Daily Dialogue — December 8, 2015
King of Swamp Castle: Guards, make sure the prince doesn’t leave this room until I come and get him.
Guard #1: Not to leave the room… even if you come and get him.
Guard #2: [hiccups]
King of Swamp Castle: No, no. Until I come and get him.
Guard #1: Until you come and get him, we’re not to enter the room.
King of Swamp Castle: No, no, no. You stay in the room, and make sure he doesn’t leave.
Guard #1: And you’ll come and get him.
Guard #2: [hiccups]
King of Swamp Castle: Right.
Guard #1: We don’t need to do anything, apart from just stop him entering the room.
King of Swamp Castle: No, no. Leaving the room.
Guard #1: Leaving the room, yes.
King of Swamp Castle: All right?
Guard #2: [hiccups]
Guard #1: Right. Oh, if, if, if, uh, if, if, uh, if, if, if, we… oh, if… oh…
King of Swamp Castle: Look, it’s quite simple. You just stay here, and make sure he doesn’t leave the room. All right?
Guard #2: [hiccups]
Guard #1: Oh, I remember, uh, can he leave the room with us?
King of Swamp Castle: No, no, no, no, you just keep him in here, and make sure…
Guard #1: Oh yeah, we’ll keep him in here, obviously, but if he had to leave, and we were with him…
King of Swamp Castle: No, just keep him in here…
Guard #1: Until you, or anyone else…
King of Swamp Castle: No, not anyone else. Just me.
Guard #1: Just you.
Guard #2: [hiccups]
King of Swamp Castle: Get back.
Guard #1: Get back.
King of Swamp Castle: All right?
Guard #1: Right, we’ll stay here until you get back.
King of Swamp Castle: And make sure he doesn’t leave.
Guard #1: What?
King of Swamp Castle: Make sure he doesn’t leave.
Guard #1: The prince?
King of Swamp Castle: Yes, make sure he doesn’t leave.
Guard #1: Oh, yes, of course.
[Points at Guard #2]
Guard #1: I thought you meant him. You know, it seemed a bit daft me I were to guard him when he’s a guard.
King of Swamp Castle: Is that clear?
Guard #2: [hiccups]
Guard #1: Oh, quite clear. No problems.
King of Swamp Castle: Right.
[King of Swamp Castle turns to leave the room, both guards follow him]
King of Swamp Castle: Where are you going?
Guard #1: We’re coming with you.
King of Swamp Castle: No, no, no. I want you to stay here and make sure he doesn’t leave.
Guard #1: Oh, I see. Right.
— Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), written by Graham Chapman & John Cleese & Eric Idle & Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones & Michael Palin
The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Misunderstanding. Today’s suggestion by Daniel Cossu.
Trivia: During production, the troupe became increasing irritated by the press, who seemed to always ask the same questions, such as “What will your next project be?” One day, Eric Idle flippantly answered, “Jesus Christ’s Lust For Glory”. Having discovered that this answer quickly shut up reporters, the group adopted it as their stock answer. After production completed, they did some serious thinking about it, and realized that while satirizing Christ himself was out of the question, they could create a parody of first-century life, later realized in Life of Brian (1979).
Dialogue On Dialogue: When you do comedy, you constantly look for bits. This is a bit. The King tries to give a simple explanation of what he wants the guards to do. They misunderstand. Again. And again. And again. That’s the value of a comedy bit. When you find it, milk it!