Black Knight

The Black Knight is a fictional character who appears in a scene of the feature film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. He is a knight dressed in black, wears a helmet which completely conceals his face, and is based on the black knight of Arthurian Legends. He guards a "bridge" over a small stream. Although supremely skilled in swordplay, the Black Knight suffers from unchecked overconfidence and a staunch refusal ever to give up. Overview In the film, King Arthur (Graham Chapman), accompanied by his squire Patsy (Terry Gilliam), is travelling through a forest when he observes a fight taking place between the Black Knight (John Cleese) and a Green Knight (also played by Gilliam) by a bridge over a small stream. The Black Knight defeats the Green one by throwing his sword straight through the eye slit of the Green Knight's great helm. Arthur congratulates the Black Knight and offers him a place at his court at the Round Table, but the Black Knight makes no response until Arthur moves to cross the bridge (in reality a small plank of wood). The Black Knight moves slightly to block Arthur and declares "None shall pass". King Arthur objects, and the Black Knight threatens Arthur with death. Reluctantly, King Arthur fights the Black Knight and, after a short battle, the Knight's left arm is severed, and squirts out copious amounts of blood. The Knight refuses to stand aside, insisting "Tis but a scratch", and fights on. Next, his right arm is cut off, but the Knight still does not concede. As the Knight is disarmed, Arthur assumes the fight is over and kneels to pray. The Black Knight interrupts Arthur's prayer by kicking him in the side of the head and accusing him of cowardice. Arthur chops off the Black Knight's right leg. At this point, the Knight still will not admit defeat, and attempts to ram his body into Arthur's. Arthur is annoyed and sarcastically asks the Black Knight if he is going to bleed on him to win. With an air of resignation, Arthur finally cuts off the left leg as well. With the Black Knight now reduced to a simple torso with a head, he declares the fight a draw. Arthur then summons Patsy and "rides" away, leaving the Black Knight's limbless torso screaming threats at him.