Blockbuster project

15
She's a Witch!

Transcript of Blockbuster project

She's a Witch!

Monte Python and the Holy Grail comically depicts the psychological aspects of

Witchcraft in psychopathology with the concept of generalization

Psychology Basis

Psychopathology

~ the study of psychological and behavioral dysfunction occurring in mental disorder or in

social disorganization

Ancient Theory

~ Witchcraft is an ancient theory, regarding fear of someone equipped with supernatural abilities

~ It is believed that women accused of witchcraft may have had a mental illness

The Malleus Maleficarum, written in Latin, is the most infamous witch hunting manuals

It was used for 300 years to distinguish and exterminate “witches”

Media

Peasant 1: We have found a witch, may we burn her?

(cheers)

Vladimir: How do you known she is a witch?

Peasant 2: She looks like one!

V=Vladimir P=Peasant

V: So, why do witches burn? (long pause)

P2: Cuz they're made of... wood?

V: So, how do we tell if she is made of wood?

V: Does wood sink in water?

P1: No

P3: No. It floats!

V: What also floats in water?

King: A Duck!

V: Exactly! So, logically...

P1(thinking): If she weighs the same as a duck... she's made of wood!

This ties into another concept from Psychology, generalization

~ Generalization is the process in which an organism responds to stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimuli

Connection

The generalized face of witches as we know them is to have a big nose

~Is it valid that the ancient theory of supernatural women, also known as witches, are generalized through the comedy of Monte Python and the Holy Grail?

----->Yes

My Take

~My take on it is that witches have been made out to be an ugly person, but they may of in fact just been a little different. Generalization is always a process that as humans use. Familiarity is a safety mechanism to remind us how we've handled situations that we've already experienced to know if it's safe or not. Its interesting that witches have been made into a scary part of one of the most fun holidays, with roots from a very gruesome past.

Sources

She's a witch!Here is the youtube link to watch the video, I would suggest it for a good laugh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrzMhU_4m-g

Meriam-Websters dictionary of psychopathalogy

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psychopathology