MovieChat Forums > Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) Discussion > 1, 2, 5 (King Arthur's Counting)

1, 2, 5 (King Arthur's Counting)

posted 12 years ago by Namis_est_Deus
11 replies | jump to latest

Does anyone get the joke behind King Arthur always replacing the number 3 with the number 5? Like when he counts "1, 2, 5" instead of "1, 2, 3" or when he keeps saying that they have to answer 5 questions when in fact they only have to answer 3 questions.

I have never gotten this joke at all. Is it just meant to be poking fun at the fact that Arthur is an idiot? Or is there some deeper meaning that I am missing?

One People, One Empire, One Leader, One God

[–] Dantes-Inferno 12 years ago

As much as I love the movie that's something I never understood and it's always annoyed me. It really seems like that was supposed to be a set up for a joke later that they forgot about. I thought it would have been hysterical had Arthur just turned to Galahad (or whoever it was who kept correcting him) and finally just screamed at him to shut up.

There’s an eleven foot woman at the door with a chainsaw.

[–] Namis_est_Deus 12 years ago

Exactly. It bugs me so much because this is the perfect comedy, and thus I feel like it's obviously me that is missing the point, not the film actually lacking one. However as hard as I try I cannot possibly come up with any deeper meaning beyond the obvious "Arthur is just an idiot who can't count properly" explanation.

You are so right though, it seems like maybe they had some big joke planned that they just never got around to including. Either that or, conversely, they may have intended to set up the fact that Arthur couldn't count earlier so that the scenes we do see are actually the pay off, but they neglected to shoot the earlier scenes.

I really wish someone could give us a definitive answer to this question.

One People, One Empire, One Leader, One God

[–] computerprogram 12 years ago

Well I always thought he was just dyslexic.

[–] Fiery_Boycs 8 years ago

Actually it would be called discalculia.

108 193 23 8114 246* 47.73 22 42

[–] ted9406 12 years ago

I think you people are looking too deep into it. Its not making fun of anything its just part of the pythons' random and bizzare sense of humour

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] dgoldmeier 12 years ago

Here is a post I made for "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" in 2009. "Just saw this movie, with a scene where the virgin courtesan states she doesn't know the difference between 3 and 5. Did this inspire the routine in the Holy Grail movie where the character counts 1,2,...5?" I think it is quite possible that the Python crew borrowed this from AFTHOTWTTF. David Note: her reference to confusion between 3 and 5 is at the beginning of the "Lovely" song, and several versions of it are available on you tube.

[–] doowopfan 12 years ago

I think what makes it funny is before he counts they go through a specific rule of three should be the number thou shal count not two unless proceding to three. Four is out, etc. I love that reading. And after all of that he still says 1,2,5.

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I did sixty in five minutes once...

[–] avatar1140 12 years ago

It could just be the British poking fun at Royalty. The HRH does not really do much anymore except collect tax revenue so they can maintain a certain lifestyle according to Title. Perhaps this film is just poking fun at how they may have gotten "dumbed down" due to all this coddling but not having to lift a finger to help run the country.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] utfan62 11 years ago

I always thought it was just "Python humor" I don't know how else to put it. Like when Arthur is describing the bridge keeper and the questions he keeps saying 5 questions instead of 3.
Maybe an inside joke tho>