The Id of King Philip: Analysis of Reaction Compulsion of Men in the Society

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the Id of King Philip in Vicente Aranda’s Juana La Loca, a film in 2001, and associate these characteristics with the reaction compulsion of men in society. The study made use of Literary Criticism and Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory. Furthermore, the study focused on analyzing the film's main subject, the toxic relationship between King Philip and his wife, Queen Juana, due to the King’s infidelity. There were five areas to be initially identified in the film: What are King Philip’s unconscious behavior, negative characteristics, his overcoming adverse reactions, basic drives, and his pattern of repetitive thoughts? Once the five areas were determined, these were compared and related to the exact behavior of men in general through actual scenarios found on-air reality shows. The results later concluded that the reaction of King Philip when repeatedly confronted by his misconduct was similar if not identical to how ordinary people react when addressing their adultery. On this basis, it is recommended that effective interventions should be applied when dealing with individuals struggling with the said behaviors identified in this study.