Act-wise Summary - Saint Joan : George Bernard Shaw

 Saint Joan

 Act-wise Summary of Saint Joan : George Bernard Shaw

[alert-success] Saint Joan : George Bernard Shaw

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Preface

        Shaw starts the preface to Saint Joan by saying that Joan was a Catholic, but she was actually one of the first Protestant martyrs. She was also an advocate of nationalism, a military strategist during the time of Napoleon, and a pioneer of feminism. He also says that by saying she was in direct contact with Heaven and acting down on men in power, she made so much anger that it's not surprising she was burned.

        He says that, of course, Joan wasn't really guilty of the witchcraft and bad behaviour charges that were made against her, but that it's not necessary to prove this now because history has cleared her name. Today, it's not important to defend Joan, but it's important not to romanticise her. She wasn't a pretty village girl, as some people have said. She was smart and holy. She wasn't a dumb beggarmaid or servant girl, either. She was from a higher social class and was even smart, even though she couldn't read or write.

        Shaw says that Joan's visions and voices were not signs of madness, witchcraft, or sainthood. Instead, they were just the kind of inspiration that comes to people who are very smart. She was pretty smart and had some good ideas, even if her imagination made her think that saints were telling her about them. Shaw says that we have our own superstitious beliefs, like the "gospel" of scientists like Louis Pasteur and the belief in the Oedipus complex. This is in response to Joan's belief in baptism and other Catholic rites, which modern people think are silly.

        Shaw criticises the writers who said that Joan's judges were bad people because they were corrupt. He says that her trial was just as fair as trials today, or maybe even more fair. It was the second trial, which cleared her, that was unfair.

        Shaw says that Joan's refusal to accept the authority of the Catholic Church meant that the Church could have excommunicated her, which would have been a fair punishment. But setting her on fire was an awful thing that can't be defended.

        On the other hand, Shaw says that if the Church had just kicked Joan out of the Church and let her keep spreading her ideas outside of the Church, that would have been the same as tolerating a danger to society, and societies have the right to not tolerate such dangers. He says that intolerance is the foundation of society, but he also says that all improvements come from tolerance, especially tolerance of apparent heresies like Joan's, because genius heretics promote better ideas than those found in groups. Shaw also says that tolerance goes up and down depending on the situation and that the modern age is not always more tolerant than the Middle Ages.

        Shaw says at the end of his Preface that he has shown the Middle Ages more accurately than Shakespeare did, but he also says that he has put in some things that aren't true to the time period on purpose so that people can understand what's going on. He also disagrees with the idea that the philosophical parts and the end of the play should be taken out.

Scene I: 

        The first scene starts in 1429 in a castle in France. Robert de Baudricourt is yelling at his steward because the hens are not laying eggs. The steward points the finger at Joan, who Robert doesn't want to see. Now, he decides to go see her, and she talks him into giving her a horse, some armour, and some men so she can go convince the Dauphin to raise the siege of Orléans and get the English out of France. Joan tells Robert that this is what God wants her to do because Saints Margaret and Catherine have told her so. Robert thinks Joan might be crazy, but he also thinks that her talk about doing God's will might inspire the troops. As soon as he agrees to help her, the steward comes running in to tell him that the hens have started laying eggs again. 

Scene 2: 

         Joan goes to Charles, the Dauphincourt. ,'s Charles is being pushed around by his advisors, but he insists on meeting Joan, who Robert has told him is great. There is also talk of another miracle that Joan is said to have done: killing a soldier who wouldn't stop swearing. 

        Even though Charles has switched places with one of his courtiers, Joan is still able to recognise him when she gets to court. When Joan is alone with Charles, she is able to convince him to let her take charge of the army and lift the siege at Orléans.  

Scene 3:

        Joan is eager to lead the troops into battle when she gets to Orléans. The leader, Dunois, says that they can't attack until the wind changes. Joan agrees to pray for the wind to change, and before they can even get to the church, the wind does change. 

Scene 4: 

        The Earl of Warwick, the English chaplain de Stogumber, and Bishop Cauchon meet in a tent in the English camp to talk about recent English losses and what role Joan played in them. Stogumber wants Joan to be killed because he thinks she is a witch. Cauchon says she is a heretic, not a witch. His main worry is that her individualist views could hurt the Church's power. Warwick worries that Joan's ideas will help the royal family but hurt the feudal aristocracy. Even though Warwick is more calm than Stogumber, he wants to kill Joan and puts pressure on Cauchon to agree. Cauchon doesn't like being used this way, and he says that he wants to save Joan's soul. 

Scene 5:  

        Charles has just been crowned in the cathedral at Rheims, thanks to Joan. Joan tells him now that they should keep fighting and take Paris. Charles is shocked, and so are his advisors. Even Joan's friend Dunois tells her she's acting too riskily. The Archbishop says that she is proud, which is a sin. He says that her pride will destroy her, just like in a Greek tragedy. He also says that she will be alone if she keeps putting herself above the Church and the military. Joan says that she won't be as alone as France or God, and that the love of the common people will help her. 

Scene 6: 

        The trial scene. Castle of Rouen, 1431. Several of the judges and assessors try to get Joan to change her mind and save herself, but she is stubborn and won't promise to obey the Church completely. When she is told she will be killed, she changes her mind and says it is smart to avoid being burned. But when she finds out that she will still be locked up for life, she rips up her promise to change her mind and is led to the stake. 

        The Inquisitor, who had told the court that Joan's heresy was very dangerous, now tells Cauchon that Joan was not guilty. Stogumber was angry when it looked like Joan might not have to burn, and he has always wanted the harshest punishments for her. When he comes back from the execution, he is full of regret. He says he didn't know what he was asking for when he asked for her to be killed. The Executioner comes in to tell Warwick that Joan's heart would not burn. Warwick wonders if this is the last time they will hear about her. 

Epilogue 

        It has been 25 years since the death sentence. Charles is told that Joan has been found not guilty in a second trial, and then Joan and many other characters from the play appear to him in a dream. 

A man from the year 1920 shows up and says that Joan has been made a saint. Everyone kneels down in front of Joan and gives her praise. She asks them if they'd like to see her come back to life. All of them are worried and say that wouldn't be a good plan. Joan soon finds herself on her own, and she wonders when the world will be ready for God's saints.

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