One of my favorite parts of this movie is the scene where the government official collects all the bodies of people killed by the plague. This is particularly interesting because the plague was not explicitly spoken about by all writers. However, plague influence can certainly be seen in the works of Chaucer, Petrarch, and others. But I think that Monty Python does a great job of portraying much of the moral corruption that took place as a result of the plague. The following conversation for Monty Python shows this:
As a result of the Black Plague, many people began to wonder what they had done wrong, why God was punishing them with all the death. Self-mutilation became popular as a result, especially among highly religious people. People would try to express their unworthiness to God and show their understandings of Christ's suffering by whipping and beating themselves. People hurting themselves... how could Monty Python leave that untouched? The answer is that they couldn't. The monks in The Quest for the Holy Grail walk around beating themselves with boards while chanting religious texts. Click for the self-flagellating monks:
Although I don't recommend self-flagellation, if you really have a desire to try out some Medieval practices to feel closer to the authors and characters as you read, Monty Python is happy to teach you how to become like the monks. It's an extra on the Monty Python DVD. If I had the video, I'd post it. But check it out. It's a kick!
Happy reading.
The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2006. 29-100. Print.
