Saint Joan is a historical play
in the sense that this drama is based on the facts of history and its chief
characters and events are taken from history. But as ‘Saint Joan’ is a drama,
it is not a mere transcript of history, but an imaginative treatment of the facts
of history blended with fiction. In spite of much authenticity, there is much
modification in details and minor matters, much shifting, ordering,
condensening and compressing of material. In this way this historic play is a
blend of fact and fiction.
“Joan of Arc, a village
girl from Domrémy, was born in about 1412; burnt for heresy, witchcraft, and
sorcery in 1431… declared Blessed in 1908; and finally canonized in 1920. She
is the most notable Warrior Saint in the Christian calendar, and the queerest
fish among the eccentric worthies of the Middle Ages.” These are Shaw’s words to describe Jeanne d’Arc.
She was a teenage peasant girl who crowned a reluctant king, rallied a broken
people, reversed the course of a great war, and pushed history onto a new path.
Both warrior and mystic, reviled as a heretic and witch, revered as a savior
and eventual as a saint, Joan of Arc strikes a chord in history that
reverberates across the centuries and calls out to us even today. She is a woman about whom Shaw said there were only two opinions:
“One was that she was miraculous; the other that she was unbearable.”
Life and Career of Joan: In Shakespeare’s Henry VI, the
presentation of the Maid ends in mere scurrility, Schiiller’s account of her
has no contact with history and Voltire has made her ridiculous. But as for
Saint Joan of Shaw, she was gifted with sound commonsense, and her cuccessful
plans were rational and wise; but her faith is religion was mystical. “Her
powers were human, but her confidence was devine.” “ The romance of Joan’s
rise, the tragedy of her execution, and the comedy of the attempts of posterity
to make amends for that execution,” have been presented with rare fidelity.
Medieval Atmosphere: In the preface, Shaw says, “to understand
Joan’s history, it is not enough to understand her character; you must
understand her environment as well.” It is true that the truth to history
has been achieved by medieval atmosphere. He himself has taken care, “to let
the medieval atmosphere blow through my play freely.” He brought the
medieval institution like the church, the Holy Inquisition, the Feudalism, the
divine inspiration, the torture, the executioner etc. the medieval atmosphere
has been further accentuated by light skillful touches . The credulity of the
Middle Ages, their superstitions, as belief in witchcraft and magic, their
faith in religion, God and miracles, have all been emphasized.
Shifting and Ordering of Material; Character- Creation: Saint Joan
is not a mere transcript or photographic reproduction of history. It is a work
of art and as such in the interest of dramatic effectiveness, the dramatist has
restored to much ordering and selection of material. While the records of the
trial mere accurate and elaborate, and so very helpful, the dramatist could not
get much help from history as regards his characters. They are all historical
figures, no doubt, but not much could be known about their character and
personality. The dramatist has himself to fill up and amplify the barest hints
that he could get from history. As he himself tells us, "But I really know
no more about there men...for them Shakespeare's manner." the minor
characters specially are, therefore, admirable pieces of character -creation.
Besides this, he was limited by the facts of stage-representation. It was for
this reason that he has indulged in much condensation and compression of
material. The trial of Joan and her burning at the stake have been presented in
the drama as the business merely of half and hour or so, while in reality the
trial of the Maid dragged on for more than a year
Shaw used the records of the
original trial and appeals preserved by the Roman Catholic Church as his
primary sources for the play. Saint Joan’s story has been told in poetry,
novels, plays, and films in many different ways and with many different views
of her as a person. Very little was known about her even in her own time and no
pictures remain or perhaps ever existed. Her story has often been romanticized.
Shaw’s play may very well be closer to the truth than most other versions were.
Colbourne said, “Saint Joan is
a model for all historical plays”. It is not enough to give merely the
facts of history. The facts must also be interpreted and made intelligible to
the readers, this is Shaw‘s achievement in the play.
However, in the concluding part... (write on your own)
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