Monty Python And The Holy Grail Essay

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Arthurian legends have left an indelible mark on literature, art, books and popular culture for centuries. The values and themes derived from these tales have been a part of the characteristics that shape these genres, particularly assisting in films. Attributes commonly found in film, such as companionship, adventure, romance, heroism and chivalry all find their roots from Arthurian stories which centre themselves around these themes. Through movies, like Monty Python and the Holy Grail, filmmakers not only include Arthurian stories directly into the storylines but the relationships between characters align with Arthurian values. Similarly, Romeo and Juliet, which is not as obvious in its display of Arthurian tales, still contains these values …show more content…

In the movie, King Arthur and his squire Patsy, journey to recruit Knights to join the Round Table. Whilst the movie contains Arthurian characters and stories, it takes significant liberties with historical accuracy, introducing purely fictitious characters for comedic purposes. Despite its humorous tone, companionship and comradery are a prominent theme. Throughout Arthur’s journey, he encounters a diverse cast of characters that all assist (or interfere) in Arthur’s goal. The film indirectly pays homage to the ‘tradition’ of heroic quests developed from Arthurian legend. A direct connection from the film to the classical tale of King Arthur is the portrayal of King Arthur's …show more content…

The inclusion of Arthurian elements, specifically the tale of Merlin and his staff, reflects a broader cultural fascination with the enduring appeal of heroism. Arthurian tales contain basic stereotypes of “noble heroes with unwavering courage” which is appeasing to humans, it is the reason they watch such films; for the allurement of being a hero or being saved – an ending which is assured to end positively. These parallels are what shaped and caused Arthurian legends to remain relevant and frequent in so many films, such as “Transformers: The Last

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