne: She, the Lady of the Lake, lifted Excalibur from the water of her lake and bestowed it upon him, as divine providence that he was to rule. '''''That''''' is why he's king!
293* TheGhost: Is never seen in the film proper, but her role is pulled from the Arthurian mythos.
294
295!!Tropes associated with the ''Theatre/{{Spamalot}}'' version of this character:
296----
297* AscendedExtra: From a briefly mentioned nod to Arthurian Legend to the female lead.
298* CompositeCharacter: [[spoiler:She's Guinevere.]] In the original legends the Lady of the Lake's name is usually Nimue.
299* [[MetaGuy Meta Gal]]: Everybody breaks the fourth wall, but she takes the cake when she sings two whole songs where the entire conceit is based on her frustrations with how the show is going.
300* TheSmurfettePrinciple: The only major female character in the show.
301[[/folder]]
302
303!Villains
304
305[[folder:The Black Knight]]
306!!The Black Knight
307[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Black-Knight-monty-python-380120_800_441_4197.jpg]]
308[[caption-width-right:250:''"Just a flesh wound."'']]
309->'''Played by:''' Creator/JohnCleese
310
311A black knight that won't let Arthur pass. He loses all his four limbs in the following battle and still wants to fight.
312----
313* AllegoricalCharacter: In the DVD commentary, Cleese states that he based the Black Knight on a tale he heard while in school about a Roman wrestling match where one tapped out; his opponent won the match... posthumously. The moral was that "if you never give up, you can't possibly lose", which Cleese found "philosophically unsound". So the Black Knight is a TakeThat at the {{Determinator}}.
314* AnArmAndALeg: Loses ''all'' of his limbs in the fight with Arthur.
315* AnimalMotifs: His surcoat bears an image of a wild boar, an animal known for putting up a fight no matter how injured it might be.
316* BadassBoast: "I move... for no man." Shame he can't really deliver.
317* BaritoneOfStrength: Has a deep voice and is a badass until he fights Arthur.
318* BlackKnight: Well, duh. Unfortunately, he's not as impressive as he believes he is.
319* BloodlessCarnage: A man having all his limbs severed like that would bleed out a *lot* more.
320* BoisterousWeakling: While he starts off commanding an imposing presence, once the limbs start coming off, his attitude becomes less like a menacing brigand and more like an excitable jock looking for a brawl and refusing to admit that he's outmatched.
321* BoringButPractical: He's a lot more successful by using his sword as more of a staff (half-swording), with tighter movements. When he tries {{Flynning}}, things start to go wrong.
322* ButtMonkey: Seriously, getting all four limbs lopped off one at a time?
323* CharacterCatchphrase: "[[YouShallNotPass None shall pass!]]"
324* {{Determinator}}: Taken to its extreme and (il)logical conclusion.
325* DetrimentalDetermination: Might be the most well-known example of what happens when you don't KnowWhenToFoldEm.
326* TheFaceless: Never seen without his helmet on, which even obscures his eyes.
327* FearlessFool: He's clearly outmatched (he's getting his limbs hacked off, for goodness sake!), yet he still insists on fighting.
328* FeelNoPain: Getting his limbs chopped off doesn't seem to bother him in the slightest. John Cleese himself has noted that if it weren't for this trope, the scene would likely come off as more sadistic and heartless than funny.
329* IneffectualSympatheticVillain: While he initially has a certain degree of menace, it all goes out the window when the dismemberment starts.
330* IRejectYourReality: He not only doesn't seem to care as his limbs are hacked off, he refuses to even acknowledge it, much to Arthur's increasing exasperation.
331-->'''King Arthur:''' Look, you stupid bastard, you've got no arms left!\
332'''Black Knight:''' Yes, I have!
333* IronButtMonkey: Even after being reduced to a torso, his fighting spirit, and his ego, remain completely undiminished.
334* LargeHam: He ''is'' played by John Cleese, so it's not surprising that he [[ChewingTheScenery Chews The Scenery a bit.]] More so the more limbs he loses.
335-->'''Black Knight:''' ''(to a departing King Arthur)'' You yellow BASTARD! Come back and get what's coming to ya!
336* MadeOfPlasticine: Real human limbs don't get chopped off as easily, even with a very sharp sword. [[TropesAreTools However]], the scene wouldn't be as [[RuleOfFunny funny]] otherwise.
337* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: He seems relatively fine with losing all his limbs. It's "just a flesh wound", as he says.
338* OneHandedZweihander: Deconstructed. When fighting with both hands, he puts up a pretty decent fight. When fighting with only one arm, his attacks are so pitifully clumsy and weak that Arthur is able to take out his remaining arm with minimal effort.
339* OnlyAFleshWound: [[invoked]]TropeNamer. Even when both his arms are cut off, he insists that it's only a flesh wound and he's still perfectly capable of fighting.
340* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: While not evil per se, he's an antagonist who wears a black surcoat with a red sigil.
341%%* StoneWall: [[ParodiedTrope Parodied]].
342* SwordPlant: Arthur finds him standing guard at the bridge with his longsword planted in front of him, resting his hands on the pommel.
343* ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks: Kills the Green Knight by throwing his longsword through his face.
344* TooDumbToLive: The main reason why he loses all of his limbs.
345* UncertainDoom: He's still alive when he's last seen, but considering he has literally no limbs and is in the forest, he'll likely get EatenAlive by wild animals or die of thirst or bone infection, since he's apparently immune to bleeding out.
346* TheWorfEffect: He looks pretty badass when he fights the Green Knight, but he flails around hopelessly when facing Arthur.
347* WorthyOpponent: Arthur initially considers him one, but quickly loses respect as he keeps de-limbing the Knight.
348* YouShallNotPass: Attempts this on Arthur without taking Excalibur into account. Arthur disarms, and dislegs, him.
349[[/folder]]
350
351[[folder:The French]]
352!!The French
353[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Monty-Python-and-The-Holy-Grail-monty-python-16581057-845-468_6018.jpg]]
354[[caption-width-right:250:''"I fart in your general direction! Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!"'']]
355->'''Played by:''' Creator/JohnCleese (leader), Creator/TerryJones, Creator/MichaelPalin
356
357A bunch of French soldiers that like to insult 'English types' with random insults. [[spoiler:Reappear in the end where they claim Castle Aaargh as their own.]]
358----
359* AbnormalAmmo: Subverted. The French try to scare the Knights of the Round Table away by throwing living animals at them. While the scene looks strange, the DVD commentary reveals it has really been done in history, but not with the kinds of animals used in the movie. They also catapult the Trojan rabbit at the knights.
360* BigBad: The final battle is a siege against the French soldiers who apparently had the Grail the whole time. [[spoiler:Subverted when the Investigator shows up and arrests everyone.]]
361* BlowingARaspberry: The leader of the French soldiers does this every encounter.
362* {{Fauxreigner}}: Implied. They have no good answer for why they're in England, despite being French, and their command of the French language is...a little sketchy.
363* FloweryInsults: In every scene, they have creative insults.
364-->''I don't want to talk to you no more, you empty-headed animal food trough wiper. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.''
365* FrenchJerk: They have no reason for mocking and taunting Arthur and his knights, other than being French when Arthur and the knights are "English pig-dogs".
366* GoshDangItToHeck: Despite their constant insults, they never actually swear. The gag is that they pretty much use the most colourful insults possible without outright saying anything profane (at least by modern standards). Although, "make castanets out of your testicles" is pretty graphic.
367* GratuitousFrench: "Fetchez la vache!", which is a case of "Franglish" blending the English verb 'to fetch' with French conjugation. The true translation of 'to fetch' is 'chercher'.
368* IShallTauntYou: [[invoked]]{{Trope Namer|s}}. They seem to do it just for fun, ironically.
369* {{Jerkass}}: Their only reason to be in England seems to be to insult English knights in every way possible. [[spoiler:During the climax, they even occupy Castle Aaargh, where the Holy Grail itself is located, just to humiliate the English even further.]]
370* JustAStupidAccent: At least one of them ''cannot even speak French''.
371* KarmaHoudini: They never get any comeuppance for the trouble or insults they throw King Arthur's way. [[spoiler:Just when he is about to give it to them when he summons his army to attack them at Castle Aaargh, the police show up and arrest him.]]
372* PoirotSpeak: "I'm French! Why do you think I have this ''OUTRAGEOUS'' accent?"
373* RelativeRidicule: The leader of the French soldiers says that King Arthur's mother "was a hamster" and his father "smelled of elderberries."
374* SirSwearsALot: Surprisingly subverted; despite their constant torrent of increasingly bizarre insults, the worst word any of them uses is "fart."
375* VerbalTic: They cannot pronounce the word 'knights' correctly, instead trying to say it phonetically, sounding like 'k-nnniggits'. This could actually be considered a mild example of ShownTheirWork, since the word "knight" derives from Old English ''cniht'', which would have been pronounced something like "cuh-nicht".
376* YourMom: One of the taunts landed to the English 'k-nnniggits' (and has a 'Your Dad' joke too):
377-->''Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries!''
378[[/folder]]
379
380[[folder:The Three-Headed Knight]]
381!!The Three-Headed Knight
382[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/threeheadedknight.jpg]]
383->'''Played by:''' Creator/GrahamChapman (middle head), Creator/TerryJones (left head), Creator/MichaelPalin (right head)
384
385A large three-headed knight who's a formidable fighter, but seemingly can’t do anything without all three heads being in agreement.
386----
387* AllegoricalCharacter: This character can be seen as a TakeThat towards bureaucracy. The body of the knight can only act once all three heads agree. But by that time, new developments have taken place that render their previous agreement useless. In this case, Sir Robin appeared, causing the Three-Headed Knight to argue how to deal with him. But after reaching an agreement, Robin had already left. Likewise, a large company or institution might run into trouble adapting to new technological advancements or other societal developments. When the administration of said company or institution finally decided how to deal with said developments, newer developments have already taken place.
388* MultipleHeadCase: This gave the brave Sir Robin the chance to bravely run away.
389* NiceMeanAndInBetween: Terry Jones's head is the mean one who insists on killing Robin, Michael Palin's head is friendlier and wants to be nice to him, and Graham Chapman's head, being in the middle, is literally in between the two.
390* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: Just before Robin encounters the Three-Headed Knight, three other (regular) knights are shown to have recently been skewered through in a neat row on a single lance -- like a human shish-kabob -- and left staked up that way against a tree, apparently by him/them.
391* PowerEchoes: The reverberating effect to their voices does much to help them exude menace and power, or at least it would if they didn't descend into pointless bickering.
392* TerribleTrio: Sort of. They're technically one being, but each head has a mind of its own, and they're an enemy that stands in Robin's way.
393* TwoMenOneDress: Played by three Python members sharing a costume.
394[[/folder]]
395
396[[folder:The Residents of Castle Anthrax]]
397!!The Residents of Castle Anthrax
398[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/HolyGrail97_7044.jpg]]
399->'''Played by:''' Creator/CarolCleveland (Zoot / Dingo)
400
401160 blonds and brunettes, between 16 and 19-and-a-half years old. They light a grail-shaped beacon to lure knights to them in order to tempt them with great [[UnusualEuphemism peril]].
402----
403* AllWomenAreLustful: They're all trying to get it on with Galahad and aren't at all subtle about their attempts at seducing him.
404* AlwaysIdenticalTwins: Zoot and Dingo are twins, and look and act exactly like one another. And are never on-screen at the same time. And are played by the same actress. Actually, we only have Dingo's word that they are two separate people.
405* CasualKink: They start trying to get Galahad to spank them slightly before outright offering oral sex.
406* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The residents of the castle being a bunch of lonely, barely-legal blondes and brunettes whose passtimes include [[LingerieScene making exciting underwear]] suddenly meeting a handsome young knight is meant to seem like the set up for a porno.
407* UnwantedHarem: They try to get this role to Galahad, but it's ultimately {{Subverted}}, first when Galahad starts to succumb to their charms, and immediately afterwards when he's "rescued" by Lancelot.
408* {{The Vamp}}s: Sort of. While not inherently evil, they do try to tempt the chaste Sir Galahad into sexual activities.
409-->'''Zoot:''' It is a lonely life. Bathing, dressing, undressing, making exciting underwear...
410[[/folder]]
411
412[[folder:The Knights Who Say "Ni!"]]
413!!The Knights Who Say "Ni!"
414[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/The-Knights-Who-Say-Ni-monty-python-and-the-holy-grail-591173_1008_566_1562.jpg]]
415->'''Played by:''' Creator/MichaelPalin (the leader)
416
417An order of knights based on protecting the sacred words of Ni, Peng and Nee-wom.\
418[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Like it says on the tin]], they frequently say 'NI!' as a BrownNote of sorts. Their leader is a very tall man who wears a large helmet with antlers. He is the one who speaks in behalf of the whole order. The rest of the knights mostly limit themselves to saying 'NI!' and sometimes repeat the last words the head knight is saying.\
419They live in a spooky forest and coerce travellers into buying shrubbery for them. [[invoked]]{{Trope Namer|s}}: for TheKnightsWhoSaySquee and WithThisHerring
420
421----
422* FourOneNineScam: They run an absurd medieval version of this. In order to pass through their forest, travellers have to pay them shrubberies. When they do, they are informed that the Knights changed their name and that the traveller therefore must buy them another shrubbery along with performing an impossible but ridiculous task. In an earlier version of the script it[[note]]Argh![[/note]] is implied they will keep changing their name in order to make their victim continue to do things for them, without ever granting passage through their forest.
423* AgonyBeam: Apparently the word "Ni!" is one of these, causing genuine pain and possibly even death if shouted enough times.
424* AmbiguouslyHuman: Their leader is abnormally tall and is the only one of them seen actively engaging in conversation. As noted in the description the rest of the knights mostly limit themselves to saying 'NI!' and they sometimes repeat the last words the head knight is saying. They also have [[spoiler:a ridiculous weakness in the form of the word "it" [[note]]Argh![[/note]]]].
425* BewareTheSillyOnes: They're utterly ridiculous, but it [[note]]Argh![[/note]]'s implied that their dreaded Ni! causes genuine pain and may even kill people who hear it [[note]]Argh![[/note]] long enough.
426* BrownNote: Known for terrorizing people this way, just by saying the word "ni." Their leitmotif as well.
427* CoolHelmet: The Head Knight wears a bucket-shaped helmet with antlers on it[[note]]Argh![[/note]] and the other knights wear horned helmets that cover their faces.
428* DarkIsEvil: They are dressed in black/dark brown, they are bullies who terrorize people while making them buy shrubberies or do [[WithThisHerring impossible tasks]] and their leader looks like a typical EvilOverlord.
429* TheDreaded: The Knights who say Ni! appear to have a terrifying reputation, considering the fact they inspire fear within nearby villages, maybe even the whole country, causing the shrubbery economy to collapse and make a fearful king Arthur do their bidding. Anyone who terrifies King Arthur like that is worthy of being called 'the Dreaded'.
430-->'''Arthur:''' Those who hear them seldom live to tell the tale.
431* EvilSoundsDeep: Inverted, as they all speak in high-pitched voices.
432* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: They are knights and they say Ni!, so their name kind of fits them.
433* ImpossibleTask: They tell Arthur that in order to get past them, he must cut down the mightiest tree in the forest wiiiiith... a herring! [[spoiler:Luckily, Arthur accidentally discovers their weakness, so he doesn't actually have to go through with it.[[note]]Argh![[/note]]]]
434* LargeAndInCharge: The leader is twice as tall as the average man.
435* LargeHam: Especially their leader, who tries to sound impressive and authoritative with a high-pitched voice.
436* TotemPoleTrench: The leader was originally supposed to be portrayed this way, but Creator/MichaelPalin settled for a stepladder instead of Creator/JohnCleese's shoulders.
437* TheUnpronounceable: The phrase they switched to after they stopped using "Ni!": something along the lines of "Ekky-ekky-ekky-ekky-p'TANG-zwOO-boing-arousa".
438* VerbalWeakness: Despite being so powerful in that they can even force the great King Arthur to do as they command, the Knights of Ni can be defeated by [[spoiler:saying the word 'it'.]] even if they say [[spoiler:it themselves]][[note]]Aaaargh! I said it! Argh! I said it again![[/note]] The fun thing is that King Arthur never realizes what this weakness is, but rather keeps using it[[note]]Aaagh! Stop saying the word![[/note]] accidentally.
439* VocalDissonance: They're all very tall and intimidating, but this is offset by their high-pitched voices.
440* WeaksauceWeakness: [[spoiler:The word "it".]] So weaksauce that Arthur defeated them without even realizing what it[[note]]Aaaargh! Stop saying it! Oh, I've said it again! Argh![[/note]] is.
441* WithThisHerring: [[invoked]]{{Trope Namer|s}}. "You must cut down the mightiest tree in the forest wiiiiith... a herring!"
442
443!!Tropes associated with the ''Theatre/{{Spamalot}}'' version of these characters:
444----
445* AdaptationalNiceGuy: Slightly. In the movie, after Arthur has fetched them a shrubbery, they announce that he must now get them another shrubbery, and after that he must "cut down the mightiest tree in the forest wiiiiith... a herring!" In this version they initially give Arthur the choice between getting them a shrubbery and cutting down the tree with the herring. Arthur understandably chooses the shrubbery.
446* EveryoneHasStandards: Their second task for Arthur is to put on a Broadway musical... but ''NOT'' an Creator/AndrewLloydWebber.
447[[/folder]]
448
449[[folder:The Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog]]
450!!The Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog
451[[quoteright:269:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/killerrabbit_1929_5439.jpg]]
452[[caption-width-right:269:"Look at the bones!"]]
453
454A cute [[WhiteBunny white rabbit]] who guards a cave -- but it's no ordinary rabbit! It's the most foul, cruel, and bad-tempered rodent you ever set eyes on! [[invoked]]TropeNamer and TropeCodifier to KillerRabbit... if it wasn't obvious already.
455----
456* BadassAdorable: A very cute white rabbit capable of defeating a group of armed knights.
457* HairRaisingHare: Has apparently killed a fair number of people, and is possibly carnivorous. ("Look at the bones!")
458* KillerRabbit: The [[invoked]]{{Trope Namer|s}}; it may look like an ordinary rabbit, but it's highly aggressive and deadly, tearing out the throats of several of Arthur's knights.
459* LightningBruiser: It's very fast and agile and easily kills three probably highly trained knights in seconds.
460* NonMaliciousMonster: Much more dangerous than an ordinary rabbit, but doesn't seem to be any more intelligent, and it only attacks when it's provoked.
461[[/folder]]
462
463[[folder:The Black Beast of Aaaaarrrrrrggghhh!]]
464!!The Black Beast of Aaaaarrrrrrggghhh!
465[[quoteright:188:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Black-Beast-of-Aaauugh_7953.jpg]]
466->[[spoiler:'''Voiced by:''' Ian Crafford]]
467
468A cartoon monster that appears out of nowhere. It quickly devours Brother Maynard and chases Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
469----
470* CartoonCreature: Well, it ''is'' a cartoon.
471* DeusExMachina: [[spoiler:It spontaneously ceases to exist when the person responsible for animating it dies of a heart attack.]]
472* DiabolusExNihilo: It appears without any foreshadowing, eats someone alive, causes the legendary Knights of the Round Table to run in terror and then [[spoiler:suddenly disappears because its animator dies of a heart attack.]]
473* DiedDuringProduction: [[spoiler:InUniverse, the creature is defeated once its animator suffers a fatal heart attack.]][[invoked]]
474* EarlyBirdCameo: It can be seen peeking out of a cave during the transitional animated scene after the Knights who say Ni! are defeated.
475* EldritchAbomination: Treated as such in-universe, but its cartoony look is decidedly less-than-scary.
476* ExtraEyes: Over twenty of them, in fact.
477* NonindicativeName: The "Black Beast" is very colourful, actually.
478* StylisticSuck: Like God, the Beast appears as an entirely unconvincing cutout animation, which is the entire joke.
479[[/folder]]
480
481[[folder:The Bridgekeeper]]
482!!The Bridgekeeper/The Old Man From Scene Twenty-Four
483[[quoteright:229:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Bridge_of_Death_6283.jpg]]
484->'''Played by:''' Creator/TerryGilliam
485
486He guards the Bridge of Death and asks each traveller 3 questions. If they answer correctly, they may pass. When answering a question wrong, an invisible force grabs the victim and throws him into the gorge of eternal peril.
487----
488* AffablyEvil: If you answer the questions right, he'll politely let you pass.
489* BeardOfEvil: A very sinister character with an EvilLaugh.
490* EarlyBirdCameo: First appears as a mad soothsayer in Scene 24 telling Arthur and Bedivere where to look for the Grail before his iconic appearance as the Bridgekeeper. Arthur naturally lampshades this by pointing out that he is, in fact, the old man from Scene 24.
491* EvilLaugh: Possibly the first sign of his villainy is when he lets out an EvilLaugh in his first scene.
492* HoistByHisOwnPetard: He is defeated when [[spoiler:King Arthur answers a question with another question. The Bridgekeeper admits he does not know the answer and is thrown away himself.]]
493* TheseQuestionsThree: [[invoked]]{{Trope Namer|s}}. His [[CharacterCatchphrase catchphrase]] is "Who would cross the Bridge of Death must answer me these questions three, ere the other side he see..."
494* UncertainDoom: It's hinted in the final product that [[spoiler:his failure to clarify whether his third question to Arthur refers to the airspeed velocity of an unladen African or European swallow]] led to his death, but an unfilmed scene reveals him to be NotQuiteDead (of course!) and trying in vain to hinder Arthur's progress at the Sea of Fate, at which point Arthur and Lancelot decide they've had quite enough of his antics.
495[[/folder]]
496
497!Neutral Characters & Other Annoyances
498
499[[folder:Guards of Swallow Castle]]
500!!Guards of Swallow Castle
501[[quoteright:276:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/montypythonholygrailguardswampcastle_5433.png]]
502[[caption-width-right:276:"You're using coconuts!"]]
503->'''Played by:''' Creator/MichaelPalin, Creator/JohnCleese
504
505These guards refuse to believe Arthur is king and instead break the fourth wall, by lampshading his use of coconuts instead of a real horse. After that, they start a useless discussion if swallows are able to bring coconuts to England.
506----
507* BrickJoke: Their useless discussion does provide Arthur with a means to defeat [[spoiler:the bridgekeeper when he starts asking a question about swallows]].
508* ComicallyMissingThePoint: King Arthur comes up to them and asks to recruit their master as one of his knights. They're more concerned with how he got his coconuts.
509* TheFaceless: They're only seen from below the ramparts. The distance, fog and lack of luminosity do not allow to see their faces.
510[[/folder]]
511
512[[folder:The Corpses Collector]]
513!!The Corpses Collector
514[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bring-out-your-dead-monty-python-and-the-holy-grail-591427_800_441_62.jpg]]
515[[caption-width-right:250:''"Bring out your dead!"'']]
516->'''Played by:''' Creator/EricIdle
517
518A man who collects corpses at a village ravaged by the plague. He gets into an argument with a villager who wants to hand him over a still-living man. The collector then solves the situation by killing the 'living corpse'.
519----
520* CharacterCatchphrase: "Bring out your dead!"
521* DeadpanSnarker: When king Arthur 'rides' past the collector and his customer, the customer verbally wonders who King Arthur was. The collector's answer:
522-->"Must be a king. He hasn't got shit all over him."
523* TheDungAges: Of all characters in the movie, he's the one who embodies the trope, because he's walking around collecting corpses, looks filthy and assumes a passerby is a king by how clean he is.
524* NoNameGiven: He's never named by the movie.
525* ThePigPen: He's covered in shit and his job consists of collecting corpses and removing them from the streets. Needless to say, he most definitely ''reeks''.
526[[/folder]]
527
528[[folder:Dennis the Peasant]]
529!!Dennis the Peasant
530[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1Dennis_6463.jpg]]
531[[caption-width-right:250:''"Strange women lying in ponds and distributing swords is no basis for a system of government!"'']]
532->'''Played by:''' Creator/MichaelPalin
533
534A 37-year-old peasant, whose community is based on a political system that's far too modern for the Dark Ages. It certainly has no place for a mythical king like Arthur, which Dennis openly shows. This starts another pointless discussion in which Dennis wants to prove that just wielding Excalibur is not a reason to boss people around.
535----
536* BerserkButton: Don't mistake him for an old woman, don't try to engage in conversation without asking his name, and whatever you do, don't go around insisting you're a king when your whole basis for ruling is that a strange woman in a pond gave you a sword.
537* DeadpanSnarker: Perhaps the most elaborate one in the movie, though he becomes less and less deadpan about it as his scene goes on.
538* TheDungAges: Like the Collector, he embodies this trope. For all his ideas of modern democracy and politics, he's still a literal mud farmer.
539* HiddenDepths: Despite being a medieval peasant mud farmer, he has an astonishing grasp of government structure and political philosophy.
540* InherentInTheSystem: [[invoked]]TropeNamer. "Come and see the violence inherent in the system!"
541* InsufferableGenius: While he [[JerkassHasAPoint has several good points on how hierarchal systems like Monarchy work]], it is implied that he talks about it ''a lot'', Arthur finding his rantings irritating enough to try and "repress" him and the old woman he spends his time with reacting with annoyed indifference.
542* JerkassHasAPoint: Dennis is annoying as hell, but he's correct that 1) in real-world terms Arthur's claim to be ruler is InsaneTrollLogic, 2) Arthur has not been given legitimacy by the people he seeks to rule, and 3) Arthur immediately begins attacking and insulting him the instant he points out 1 and 2, thereby proving that "violence is inherent in the system".
543* MotorMouth: Never stops talking, and being ordered to be quiet just sets him off even worse.
544* SmarterThanYouLook: Despite being a literal mud farmer in an era where literacy outside of the clergy and any political system outside of Feudalism are next to nonexistent, he possesses a very deep comprehension of Marxist theory and politics centuries ahead of his time. Considering his entire community is an anarcho-syndicalist commune, its possible that he isn't the only one.
545* SophisticatedAsHell: The entire joke. It's really funny to see a mud farmer spout complex political philosophy.
546-->You can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you!
547* WindmillCrusader: His democratic ideals will make sense to contemporary audiences (although anarcho-syndicalism, specifically, is still a fairly obscure philosophy), but Arthur isn't the tyrant he makes him out to be, and none of his fellow peasants take him very seriously.
548[[/folder]]
549
550[[folder:God]]
551!!{{God}}
552[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/6a00d8341bf68b53ef01348624d3f9970c-800wi_1052.jpg]]
553[[caption-width-right:250:''"Oh, don't grovel! One thing I can't stand, it's people groveling."'']]
554->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/GrahamChapman
555
556God appears to the Knights of the Round Table and gives them the task to find the Holy Grail. He finds it annoying that people constantly consider themselves unworthy of His presence. His face is based on the cricket player [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._G._Grace W.G. Grace]].
557----
558* BerserkButton: Has grown ''really'' sick of grovelling, apologizing, people saying they're not worthy...
559* TheChooserOfTheOne: He chooses Arthur and his knights to seek the Holy Grail.
560* DispenseWithThePleasantries: Can't stand people grovelling when He tries to tell something.
561* GodIsGood: He might be a bit of a grump, yes, but God nevertheless just wants to instill hope in the Britons during these trying times.
562* GrandpaGod: You have to admit, W.G. Grace's large greying beard is absolutely perfect for the classic look of God.
563* LargeHam: Despite being a poorly-animated cutout, He manages to be this thanks to Graham Chapman's voice acting; He speaks in a loud, booming voice and uses formal, stilted language... until He gets annoyed; then He starts ''ranting'' in a loud, booming voice.
564* StopWorshippingMe: He dislikes it when people treat Him like, well...God.
565-->'''God:''' It's like those miserable psalms, they're ''so'' depressing. Now knock it off!
566* StylisticSuck: They don't even ''try'' to make Him, or the cloud He appears in, look convincing. This is of course part of the joke.
567[[/folder]]
568
569[[folder:The Historian]]
570!!Frank The Historian
571[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/monty_python_holy_grail_a_famous_historian_3717.png]]
572->'''Played by:''' John Young
573
574This Historian tells the audience about Arthur's defeat at the hands of the French. He also explains that the knights continued their search separately. He is killed by a knight riding on a '''real''' horse. His death sets up the events happening in the end of the film.
575----
576* ChekhovsGunman: [[spoiler:His death causes the film to end an anticlimax as the knights are arrested by the police for being well, knights]]
577* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: In his appearance (brown suit, bow tie, glasses), earnest manner and high voice, he's strongly reminiscent of the distinguished English historian of 19th and 20th-century diplomacy [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqT2kmKPqeM A.J.P. Taylor]], who made a lot of TV documentaries consisting of himself explaining things to the camera. This is lampshaded in the published screenplay, where he is sometimes referred to as "Not A.J.P. Taylor".
578* NoIndoorVoice: His short historical lecture is delivered in a very loud voice, with much gesticulation. Then again, the only time we see him he ''isn't'' indoors...
579* NoNameGiven: Played with. When he appears, on-screen text refers to him only as "A famous historian," but doesn't give his name. However, when he is killed by the passing knight, the woman who runs up to him (presumably his wife) yells "Frank!"
580* SmallRoleBigImpact: He's only in the movie for around a minute, but his death leads to [[spoiler:the arrest of Arthur, Lancelot, and Bedivere]] at the end.
581* WeHardlyKnewYe: He appears only in one scene, and is killed off at the end of it.
582
583!!Tropes associated with the ''Theatre/{{Spamalot}}'' version of this character:
584----
585* TheNarrator: Doubles as one for the openings of both acts.
586* SparedByTheAdaptation: He was slashed down by a rogue knight on a real horse in the movie but none of that sort happens in the musical.
587[[/folder]]
588
589[[folder:The King of Swamp Castle]]
590!!The King of Swamp Castle
591[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/644196_1310555707635_500_275_6894.jpg]]
592[[caption-width-right:250:''"Stop that! Stop that! You're not going into a song while I'm here!"'']]
593->'''Played by:''' Creator/MichaelPalin
594
595A corrupt king that tries to use an arranged marriage to gain more huge tracts of land. He hates it when his son attempts to sing and rudely interrupts him when he does.
596----
597* AbusiveParents: He straight up doesn't give a damn about his son Prince Herbert, smacks him across the face for resisting the arranged marriage, and is all too happy to kill the prince [[OpportunisticBastard when he realizes he can use Lancelot as a replacement suitor]].
598* BerserkButton: Prince Herbert's singing. It seems no matter where he is, he can sense when his son is about to break into song and rush in just in time to stop it.
599* {{Determinator}}: He built a castle in a swamp just to show the other kings it's possible to do so. It sank into the swamp. The same happened to the second castle. Guess what? He built a third castle in the swamp...which burned down, fell over, '''then''' sank into the swamp. But the fourth and current one stayed up.
600* DodgyToupee: Wears a pretty obvious one.
601* EvilSoundsDeep: Has a very deep guttural voice. This is actually a case of RealLifeWritesThePlot, as Michael Palin was suffering from a cold when they were filming this character.
602* FantasyForbiddingFather: He insists angrily that his son Alice -- sorry, ''Herbert'' -- should be practical and marry for money and "huge... tracts of land" instead of clinging to silly and useless romantic dreams. A rare version of the trope, as he doesn't really care what's best for his son, and is quite willing to let him fall to his apparent death.
603* FurAndLoathing: Wears a large fur cape.
604* {{Jerkass}}: You might, at first, think that he's just your typical FantasyForbiddingFather, not approving of his son's flights of fancy but ultimately just looking out for him. But as it turns out he really only cares about his personal gain; as soon as he sees another way of making some sort of profit, he sends his son falling to his (apparent) death without a second thought. Like everything else in the movie, this is PlayedForLaughs.
605* KarmaHoudini: Despite being one of the more despicable characters in the film, he is never seen receiving comeuppance for his dastardly deeds (well, other than that Lancelot killed a lot of his guards - given that they cost "50 pounds each", he complains that the damages from Lancelot's attack will cost him a fortune).
606* OpportunisticBastard: Uses the opportunities Lancelot's rampage give him to possibly gain an alliance with Camelot. First, he attempts to kill his son, kills the bride's father and then legally adopts the bride. This is followed by him trying to marry her off to Lancelot. Unfortunately for him, his plans are foiled when his son proves to be NotQuiteDead.
607* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: {{Jerkass}}, OpportunisticBastard and [[AbusiveParents Abusive Dad]] he may be, but he's also surprisingly patient and reasonable when dealing with his incredibly stupid guards, never raising his voice at them even when he has to explain the simplest of orders ten times in a row.
608
609!!Tropes associated with the ''Theatre/{{Spamalot}}'' version of this character:
610----
611* AdaptationalKarma: Not only is he on the receiving end of an epic TheReasonYouSuckSpeech, but at the very end of the show, when he tries to stop the final song, Lancelot lays him out flat with one whack. Usually to tremendous applause from the audience.
612[[/folder]]
613
614[[folder:Prince Herbert]]
615!!Prince Herbert
616[[quoteright:275:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/holygrail115_4408.jpg]]
617[[caption-width-right:275:"I'd rather...just...''sing''..."]]
618->'''Played by:''' Creator/TerryJones
619
620The son of the king of Swamp Castle. He is very girly and does not like the fact he is used in an arranged marriage. When he wants to express his feelings, he starts singing, complete with cheesy music in the background, but this is always interrupted by his father, who hates singing. Being fed up with his life, he shoots a message out of the window, which is found by Lancelot. Lancelot thinks the message is from a princess and goes on a rampage to rescue Herbert.
621----
622* AmbiguouslyGay: He's either this or CampStraight as the movie zig-zags a little on both -- though in ''Theatre/{{Spamalot}}'' he is outright confirmed to be gay.
623* DreadfulMusician: Singer, really, given that his father keeps interrupting him. Subverted that only his father dislikes his singing, the wedding guests are all more than willing to become his backup singers.
624* ImprobableAimingSkills: He nonchalantly shoots an arrow out of the window, which hits Lancelot's 'horse' and servant Concorde from probably miles away, judging from the change in scenery.
625* IWantSong: He repeatedly attempts to start one, only to be thwarted by his father every time he tries. It is first when he gets the idea to turn it into a CrowdSong that the Swamp King is powerless to stop him.
626* MarryForLove: Perhaps. He starts to explain what sorts of qualities he'd like in the girl he marries but as he chooses to do so in ''song,'' his father is quick to put an end to it.
627* NotQuiteDead: He falls down from the highest tower, but later returns to the castle unharmed. He was going to tell in song how he survived his fall, but the scene ends before he's able to do so.
628* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: His call for help inadvertently gets a lot of people killed when the person who gets his message is [[TheBerserker Sir Lancelot]].
629
630!!Tropes associated with the ''Theatre/{{Spamalot}}'' version of this character:
631----
632* AdaptationalSexuality: He was AmbiguouslyGay in the original but easily could have just been CampStraight and against his ArrangedMarriage. Here, the "certain something" he wants in his dream spouse is clearly a penis.
633* CampGay: His whole number, "His Name Is Lancelot", reeks of camp.
634* ClosetKey: For Sir Lancelot.
635* EarnYourHappyEnding: In the WeddingFinale, Herbert is freed from his [[AbusiveParents horrid]] [[FantasyForbiddingFather father]]'s clutches and ArrangedMarriage, gets HappilyMarried to Lancelot and can finally sing without said father interrupting him.
636* GratuitousDiscoSequence: The entirety of his big uninterrupted, musical number, "His Name Is Lancelot", complete with spontaneous, all-male backup flamenco dancers on maracas. The song stands out as the only disco-styled show tune among the rest of the traditional Broadway ones.
637* MasculineFeminineGayCouple: The effeminate and campy Prince Herbert who loves to sing his feelings hooks up with and eventually marries boisterous, bloodthirsty macho knight Lancelot.
638* NiceGuy: Probably the kindest person in the musical; after Lancelot defends him against his abusive dad and ends up distraught and confused when said dad calls him gay, he puts his own issues aside to help him come out of the closet, with a song that compliments and encourages his true nature. Though this may have been slightly selfish, considering it let to Herbert getting with a muscley beefcake; it's still very sweet.
639* TuttiFruttiHat: Wears one midway during his musical number complete with [[VisualInnuendo a banana and two oranges]] as the centerpiece.
640[[/folder]]
641
642[[folder:Roger the Shrubber]]
643!!Roger The Shrubber
644[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Roger_the_shrubber_8172.png]]
645->'''Played by:''' Creator/EricIdle
646
647Catches Arthur and Bedivere coercing an old woman by saying Ni to her. After expressing his disappointment in them, he reveals he is a shrubber. This gives Arthur an opportunity to bring a shrubbery to the Knights of Ni.
648----
649* TheCynic: Judging from what he says when calling out King Arthur, his outlook on the world isn't too bright:
650-->"Oh, what sad times are these when passing ruffians can say Ni at will to old ladies. There is a pestilence upon this land. Nothing is sacred. Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history."
651* DeusExMachina: Its very convenient that a shrubber appears when Arthur needs a shrubbery.
652* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: He has no qualms about calling King Arthur out on the fact he is coercing an old woman. In the real middle ages, this kind of disrespect towards a king would get him into trouble.
653[[/folder]]
654
655[[folder:Tim the Enchanter]]
656!!Tim the Enchanter
657[[quoteright:311:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/montypythonholygrailtim_4078.jpg]]
658->'''Played by:''' Creator/JohnCleese
659
660A powerful and eccentric wizard PlayingWithFire. He tells the knights about the cave of Caerbannog and the Killer Rabbit. Naturally, he is called a liar when the knights see the rabbit, but has the last laugh when some of the knights get killed by the rabbit.
661----
662* CassandraTruth: Tells the truth about the Killer Rabbit, in that it is a terribly dangerous creature, but gets ridiculed by the Knights of the Round Table. Guess what happens next...
663* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Lampshaded.
664-->'''Arthur:''' What an eccentric performance.
665* DarkIsNotEvil: He comes over as a very intimidating and evil looking wizard, complete with a black robe and horns on his hat, but is does not appear to be malevolent. He honestly warns the knights about the rabbit and only laughs at them when they stop taking him seriously.
666* IgnoredExpert: A powerful enchanter who makes sound arguments to the knights regarding the ferocity of the killer rabbit, but they laugh him off anyway.
667-->'''Tim:''' Look at the bones!
668* LargeHam: He even starts to spit drops of saliva when warning the knights about the Rabbit.
669* MagicStaff: Has a simple wooden staff that is able to blow fire.
670* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Inverted; in his first scene he mostly speaks with John Cleese's normal accent, except with a lot more TrrrillingRrrs. When he and the knights get to the Cave of Caerbannog, however, he starts speaking with a pronounced Scottish brogue.
671* PlayingWithFire: Taken literally with the 'playing' part, since he does not do anything useful with his gift. Like roasting a certain rabbit, for instance.
672* ScrewThisImOutOfHere: Leaves the group after they ignore his warnings about the KillerRabbit, likely because he would have had to share scenes with Lancelot otherwise.
673* SomeCallMeTim: [[invoked]]TropeNamer, but [[BeamMeUpScotty does not actually use it]].
674-->"There are some who call me...[[SpecialPersonNormalName Tim]]."
675* TrrrillingRrrs: Occasionally, especially when he gets worked up.
676[[/folder]]
677
678[[folder:The Inspector]]
679!!The Inspector
680
681A modern inspector who investigates the historian's death. He is something of a running joke, in that he constantly appears at scenes where Arthur and his knights previously were. [[spoiler:He later appears at the end of the film, to arrest Arthur and Bedivere for allegedly killing the historian.]]
682----
683* DiabolusExMachina: [[spoiler:Him appearing to arrest Arthur and his knights at the end.]]
684* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Because of him, [[spoiler:the French basically won.]] [[MindScrew Probably.]]
685* RunningGag: His appearances throughout the film.
686[[/folder]]
687
688[[folder:The Green Knight]]
689!!The Green Knight
690
691->'''Played By:''' Creator/TerryGilliam
692
693A knight wearing green armour who fights the Black Knight.
694----
695* EpicFlail: Uses a flail against the Black Knight, with little success.
696* EyeScream: The Black Knight throws his sword into his eye slit, killing him.
697* TheFaceless: We never see what his face looks like under that helmet. After what the Black Knight does to him, it's probably for the best.
698* GroinAttack: The Black Knight kicks him in the groin during their fight.
699* NoodleIncident: It's never said why he and the Black Knight are fighting, other than the implication that the Black Knight fights ''everyone'' who tries to cross his bridge.
700* RedShirt: Exists only to die at the hands of the Black Knight.
701* TheVoiceless: He never speaks, with all of his vocalizations being [[ScreamingWarrior rough shouts]].
702[[/folder]]

Top