George Bernard Shaw (2019)
Genre
Historical Fiction / Spirituality
Reading Time
180 min
Key Themes
See below
Sign in to track this book
A shrewd, headstrong peasant girl, armed with divine conviction and an unwavering will, shatters centuries of patriarchal authority, only to be consumed by the very institutions she sought to save.
The play opens at Vaucouleurs, in Robert de Baudricourt's castle. Robert is frustrated by his servants' incompetence and France's war against England. Joan, a young peasant girl, arrives and insists that God has commanded her to lead the French army and crown the Dauphin, Charles VII, at Reims. Despite initial disbelief and mockery from Robert and his steward, Joan's unwavering conviction, combined with her ability to predict events and influence others, eventually sways Robert. He is astonished when his hens begin laying again after Joan's arrival, and his soldiers are suddenly willing to follow her. He reluctantly agrees to provide her with a horse, armor, and an escort to Chinon to meet the Dauphin.
At Chinon, the Dauphin, Charles VII, is weak, indecisive, and cowardly. He is surrounded by advisors like the Archbishop of Reims, Lord de La Trémouille, and Gilles de Rais (Bluebeard), who are more interested in court intrigue and personal gain than in fighting the English. When Joan arrives, Charles tries to test her by hiding among his courtiers. However, Joan immediately identifies him, claiming divine guidance. She convinces him and his council that she is sent by God to drive out the English and crown him at Reims. Her sincerity and passion, along with a private conversation where she seemingly reveals a secret known only to Charles, win him over, and she is given command of the army.
The scene shifts to the English camp near Orleans, where the Earl of Warwick and his chaplain, John de Stogumber, discuss the unsettling news of Joan's arrival and her victories. They are joined by Peter Cauchon, Bishop of Beauvais, who is deeply concerned about Joan's claims of direct divine inspiration, seeing it as a challenge to the Church's authority. Joan, accompanied by Dunois (the Bastard of Orleans), arrives on the battlefield. She rallies the demoralized French troops, leading them in a daring and successful assault against the English fortifications. Her courage and faith turn the tide of the battle, lifting the siege of Orleans and marking a turning point in the Hundred Years' War. Dunois, initially skeptical, comes to recognize her extraordinary leadership.
Following the victory at Orleans, Joan insists on marching directly to Reims to crown the Dauphin, as she believes God commands. However, Dunois, the Archbishop, and other French commanders argue against it, citing strategic difficulties and the need for more careful planning. They are wary of Joan's impulsiveness and her disregard for conventional military tactics. Joan grows frustrated with their worldly concerns and lack of faith. She publicly challenges Dunois to pray for a favorable wind to cross the Loire River, which miraculously appears. This event further strengthens her reputation as a divine instrument but also increases the unease among the established powers who feel their authority undermined by her direct connection to God.
The coronation of Charles VII at Reims Cathedral is a moment of triumph for France and the fulfillment of Joan's mission. However, the scene also highlights her growing isolation. While the French nobles and clergy celebrate, they also express their discomfort with Joan. The Archbishop warns her against pride and heresy, and even Dunois suggests she should return home now that her work is done. Charles, now King, feels threatened by her popularity and influence. Joan, despite her success, feels a deep sense of loneliness and misunderstanding. She reaffirms her commitment to God's will and her desire to continue fighting the English, even as she senses the shifting loyalties and the growing resentment against her.
Bishop Cauchon and the Earl of Warwick meet in the English camp at Rouen to discuss Joan's capture. Cauchon, representing the Church, sees Joan as a dangerous heretic whose direct communication with God bypasses the Church's authority, threatening its very foundation. Warwick, representing feudal nobility, sees her as a threat to the established social order and the concept of nation-states, as her appeals to French nationalism undermine feudal loyalties. They agree that Joan must be dealt with, not just as a military prisoner, but as a challenge to their respective institutions. They decide she must be tried by an ecclesiastical court, ensuring that the charges will focus on heresy and witchcraft, rather than solely on military matters.
Joan is brought before an ecclesiastical court in Rouen, presided over by Bishop Cauchon, the Inquisitor, and other English and French clerics. She faces relentless questioning regarding her visions, her male attire, and her refusal to submit to the authority of the Church. Joan steadfastly defends her actions, claiming her voices come directly from God and that she is accountable only to Him. She struggles to understand the legal and theological intricacies of the charges against her, maintaining her simple faith. The judges, particularly the Inquisitor, are determined to make her confess to heresy, viewing her individualism and direct connection to God as a grave threat to the Church's hierarchical structure.
Under immense pressure, facing the threat of immediate burning and terrified by the prospect of eternal damnation, Joan is presented with a document of abjuration. She is told that if she signs it, she will be spared the stake and sentenced to perpetual imprisonment. Overwhelmed and exhausted, she reluctantly signs the document, effectively confessing to heresy and renouncing her voices. However, the moment she learns that her sentence means imprisonment for life, she realizes she cannot live without her freedom and her voices. She retracts her abjuration, declaring that her voices were indeed from God and that she prefers death to denying them.
Having retracted her abjuration, Joan is condemned as a relapsed heretic. She is led to the marketplace in Rouen to be burned at the stake. Before her execution, she asks for a cross, which is given to her by a kind English soldier. As the flames rise, she cries out to God and her voices. Her death deeply affects those who witness it, particularly John de Stogumber, the English chaplain, who is deeply shaken by her courage and the horror of the act. He realizes the great injustice they have committed. Joan's martyrdom cements her status as a saint and a symbol of faith and defiance, leaving a lasting impact on history.
Twenty-five years after Joan's death, an Epilogue takes place in the Dauphin's bedroom. Charles VII, now a successful king, is visited by the ghosts of characters from the play: Warwick, Cauchon, Dunois, and even John de Stogumber, who has become a changed man. They discuss Joan's rehabilitation trial, which has cleared her name and declared her a martyr. They reflect on her impact, the political and religious implications of her life and death, and the irony of her official recognition by the very institutions that condemned her. The scene culminates with a vision of Joan herself, who asks if she should return to Earth. The characters, though acknowledging her sainthood, express their discomfort with her return, highlighting humanity's resistance to true saints and prophets.
The Protagonist
Joan transforms from a naive but determined peasant girl into a triumphant military leader and then a martyred saint, remaining steadfast in her faith despite betrayal and condemnation.
The Supporting
Charles evolves from a despised Dauphin to a crowned King thanks to Joan, but his character remains fundamentally unchanged, prioritizing self-preservation and political expediency.
The Supporting
Dunois moves from skepticism to reluctant admiration and loyalty towards Joan, but eventually, his pragmatic nature leads him to distance himself when her methods become politically inconvenient.
The Antagonist
Cauchon remains steadfast in his theological conviction that Joan is a heretic, never wavering in his belief that he is acting for the good of the Church, even as he grapples with the human cost.
The Antagonist
Warwick consistently views Joan as a political threat to the English and the feudal system, his perspective remaining largely unchanged.
The Supporting
The Archbishop moves from cautious acceptance of Joan to apprehension and ultimately a desire to see her contained or removed to protect the Church's authority.
The Supporting
Stogumber undergoes the most significant transformation, moving from zealous hatred and prejudice to profound remorse and a changed worldview after witnessing Joan's martyrdom.
The Supporting
Robert de Baudricourt moves from outright dismissal to grudging, almost superstitious, compliance with Joan's demands, reflecting the irresistible force of her personality.
This is the central theme of 'Saint Joan.' Joan's direct communication with God and her insistence on following her 'voices' challenge the established authority of both the Catholic Church (represented by Cauchon and the Archbishop) and the feudal state (represented by Warwick and Charles VII). The play explores how institutions, designed to maintain order and tradition, perceive and react to radical individual spiritual or political genius. Joan's personal faith is seen as a threat to the Church's hierarchical structure and the nobility's power, leading to her condemnation. Her tragedy lies in the inability of the established world to accommodate her unique form of leadership and spirituality.
“What is to become of us if we are to be outfaced by a mere shepherd girl with the gift of persuading all men that she is inspired of God?”
Shaw uses Joan to explore the early concept of nationalism in 15th-century France. Joan's appeals to 'France' as a unified entity, rather than simply a collection of feudal territories loyal to various lords, is a revolutionary idea. The Earl of Warwick, representing the English feudal system, explicitly recognizes this as a threat to the existing social and political order. Joan's vision of a unified France under a single king, driven by a common national identity, directly undermines the fragmented allegiances of feudalism. This theme highlights how Joan's impact extended beyond military victories to fundamentally alter the political landscape.
“A French nation! What is a French nation?”
The play explores the fine line between sainthood and heresy, particularly from the Church's perspective. Joan's accusers, especially Bishop Cauchon, genuinely believe her to be a heretic because her claims of direct divine inspiration bypass the Church's necessary mediation. Her 'Protestantism' – her individual relationship with God – is a dangerous precedent for the Catholic Church. Shaw suggests that saints are often inconvenient and revolutionary figures who challenge the status quo, and that their 'heresy' is often simply a new truth that the established order is not yet ready to accept. Her eventual canonization highlights the ironic and often belated recognition of true spiritual genius.
“The Church is not bound by the names of its saints, but by the will of God.”
Joan's story illustrates the burden that comes with extraordinary genius and leadership, especially when it is ahead of its time. She possesses an innate intelligence, courage, and strategic mind that surpasses those around her, yet she is constantly misunderstood, feared, and ultimately betrayed by the very people she helps. Her inability to compromise her principles, combined with the inability of others to fully grasp her vision, isolates her. The play suggests that true leaders and prophets often face loneliness and persecution because their insights challenge the comfort and conventions of society, making them an 'impossible' presence for the ordinary world.
“I am alone on the earth. I have always been alone.”
The Epilogue explores the irony of Joan's posthumous recognition as a saint by the very institutions that condemned her. Twenty-five years later, everyone acknowledges her greatness and sainthood, yet they all express discomfort and even fear at the idea of her actually returning. This highlights humanity's tendency to venerate figures only after they are safely dead and no longer pose a direct challenge to the status quo. Shaw suggests that while we might appreciate the historical impact of saints and prophets, we are often unwilling to truly live with their radical demands in the present.
“Oh, when will the world be ready to receive its saints? How long, O Lord, how long?”
Joan's direct communication with saints and God.
Joan's 'voices' are the central supernatural element and a key plot device. They serve as her primary motivation and source of authority, driving all her actions and decisions. For Joan, they are irrefutable divine commands. For others, they are either a sign of madness, heresy, or a convenient political tool. The ambiguity of the voices allows Shaw to explore themes of faith, skepticism, and the conflict between individual revelation and institutional dogma. They also provide Joan with an unwavering conviction that makes her both powerful and tragically inflexible, as she cannot compromise on what she believes to be God's direct will.
A scene set 25 years after Joan's death, featuring historical figures reflecting on her legacy.
The Epilogue is a crucial structural device that breaks from conventional dramatic realism. It serves several functions: it provides historical context by showing the official rehabilitation of Joan; it allows Shaw to directly explore the play's themes of sainthood, nationalism, and institutional resistance to genius from a retrospective viewpoint; and it highlights the ironic distance between how a saint is perceived in life (as a threat) and after death (as an object of veneration). By having the characters, including Joan herself, discuss her legacy, Shaw offers a meta-commentary on the play's own themes and the enduring human discomfort with radical truth.
The audience's awareness of Joan's historical fate and sainthood.
Shaw masterfully employs dramatic irony throughout the play. The audience knows from the outset that Joan will be canonized as a saint, yet they witness her condemnation as a heretic. This creates tension and highlights the tragic misunderstanding of her contemporaries. The irony underscores Shaw's point that 'saints' are often inconvenient figures in their own time, only to be recognized and celebrated centuries later. It forces the audience to question the nature of heroism, justice, and the fallibility of institutions that judge those ahead of their time, making her condemnation even more poignant.
The formal ecclesiastical proceedings against Joan.
Joan's trial is not just a plot point but a central dramatic and thematic device. It is a meticulously detailed and historically accurate representation of an Inquisition trial, used by Shaw to expose the mechanisms of institutional power, theological dogma, and legalistic reasoning that can condemn an innocent person. The trial serves as a crucible for Joan's character, demonstrating her unwavering faith and simple logic against the complex, often circular, arguments of her accusers. It highlights the clash between individual conscience and institutional authority, and the inherent conflict when a direct, unmediated spirituality confronts rigid religious orthodoxy.
“You are a soldier, and you are in the field. You are in danger. You are in the hands of God. You are in the hands of the enemy. You are in the hands of your own people. You are in the hands of yourself.”
— Joan speaks to Dunois about the realities of war and faith.
“What other judgement can I judge by but my own?”
— Joan asserts her right to follow her inner voice, even when questioned by the Inquisitor.
“I am not afraid. I was born to do this.”
— Joan expresses her unwavering resolve to lead the French army.
“You think that God is a gentleman in a white cravat, and that he will not speak to a peasant girl.”
— Joan challenges the Archbishop's skepticism about her divine visions.
“If I am not, may God put me there; and if I am, may God keep me there.”
— Joan's famous reply when asked if she is in a state of grace.
“The Church is not a stone building. It is the souls of men.”
— The Inquisitor explains the spiritual nature of the Church.
“I tell you there are no such things as miracles. There are only great men and great women, and what they do.”
— The Chaplain expresses a more pragmatic view of events.
“I have to find out what I am myself. I am a soldier. I am a saint. I am a woman. I am a child. I am everything.”
— Joan grapples with her multifaceted identity and mission.
“You have not heard the last of me. Wherever there is a soul in torment, there I shall be.”
— Joan's defiant final words before her execution, promising a lasting spiritual presence.
“The world is not ready for saints. It is not ready for anything but war.”
— Warwick reflects on the political and social climate that rejects Joan.
“One day, when men are wiser, they will understand.”
— Cauchon speaks prophetically about Joan's future recognition.
“I am only a girl. But I am a girl with a mission.”
— Joan emphasizes her youth and gender while asserting her divine purpose.
“To be what I am, and to do what I do, I must be a saint.”
— Joan acknowledges the extraordinary nature of her calling.
“It is not for us to judge. It is for God to judge.”
— The Inquisitor reminds his colleagues of their limited role in divine judgment.
Ready to see how well you understood this book? Take our interactive quiz with 10 questions.
George Bernard Shaw, known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 1880s to his death and beyond. He wrote more than sixty plays, including major works such as Man and Superman (1902), Pygmalion (1913) and Saint Joan (1923). With a range incorporating both contemporary satire and historical allegory, Shaw became the leading dramatist of his generation, and in 1925 was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
