Saint Joan (1923) is written by G. B Shaw which dramatizes the life and documentary of Joan of Arc. She was a peasant girl who heard visions from God and other saints including Archangel Michael, St.Catherine and St. Margaret. She believed that it was from God to led her as a leader to free France from its English captive. She eventually free the Orleans from British but the Burgundians accused her of heresy. It is the accusations that culminated her fate into tragedy. She was proved innocence in the year 1456 and later canonized as a Saint by the Catholic church in 1920.
As a historical play, it firstly provides the settings. The setting of the play is completely a medieval society. Women’s rights were literally low and unfair during those times and Joan being a woman who was about to lead the army of France was treated suspicious and with malignity. Her visions and voices from God were treated as skeptic by other characters but Joan was able to convince even the noblemen Robert and the Dauphin to go into a war against the British. Since, the medieval society is patriarchal in its legitimacy , Joan was even questioned about her gender since she wore a man’s dress to fight in the war.
However, the play also provides characters from the history itself. The characters include Joan of Arc, Dauphin or Charles VII, Robert de Baudricourt, Bishop of Beauvais, Archbishop, John de Stogumber, Dunois and Earl of Warwick . These characters are real life names from medieval society who were engaged with the Hundred Year Wars. Hence, the play gives space to the historical characters taken from medieval history to dramatize in the play itself.
As a historical play, the historical elements gives plot to the play. The story of Joan of Arc itself is the main plot of the play. The story revolves around her visions and voices from God and her appointments with Dauphin to make her the leader of the French army. Since, Joan was a brave and courageous leader she was able to defeat the British and free Orleans from their rule. Her ability to inspire and motivate the leaders was greatly recognized by the society and even made Charles VII as their King which she believed it to be the God’s choice. As the story revolves around Joan, she was taken by the Burgundians since the king called back the armies and the ally of British namely the Burgundians capture her and accused her of heresy where she was accused and sent to prison in the trial. These documents of reality are witnessed in the play as the story unfolds and the plot moves accordingly to the story of Joan as witnessed in the medieval society.
The historical elements also gives the themes to the play. The themes include war, miracles , accusation, courageous and martyrdom. These aspects were the reality during the age since Joan is canonized as a Saint today and she is able to show miracles to the people. In the play, the miracles were shown where Robert’s chicken started to lay eggs as soon as Joan met him and approve her to be send to Dauphin. This shows that Joan’s presence showed miracles to the people . The play also gives a discourse on the war which is the reality and the engagement she had with the war. She was falsely accused for heresy and witchcraft in the trail sessions but she was brave and courageous enough to handle the situation on her own. She was later even prove innocent by the Church itself and she later was respected by the society and later even canonized as a Saint reflecting the martyrdom of Joan of Arc. The historical documents of medieval story about Joan gives or contributes to the development of themes in the play itself.
Shakespeare Henry IV, Part I as a Historical Play
Shaw’s Candida as a Problem Play – https://getsetnotes.com/shaws-candida-as-a-problem-play
Themes in Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man – https://getsetnotes.com/themes-in-george-bernard-shaws-arms-and-the-man/
Historical Background of Saint Joan – https://getsetnotes.com/summary-of-saint-joan/
