Sir Bedevere

Sir Bedevere the Wise stands as a pivotal member of King Arthur's fellowship during their chaotic quest for the Holy Grail in the 1975 British comedy film. King Arthur recruits him at an impromptu witch trial. He travels alongside Arthur through a fictional medieval Britain, facing challenges ranging from plague-infected towns to the dreaded Knights Who Say 'Ni'.

Quick Facts

Role: Knight of the Round Table
Portrayed by: Terry Jones
First appearance: Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Lore & Background

Sir Bedevere joins King Arthur after the king intervenes in an impromptu witch trial. He accompanies Arthur through various trials, including debates over whether swallows could carry coconuts and encounters with the Black Knight. He also assists Arthur in satisfying the strange requests of the Knights Who Say 'Ni' and later listens as Brother Maynard reads the instructions for the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch while Arthur uses it to defeat the Rabbit of Caerbannog, which had killed several knights.

Reader's Guide

Bedevere also assists Arthur in navigating the Bridge of Death, where their encounter with the bridge-keeper leads to his own defeat when he cannot answer a question about swallow airspeed.

Origins and Development

Sir Bedevere appears in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a 1975 British comedy film conceived during the hiatus between the third and fourth series of Monty Python's Flying Circus. The screenplay was drafted by the entire group—Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin—in January 1973. Initially, half the material was set in the Middle Ages and half in the present day, but the group decided to focus exclusively on the Holy Grail legend. By the fourth or fifth draft, the story was complete, with the characters joking that the Grail's non-retrieval would be a great anti-climax. The film marked the feature directorial debuts of Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, who described the experience as a learning process defined by mutual disrespect.

Narrative Arc and Key Events

Sir Bedevere is introduced during an impromptu witch trial where he uses logic to determine a woman's guilt based on her weight relative to a duck. He joins King Arthur and his squire Patsy, who bangs coconut shells together to mimic horse riding, as they travel Britain in AD 932 searching for knights. Bedevere participates in key events such as the debate over swallow airspeed velocities, the failed Trojan Rabbit infiltration of a French castle, and the battle against the Rabbit of Caerbannog, where he helps use the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch to destroy the creature. He also accompanies Arthur across the Bridge of Death, where they encounter a bridge-keeper who demands answers to three questions. The narrative culminates with Bedevere and Arthur being arrested by modern police officers investigating the murder of a historian filming a documentary.

Cinematic Legacy and Critical Reception

Monty Python and the Holy Grail grossed more than any other British film screened in the US in 1975. In 2011, it was selected as the second-best comedy of all time in the ABC special Best in Film: The Greatest Movies of Our Time, behind Airplane!. In the UK, readers of Total Film magazine ranked it fifth-greatest comedy film of all time in 2000, while a Channel 4 viewer poll placed it sixth in 2006. Eric Idle later used the film as the basis for the 2005 Tony Award-winning musical Spamalot. The film has since been considered one of the greatest comedy films of all time.

Character Dynamics and Thematic Elements

Sir Bedevere serves as a foil to King Arthur, often providing logical counterpoints to the absurdity surrounding them. This theme is reinforced by the abrupt ending, where modern police officers arrest Arthur and Bedevere for a murder they did not commit, highlighting the clash between medieval legend and contemporary reality.