The movie 'How to Train Your Dragon' has this dialogue:
In the last sentence, I wonder why he used 'couldn't have killed' instead of 'couldn't kill'.
(1) Why couldn't I have killed that dragon when I found him in the woods? [original]
(2) Why couldn't I kill that dragon when I found him in the woods?
Context: Hiccup "lost everything" because he failed to kill the dragon.Astrid:
You must feel horrible. You've lost everything; your father, your tribe, your best friend...
Hiccup:
Thank you for summing that up. [sadly] Why couldn't I have killed that dragon when I found him in the woods?
In the last sentence, I wonder why he used 'couldn't have killed' instead of 'couldn't kill'.
(1) Why couldn't I have killed that dragon when I found him in the woods? [original]
(2) Why couldn't I kill that dragon when I found him in the woods?