The following slideshow discusses very serious topics and is not for the faint of heart.

Monty Python
And
The Holy Grail

Written and Produced by
Alessandro Vidaurrazaga
For American Lit period 2

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

• Why do we naturally like absurd humor?

BACKGROUND

• This film was directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, members of comedy troupe Monty Python.
• Monty Python is known for absurdist and nonsensical humor.
• This film satirizes the Arthurian legend.

Sometimes we just like to hear silly quips and insults. Like how John Cleese’s character, the French Taunter, says Arthur’s mother “was a hamster and [his] father smelt of elderberries!” (Gilliam/Jones).

• Why do we naturally like absurd humor?

BUT WHY IS IT FUNNY?

• The insult is funny because it’s ridiculous and makes no sense.
• The line is also out of place with the film’s medieval setting.
• Thus, these factors add to the humor of the line.

Others use this style of humor as an escape from their negative feelings.

• This movie was directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, members of comedy troupe Monty Python.
• Monty Python is known for its nonsensical and absurdist humor.
• This movie satirizes the Arthurian legend.

HUMOR AND NONSENSE

• Humor as a whole aims to “arouse sympathy towards shortcomings” (Dionigi).
• As a whole, humor is meant to be funny.
• Nonsense is a style of humor.

NONSENSE (CONT’D)

• It “experiments with ridiculous [situations]” (Dionigi).
• In short, the joke is not supposed to make sense.
• Thus, these jokes can be useful in relieving stress.

We apologize for the fault in those speaking notes. Those responsible for writing them have been sacked.

We apologize again for the fault in the speaking notes. Those responsible for sacking the people who have just been sacked, have also been sacked.

In the film, Arthur’s knights discuss a cave inscription telling them where to find the Grail, in the Castle of Aaargh. Arthur suggests that Joseph of Arimathea “couldn’t carve ‘aaargh’ into the stone if he were dying” (Meuwese 1).

The inscription and argument that ensues make no sense. So does the humorous misnomer of the Castle. After being chased by the cave’s Black Beast of Aaargh, the King’s knights are saved when the animator “suffers a fatal heart attack” (Gilliam/Jones).

The joke not only is ridiculous, but it also breaks the fourth wall with its reference to Terry Gilliam, the actual animator for Monty Python.

In conclusion, we naturally tend to gravitate towards absurd humor either as a cope or other escapism, or that we just find it funny.

INFO ON MY SOURCES

Alberto Dionigi is a psychologist for the National Institutes of Health. He co-wrote an analytical article with Mirko Duradoni and Laura Vagnoli about the link between humor and stress.

Dionigi’s article is called “Understanding the Association Between Humor and Emotional Distress”. It analyzes how people experiencing depression, anxiety, and stress use different styles of humor to cope with their negative feelings.

Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones are two members of the comedy troupe Monty Python. They directed the troupe’s Holy Grail movie, along with producing it with the other four members of the group. Gilliam also serves as the animator for select sequences in the film.

Works Cited