Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a comedy film which was released in 1975. The movie continues to be enjoyed by viewers. It parodies the Arthurian legend and uses an abundance of absurdist humour. The story follows King Arthur and his knights as they travel the land, getting into strange situations along the way. Each knight has his own flag, which can be seen throughout the movie.

Arthur

King Arthur is the main character, and therefore, his banner is the one which is most prominently seen onscreen. It has a plain white background. In the middle of the flag is a smiling sun that is orange and yellow in colour. The brightness of this flag is likely to signify the high status of Arthur as a character. This symbol is also visible on Arthur’s clothing. The colour scheme of white and gold makes Arthur one of the most eye-catching people in the film.

Sir Bedivere

Sir Bedivere is one of the most intelligent knights at Arthur’s Round Table. He is first seen helping villagers determine whether a woman is a witch by using logic. His learned ways indicate that he is from an upper-class household. This is backed up by the ornate nature of his flag. The top half of the banner is blue, and the other is white. The line of separation is at a diagonal angle. The majority of the space is taken up by a large and detailed tree.

Sir Galahad

Galahad is portrayed as the noblest member of the team. He appears to have had a large amount of combat experience. His flag is a traditional Christian red cross on a white background. Interestingly, this flag has a historical significance which may give details on the history of Sir Galahad. During the Crusades, this banner was used predominantly by European knights. This suggests that Galahad fought in this conflict before joining Arthur on his quest.

Sir Lancelot

Sir Lancelot is probably the most famous of all of Arthur’s knights. He saves Sir Galahad from a castle and manages to survive until the climax of the story. His banner is split in the middle horizontally into black and white. In the centre is a gryphon, a vital creature for medieval people. The design of this mythical animal could be a reference to the film, Jabberwocky which also starred members of the Monty Python troupe.