So, instead of 'Girl With a Pearl Earring' we're watching 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail.' Infinitely better, in my opinion. However, finding a way to relate it to the particular time period this class covers is not so easy. One of my favorite scenes, though, is the one in which Sir Bevedere is helping to determine whether or not a woman is a witch. This scene is hilarious. Mostly because the "logical" conclusion they come to is completely ridiculous, but also partly because they are using a somewhat skewed version of the scientific method developed around the time of the Scientific Revolution. They have a general hypothesis - that she's a witch. They make observations, use deductive reasoning, and experiment (weigh her against a duck), to come to the conclusion. The fact that the reasoning behind the reasoning makes some sense makes the situation all the funnier.
This film should be shown in any classes dealing with natural sciences ("It's a simple matter of weight ratio. A five ounce swallow cannot carry a one pound coconut!"), political sciences ("Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not some farcical aquatic ceremony."), or history. I'm just saying.
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